《A Hospital in Another World?》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Deputy Chief Wu Zhou from the Emergency Department woke up from unconsciousness, feeling someone patting him vigorously. "Garrett, Garrett..." The voice accompanied the relentless patting. Wu Zhou struggled to open his eyes, met with complete darkness. The person calling him didn''t stop, patting in vain. Then, grabbing his shoulder, shaking him side to side: "Garrett, wake up! How are you!" Wu Zhou, pushed by the force, jerked his head, realizing he was facedown, his face seemingly buried in the ground. Taking a breath, he sensed the overwhelming smell of blood, earth, and some peculiar odor he couldn''t place. "Cough, cough, cough..." He reflexively arched his back, coughing violently. Amidst the coughs, he raged inwardly: Who positioned him like this? Don''t they know an unconscious person shouldn''t lie face down? Inhaling vomit can suffocate a person! They need to rehearse emergency procedures ten times! No, make it twenty! Wu Zhou''s professional instincts kicked in, mentally reprimanding the unreliable nurses, interns, and resident doctors. After a tirade of thoughts, he coughed so hard, tears welled up, and he lifted his head, looking around, utterly stunned. Where''s the operating light? Where''s the surgical table? Where are the bustling doctors and nurses in their white gowns, rushing around the hospital? The hospital itself? The surgical building was gone, and the laminar flow operating room vanished. In its place stood a low, decrepit house with a stone wall, thatched roof, and mud-filled crevices. A low circular mound at the base of the wall held an empty patch of mud, with a few wilted weeds... What on earth is this? Wasn''t I in the emergency department saving lives?! Wu Zhou''s head buzzed, his body weakened, nearly collapsing on the spot. He only remembered tirelessly working from 9 in the morning till 4 am, just after completing a major emergency surgery. Splenectomy, liver suturing, intestinal repairs - after finishing the hefty work with no signs of active bleeding, instructing the assistant to suture, the next thing he knew was darkness...Read latest chapters at novelhall.com Only "Garrett, are you feeling better?" Stiffly turning his head, Wu Zhou''s pupils slowly adjusted. The person shaking him was a robust redhead with a prominent nose and deep-set eyes, the epitome of a Westerner. Clad in a tattered linen vest, his muscular arms protruded, holding a bow. That vest, if you could call it clothing, seemed more like a rectangular piece of cloth folded and sewn with openings at the armpits, with loose threads all over, almost unrecognizable from dirt. The only discernible feature was its incredibly sparse fabric, even inferior to the medical gauze in the operating room. Wu Zhou glanced down at himself. Same linen. Wu Zhou glanced quickly. Among them, the one praying on the ground was the best dressed: A light brown linen robe reaching the ground in front and covering the shins at the back. The neckline and cuffs neatly trimmed, a deep brown thread outlining the shape of a shield in the center. Hmmm... Looks like a higher rank of spellcaster... Wu Zhou silently quipped, shifting his focus to the injured. The wounded person was a sturdy man in his thirties or forties, with brown hair, brown eyes, and a scruffy beard. His gear seemed better, with at least a piece of leather armor, but it couldn''t protect him. The armor had a gaping hole in the abdomen, gushing fresh blood, with intestines spilling out. Comparatively, the bleeding on the arms and legs wasn''t as severe. The injured man leaned against a tree stump, half-conscious. A young man, somewhat resembling the injured person, knelt beside him, trembling, gazing at the wound with hopeful eyes That ghastly, unevenly torn, squirming, and retracting wound, seemingly ripped open by something, squirmed, shrank, closed, the blood flow gradually slowing... Wu Zhou''s eyes lit up. Healing spells in this world were indeed intriguing, with immediate effects! If only he had this healing spell assisting him during surgery... Before he finished the thought, the white light... disappeared. It only healed a small portion, leaving the abdominal wound with the intestines still exposed, now motionless. Wu Zhou: "..." Priest: "..." The young man by the injured person''s side instantly paled. Cupping the spilled intestines, he stared desperately at the priest for a moment, witnessing his efforts and chants, yet no light appeared from his hands. He couldn''t hold back his shout: "Keep going! Please, do it again! The captain''s injury is severe!" "I... I can''t!" The priest, not much older than fifteen or sixteen, flushed red, almost on the verge of tears. Shouted at, his freckled face seemed to swell: "I''m just an apprentice! I can''t save him..." The young man''s gaze turned swiftly despondent. He lowered his head, hands shaking, trying to push the injured person''s intestines back in "Don''t move!" Wu Zhou yelled. As the words escaped, he realized something was amiss: the language he spoke wasn''t Chinese, nor English, nor any language he''d ever learned. Yet inexplicably, he could speak it. Even the earlier commotion, a language unknown to him, was understood perfectly! What''s happening? Wu Zhou was bewildered. However, upon glancing at the injured person, he pushed his bewildered thoughts aside: someone was hurt, and that signaled the emergency doctor to spring into action. Even if the sky fell, the ground collapsed, the sun exploded, or everyone crossed over, he had to complete the rescue and ensure the patient''s safety first! He continued to shout, "Don''t push it back in! Is there a clean bowl?No? Then hold it! Don''t move!" --------------- Here is a theCharacters List.Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 "Garrett...?" The young man glanced up, his eyes meeting his. Ignoring him, Wu Zhou hurried to the injured person''s side, swiftly scanning the area No table. No stretcher. Not a single thing he could use as an operating table, not even a slightly elevated platform... Desperate times call for desperate measures! Wu Zhou gritted his teeth. For a surgeon, anything below the waist was akin to a contaminated zone, operating on the ground violated all sterile protocols. But in this dire setting, there was no room to fuss over sterility. Save the patient first, worry about the rest later! As he observed, Wu Zhou began giving orders: "You! Come here, press here on his arm! Press firmly, don''t let go, that''s it! And here, on the leg, where I''m pressing. Good, keep it tight! More pressure! You! Hold this spot! You! Get his clothes off!" "I can''t get them off..." "Then tear them! Cut them!" The deputy chief physician of the emergency department exuded an aura of absolute authority. Around three or four people acted on his every command, rushing about. Applying pressure to stop bleeding, removing clothes, boiling watereveryone was frantic, darting in and out of the small room without a moment to spare. Even the young priest was summoned by Wu Zhou to press on the patient''s brachial artery with his left hand and the posterior tibial artery with his right. The awkward positioning had him kneeling on the ground, contorted into a strange shape... There were doubts about whether he truly understood. But in moments of desperation, when one person confidently issued commands, the others instinctively followed suit: it was like struggling in a flood, grasping at anything even a strawto survive! Wu Zhou''s eyes were fixed on the patient as he barked orders, kneeling down, his right hand feeling the patient''s neck. He regulated his own breathing, counting the patient''s heartbeat: The heartbeat was okay. Less than 100... But it was getting faster, likely indicating significant bleeding! The pulsation of the carotid artery weakened, the face turned pale, sweating, breathing shallow and rapid... A series of information flashed through his mind rapidly, each one a problem. Blood pressure? No idea. There wasn''t even a sphygmomanometer here! Guesstimation was the only option!New novel chapters are published on Thankfully, after years in emergency medicine and countless scenes with the ambulance service, Wu Zhou''s intuition was sharp regarding the severity of the patient''s condition and possible injuries. The way this patient looked, the probability of hemorrhagic shock was significant! The patient''s leather armor lay scattered on the ground. The shirt torn open revealed a horrifying wound on the abdomen. A long gash, nearly 20cm, slanting from the upper right abdomen diagonally down to the lower left! Blood gushed out in waves. Wu Zhou took just one look and felt his entire body shiver, his blood pressure skyrocketing. Left lobe of the liver, right lobe... "Ah, so much blood!" "Shut up!" Wu Zhou frowned. In the center of the vivid red right lobe of the liver, there was a fissure, running downwards, continuously gushing bright arterial blood! His initial assessment was accurate; there was massive internal bleeding in the abdomen, and it was from the liver! Liver parenchyma laceration, depth... he didn''t dare to estimate precisely, but it seemed to be no less than 1 cm deep, coupled with substantial active bleeding This was definitely a Grade III injury! Not the worst, but... "Save him..." The young priest was now a bundle of nerves, stuttering and incoherent: "S-s-save him..." Of course, I have to save him! The issue is, in an emergency room, this injury would be manageable, but in the middle of nowhere, resources are scarce! Wu Zhou''s heart raced, nearly pounding his ribcage to bits. He bent over, left hand pulling the abdominal wall, right hand delving into the patient''s abdominal cavity. Lifting the liver, maneuvering the stomach, moving the intestines... "What are... you doing?" The trembling young priest inquired. Judging by his tone, he was close to passing outyet still observing. Acknowledging his admirable courage, Wu Zhou didn''t hesitate to explain a bit more: "Checking other organs for major bleeding. Hmm, no gallbladder, no spleen, kidneys... they''re further back, less likely to be damaged, but I still need to check... Hmm, no obvious active bleeding, that''s great!" "A-and then?" And then? And then comes the real challenge. Wu Zhou had been a doctor for over a decade, and only twice, out of sheer necessity, had he performed such a procedure. In their entire provincial hospital, you could count the number of doctors brave enough to attempt this on one hand. Buddha, Three Pure Ones, God and Mother Mary, any deity... please, let this patient''s anatomy stay predictable! He took a deep breath, gingerly grasping the hepatic portal veins and arteries. "Wow! The bleeding''s stopped! It''s slowing down!... Not bleeding anymore!" The young priest cheered. The gushing blood from the patient reduced instantly, from a torrent to a trickle, then to a slow seepage. The hemostasis effect was visible to the naked eye. --------------- Here is a theCharacters List.Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 As the young priest cheered, breaths of relief echoed around Wu Zhou. Kneeling beside the injured man''s intestines, Garrett immediately bowed his head. Holding his hands a little higher, he murmured softly, "War God above!" "War God above!" echoed the red-haired archer on the other side, pressing on the man''s arm. Then leaning over, sincerely praising, "Garrett, you''re amazing!" Yet, Wu Zhou felt no joy. Every ounce of his focus lay in his fingertips: the liver''s portal vein was delicateif too gentle, the bleeding wouldn''t stop; a bit more force, and it would tear, causing fatal hemorrhaging. The precision required relied on the experience and intuition of a surgeon. And even if he managed to halt the bleeding temporarily, that was just the first step of a long journey ahead! Footsteps approached urgently from behind. A soldier dispatched by Wu Zhou to fetch water hurried past, muttering a prayer, "War God above," then hesitantly asked, "Garrett, will this be enough?" Enough? Not a chance! Wu Zhou furrowed his brow. Under normal conditions, interrupting liver blood flow couldn''t exceed 30 minutes, or the liver would inevitably die. Meaning, he had a 30-minute window to solve this! But he had nothing! No blood transfusions, no materials for packing woundsgauze, gelatin sponges, styptic powderno sutures! He didn''t even have a pair of forceps! Tremendous anxiety and fear surged. It was Wu Zhou''s, belonging to the original inhabitant of this body. He raised his head, staring intensely at the young priest across from him, his eyes now bloodshot: "You!" he practically shouted, "Give me a healing spell! Direct it at this liver! Now!" The priest trembled at his outburst. His flushed face paled, freckles nearly transparent, an almost pitiful sight. In a voice on the verge of tears, he replied to Wu Zhou, "I-I can''t... I''ve used up my healing magic..." "Then what do you have left?" "Only a vial of potion for minor injuries..." What in the world?!New novel chapters are published on A potion for minor injuries! A small gasp arose. Amidst his busyness, Wu Zhou glanced up, seeing the young priest stretching his neck, eyes and mouth forming three round "O" shapes, staring in disbelief at the liver in his hands: "Can you really save someone like this?" "Nope..." Wu Zhou lazily retorted. Faced with the priest''s half disappointment, half accusation, he casually explained, drawing out the last syllable: "I know, it''d take ten years to learn that." ...It wouldn''t take ten years. Five or seven years of study, residency, plus various internships and certifications. Wu Zhou fell silent. He redirected his attention to the patient: his life was secured, next was tending to the intestines and other external injuries! Glancing at the healing potion in his hand, almost emptied save a few drops, about a quarter of its original volume, shimmering with a pale gold hue, pulsating as if breathing. The effect was undeniably remarkable. But relying on these few drops to heal the remaining injuries? That''s just wishful thinking. Let''s get to the real work of dealing with the intestines! Wu Zhou gingerly withdrew his right hand from the patient''s liver. Stepping back, surveying the area, he began issuing a series of commands: "Do we have soap?What, only soapberries? Fine, give it, I''ll wash my hands!" "Do we have boiling water?... Only this bag? Not enough! Hurry up and heat more!Oh, and put the needles and thread in there to sterilize!" "Do we have strong alcohol?... We do? Great! Give it to me!" The red-haired archer, the yellow-haired soldier who was busy fetching water, scrambled at his commands. The young priest, with wide curious eyes, looked around and asked, "Why wash your hands again?" "Because just now was emergency hemostasis, brother! Any slower and the man would have died!" In a life-or-death situation, there''s no time for fussingyet even so, in a hospital setting, at the very least, he''d have grabbed some iodine. Now that the urgent bleeding had stopped, and it was time to deal with the intestines, Wu Zhou, as a surgeon, couldn''t compromise on cleanliness. He washed his hands with soapberries from the wooden bucket of water brought by the archer, trying not to look at the stains around the bucket. Calling it a "stain" was praise; from rim to brim, the bucket was black. It was hard to tell how long it hadn''t been washedmaybe since it was made? As for how much dirtier this water was compared to tap water and how many microorganisms lurked within, Wu Zhou didn''t dare to think about it. --------------- Here is a theCharacters List.Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Following the standards of surgical scrubbing, Wu Zhou lathered his hands from fingertips to upper arms with clear water and soapberry, creating foam. Once finished, he cupped a strong liquor, meticulously rubbing his hands again. While scrubbing, he sighed inwardly: no running water, no antiseptic hand wash, no iodine or chlorhexidine. Cutting down three rounds of scrubbing to two was risky; in an emergency room, even the nurses in the operating room would criticize him if they saw. He wasn''t sure if this liquor was strong enoughby its smell, it probably wasn''t! Sterile gloves were out of the question; whether the patient would get an infection was left to fate... Oh, and no antibiotics! No sulfa, no penicillin, no various cephalosporins... Using these bare hands to manipulate intestines, thinking about the risk of infection after closing the abdomen, sent shivers down Wu Zhou''s spine. This was an absolute gamble! But if the intestines were damaged, it would be a massive problem. Once intestinal contents leaked out, peritonitis, sepsis, various complications, any of which could be fatal. In clinical practice, if the intestines weren''t repaired before closing the abdomen, it would result in a medical accident, bringing severe condemnation to the gastrointestinal surgery department. Choosing the lesser of two evils! Wu Zhou held his breath and started manipulating the intestines from the duodenum, inch by inch. The bloody intestines slipped through his fingertips, and soon, a frantic vomiting sound echoed nearby: "Ugh" The red-haired archer knelt on the ground, nearly burying his face in his own vomit. The young priest, pale-faced, tried hard not to look into the abdomen, lips tightly sealed, cheeks bulging. Then, with a thud like a water bucket dropping, the person fetching water also began to vomit. Vomit all you want, get used to it. Wu Zhou silently lamented, but as he looked up and noticed the patient was awake, panic set in: "You''re awake!Hold him down! Quickly, hold him down!" Damn it, waking up mid-surgery!... No, there wasn''t even "mid-surgery"; there had been no anesthesia from start to finish! And now the patient was awake! Don''t move!!! Several soldiers, vomit at the corners of their mouths, rushed to restrain the person. Frightened, the patient exerted tremendous force, struggling against a loss of at least 500ml of blood. Three people almost couldn''t hold him down. Wu Zhou held a piece of empty intestine in his left hand, a piece of ileum in his right hand, drenched in cold sweat: "Don''t move! Don''t move" No anesthesia was truly terrifying... If only someone could knock the patient out... That''s a joke. If he were to cause an epidural hematoma, he wouldn''t know how to treat it! Even explaining and comforting, it was hard to calm the patient down. Wu Zhou focused, examining the intestines inch by inch. Nothing, nothing, no damage in the jejunum. Thank goodness! Next was the ileum, where it had slipped out earlier, the most dangerous part... Wu Zhou took a deep breath, another, and a third. Holding both hands flat in front of his chest in an awkward posture, he waited eagerly until the water in the pot boiled. Then, he began live instructions, guiding his teammates on how to prepare the saline solution: "Pour the boiling water into the cold water... Don''t pour too much! Taste it... No, don''t drink directly, pour some out, drink it when it''s the same temperature as your mouth, neither hot nor cold. Alright, now add the salt in! Not too much, a pile the size of the first joint of your thumb, crush it, throw it in, shake it!Taste it again, it should taste salty but not bitter, come, let me taste again..." "Why add salt?" Finally recovering from the vomiting, the young priest''s freckled face seemed a bit dimmer, but his eyes were still bright. Hearing him ask, Wu Zhou blurted out without thinking: "Saline solution doesn''t hurt when washing wounds." "What solution?... Why doesn''t it hurt?" Wu Zhou: "..." Oh no, he slipped up! People in this world don''t know what a saline solution is! And why it doesn''t hurt? Does he need to give a live physiology class, from cell osmotic pressure to nerve conduction? "Cough, a saline solution is just salt water like the saltiness of your blood... When your blood flows over your own wound, does it hurt much?" "But salt is very expensive!" Seriously? Salt is expensive? Wu Zhou sweated profusely. In clinical practice, one of the most widely used items was saline solution. It was used for wound cleaning, flushing various catheters, and pre-closure rinses. Everyone simply poured it down without a second thought. And now, they''re saying salt is expensive... He turned and looked at the scattered stone walls, thatched roofs, the rickety house. Well, salt really was expensive here. "Even if it''s expensive, we have to use it! Using a diluted solution will lead to poor wound recovery!" If using fresh water, the osmotic pressure would be too low, causing cells to die, leading to ion imbalances or something else... These people haven''t heard of cells and ions, have they? The young priest seemed thoughtful. Suddenly, a loud cough sounded nearby: "Cough... Garrett, the saline is ready!" --------------- Here is a theCharacters List.Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 5 Chapter 5 "Saline ready?" Wu Zhou turned, spotting a rough, calloused hand holding a wooden bowl out to him. The warrior''s hands were covered in old calluses, stubbornly harboring deep black stains in the nail crevices, impossible to wash away even with deliberate effort. The black-yellow thumb was still hooked on the rim of the bowl, nails deeply embedded in the water... Wu Zhou felt his stomach churn at just one glance. But in this ramshackle place, finding something else to hold physiological saline? No chance! This thatched house, barrels so dirty you couldn''t see their original coloraside from wooden bowls, there probably wasn''t anything else! Wu Zhou took a sip of the saline, tasted it, and felt a river of sadness surge within. In the wilderness without ready-made physiological saline, it''s just pitiful. Boiling water, mixing it with cold boiled water, adding salt right there and then! Trying to calculate how much salt to add on the spot! He adjusted the concentration a bit, checked the temperature, thinking the concentration might be slightly off, but the temperature was more or less fine. As for the temperature being half a degree below 37 degrees, and the saline concentration deviating by 10%... Can''t worry about all that! Add salt, add more salt, keep adding salt. Careful, Wu Zhou made them add salt three times before adjusting it to the desired concentration. Then, directing these rough-handed men, he cleaned the mouth of the water bag with strong liquor, lifted it, and poured it in From the upper abdomen to the lower abdomen, meticulously rinsing step by step. After the first round, gently holding the intestines, he continued to shout: "Lift him up! One at the shoulders, one at the legs, one at the back!" The redhead archer supported the injured person''s shoulders. The young man who had knelt by the injured, holding the intestines, lifted the injured''s legs. In a very contorted posture, the young priestone hand on the brachial artery, the other on the posterior tibial arteryalso let go under Wu Zhou''s permission. Surgery, examination, cleansing, a series of procedures, and the bleeding on the injured''s left arm and left leg had basically stopped. The light freckled person''s compressing work on the wounds was done, now supporting the injured''s spine. "One, two, three, lift! Towards my side!" Swoosh, the physiological saline used to rinse the abdominal cavity poured out. Wu Zhou continued to shed tears. No suction device, no drainage tube, nothing at all... Use a straw or a reed to suck and spit it out? Just the thought of those warriors with large yellow teeth, and the risk of not sucking well and spitting back into the abdominal cavity, made Wu Zhou think better of it. Helpless, he could only resort to the simplest, most brutal method: after rinsing the abdominal cavity, lift the person and pour the water out. The water was mostly drained, and Wu Zhou carefully checked one last time. Luckily, there were no places bleeding or, in Wu Zhou''s usual termsno active bleeding. Finally relieved, he straightened up slightly and reached out to the side: "Suture!" ...No response. No one wiping his sweat during the surgery, but at least there were people to take care of him after it. As Wu Zhou lay down, immediately five or six hands reached out to support him. The warriors, who had been made to hustle without a word, all rushed up, chattering: "Little Garrett, you''re amazing!" "Little Garrett, when did you learn this?" "Little Garrett..." Wu Zhou: ......?? His exhausted brain turned and turned, finally fitting a memory into his mind. Yes, those people were calling him; his name was Garrett, Garrett Nordmark, a new recruit in the city guard... Today, he was out of the city on patrol with the squad, escorting the priestJohn, the freckled oneback home to visit family. The injured person he just treated was their squad leader, Uncle Karen, who had been taking care of him. When Uncle Karen got injured, the one kneeling and holding the intestines was his nephew Raymond, the spearman; the red-haired archer, Tom; and the shield warrior, Vali, who had been sent off to boil water earlieraltogether, this formed the entire squad. So... I''ve crossed over? Sure enough, after working overtime like crazy in the emergency room, in the end, I''ve become a corpse... Ah, endured through internships, endured through residency, never thought that, at the stage of a deputy chief physician, I''d still fall! Wu Zhou silently wiped away a tear of bitterness. He glanced around at the gently rolling hills in the distance, the lush green grassland, the quaint thatched roof houses, his teammates with distinct Western features beside him. Finally, lowering his gaze, he mourned silently for himself for a second, murmuring to himself: "From now on, I am Garrett..." As Garrett lifted his gaze again, he saw a row of several warriors, oh, and a priest, all staring at him intently. Clearly, everyone was surprised and curious about how he suddenly became skilled at performing a surgery. Garrett: "......" How do I explain this? Can I tell them that I have this skill because of twelve years of primary and secondary education, seven years of undergrad and postgrad studies, and years of clinical practice from my previous life?! If I dare say that, I''ll... probably get burned at the stake...? There''s a priest on-site who witnessed everything and can report it to the church when he returns; I can''t hide it even if I wanted to! At the moment when he was envisioning the religious court and was about to imagine the ten tortures, a worried question interrupted his thoughts and saved him from the fire and water: "Little Garrett... Captain, will he survive?" --------------- Here is a theCharacters List.Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 "Will he survive?" Garrett Nordmark paused. Then, a rush of memories, belonging to his previous self, flooded his mind like a tidal wave: "His" younger self knelt before a man''s body, crying bitterly. Uncle Karen knelt beside, holding "him" tightly, reassuring, "Little Garrett, don''t be afraid! Uncle will take care of you, won''t let anyone bully you!" "His" hands gripped a short wooden sword, swinging it fiercely. Uncle Karen held a sword opposite, voice stern, "Your stance is wrong! Again!" "His" huddled in a small cabin, gnawing on hard-to-swallow black bread. Uncle Karen pushed the door open, dragging "him" away, "Little Garrett! Come to Uncle''s house! Aunt Eileen has made stew!" ...that was Uncle Karen, who had cared for me after my father''s death... Garrett glanced at Uncle Karen''s pale face, unable to speak for a moment. Subconsciously, he clasped his hands in front of his chest, assuming a posture akin to prayer or the gesture one makes before surgery to avoid recontamination: "...I don''t know," he murmured softly. "I don''t know..." The surgery was indeed completed. The patient, Uncle Karen, had temporarily escaped mortal danger. But this didn''t mean smooth sailing; there were too many troubles ahead for the patient. The wound was hastily stitched with plant fibers, no antibiotics, no blood transfusion. And without even washing his hands, he delved into the patient''s liver...Read latest chapters at novelhall.com Only Besides the healed liver, the entire operation, to Wu Zhou''s eyes, was merely child''s play. In their hospital, except for the most dangerous ruptured liver, the rest could be handled easily by a resident physician. The post-operative risks weren''t significant either. A few days of observation in the hospital, antibiotics to suppress infections, no need for an ICU to tidy up the aftermath. But now, with just infection and blood loss, the patient''s life hung by a thread. Even if they survived these hurdles, there were potential complications like intestinal adhesions, intestinal obstructions, nausea, vomiting, hiccups, abdominal distension, urinary retention... a host of various complications... Any of which, if luck wasn''t on their side, could claim the patient''s life. And he... had no way. No antibiotics, no drainage tubes, no X-rays, ultrasounds, CT scans, no lab tests, no targeted medications. If Uncle Karen really developed any complications, as a healer, he was powerless. Seeing him hesitate, everyone present wore grim expressions. Raymond, Uncle Karen''s nephew, especially anxious, stepped forward, reaching for Wu Zhou''s shoulder: "Don''t you know? Little Garrett, can''t you do anything?" This pleading, anxious tone mirrored the relatives Wu Zhou often encountered in the emergency room. Garrett slowly shook his head: "If I could, I''d want him to get better quickly" "Captain, you''re better!" Several soldiers cheered and rushed forward. Garrett''s soul flew, immediately lunging forward, arms wide, blocking them: "Don''t touch him! Lie down! Lie down!" Damn it! The surface has healed, but who knows about the inside! I''ve sewn three layers on the abdominal wall alone! The innermost fascia and the peritoneum inside who knows if they''ve healed! If this sudden movement tears the incision Not to mention the injured rectus abdominis, the torn omentum I haven''t sewn yet, everywhere is damaged. Whether they''ve healed, Wu Zhou had no clue, and in this wilderness, there''s no MRI to check Even if it wasn''t the wilderness, there''s nowhere to go! He''s traveled! He''s traveled! Pressing down, Uncle Karen, though entirely defenseless, collapsed back with a thud. He lay down, but his head lifted forcibly, staring straight, eyes full of shock: "Little Garrett, you... you?" Garrett''s heart raced. Empathizing, anyone who suddenly sees a child they''ve watched grow up, suddenly slicing open flesh, sewing skin with a needle, would be shocked. But how could he explain?! Ignore it? Pretend ignorance? This was Uncle Karen, who had cared for his former self after his father''s death. Somehow, an explanation was necessary to reassure him! Garrett''s head buzzed as if embedded with a hard drive spinning at 7200 rotations per minute. Retrieving information, organizing data in haste, amidst the chaos, an abnormal piece of information, bold, highlighted, resolutely topped his mind: Right, the white light that just shot from his palm, accelerating the healing process... Exactly the same as the healing magic released by the young priest earlier! Healing magic = divine magic = backed by a god = the god told him to do so! The logic was flawless, perfect! Garrett blurted out: "Uncle Karen, don''t worry. II received divine guidance!" --------------- Here is a theCharacters List.Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 God''s Revelation? Captain Karen''s eyes lit up instantly. The earlier healing spell had really boosted his spirits. Coupled with the excitement from the good news, his pale face, drained from blood loss, even bloomed with faint shades of red: "God''s Revelation? That''s fantastic, young Garrett!" Garrett felt a warmth in his heart. He understood why Uncle Karen was so thrilled: becoming a religious figure, even the most basic one, meant a leap in social standing for an ordinary soldier like his original self in the city guard. From a commoner, directly stepping into the middle class. The most evident comparison? Look at their rough linen capes compared to the fine linen robes with small freckles. Not to mention, gaining God''s Revelation without going through the Church''s teachings Saint! Chosen one! Favored by God! A direct path to the skies lay right in front of them. For others'' good fortune, some in this world would be envious, some indifferent. But this Uncle Karen, genuinely happy for the owner of this body, the child he watched grow up... Garrett''s heart felt soft, warm, and he replied with a smile. However, his smile froze the next moment because, right after Uncle Karen''s joy, he immediately asked: "Which god?" Garrett: "" Right, which god? By rights, his healing abilities should belong to the healing god. So, Shennong, Bian Que, Hua Tuo? None of them seemed quite right; all these figures had Western faces. Bringing a Chinese god here would seem odd! Or Apollo? Asclepius?... Hippocrates? No, this is a different realm, and there are native gods here... Which god would be easier to approach, who wouldn''t strike me down if I invoke them without due reverence... Time is short, the demand is high, which god should be blamed? Waiting online, quite urgent... The new version of Garrett Nordmark swiftly combed through the original host''s memories. There were a few temples in Hartland City, a temple of the War God, a temple of the Spring Goddess, the god of nature... Wait, was there no temple for the god of nature? As for the roles these gods played? Which god had a better temperament? What were the religious practitioners like? Darn it, why can''t I remember... "The God of Nature..." Captain Karen''s fiery gaze dimmed slightly. Around Wu Continent, Raymond, the archer Tom, the shield warrior Vali, along with the freckled young priest John, sighs of disappointment echoed one after another. Garrett''s heart skipped a beat. He knew this look all too well; in his past life, whenever he made a choice that wasn''t as good, yet was his current limit, he''d see similar looks from others. From mentors, mothers, ex-girlfriends... "Not continuing with your Ph.D.? Well, your family situation is indeed challenging... Then let it be like this!" "Emergency department?... Staying at Province One Hospital is indeed challenging; if it''s emergency, then emergency it is!" "Going to aid in Africa for a year? Just to quickly become an associate director?... Fine, it''s up to you!" It seems like the God of Nature isn''t the best choice... Can I still change and say it''s the God of War? Or maybe the Spring Goddess? He pondered for a moment and missed the opportunity to change his mind. After a moment of disappointment in Captain Karen''s eyes, he immediately clasped his hands in front of his chest, murmuring in prayer: "Thank you for the grace of the God of Nature..." "Thank you for the grace of the God of Nature!" Around Garrett, a group of warriors, regardless of their beliefs, echoed in prayer. Even the freckled young priest bowed solemnly, showing respect to the God of Nature. Garrett fell silent. A word spoken is like a horse that''s hard to retrieve. I said it''s the God of Nature, and I can''t just switchswitch gods or people. Setting the trap is satisfying for a moment, but filling it turns into a funeral pyre. He''d better think about how to continue dealing with the God of Nature, reaping benefits without being found out... Just as he was thinking this, the group finished their prayers, lifting their heads, their gazes fixated on him. Captain Karen''s nephew, Raymond, took the lead in asking: "Garrett, what do we do next? Do we continue forward?" Garrett snapped out of it suddenly. He swiftly looked around. Apart from Captain Karen, weakened and resting, the freckled youth minding his own business with the group, the othersCaptain Karen''s nephew Raymond, the archer Tom, the shield warrior Valiall were eagerly waiting, hope evident in their eyes. It seemed that whether to proceed or halt, to move forward or return, depended on his word. This can''t be happening... This God''s Revelation of mine, it''s, it''s fake! --------------- Here is a theCharacters List.Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Someone asked him what to do next. A group of people awaited his decision.Read latest chapters at novelhall.com Only Garrett glanced left and right, finally realizing one thing: his status had changed. He was a healer, a spellcaster, one blessed by the god of nature. The position of a spellcaster had always been higher than that of a warrior, especially in the absence of the captain. It was natural for him to take the lead and make decisions for the group. What? He was still a youth, inexperienced, clueless? What was the blessing of the god of nature for? Couldn''t they just infuse wisdom into him? Garrett was at a loss. Not to mention that this "blessing" was false, a pretense. He had just crossed over, hadn''t even integrated the memories of the original owner completely. Ask him whether to move forward or retreat? He had no idea! Amidst the expectant gazes of his teammates, Garrett began doubting life. The three questions of a soul transmigrator: Who am I? Where am I? What happened? He had only resolved the first one. As for the second and third questions, having just saved someone, could they give him some time to organize his memories... Turns out, he didn''t need to sort them out himself. Big brother Raymond hurriedly asked: "Normally, we''re part of the city guard and should complete a patrol before returning. But the captain got injured, and there''s trouble here" His dark arm gestured outward. Garrett followed the arm''s direction, observing the chaotic mud, splattered blood, the clear remnants of the recent fight. He blurted out: "What just happened?" "You don''t know?!" Raymond was astonished. Garrett inwardly cursed, oh no, immediately clutching his head: "I... I have a headache..." He didn''t even need to feign this painful expression. Pressing slightly on the lump at the back of his head with his fingers, it immediately intensified, causing his facial features to scrunch up. Squatting down, he continued: "I hit my head just now... I can''t remember..." Raymond rushed over to assist him. Curled up on the ground, eyes shut tight, Garrett''s mind raced through fragmented memories, worsening his headache: Their patrol reached a farmhouse after a day and a half. Before getting close, they noticed chaos outside: two wild dogs tearing at something. Captain Karen led the charge to scare off the dogs and investigate inside. Almost immediately, sounds of struggle and screams erupted. In moments, a dark figure bolted out of the house. It might worsen rather than heal! We need to leave! Garrett retreated outside, taking a few deep breaths, calling out to his comrades: "Lift the captain, we''re leaving!" "No need! I can walk on my own!" Karen, the captain, wanted to struggle up upon hearing this. Garrett rushed over and held him down: "Uncle Karen, lie down! Don''t get up!" "Bring that spear over! Make a makeshift stretcher with a stick, we''ll carry him!" Everyone pitched in. Being warriors, they had some idea of making a stretcher. A readily available spear was used, and a nearby small tree was cut down. Grass ropes were tied, creating a platform to carry the captain. His torn armor, ripped clothes hastily covered his body, and they started moving. Garrett also tried to join the stretcher team. But before he could reach out, a red-haired archer named Tom pushed him away, carrying a spear in one hand and a stick in the other, turning his head to grin at him: "Young Garrett, leave the heavy lifting to us; you just follow along!" Garrett:... I remember now! You were the one who knocked the original body down, causing them to hit a tree, and that''s when I crossed over. If I hadn''t reacted quickly and steadied myself, would I have transmigrated again! However, his retorts had to be swallowed. The surrounding comrades laughed heartily, approving of the archer''s actions: "That''s right, young Garrett, leave the heavy work to us!" "You''re a healer!" "Tsk tsk, in a few days, we''ll have to call you Lord Garrett!" The spearman Raymond patted his shoulder, snatching his waist knife; the archer Tom and spearman formed the front and back of the stretcher, lifting it; shield warrior Vali grabbed Garrett''s pack and slung it over his shoulder. By the time Garrett regained his senses, he was empty-handed, walking effortlessly in the center of the group. Without tasks or carrying anything, he just had to stay calm, following the team. Garrett even wondered if he twisted his ankle now or declared himself unable to walk, would these warriors fashion a sling and carry him... Is this how spellcasters are treated? --------------- Here is a theCharacters List.Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 They had been patrolling outside the city for a day and a half, and it didn''t seem appropriate to turn back now. Luckily, according to Garrett Nordmark''s memories, there was a large farm about a dozen miles away. The group lifted the stretcher and continued forward. When they left the farmhouse, Garrett noticed something concerninga shallow grave with most of the body exposed, hastily buried and torn apart by wild dogs. They were ill-prepared and hurried, unable to address it then. After crossing a mountain ridge, they took a break to rest and drink water. Captain Karen propped himself up from the stretcher and asked, "Little Garrett, can I have some water?" Garrett knew it would be this way. If it were the past, before and after abdominal surgery, he''d educate the patient and family on various aspects. But here, all normal procedures were disrupted, and it was only him rolling up his sleeves: "No, you can''t eat now! You can''t drink either, even if you''re thirsty!" "When can I drink water then?" Garrett remained silent. According to standard practice, after 2-3 days post-surgery, once the gastrointestinal tract resumes movement and gas is passed, one can start with liquids. However, the surgery just performed had not involved anesthesia throughout, and although the intestines were damaged, the healing potion applied had quickly rectified it. So, how long until the gut starts moving again? Surgery books, physiology, numerous academic papers. Guidelines from European and American societies for enteral and parenteral nutrition, each edition. Countless references flickered through Garrett''s mind. In front of him, Uncle Karen awaited with hopeful eyes, and the surrounding soldiers watched intently One second, two seconds, three seconds Under the midsummer afternoon sun, a drop of cold sweat quietly trickled down Garrett''s spine. In nearly a hundred years, nobody had performed a gut surgery without anesthesia. Without theories or experimental data, how could one judge the fasting period? Use intuition? He had to resort to the most primitive method! Gritting his teeth, Garrett knelt on one knee, hands on the ground, leaning in close: "Uncle Karen, just hold on a bit longer, let me listen!" Garrett immediately steered the squad away. Young priest John, also of common birth, having just become a priest''s apprentice, didn''t want any unnecessary trouble with nobles. They followed the group, avoiding the main entrance, and remained silent. The farm was quite sizable, composed of several buildings forming a low and irregular structure. A fence surrounded the houses, made of pointed wooden stakes planted closely together, emphasizing defense. The squad circled around to the back gate along the outer edge of the fence. The owner came out and ushered them into the kitchen. The farm owner was once a captain in the city guard, familiar with Captain Karen. Seeing him injured, he was shocked and bombarded them with questions: "How did this happen?" "Oh, thank the heavens, he''s alive! That''s good! Eat something, we have guests today, and we''ve cooked mutton stew!" "What? Still can''t eat? Fine, the rest of you, eat more!" The kitchen bustled with preparations for dinner. Garrett stood outside the door leading to the hall, discreetly peeking inside. The hall was long and wide but surprisingly low-ceilinged, disproportionate in height and area. The ground was compacted, tinged with grayish-white, likely a mixture of local lime and clay. About a quarter of the inner space was raised into a platform, one step higher than the rest, with a table draped in a natural tablecloth. Another longer but shorter table extended from the center of the raised platform to the entrance, forming a T-shaped configuration. The lower table was rough, with boards barely planed, apparently for laborers and lower-class individuals. This table arrangement was familiar to Garrett from past movies and documentaries: Oxford, Cambridge, those ancient colleges, and even in "Harry Potter"they were set up similarly. The main table had finished feasting. A young priest in his twenties leisurely sipped wine. There was an array of cutlery before the priest, and when Garrett peeked, he noticed the priest''s light blue silk robe shimmering. At the lower end, a knight sat, his armor gleaming, an unsheathed greatsword resting beside him. The table below was a mess, half of the escort soldiers had dispersed. A few youths wearing coarse hemp overcoats, resembling farmhands, were gobbling down their food. "What are you gawking at?" A hefty hand slapped Garrett''s shoulder. He turned around, and Raymond, grinning mischievously, looked past him into the hall: "Oh, it''s a priest of the Spring Goddess. See, this is how respectable healers are treatedcarriages, silk robes, silver bowls and plates, wine Little Garrett, don''t worry, you''ll have that soat novelhall.com Here is a theCharacters List.Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Carriages, silk robes, silver bowls, and wine? Will I have that luxury soon too? Garrett Nordmark chuckled bitterly. Am I pursuing a comfortable life by being a doctor? Why did I root myself in the emergency department, starting as an intern, climbing to deputy director, working nights every three days, heart racing at the sound of an ambulance? And in one of the poorest departments in the entire hospital. Let''s not even talk about the meager salary that barely covers expenses. Why didn''t I pursue a better department? Or switch jobs? Isn''t orthopedics good? Or oncology? How about private hospitals? Not to mention now... What kind of comfort could this lousy otherworld offer? First-class treatment? First-class train seats? Air conditioning? Smartphones? Games, websites, platforms? This place doesn''t even have a proper flushing toilet! He was about to make a joke to himself when he was interrupted. A piercing scream echoed in the hall as a peasant woman rushed in carrying a limp child, heading straight for the seat of the priest: "Save him! Please, save him!" A patient! Garrett dashed forward. He was fast, but the seasoned warriors were faster. Big brother Raymond, archer Tom, spearman Valithey dashed out ahead of him, one after the other, clearing the way. By the time Garrett arrived, a crowd had already formed. The young priest stood there, hands clasped in front of his chest, chanting softly, as a pure white light descended silently over the child lying in the peasant woman''s arms. No response. The seven or eight-year-old boy lay limp, showing no signs of improvement. As the white light descended, the child strained and gasped for air. The harsh, hollow wheezing, clearly audible even through the crowd, reached Garrett''s ears. In an instant, a chill ran down Garrett''s spine. He exerted a little force. The dagger tip sank down, paused slightly, then a faint sense of emptiness spread to his handclearly, the dagger had pierced the cricothyroid membrane, reaching the airway. Without hesitation, Wu Zhou pulled out the dagger with a flick. A hissing airflow emerged. Garrett relaxed his whole body: the cricothyrotomy was successful, the airway was open, the emergency treatment was a success! This child, teetering on the edge of suffocation and death, had been pulled back by him. As he relaxed, a flash of white light suddenly crossed his vision. Before he could make sense of it, a sharp pain struck his chest, and he involuntarily flew backward. Rolling several times, he tumbled from the platform, all the way down to the ground below. It was an extremely embarrassing tumble. Not only were his shoulders, legs, elbows, and knees burning with pain, but he also lost one of his shoes. Garrett propped himself up, dazed, and saw the knight who had been sitting next to the priest, raising his sword, standing by the child, with one foot just withdrawn. Did he... kick me down...? About to inquire, Garrett glanced sideways and saw the priest bending down, murmuring softly. The pale blue priestly robe rippled in the candlelight, his clear eyes fixed on the child, entirely focused. "Don''t move!" Garrett shouted. The priest paid no attention, his lips moving silently, a glimmer of white light ready to burst forth from his fingertips. Frantic, Garrett grabbed the shoe on the ground and hurled it with all his might. "Crack!" The shoe flew, missing the priest''s robe. But the priest was alarmed, taking a step back, the white light at his fingertips fading out. The knight beside him wore a furious expression, lifting the sheathed sword again, aiming it straight at Garrett: "You!" The knight''s angry shout prompted the soldiers brought by the temple at the long table to jump up. These individuals were much stronger than city guards. With just a glance, Garrett found his arm twisted and forcefully pressed onto the ground. The knight approached slowly. Unfazed by him, Garrett strained to extend his neck, shouting loudly past the knight''s legs toward the priest: "Don''t heal! Do you want the child to suffocate!" "What did you say?" "What did you say!" Two voices, speaking differently. The priest was puzzled, the knight demanded angrily. Garrett strained to raise his head, shouting again: "His airway is blocked! Cut a hole in his neck to help him breathe! If you heal that hole, won''t he suffocate again!!!" The priest hesitated. Bending down, he carefully observed the struggling child on the high platform. Seeing the child''s complexion return from purple to normal, he muttered softly: "That... makes sense. Release him!" Collection growth is so slow T_T Please bookmark, recommend, Become a Member... --------------- Here is a theCharacters List.Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Judging by the seating arrangement in the hall, it was evident that among this group of people, the priest held the highest status. With a firm command of "release," even the knights didn''t argue; they grimly stepped aside. The restraints on Garrett immediately loosened, and he stumbled to his feet, nodding toward the priest in acknowledgment. Then, he scrambled on all fours toward the child. "Hmph! How impolite..." The knight scoffed. The priest interrupted in a hushed tone, "Don''t speak, watch!" Garrett''s timing couldn''t have been better. Just a few steps away, the boy whose neck had been cut woke up as if from a dream, limbs thrashing as he burst into tears. Though fierce, his crying produced no sound, which only heightened the child''s panic. Tears streaming, body convulsing, he seemed on the brink of passing out again. At that moment, Garrett rushed in. He threw himself over the child, pressing down on the legs to immobilize them. He then grabbed the child''s arms, soothingly patting his face, repeatedly reassuring, "Don''t be afraid, you''re okay, you''re okay... Just take a breath, and you''ll be fine... Don''t be scared, follow my breath, inhale... exhale... inhale... exhale..." His voice transitioned from high to low, from fast to slow, filled with genuine concern. He managed to calm the child, who, with wide eyes, began to breathe along with him. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale... Soon, the convulsions subsided. Despite the lingering neck pain, the child whimpered pitifully but appeared much calmer. This wasn''t in surgical texts or treatment manuals. This move was something Garrett''s mentor in his previous life, an emergency department head, had taught himwhen performing a tracheotomy without anesthesia, always pacify the patient afterward! Suffocating and suddenly having their neck cut, the patient''s oxygen consumption skyrockets due to panic. Without proper reassurance, shock could set in any minute. ...And also, reassure the family and onlookers... Otherwise, while you put down the scalpel, you might end up beaten by a group of self-righteous citizens, or even handcuffed by the police. Better to anticipate these things. Garrett''s thoughts swirled, filled with myriad emotions. It wasn''t that he forgot his mentor''s advice; he simply didn''t get the chance before the knight sent him flying. Luckily, the knight showed mercy, refraining from killing him outright. Otherwise, he might have had to traverse once more. Thinking of the knight, Garrett overheard him speaking behind him. The voice was hushed, as if whispering to the nearby priest: "Can you save someone by cutting their neck?" "...I''ve never seen this kind of treatment before," the priest replied. Perhaps due to being practitioners of magic, the priest''s voice was serene and melodious, markedly different from the deep, gravelly tones of the knight. Even if Garrett had just met them today, he could easily distinguish their voices: "But, he''s quite confident. And the child isn''t suffocating anymore. Despite the neck cut, there was no immediate gush of blood..." Of course, not. I''ve been familiar with the anatomy of the neck since university. If, by some chance, he''d cut the carotid artery during the cricothyrotomy, I might as well have gone to meet my maker! Garrett silently grumbled. After comforting the child in his arms, he sighed with relief and straightened up. The priest had been watching with interest. When Garrett stopped, the priest couldn''t help but ask: "Is it all right now?" "The tube''s here! Check if it''s usable! I cleaned it painstakingly!" Garrett lowered his gaze. In his palm lay a chicken leg bone, cut at both ends to reveal the hollow interior. Glancing at the bone, he saw the marrow nearly cleaned out from the center, allowing candlelight to filter through the other end. ...It''ll do, makeshift as it is. No sterile packaging, no disposable PVC tracheal tube, not even bambooprobably not grown in this regionjust a hollowed chicken bone. It would have to suffice for now. Garrett shrugged. With a swipe of his thumb on the bone''s edge, he furrowed his brow, then handed it back: "The edge is too sharp. Smooth it out." "This..." Uncle Edmund hesitated. Someone delicately extended a hand, the priest taking the chicken bone from Garrett''s palm and passing it over to the knight beside him: "Roman, lend a hand." The knight, Roman, frowned slightly. Without a word, he took the bone, using the pad of his thumb to rub the edge, then flipped it and did the same. Bone fragments fell, and the sharp cuts made by a kitchen knife visibly smoothed out. Wide-eyed, Garrett couldn''t help but exclaim softly. Directly using his hands for it! Thumb as a whetstone! Just a gentle rub! Are the knights in this world physically this powerful? Before he could close his gaping mouth, the priest handed back the smoothed bone. While passing it, he curiously inquired: "Insert into the airway? How? Why?" "Wow! It''s actually going in!" --------------- Here is a theCharacters List.Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Tracheal intubation was something Garrett had done not just ten thousand times in his past life but around eight thousand times. In hospitals, only three departments did this often: anesthesia, otolaryngology, and the versatile emergency department. For scheduled surgeries, it was easyeither the anesthesiologist would do it or they''d call in help from otolaryngology. But in emergencies, it was different. If a patient was choking and needed that tube in seconds, there was no time to wait for specialists to come down. The poor souls in the emergency department had to roll up their sleeves and do it themselves. The issue was, Garrett had intubated in various ways: orally, nasally, through a cut in the trachea, and without cutting; using standard tubes, stainless steel reinforced ones, some even with an additional suction tube. But he had never used this. A chicken bone. Cut at both ends, slightly smoothed, with some suspect bone marrow, disinfection questionable... Garrett thought, if he had a choice, he wouldn''t use this thing instead of a tracheal tube. But well, when resources were scarce, a chicken bone as a substitute was better than nothing. As he worked, he had to awkwardly explain to the priest: "After the cricoidotomy... What''s the cricoid? It''s where I made the incision, not just anywhere on the neck, it''s the safest spot... After the incision, swiftly inserting a tube into the trachea to prevent the damaged cricoid cartilage from compressing and causing narrowing of the airway. What''s the cricoid cartilage? Why is it damaged, why the airway narrowing? I don''t have time to explain that now... A child''s airway is narrow, so the tube can''t go too deep, or it''ll end up in the esophagus, causing trouble..." Blah, blah, blah. If these were his students asking these basic questions, he''d surely kick them outhow did they even attend class without knowing this? But these priests from another world were not expected to understand this. Plus, the situation demanded more attention. Garrett had to split his focus and try his best to explain. He explained while he worked. No operating lights, no bright bulbs, just dim candlelight and torchesno one even held a mirror for reflection. Edison knew to use a mirror when saving his mom, or so the story goes... Well, even if that was later claimed to be fabricated... "Oh, then..." "Don''t speak! It''s starting!" The priest jumped at his stern tone, lips sealed tightly. Garrett lowered his head, aligning the chicken bone at the cricoid incision under the flickering light, stabilizing it, and gently pushing inward. A slight resistance followed by a familiar sense of emptiness at his fingertips indicated that the makeshift tubethe chicken bonehad breached the incision and entered the child''s throat. "Ah!" Garrett glanced over, immediately alarmed: "Don''t treat him yet! He can''t be treated like this!" "But, this is just an illumination spell..." The priest shrank a bit under Garrett''s scolding, feeling a bit unjustified. Sir Roman, the knight, gripped his sword, glaring at Garrett. Garrett hadn''t noticed the knight''s glare, leaning in beside the priest, continuously explaining: "Look inside his throat... deep inside, it''s all swollen, right? There''s supposed to be a dark hole, but you can''t see anything now. Even further down, it''s swollen too, can''t breathe in properly, almost choked just now. Hey, you''re the priest of the Spring Goddess, control water flows, can you reduce the swelling?" "What''s reducing swelling?" "Make these swollen areas release the water, don''t let it block the throat." "This..." The priest was stumped. He furrowed his brows, pondering for a while, then shook his head: "There''s an attack spell that''s close, high-level, drains the whole body''s moisture, I''m far from that level. To draw out moisture from such a small area... I don''t know, I''ll pray and see if I can summon divine favor..." He did just that. The young priest adjusted his posture, disregarding how his silk robe might gather dust on the ground, kneeling with both knees, hands clasped in front of his chest. Whispering chants one after another, finally, he lifted his head, sighing in failure: "No. The Goddess didn''t respond to me. ...What about you? Do you have a way?" Eager eyes once again turned to Garrett. Silence. I wanted to skip the steps and go straight to the solution using divine magic. But, was it still not possible? The limitations of divine magic were just too strong. If there''s an existing solution, copy it directly; if there isn''t, not even a hint of a solving method... Fine, let modern medicine handle this! --------------- Here is a theCharacters List.Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 If it''s modern medicine handling this, it naturally follows modern medical thinking. Garrett focused, carefully examining the child once more: the previous observations were accurate, facial swelling, visible rashes on the face and hands, likely allergies. He turned to the farmwoman holding the child, continuing his inquiries: "Did the child eat any strange fruits? Or pluck any flowers? Where did the child play this afternoon?" "How could he have played! Little Remy is sensible, helping around the house for two years now!" Oops... My bad. Garrett wiped a bead of sweat. How did the original owner of this body spend their childhood? The current memories aren''t fully connected yet; he couldn''t recall immediately. But in his previous life, at seven or eight, he was surely in primary school! Carrying a little backpack, going to school every day, hadn''t even begun thinking about blowing up schools! However, Garrett knew well enough how mischievous seven or eight-year-olds could be. During his time in the emergency department, parents rushed in daily with children, injured or sick, reasons beyond human imagination sometimes. Sometimes adults couldn''t imagine what a child''s companions might know "Did any child work with him? Can we call them over to ask?" Garrett patiently inquired. Before the farmwoman could respond, the farmer holding the child, Uncle Edmund, jumped in: "Yes, yes! Two or three of them! What are you waiting for, go call them!" Someone dashed off immediately. Garrett furrowed his brow, continuing to ponder, calculating what other factors might contribute to the illness. Meanwhile, a priest who had finished inspecting the child''s throat, bored, chimed in:Updated from "Why are you asking all this?" Garrett: "......" Identifying the source of the allergy! Garrett bit his tongue, barely stopping the words at the tip of his tongue. Allergy, a common term in his previous life, even non-medical professionals knew what it meant. But speaking it out in this unfamiliar realm... Garrett was a hundred percent sure; this curious priest before him would dig deep. How would he explain if questioned? Hypersensitivity reaction, also known as an allergic reaction, refers to the abnormal adaptive immune response when the body is stimulated by certain antigens, causing physiological dysfunction or tissue cell damage? Quite simple, very clear, just one sentence from the textbooks... Explaining it properly could be deadly! Not just in this realm; even in Garrett''s previous life, asking a non-medical professional to explain "allergy," you could place 53 medical textbooks in front of them, they''d struggle flipping through for half an hour and then yell: "Which book actually explains allergies?!" Exactly, half an hour, couldn''t even find which book covered allergies... Thankfully, Garrett''s previous life involved being an associate director in the emergency department, experienced in communicating with patients and their families. He carefully worded his response: "What should we do then?" How to conduct the experiment, generations of doctors in his previous life had paved the way for future practitioners. Doctors didn''t need to worry; suspecting an allergy, sending for a skin test would suffice. The skin test, costing a few dollars, involved pricking the skin with two needles, one with the antigen and the other with a control solution, with results in half an hour. But now, at this moment... For a skin test, you first needed the antigen! Sterile, without obvious toxic side effects, with measured protein contentrows and rows of them were available in the lab; seemingly easy to obtain. But if the ready-made antigen products were unavailable, to extract from raw materials... Garrett''s previous life was in clinical practice, not pharmaceuticals. Yet, he had heard from pharmaceutical colleagues, conducting experiments for their projects, cutting fish meat, grinding it with liquid nitrogen, adding acetone to remove fat, stirring, settling, using a centrifuge... After this whole process, it''d take days and nights, looking disheveled. As for how many drugs and instruments were needed in this process, that''s another story. In his previous life, seemingly ordinary conditions were supported by a powerful industrial force in the country. But in this realm, the only thing Garrett could be certain of was: The only thing he could currently do was prepare the first step of the antigen preparation. Cut the fish meat, soak it in water... That''s it. Then, directly move to the last step of the skin test. "Get two needles! Bring another bowl of water!" A drop of water mixed with fish meat and plain water on the child''s left and right forearms, then a gentle prick with two needles through the droplets, breaking the skin but no bleeding. Garrett held his wrist, silently counting to 60, wiped off the droplets on the child''s arms, then "What now?" "Wait." The nitpicking test in the skin test, Type I hypersensitivityseafood allergy, nut allergy, paint allergyobserving the results 20 to 30 minutes after the antigen stimulus. The patient was temporarily out of danger, the next steps in treatment awaited the test results, for now, all they could do... Was wait. Left, right, sitting there, doing nothing. Garrett: "......" Seriously, if this takes half an hour, will no one send me off to eat?! --------------- Here is a theCharacters List.Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Twenty minutes felt neither short nor long. Especially when someone by your side kept bombarding you with questions, one after another, and you couldn''t just shoo them away... it felt like an eternity. Garrett focused one eye on the child''s throat and the other on the priest, gesturing and explaining until his mouth went dry. Finally, someone shouted, "It''s turning red! A big red circle!" Peering in, the boy''s left forearm looked smooth and clear, no issues there. But on the right forearmwhere the fish meat was applieda big patch had turned red, swollen with a noticeable cluster in the middle. Surrounding the redness were faint, irregular red lines, resembling insect legs at a glance. Redness with pseudo-legs and a cluster... Exactly, it was an allergic reaction, and a pretty severe one! Of course, the reaction might also be intense because the fish meat concoction he prepared might not have been diluted at all... Feeling a bit guilty, Garrett kept up a confident facade while clapping his hands. "Confirmed! It''s the codfish''s fault!" "What''s next?" "Next..." Garrett faltered. After the skin test, the cause of the child''s illness was identified as acute throat edema due to an allergy. He knew the emergency procedures like the back of his hand, could prescribe them with his eyes closed. Even before giving the instructions, the veteran emergency ward nurses had prepared the medications: 0.1% adrenaline hydrochloride subcutaneous injection; 10ml saline solution + 1mg adrenaline + 10mg dexamethasone, immediate oral rinsing for three to five minutes; Followed by 20-40ml saline solution, 1-2mg adrenaline, and 10mg dexamethasone for continuous nebulization. But now, what did he have in his hands? Absolutely nothing!New novel chapters are published on No adrenaline injection, no dexamethasone injection, not even saline solutionwhatever they prepared on-site was definitely impure, with inaccurate concentration and far from sterile... Boom! This day was a disaster! Fortunately, Garrett had a plan for this issue. Pretending to contemplate for a moment, he calmly turned to the farmer: With this substance, at least the throat swelling could be alleviated, allowing the child to breathe normally. As for the chicken bone stuck in the airway, it could also be removed quickly. Theoretically, adrenaline belongs to the protein hormone category and can''t be taken orally because stomach enzymes break it down. However, history mentioned instances of oral adrenaline intake. Garrett recalled reading about it in a past life: In the autumn of 1893, British doctor George Oliver, who invented the sphygmomanometer, discovered that when a subject swallowed a substance extracted from goat adrenal glands, the sphygmomanometer could detect radial artery constriction. In later years, this experiment became the earliest significant evidence of adrenal extracts elevating blood pressure. But for Garrett at this moment, it signified something more important: Adrenaline or adrenal extract taken orally did indeed work! Of course, the child couldn''t swallow right now. But Garrett had another hope: among the adrenaline family, adrenaline and noradrenaline couldn''t be taken sublingually, but isoprenaline could! Therefore... adrenal extract... or rather, crushed adrenal gland mixed with water... might have some effect... right? Garrett was too tense to speak, meticulously peeling the membrane off the sheep''s kidneys under the dim light. Snipping, pulling, bluntly separating... the rough iron scissors in his hand glimmered softly, almost exhibiting the dexterity of surgical shears. The adrenal gland was small, snugly situated at the top of the kidney, enveloped within the renal capsule. Human adrenal glands weighed merely 5-7 grams; goat adrenal glands wouldn''t differ much. He had to be extremely careful to extract the adrenal gland intact without damaging it. He didn''t know how much active substance was in these two adrenal glands or how much could be absorbed sublingually. He... better be careful and not waste any... Garrett was fully absorbed, his actions cautious and gentle. The atmosphere he exuded while working unknowingly affected everyone. Even the fussy priest stopped talking, leaning over the table, silent. The knight coughed beside him, attempting to say something, but Garrett waved his hand, silencing him. Only when Garrett successfully extracted the two adrenal glands, chopped and ground them in a clean empty bowl, mixed them with water for the child to rinse, did the priest heave a sigh of relief, jumping up and asking: "Is this enough? Is it okay now?" "Let''s wait and see..." Garrett stared intently at the child''s neck, staying vigilant in case the chicken bone shifted. Thankfully, after the child rinsed for one minute, two minutes, five minutes... the chicken bone remained intact, but the throat swelling gradually subsided, and the sound of air passing through the vocal cords became more pronounced. "Wow! It worked! It really worked!" "Yeah, it worked." Garrett wiped off a bead of sweat, pulled out the chicken bone, and smiled wearily at the priest, "Next, it''s your turn to heal his wound..." "No problem! Watch me!" The priest eagerly rushed over. After a night of turmoil with the child''s condition, he finally had a chance to contribute. His healing technique was particularly neat and precise. Once the wound was healed, he straightened his robe, held his head high, and extended his right hand to Garrett: "Hello, young healer." --------------- Here is a theCharacters List.Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 "Hello, young healer." The priest smiled, extending a hand. Garrett raised his gaze slightly, noting the priest appeared to be about twenty-four or twenty-five, with bright blue eyes reminiscent of the spring goddess''s clear springs. Clad in a light blue silk robe with a navy blue woven belt embroidered with three narcissus flowers in white threadthe insignia of a third-level priest, as per the previous owner''s memories. Unperturbed by Garrett''s bloodied appearance in rough linen and bloodstains, the priest''s demeanor remained warm and welcoming: "I am Noah Donald, servant of the Spring Goddess. It''s a pleasure to meet you."New novel chapters are published on Garrett extended his hand in return but recoiled halfway upon realizing blood still stained his hand. Donald didn''t mind, smiling as Garrett rushed to clean and dry his hands before extending his hand again for a shake: "Hello, I''m Garrett Nordmark. Pleasure to meet you." As their hands met, Garrett noticed Donald''s hand was smooth and pristine, save for a few calluses where he gripped a pen, contrasting sharply with his own rough, calloused hands. Donald seemed to notice too, briefly lowering his gaze before resuming his smile: "My apologies for the misunderstanding earlier. And Sir Raymond Knight, please offer your apology as well." Following Donald''s gaze, Garrett saw the knight standing nearby, stoic, wearing a breastplate adorned with a shimmering rose motif at the center. His hand, freed from an iron gauntlet, held a broadsword adorned with several round blue gems arranged in a straight line down the scabbard''s center. Wearing plate armor, a distinctive emblem on his breastplate different from the temple''s, and adorned with gemstones, even for a temple knight, it seemed improbable to have such lavish equipmentlikely a noble. Perhaps higher-ranked than Donalda fourth-level knight or possessing a combat level surpassing the priest. No wonder he was aloof, ignoring the priest''s request for an apology. Garrett remained composed. While Raymond maintained his stern expression, he nodded slightly towards Garrett: "My apologies." "No worries. It''s easy to be misunderstood based on what I did earlier," Garrett replied, smiling. Feeling lucky, Garrett thought. The knight had shown restraint, not breaking his ribs or worse. Heard stories of less fortunate colleagues: one performed an emergency tracheotomy on a choking patient outside, mistakenly reported to the police by unaware onlookers, leading to public arrest... "Don''t say that. We are all healers, servants of the gods." "What kind of healer is he?" Raymond''s tone grew more agitated. Stepping closer, he towered over Garrett: "He''s never used any healing technique until now. And I''ve never seen anyone like him, an apprentice priest in the city!" Garrett wanted to speak up, but suddenly found himself at a loss for words. His status as a "healer" was questionable. His medical skills were real, but the healing techniques were made up, divine calling and alla fabrication of his own. And now, here he was, being questioned. Moreover, he recalled from the previous owner''s memories that priests didn''t just appear out of thin air; they underwent extensive learning, accumulating knowledge and devoutness... He didn''t get a chance to explain. Raymond took a step forward, his armor clinking, drawing half his sword, its glint piercing Garrett''s eyes: "Speak! Whose servant are you?" "He''s a Chosen of the God of Nature!" From different corners, voices overlapped. Garrett''s heart skipped a beat. He glanced at his team, wishing he could shove their words back. But it was too late. Raymond looked down, a cold smirk on his face: "A Chosen? A Chosen who can''t heal? A Chosen who can''t even heal his own comrades?!" Before he finished, sword out, he pointed at Captain Karen, leaning on her cane, supported by a teammate: "Prove your divine grace! Otherwise, you''re a blasphemer!" --------------- Here is a theCharacters List.Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Garrett felt a shiver down his spine. He''d witnessed medical chaos countless times beforearguments that raged for hours, wreaths being carried into the emergency hall to burn ghost money, fights breaking out over IV stands, even direct violence with knives. Oh, that last onehe''d only seen the aftermath cleaned up by security. But never once had he felt death so close. Blasphemy! The religious court! The stake! On his very first day here, just after escaping one crisis, was he now about to be burned alive? Garrett''s forehead beaded with cold sweat; he wished he could bolt then and there. But faced with Roman''s knightly sword, gleaming and cold, and Captain Karen''s pale face, a surge of anger rose within him, drowning out his fear: "You''ve got something against me, come at me! Drawing a sword on a patient, what''s the meaning of this?!" Garrett stood upright suddenly. His heart pounded fiercely in his chest, blood rushing in his ears. Before he could speak, beside him, Priest Donald frowned and shouted: "Roman! Sheathe your sword!" When the local priest spoke, the knight Roman couldn''t refuse. He snorted coldly, slowly sheathing his sword but still defiant. Across from Garrett, young priest John also rose, leaning forward with a hand on the table, indignant in tone: "Garrett knows healing magic! I swear in the name of the War God, I saw it with my own eyes today! You say you don''t know him, you city nobles, how would you recognize a servant of the Nature God?" Garrett: "..." Really? Is the Church of the Nature God that poor? Several memories resurfaced in his mind. Garrett shuddered, finally remembering why he thought the Nature God lacked a temple Indeed, there wasn''t one. This church didn''t have temples like the War God or the Spring Goddess. They usually just found a small hill, encircling it with stones for worship. If even the stone circle was absent, they''d simply find an oak tree and pray under it... The priests of the Spring Goddess wore silk robes, rode in carriages;Read latest chapters at novelhall.com Only The War God''s temple was behind the city guards'' barracks, its senior priests clad in shining armor, carrying shields and warhammers, looking more like soldiers than the soldiers themselves; Meanwhile, servants of the Nature God wandered in simple, drab hemp robes, carrying oak staffs, traversing streets and lanes. One word: poor. Even the elders didn''t fare much better. Garrett recalled gossip about how during meetings of the high-level spellcasters convened by the Lord''s Manor, the elders of the Church of the Nature God walked there on two legs, clad in hemp robes, carrying oak staffs... No wonder when he claimed to have received the Nature God''s divine inspiration, his teammates weren''t surprised but rather disappointed. Wouldn''t parents feel disappointed if their child joined an utterly poor new workplace, knowing that even a promotion wouldn''t bring much of a raise? Just like in his past life, when his mother knew he applied to the emergency department, feeling both distressed and unable to oppose... Garrett got lost in reminiscence. It felt tender, melancholic, until a furious shout shook him awake: "You saw him cast healing magic, you saw the Nature God bestow him with a divine revelation?Is that what you''re saying? Are you not afraid of blasphemy?!" Roman''s knightly appearance loomed tall. Even Priest Donald seemed uncomfortable. A knight and a priest''s apprentice bickering wasn''t uncommon, but reaching accusations of blasphemy towards each other was beyond casual. The Nature God indeed paid no heed to me. Things like divine revelations were just my own boasting. "God of Medicine Apollo, Asclepius, and all the gods as witnesses, I solemnly swear..." Still nothing. In the dimly lit hall, only the torches on the walls crackled, seemingly mocking. Sweat beaded on Garrett''s forehead. Why nothing? Why couldn''t I cast the healing spell? Is it true what those Westerners saythat Chinese people have no faith...? Impossible! Chinese people do have faith! Ido have faith! Calm down! Think again! What exactly is my faith? Is it the motherland? The motherland is far away in another time and place, unreachable, unable to be the driving force for him; Is it Marxism? He never joined the party, so his faith wasn''t that pure; Is it ancestors, history? Garrett didn''t believe his ancestors and history were what drove him forward... Then what is it? If I have faith, if I really do Then it''s healing and saving lives! Saving one life after another, healing one patient after another; Day shifts, night shifts, every time exhausted, upon hearing the ambulance, he''d muster the strength and rush to help; Occasional healing, frequent assistance, always comforting... That was the culmination of all the love and dedication he''d gathered since stepping into the realm of medicine. Seven years of continuous study, over a decade of clinical workevery ounce of passion and sincerity! Unconsciously, Garrett raised his right fist to his ear. His gaze fixed forward, as if a bright red flag unfurled in the void before him: "Tied to health and life..." The familiar vow rolled off his tongue, word by word. Each syllable weighed heavily, as if a thousand pounds. A pure, abundant white light silently descended. At that moment, tears welled in Garrett''s eyes. --------------- Here is a theCharacters List.Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 17 Chapter 17 "Wowit''s a healing spell!" "They''ve really cast a healing spell!" "Garrett, you''re amazing!" The hall buzzed with excitement. Children of five, six, seven, eight years old, half-grown boys, farmers and their wives, all pushed eagerly to get inside. Garrett''s three comrades, Raymond the spearman, Tom the archer, and Vali the shield warrior, had to link arms to form a half-circle, trying to keep the audience from crowding their captain. Young priest John''s face was lit up with excitement; his freckles seemed to sparkle. In contrast, the knight Roman''s expression grew darker Divine favor could be boasted about, but divine magic couldn''t be faked. When a real healing spell was cast, the teenager in coarse linen garb standing before them was truly blessed by the divine. Among the clergy, at least in name, everyone was equal. As the priest Donald had said earlier, "We are all servants of the gods." Especially among those serving different gods, no one had authority over another. The idea of temple knights overseeing priests was ludicrous. It was a shame; they couldn''t confront that disrespectful commoner lad anymore... He slowly lowered his hand from the sword hilt. Meanwhile, Garrett, with his back turned, remained oblivious, completely absorbed in his thoughts: The Hippocratic Oath. From ancient Greece until today, passed down through generations for nearly 2500 years, tens of millions, perhaps hundreds of millions of doctors had sworn to uphold it. In the realm of health, entrusted with lives. Since 1991, generations of Chinese medical students had entered the gates of medicine reciting this oath. Healing became their duty; in times of great disaster, donning their white coats like warriors, they fearlessly marched forward. Year after year, this accumulated faith held immense power If possible, if feasible, if even a drop of that belief fell upon me here in this unfamiliar realm, it would be enough to establish my footing. Thanks to Hippocrates, thanks to the predecessors and mentors, thanks to the doctors who had fought in the past, present, and future... Garrett''s thoughts soared. In the next moment, he forcibly brought himself back, focusing his attention on the wounded: The healing spell he had finally cast must be directed precisely, not wasted in any way! Sterilize and disinfect the abdominal wound! "Hahaha! The captain farted!" "The captain actually farted!" The soldiers laughed heartily. In the midst of the laughter, Garrett opened his eyes excitedly and jumped up. It was akin to when he, as a resident doctor, heard a patient''s first fart after an appendectomy: "He''s passed gas!" He clenched his fists, raising them high, vigorously waving toward the sky. The surgery was successful! Recovery was on its way! His visualizationlet''s call it thatseemed to work! "Uncle Karen, your intestines are healed!" Captain Karen seemed a bit dazed. It wasn''t until Garrett repeated it a second time that he seemed to snap out of it, still somewhat incredulous: "Really?" "It''s healed!" "It''s really healed?" "At least it''s started functioning! Passing gas means your intestines are moving again, Uncle Karen, you can eat now!" "That''s fantastic!" Captain Karen was thrilled, the soldiers were thrilled, and even more thrilled than them was Edmund, the former comrade of Captain Karen, now a farmer. The moment Garrett announced that eating was permissible, Edmund immediately turned around and shouted: "Kids! Bring out the food! Good wine, good food, big chunks of meat, bring it all out!" Uh...just a moment. Garrett hastily jumped up to stop him: "Wait! He can only have some milk! At most, thin porridge! He can''t eat anything else!" "What? Didn''t you say it''s already healed?" "The area that just healed can''t take much stress..." The calls to bring food, the attempts to stop, the explanationsit all turned into chaos. Amidst the uproar, the knight Roman crossed his arms, looking coldly at Garrett, his gaze icy. --------------- Here is a theCharacters List.Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Successfully casting the healing spell, Garrett returned to the dining table feeling particularly confident. He shared lunch with the priest, chatting away, also keeping an eye on the boy for an hour to ensure no allergic reactions resurfaced before he could finally rest. Before retiring for the night, he instructed sternly that if the child felt any discomfort, he should be woken up immediately. Perhaps because he was the healer or perhaps in gratitude for saving the child, Farmer Edmund didn''t make him and his comrades bunk together but instead arranged a separate room for Garrett. Linen sheets, a soft quiltGarrett lay down and sighed in comfort. ...The first day of crossing over had finally passed. From this day forward, he had to survive alone in this strange, otherworldly place. His only reliance: his scientific knowledge, the newly learned healing spell, and... He touched his chest. A wax-coated hemp thread fastened a pendant, a memory that had never left his side since childhood. A translucent, leaf-shaped, pale green pendant. Neither gold nor jade, nor wood nor stone. "I wonder what this thing is... oh well, might as well keep wearing it..." Garrett murmured softly. With his eyes closed, he fell into darkness in less than a second.New novel chapters are published on Garrett slept soundly. Arriving in this otherworldly place, traversing who knows how many miles in one go, experiencing two emergency rescues, Garrett slept deeply. He didn''t wake up at all during the night, sleeping like a log. The only disturbance to his sleep was a dream that kept turning and rewriting his paper: "Patient, male, 37 years old... treated for injuries. Diagnosis... grade III liver rupture, one intestinal rupture, 5 cm in length... intestinal repair surgery without anesthesia, followed by healing potions, healing spells for recovery, and the inclusion of intestine. Patient passed gas six hours after intestinal surgery." Discussion: Post-intestinal surgery, due to anesthesia and surgical trauma, the patient''s intestinal recovery tends to be slow, generally requiring 48-72 hours. In this case, the patient recovered intestinal motility in just 6 hours, significantly shorter time. It can be considered that the use of healing spells post-surgery significantly contributed to the intestinal recovery function. Further clinical research is recommended based on this case... ...Cursed paper. Garrett groggily woke up, slapped himself on the head, producing a crisp sound. "I''ve crossed over, no need to exhaust myself with thesis defense for tenure anymore, cut me some slack..." Because of this not-so-nightmare nightmare, when Garrett was getting ready in the morning, he felt a bit groggy. He dressed, had breakfast with sleepy eyes, and just as he was about to assemble with his comrades, he received news: They were requisitioned by the temple guards to participate in the upcoming search operation. He couldn''t recall the nature god''s name, doctrine, or prayer words... I truly am a fake divine healer. Garrett lamented. Even so, giving up wasn''t Garrett''s style. He calmed himself, turned, and found Farmer Edmund, requesting him to immediately send a message to the city. Then, he found Knight Raymond again, continuing to argue with him. Garrett pleaded and reasoned, but finally, he resorted to a threat: "Then let me go in Captain Karen''s place! After all, I''m a healer, I have privileges, if you don''t agree, I won''t go!" "Fine! It''s settled!" Their palms met with a clap. As they touched hands, Garrett''s left hand, hanging by his side, subtly clenched into a fist. This guy really means trouble. I have to be careful! With his backpack and water pouch, Garrett embarked on the journey once more. About to depart, young priest John, carrying luggage, rushed over and stood by his side without hesitation: "Garrett, I''m going with you!" "Why are you going?" "Since you all won''t send me back home, I''ll naturally go with you!" John winked at him, with a determined yet mischievous smile, his freckles shining brightly on his face: "No way you''re ditching me!" Garrett, helpless, reached out his hand and gave him a firm handshake. Although requisitioned into the search team, Garrett was utterly clueless about what they were looking for. He followed the group, trudging through mountains, crossing three peaks, wading through two streams. Finally, after camping for the night in an abandoned castle, he was rudely awakened by a scream: "Ahskeleton!" Clang clang clang clang, the sharp sound of unsheathed swords. Though the castle was remote, it was quite large, with a main castle, a hall, a watchtower, and multiple buildings. Unfortunately, most of it had collapsed. Thankfully, the main hall was mostly intact, and some rooms in the buildings were still roofed, with only the two towers in the southeast and northeast corners appearing habitable. The temple guards occupied the most intact main hall of the castle. Priest Donald and Knight Raymond didn''t stay with them but had arranged two rooms upstairs. The team''s horses settled in the buildings, and rather than squeezing in with them, Garrett''s group of five decided to set up camp in the southeast tower. And at that moment, from the northeast tower, came a noisy uproar, with shouts, footsteps, and the sound of swords striking bones. --------------- Here is a theCharacters List.Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Knocking down two skeletal soldiers, breaking a magical seal with divine magic, Garrett hadn''t fully grasped the situation when he was whisked away into the northeast tower, descending into the underground chambers The underground held surprises. Garrett descended the spiraling stairs, spotting three piles of skeletons and two heaps of unidentified entities resembling zombies. He took a turn downwards and entered a hall, where a sharp wind suddenly rushed from above. "Watch out!" Someone shouted from behind. Garrett instinctively dodged right, and the person behind him rushed forward, tackling him to the ground, rolling together twice. Just as they stopped, there was a dull thud from above, another dark figure descending. "Ah" "Ouch!" "Vali, be careful!" Everything spun. Garrett shook his head, struggling to piece together what just happened: As they entered the hall, an enemy swooped down from above. Initially caught off guard, it was the archer, Tom, who pushed him away, while the shield warrior, Vali, attempted to block but failed, crashing down with his shield and body Amidst cries and pain, among the chaos, the voice of Priest Donald rang clear: "Roman!" "I know!" Knight Roman replied loudly, raising his sword, rushing back from the depths of the hall. His speed nearly left a blur; had Garrett not known it was a person, he might have mistaken him for a tyrannosaurus rex. Garrett rolled and crawled to the side. He huddled behind a shield, witnessing the knight wielding his sword, engaging with a winged, monstrous creature. The blade clashed against claws, sparking off in all directions. "What on earth is this thing?" Vali, the shield warrior in front of him, muttered. Garrett rubbed his eyes, trying to make sense of the creature before him. He gasped when it matched the stone golems in the game identically! Observing the battlefield closely, Priest Donald was across the hall, guarded by a small group of soldiers while the outer circle was busy fighting smaller foes. Clearly, the battle had moved deep into the hall. How the stone golem got to the entrance and why Knight Roman charged from that direction Garrett decided the situation was more critical than individual capabilities for now, making a mental note. The knight''s prowess was remarkable; his sword danced, evenly matched against the stone golem. At the other end of the hall, temple guards rushed over. Shields parted, two spear bearers edged closer, seemingly aiming to pin the golem in between. So, this third-tier priest in this world could unleash such a powerful attack! Garrett was awestruck. Nearby, Knight Roman felled the golem, removing its wings. Soldiers swarmed, swords and spears raining down, reducing the golem to fragments. The knight sheathed his sword, heading toward the priest. Passing Garrett, Roman''s gaze flickered across his face, deliberate or casual. Garrett felt a chill, about to excuse himself when Priest Donald turned, smiling and waving at him. Reluctantly, Garrett begrudgingly approached them. As he reached the end of the hall, a temple guard reported to the priest: "Sir, there''s another door here" Before the sentence ended, a black streak darted past! Garrett toppled to his left. Compared to being tackled earlier, this was faster, making him one hundred percent certain someone had dragged himpossibly to serve as a shield. The force dragging him didn''t brace him, causing Garrett to lose balance and crash to the ground. Before he could get up, a cry rang out beside him, heart-wrenching: "Ah" It was Knight Roman! Garrett''s hairs stood on end. Despite suspicions about the knight''s intentions, Garrett had to acknowledge his strength among the group. Now, hearing Roman''s agonizing cry, the opponent, the opponent Using his elbows, Garrett forced himself up, struggling to see. Surprisingly, the enemy attacking Knight Roman wasn''t human; it was a beautiful, large cat. Solid black, with snow-white claws, its chest and belly pure white like a collar. The cat circled Roman, leaping gracefully. The knight roared, swinging his sword but only meeting air. Instead, each leap and claw swipe from the cat splattered blood from various joints on the knight. Garrett watched closely. Each attack from the cat landed on Roman''s wrists, ankles, shoulders, elbows, knees. After a few rounds, Roman collapsed, bleeding from several wounds, unable to get up. The cat leaped. Its movement was too fast to track; all that was visible was a black streak across the hall, heading straight for the priest. Priest Donald''s face paled. He clasped his hands, murmuring a prayer, seemingly attempting divine magic for protection. However, at that moment, a chant sounded from the hall''s entrance, the final syllable rising sharply. A ring of black light erupted! The priest froze as the cat seized the opportunity, pouncing, biting his throat, growling low. As the black light swept through, Garrett, who had begun to rise, felt a sudden chill and fell once more. In the hall, about twenty to thirty soldiers, including young priest John, fell like wheat before a scythe. --------------- Here is a theCharacters List.Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 20 Chapter 20 A black cat, the strongest knight among the wounded team, Roman.New novel chapters are published on A black light, knocking everyone down. Garrett''s heart sank. The newcomer was incredibly powerful, capable of wiping them all out effortlessly. What was more terrifying were the black light, the black cat, the skeleton soldiers, zombies, stone gargoyles... It sounded like a scene from a painting. If the owner returned and found their home smashed, the skeleton soldiers destroyed, even the guarding gargoyles taken down... The consequences couldn''t be worse. Garrett tried to subtly shift, attempting to shrink into a corner, putting on an "it wasn''t me, I had nothing to do with this" expression. Before he could move much, a chill swept over him, like a bucket of ice-cold water poured over his head. Glancing around, all the faces of the fallen soldiers expressed shock Thump. Thump. Thump. Someone approached from behind. The footsteps were peculiar, sounding like they were clunking on the ground, yet also like some small claws scratching and scraping. Stiffening his spine, Garrett slowly turned his head with caution In his view was a long black robe nearly touching the ground. The material seemed unknown, heavy and non-reflective. All light seemed to be absorbed into the robe; any fashion designer from a previous life would spare no effort to acquire such fabric. Garrett trembled and looked up. The black-robed figure floated, concealing any human contours, appearing more like a skeleton draped in clothesa skeleton holding a bone-made staff. Before he could see the face, the fallen Roman knight on the ground screamed: "Necromancer!You''re a necromancer!" The figure in the black robe paused. The long black robe fluttered slightly and silently descended. The Roman knight shrieked, trembling as he raised an arm, pointing shakily at the necromancer, his arm quivering. In Garrett''s eyes, the knight''s wrist twisted unnaturally, and even the shape of his fingers seemed oddhis thumb couldn''t straighten, perhaps a tendon injury. Garrett silently speculated, watching as the Roman knight shakily extended his index finger, pointing straight at the necromancer''s face: "You, an outsider necromancer, dare to harm the priest of the Spring Goddess! Aren''t you afraid of the Temple''s retribution!" "My apologies, I just arrived in the city this afternoon and went to report at the Mage Tower." The necromancer replied confidently. While speaking, he stepped forward, the black robe billowing violently, akin to an angry roaring sea in a storm: "It''s you who barged into my Mage Tower, smashed my gargoyles. If I hadn''t returned early, even my laboratory would''ve been destroyed. The Temple? If they dare not apologize and compensate, tomorrow, I''ll join the Magic Council to dismantle their temple too!" "You dare" Wanted to look closer. Wanted to touch. Wanted to examine thoroughly. Garrett was completely absorbed, forgetting the necromancer''s threat. Unbeknownst to him, he had sat up from the ground, leaning forward, desperately wanting to inspect the skeleton entirely. How does this skeleton move! No joints, no ligaments, loosely assembled, yet it moves! The necromancer negotiated compensation with the priest Donald after flinging the Roman knight away, part extortion, part threat. When he turned around, he spotted a young man sitting among the fallen warriors, gazing upwards, fixated on his protective golden skeleton, as if wanting to delve into it. Necromancer: "...What are you looking at?" "This skeleton doesn''t add up!" Garrett replied casually without even turning his head. After responding, he jolted, twisting his head to find out who had spoken to him just now? Didn''t see anything. No, not that he didn''t see anything, he saw a pitch-black... black cloth... black robe... a thin face. The necromancer was quite tall, especially from Garrett''s viewpoint while seated, resembling a post supporting a head. Not just tall but skinny, swathed in the black robe, resembling a stick. When one''s that skinny, naturally, the face wouldn''t be any better; cheeks tightly pressed against cheekbones, sunken cheeks. It didn''t look much different from the golden skeleton nearby. Garrett was slightly surprised but not particularly afraid. A necromancer being thin was normal, even if it were a skeleton with two glowing phosphorescent points, it matched his recollection of the liches. It was the necromancer who was impatient, stepping forward, pressing urgently: "What''s wrong with this skeleton?" "The skull and pelvis, they belong to different individuals!" "Not the same person? How did you figure that out?" Well... asking me this, and I won''t be tired anymore. Garrett pushed himself up from the ground, standing with effort. He was a bit unsteady, and the considerate golden skeleton even lent him a hand: "The skull is male, the pelvis is female. Clearly, they''re two different people!" --------------- Here is a theCharacters List.Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 21 Chapter 21 The hall fell into a complete silence. The temple guards looked bewildered. Dropping an entire room with one spella Necromancer was clearly not one to mess with. The temple was at fault here, and after reluctantly reaching an agreement with the mage for compensation, they were about to let the issue slide when this fellow just had to pick on the skull of the opposing party! Was he out of his mind?! Young priest John started to open his mouth, hands raised swiftly to cover it. A soft "woo-woo" sound escaped, freckles on his face distorting, almost protruding. Spearman Raymond gaped, shield-bearer Vali widened his eyes, and archer Tom, with his fiery red hair, seemed on the verge of combusting... "Garrett, snap out of it! This is a Necromancer, a Necromancer! What are you fussing about the skull for? A perfectly fine child, raised by everyone, and how did a little enlightenment from the deity of nature turn you so peculiar?" Priest Donald lay face-up, pinned down by a large cat, not daring to move. The cat on him, however, lifted its head, its golden eyes swirling as it glanced at Garrett, then the golden skull, its tail swishing, brimming with curiosity. Pets being like this, naturally, piqued the interest of the Necromancer. Taking a step forward, he lifted his gaze to the skull, then bent to inspect the pelvic bone. Left, right, couldn''t figure it out, turned to Garrett and asked:New novel chapters are published on "...How do you even read this?" "It''s simple!" Garrett replied without hesitation: "See, this skull..." The golden skull was quite tall, making Garrett stretch a bit. The skull twisted to "look" at him, then suddenly lifted its own head, holding the skull and offering it to Garrett. Flames flickered in its dark eye sockets, gazing eerily from within the skull''s palm, fixated on him. Garrett: "..." Please, not this way, this makes me feel like Alexander... He tried to compose himself. As long as the skull couldn''t change its gender on its ownthere''s a point to be made. Of course, anatomical features in other worlds might differ, that''s a whole other issue. He refrained from reaching out and instead sidestepped, gesturing towards the skull as he spoke confidently: Garrett jumped back! Why did this thing collapse? Lost its magic? But then again, it doesn''t have joints, ligaments, or muscles on those bones; it should collapse, not stand... He speculated, then saw the metacarpals, radius, vertebrae, ribs, like a slow-motion sequence from an animated demonstration, autonomously assembling. Vertebrae stacked up, ribs attached front and back, scapulas on the sides, arms and fingers stretching out... Finally, a half-headed skull lay straight on the ground. One hand on the floor, the other groping around, finding its own pelvic bone, shakingly raising it. Garrett: "..." Is it because we were too tired from bending and looking, it disassembled itself to show us? But this height isn''t enough! He glanced at the Necromancer, who looked back. After a moment of staring, the Necromancer snapped again; the toe bones, tibia, femur of the lower half of the skull began to connect... The lower half stood on the ground. The upper half, headless, extended a hand, grabbed the femur, yanked itself up, then dropped it. A skeletal hand held the pelvic bone, the other hand dug in the ground, finding the skull, and raised it identically... Then, the upper half, without the pelvic support, wobbled and fell to the side. Thud. "Meow-ow-ow-ow-ow-ow-ow-ow" A loud cat''s cry. Garrett turned, seeing the black cat with white boots leaping off the priest''s body. Its tail slapped the ground, rolling around, paws in the air... Hey, laughing like this is going too far! You''re just a cat! The Necromancer couldn''t contain it anymore. He tapped his bone staff, restored the golden skull to its original state, then gestured forward, the deepest part of the hall revealing a passage. He twitched his facial muscles, managing a smile: "Shall we go in?" Garrett happily nodded. The Necromancer stepped forward, the black cat swaying its tail, leading the way, the golden skull clattering behind. Just a few steps outside, the Necromancer abruptly stopped, coldly shouting: "You lot! None of you think of running!" --------------- Here is a theCharacters List.Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 22 Chapter 22 The temple guards froze in their sneaky movements. The necromancer''s bone staff slammed onto the ground. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, dozens of white bone pillars shot up from the hall floor. Temple warriors, Priest Donald, Knight Roman, and a few soldiers from Garrett''s squad lay strewn across five or six separate enclosures, staring at each other from a distance. Garrett blinked. He''d heard of this but seeing it for the first timewas this the bone cage? He examined closely. Those bones were ghastly pale, each over a meter in length, some even longer. Garrett''s interest waned: not human bones, not intriguing. He wasn''t a forensic expert or a paleontologist to identify their exact origin... Better to use this time to plead for his team rather than delve into bone classifications. "Um..." Garrett attempted to speak, but the necromancer cut in sharply, "Don''t worry, not killing them. Just don''t want them wreaking havoc. Tomorrow morning, I''ll release them." With a gesture and murmured incantations, dark wisps gathered inward. In moments, shattered stone ghouls reformed and began patrolling. Well, with stone ghouls around, it''s safer in these enclosures... and sleeping here has its perks, sheltered from wind and rain...Read latest chapters at novelhall.com Only Considering the recent mess in the hall, Garrett found no words to argue with the necromancer''s decision. His teammates, Priest John and Big Brother Raymond, gestured for silence. Feeling assured, Garrett took a couple of steps with the necromancer, then saw Priest Donald leap to the enclosure, yelling, "Wait! Let me heal him! Please, let me heal him! He''ll die otherwise!" Knight Roman lay unconscious in another bone cage, while two soldiers tried to revive him to no avail, only worsening his injuries. Garrett fell silent. Truth be told, seeing Knight Roman in that state gave him a slight sense of satisfaction. As for healing the knight... Ah, after that impact, wouldn''t he have severe bleeding inside his head or abdomen? Maybe he''s gone already? The necromancer glanced at him. Seeing Garrett''s lack of reaction or plea, the necromancer''s face hardened, "No!" The priest flinched. The necromancer didn''t hold much disdain for him. Pausing for a moment, the necromancer asked, "Got any healing potions?" "I do, I do!" "A cat... a talking cat!!!" Though this was a magical world where skeletons walked and conversed, it was astonishing that a cat could talk. Garrett involuntarily stepped back until his back chilled against the stone door. Truth be told, he had a bit of a fear of cats in his previous life. There were five or six stray cats in the hospital that nurses often fed, but Garrett never dared to touch them. Now here he was, encountering a combat-savvy talking cat! Garrett braced himself against the stone. The black cat jumped down, landing in front of him. Its tail flicked against the ground, taking a step forward, lifting its head high, baring its teeth. The cat''s semi-transparent whiskers twitched. Due to Garrett''s address, its mood seemed a bit off: "That''s so rude! I''m the great Mr. Troka! Don''t call me Black Cat! Black Cat!" Oh, a talkingnot just talking, a sentient being... Adrenaline surged through Garrett for a moment, but gradually, he calmed down. He didn''t fear talking cats; he feared lack of intelligence and strong fighting abilities. Silent, agile, and powerful, that''s what would really concern him... Well, this was a world with magic and mysticism. Skulls picked up their own heads, cats talkedwhat''s odd about that? Thanks to countless animations and various games from his past life, Garrett quickly accepted the premise of "talking cats." He stepped forward, politely nodding at the black cat: "Hello, esteemed Mr. Troka. I apologize for earlier." "No worries!" The cat graciously waved its paw. As it lifted its paw, the pink pads bunched up cutely, making Garrett''s fingers itch to pinch them. Sensing this ill-intent, the cat agilely leaped away, raising its head, grinning widely: "Seriously, don''t want me to get rid of him for you?" "No need." Garrett gradually relaxed. He gazed into the cat''s golden eyes, exhaled slowly, and smiled confidently: "He''s already done for. If he won''t mend tendons before healing, who can blame anyone?" --------------- Here is a theCharacters List.Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 23 Chapter 23 *Clap, clap, clap.* Rhythmic applause filled the room. Garrett turned to see the necromancer, who had leaned his staff aside, smiling and clapping. After a few claps, he extended his hand toward Garrett, appearing more enthusiastic than before: "Thought you were just a good-hearted guy, never expected you to be a slicer too! Haha, dear friend, your insights are truly remarkable... -- Forgot to introduce myself earlier. I''m Andrew Lynn, a necromancer from the Black Crow Marsh. And you are? Oh, right, what would you like to drink? Mint water or honey water? Troka found a beehive the other day. I''ll tell you, he might have fought off that honey-stealing brown bear..." The pace of speech was rapid, topics swiftly transitioning, one after another, seemingly in a stream of consciousness. Seemingly erratic thoughts, this guy might need a visit to a mental health professional If such a thing existed in this world. Garrett made a mental note. His expression unchanged, he replied with a smile: "I''m Garrett, Garrett Nordmark, local guy. Can''t exactly pinpoint my profession yet. How about some mint water? Anything to eat? Waking up in the middle of the night makes me famished!" "Troka!" The necromancer Andrew called out loudly. The golden skull clattered away, while the necromancer finished washing his hands and turned warmly toward Garrett: "Hey, so, do you think it''d be easier to control skeleton soldiers if they used their own bones?" "I think your skeletons are already quite obedient," Garrett replied sincerely. He''d been observing that golden skull. It had been bustling about since it arrived, far from idling like the black cat lying on the table waiting for food. It was fetching things, trays, tea sets, pouring water, and serving food... It even clattered to lift a slab, flames igniting atop it, baking muffins. If it weren''t for the fact that it was a skeleton, he''d believe it to be a robot. Obviously, Andrew, the necromancer, wasn''t satisfied with that answer. He animatedly described how weak his skeletons were in battle (Garrett: They''re stronger than me), eagerly waiting for Garrett''s response. "...I''m not sure," Garrett struggled to force out. This question was just too tricky; you ask me, I''ll ask your skeleton? He attempted to squeeze out a smile: "I think the skeletons might not know which bone belongs to them?" "Exactly!" Andrew nodded vigorously. "These bones should belong to them, but it seems unreliable. So, how do we determine which bone is whose?" Garrett: "..." Dark eye sockets tilted upward, two soulful fires within, confronting Garrett''s wide-eyed stare. Garrett: "..." What''s this? What are you implying? Am I supposed to hold a muffin in one hand, dip it in honey, and eat it while poking at your skull to give a lecture? Even if surgeons generally don''t sweat the small stuff, facing the gushing blood, confronting life''s harsh realities, they''re not this crude! He leaned back, avoiding the skull under his eyelids. Reaching across the table, he grabbed a fork from in front of the necromancer, then firmly tapped the skull: "Open up!" The golden skeleton''s upper and lower jaw obediently parted. Garrett lifted the necromancer''s fork, pointing at those black, unevenly worn teeth, explaining each one: "The older, the more worn. Look, the tips are worn off, the back molars, significant wear, exposing the dentin... Tsk tsk, he must have suffered a lot when alive. If only a bit of wear on the crown or no flat tips, it means the person is relatively younger..." While he spoke, Andrew, the necromancer, craned his neck, looking at each tooth. He leaned further, body leaning forward, head lowering, almost as if about to dive into the skull''s gaping mouth. Halfway through, he suddenly snapped out of it, gesturing randomly at the table: "Please, have" Garrett wasn''t shy either, displaying the dinner-time speed of an emergency room doctor, snatching a muffin with his left hand, pouring honey with his right, sandwiching them together and stuffing it in his mouth. The first bite made his tongue flick the palate, unable to resist a soft click. Mm, the muffin was delicately full, honey sweet , and the mint water refreshing. Though the golden skeleton''s muffin-making skills couldn''t match those of a master chef from his past life, it was good enough for late-night hunger. This is what people should be eating! I don''t want to eat black bread every day! In a cheerful mood, his lecture became even more comprehensive: "Oh, the wear on teeth not only relates to age but also diet habits and economic status. People who eat a lot of black bread will have more worn teeth compared to those eating white bread. Apart from teeth, the pelvis can also be used to estimate age... the pelvis..." --------------- Here is a theCharacters List.Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 24 Chapter 24 A necromancer and a former deputy chief physician of the emergency department found themselves deeply engrossed in discussing bones, as if they had found a long-lost friend. After chatting for half the night, the necromancer Andrew Lynn got carried away and, across the table, reached out and grabbed Garrett''s wrist: "Dear friend! You''re perfect to become a necromancer. How about joining us in the Black Marsh? I can introduce you" "Oh! I''ll request my mentor! He''s an 11th-level mage. Once he breaks through, he might help you become a lich!" Garrett: "" "Thank you, but I''m not very keen. I feel like I haven''t lived enough yet. But your suggestion, as a necromancer, does have its appeal." Garrett flipped his wrist and firmly shook the necromancer''s hand. "I''m more interested in elemental magic. Mr. Lynn, you mentioned the Mage Tower and the Council of Magic before. Could you introduce me?" "Ah, elemental magic!" The necromancer exaggeratedly spread his arms. With a grandiose tone and gestures, he proclaimed, "Everyone loves elemental magic, or at least they''d choose alchemy or summoning. But for the pitiful necromancers, whenever we invite someone, we always hear the same response: ''Respected Mr. Lynn, I prefer elemental magic'' ''Respected Mr. Lynn, I prefer alchemy'' Except for those with the deepest sorrow, yearning to resurrect loved ones, no adult chooses the grand necromantic arts!" Garrett felt perplexed. The theatrics from a distance were amusing, but up close, it was intense. Dodging the necromancer''s spittle, Garrett''s mind raced, pondering: Is this guy just theatrical? Or is he having a manic episode? I observed his erratic thinking earlier; are there other signs? Could necromancy affect hormonal secretion and thus influence mental state? But there''s nowhere in this realm for an EEG, or even standard biochemistry tests "Um if it''s inconvenient" "Inconvenient? Not at all!" With enthusiasm, Mage Lynn took a step forward. Before Garrett could evade, he seized his arms, spitting saliva: "Though the head of the Mage Tower is a fat, irritable drinker, he and I explored the Holsea Strait together and fought alongside the Ironshells of the Radiant Church! Dear friend, rest assured, with my recommendation, he''ll surely accept you!" The necromancer swiftly unrolled parchment on the desk and scribbled: "Take it!" Garrett froze. In just two days in this realm, he''d been pinned down, threatened with a sword at his throat, forcefully conscripted, attacked by monsters more dangers than in a month or even a year from his past. But never had any moment chilled him to the bone like this. Someone who, a few hours ago, could threaten his life was now being dragged inside by a magical creature, merely because a necromancer was curious to witness an uncommon surgery. Man is the master of his fate, the phrase echoed, but in a world like this, who could claim certainty? "This isn''t right" Garrett''s head shook like a windmill. However, the necromancer assumed he had a feud with the knight, unwilling to heal, and attempted persuasion: "Just heal him for a look! If you don''t want to kill, then heal first and then sever his tendons?" Within moments, the transformed black cat already dragged the knight to the stone door. At this critical juncture, the severely injured knight exerted his utmost, clawing at the door''s edge. He looked up at Garrett with a mix of resentment and despair. Crack! The knight''s fingers snapped against the door''s edge. Garrett trembled: "No!" He turned, stepping forward, standing before the necromancer. Gazing directly into his eyes, firm: "I won''t do something like this. I''ve sworn never to use healing arts to harm people!" --------------- Here is a theCharacters List.Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 25 Chapter 25 The anticipated smile of the Necromancer froze on his face. Glancing at the struggling knight Roman, he shifted his focus back, silently staring at Garrett. Snow-white light surged from the ceiling, casting heavy shadows under his eye sockets and cheekbones, making his thin, skeletal face resemble a skull even more. Garrett''s heart skipped a beat. The other was a Necromancer, much stronger than him. One of his pets alone could easily overpower Garrett. If he refused the request, would he... end up bound and dissected? Tremors raced through Garrett''s mind. Despite beads of cold sweat forming on his back, he held the Necromancer''s gaze without flinching. Clenched fists, knees pressed together to keep his legs from trembling... The principles of a healer must be upheld! Indiscriminately cutting into a patient for personal reasons was absolutely unacceptable! Garrett''s determination and clear gaze were too firm. The Necromancer, Lynn, locked eyes with him for a moment, shrugged, and waved a hand. The black cat carried the knight back, tossing him once again into the bone-white prison. The stone door closed. All the curses, gasps, and sighs were shut out. Lynn glanced at the stone door and then back at Garrett. "But what if he harms you?!" "I''ll fight back." Garrett replied firmly. Pausing for a moment, he added, "ButI absolutely won''t use medical skills to harm anyone." That was the vow he made on the day he started studying medicine in his previous life. Lynn fell silent. He looked at Garrett''s spirited young face, lost in thought for a moment, then sighed. "Once, I had a friend... who thought just like you." "And then?" "And then... after I became a Necromancer, I avenged him." "I''m sorry." Garrett apologized quickly. After a moment''s thought, he tried to add, "How about this? I''ll perform a tendon suture surgery for you to watch?I mean, using an animal, a larger one will do!" "Ahaha!" Lynn chuckled. Half an hour later, Garrett was also elated. Tied to the platform in front of him was a live sheep, brought by Mr. Troka from who knows where, bleating softly. On a side table lay an array of surgical tools: knives of various sizes, scissors, hooks, and a bow drill... Beakers, flasks, crucibles, stirrers, balances... It was a set of basic alchemical equipment. There were no herbs or powders in the box, yet this set of alchemical tools alone was of considerable value. Garrett felt uneasy: "This is too precious." "No, it''s nothing. My friend" The Necromancer vehemently shook his head: "Among mages, there''s a saying: no knowledge is without value. Last night, you generously shared so much knowledge with me. Allow me to share something with you. These trinkets" He gestured above the box: "Every mage should have a set! Every one of them! Dear friend, believe me, once you join our faction, the equipment you''ll receive will be much finer than this!" Much finer? Are there microscopes? Are there centrifuges? Are there UV spectrophotometers? If not, even a pipette would do! Garrett silently lamented. If they didn''t have anything, he might as well figure it out on his own. Joining the faction he was interested in seemed far more important. My sterilization cabinet, my culture dishes, my devices for separating, purifying, analyzing, and synthesizing various medicines, my X-rays, ultrasound machines, MRI... Elemental faction, alchemical faction, I''m counting on you! Garrett immersed himself in hopeful anticipation. Necromancer Lynn walked beside him, persistently persuading. He kept eyeing Garrett and the boxes, almost wanting to snatch them back to Black Marsh: "Dear friend, are you really not considering joining our faction? Truly, just nod and I''ll immediately take you to meet my mentor. I guarantee you''ll enjoy the privileges of a formal mage! You must know, even if you carry my recommendation letter, in the city''s mage tower, you''ll only start as an apprentice..." "But I''m really interested in becoming an elemental mage..." --------------- Here is a theCharacters List.Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Garrett hurried towards the Mage Tower with his letter of recommendation in hand. The temple''s search team returned in disarray, battered and bruised. Before reaching their destination, they had provoked a powerful necromancer, resulting in their strongest member getting severely injured. Seeing no good coming from pressing forward, they had to retreat to the temple for recovery. As for what would come nextexploration, retaliation, or something elsethat was a matter for another time. Even Donald, the priest who had intended to chat a bit more with Garrett, could only regretfully glance his way before boarding a carriage without looking back, swiftly departing. With the temple guards withdrawing, they wouldn''t concern themselves with the city guards. Garrett and his teammates deliberated briefly before deciding to return to Uncle Edmund''s farm and rendezvous with Captain Karen. They borrowed a few mounts from Uncle Edmund, took shortcuts, and made their way straight back to the city. Having suffered such losses, the temple guards might seek retribution. If they were to pin the blame for their failure on the lowest-ranking soldiers, they wouldn''t stand a chance. The immediate plan was to rush back and report. Even John, the young priest from the War God''s temple, canceled his plans to visit home and turned back towards the temple. As Garrett approached the city, he split from his companions and headed for the Mage Tower. Hartland City boasted only one Mage Tower, situated not within the city but atop a hill on its outskirts. The hill was densely wooded, obscuring much of the tower''s spire from view. "Is this the hidden temple in the mountains? It does have a certain charm to it..." Garrett murmured, adjusting the reins. The chestnut mare beneath him snorted and obediently turned, ascending the mountain path. The main road out of the city split into a narrower path leading directly to the mountaintop. This path was wide and well-trodden, evident from the deep wheel ruts, indicating frequent use by carriages. Garrett found the ascent manageable, reaching the mountaintop and arriving in front of the Mage Tower in less than a quarter of an hour. Despite being called a tower, it was more akin to a castle, enclosed within a significant outer wall. Garrett dismounted outside the wall, took a few steps back, and gazed up: "This tower is impressively tall... Three, no, four levels..." Boom! A tremendous noise startled the birds into flight, the horses whinnied, and the sturdy Mage Tower swayed slightly. Thick smoke billowed from a fourth-floor window, followed by a swooshing sound as someone was propelled in an arc out of it... Garrett: !!! That height! That speed! If they hit the ground and were lucky, they''d break bones. If unlucky, it''d be a snapped neck, and it''d be game over! He dashed towards the landing spot. If it was just broken legs, he wouldn''t need to assist; if it was a broken neck, there would be no use trying to help; but if it was something like sudden cardiac arrest, airway obstruction, or severe bleeding from fractures, the faster he ran, the higher the chance he could save a life! "Um... I can''t cast any..." "Have you studied the principles of spells? ''Basic Incantations''? ''Runic Constructs''? ''Elementary Understanding of Elements''? ''Alchemy''? You do recognize magical script, don''t you?" "I... I don''t..." Garrett''s head sank lower. Sure, he knew a few Latin phrases, memorized some medicine names during his medical studies; he even had a minor in German and was fluent in English from reading journals and literature. But magical scripts? Where would he have learned those? Not recognizing magical script meant not being able to understand most, if not all, magical books. Could it be? After studying so hard for years, did I become illiterate after crossing into this otherworld? Seeing his lack of knowledge, Mage Gelman furrowed his thick eyebrows more and more. Even with a friend''s recommendation, he was growing impatient: "...You do recognize common language, right?!" "I do!" Garrett breathed a sigh of relief, quickly replying. Thanks to the previous owner''s father, even though he had passed away early, he had at least taught the previous owner how to read. There was even a small box of books left at home, and it was with that box that the previous owner completed the most basic reading education "Moreover, I can perform healing spells!" "Um..." Mage Gelman''s expression softened slightly. Knowing healing spells indicated at least a basic qualification as a casteradequate mental and sensory abilities. As for the rest, well, considering the recommendation from his friend Lynn... "Since it''s Andrew''s recommendation, you can attend the tower''s lectures first. The fee is 10 gold coins per month, but I''ll waive it for Andrew''s sake" Thank goodness! Garrett inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, hastily nodding. He didn''t have a single silver coin on him right now, let alone a gold one. The city guard''s salary seemed to be five silver coins per month? Thankfully, it was waived. Otherwise, would he have had to turn back to the necromancer to borrow money? "Well, you can come to the Mage Tower every day, read the books in the first level''s collection freely, but no copying or taking them out. You can attend my classes, and if my apprenticeslike Elliottare willing, you can seek guidance from them. For copying spells, you''ll need your own materials and my permission, and the alchemy lab is off-limits without my authorization. Let''s discuss the rest once you become an apprentice mage!" --------------- Here is a theCharacters List.Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 27 Chapter 27 "How did it go?" Garrett had just descended from the mountain when his companions swarmed around him, eagerly asking. Garrett hung his head, feeling somewhat disheartened. "Gelman, the mage, said I should start by observing..." He recounted the negotiation process to his friends. Unexpectedly, each of them was thrilled, especially Captain Karen and the young priest, John. Karen, with her extensive experience, was the first to reassure him: "This treatment is already quite good. Little Garrett, you don''t know how many noble children in the city aren''t even eligible to observe at the Mage Tower!"Read latest chapters at novelhall.com Only "And it''s tuition-free!" The young priest valued this aspect even more. He even brought up experiences from his companions to comfort Garrett: "Even in our temple, there are many noble descendants and knights who, unable to afford magic education, can only come to the temple for training!" Unable to afford... magic? Garrett forced a smile. While the tuition for observers was waived, he had to provide his own materials for transcribing spells. Attending Gelman''s lectures didn''t require extra payment, but whether Gelman''s disciples would help him without payment was uncertain. He could tighten his belt and survive on plain black bread, shuttle back and forth between the city and the mage tower daily, but could he rely on just his two legs? Everything required money. His original salary was only 5 silver coins. After filling his stomach, he could barely afford coarse cloth for clothing. Worried and without showing it, Garrett didn''t want Uncle Karen and the others to worry too. Riding along with the team towards the city, he observed the streets inside, growing increasingly concerned. The barracks of the city guards were near the north gate, but they entered through the west gate, passing streets that weren''t the busiest, but still quite troubled. Yet, as far as Garrett could see, both sides of the street were lined with dilapidated wooden houses, windows and doors askew, leaking air. Patches upon patches adorned women''s skirts. Garrett spotted a little girl of six or seven peeking shyly from a doorframe; as soon as she saw him looking, she shrank back, then timidly peeped out again. Her dress was in tatters, barely covering her thighs, and a younger boy was playing half-naked in a corner... At the bakery around the corner, almost all that was displayed were loaves of dark bread. No cobblestones on the streets, no drainage on the sides, no public sanitation facilities. Trash piled up, sewage flowed, and with every horse hoof, there was a mud puddle. Muddy splashes of black and yellow dotted the streets incessantly. Garrett didn''t want to contemplate what lay within those mud patches. Not working for an extended period without pay while expecting to receive wages was something Garrett had never experienced in his previous life. Feeling awkward, he finally managed to get the words out, only to hear Captain Flynn burst into laughter: "You, Garrett... you!" Garrett was puzzled. Captain Flynn burst into hearty laughter, tears streaming down his face, as he wiped them away: "You''re worrying about your salary! You, you... hahaha!" The laughter echoed loudly. Even the two knights fighting on the field momentarily paused, and Sir Westlow, unable to block properly, was sent flying with a thud! "Ah!!!" Soldiers watching nearby screamed in shock. A group of them dashed inside, and Garrett had only taken a few steps when he heard someone urgently shout: "Priest! Get the priest quickly!" Urgent and mournful in tone. It sounded just like families shouting "doctor" in an emergency room in his previous life. Garrett quickened his pace even more. He dashed into the crowd, peering through the gaps, and his breath caught. The injured person was curled up on the ground, lips turning blue, hands desperately reaching toward his chest. His eyes bulged like goldfish, gasping for air as if on the verge of suffocation. The veins on his neck bulged like earthworms, drenched in sweat, struggling hard. This was... "Take off his clothes! Quickly!" Even without him saying anything, the nearby soldiers were already tearing off the man''s clothes. For an injured person, the consensus among soldiers was to remove clothing promptly to facilitate the priest''s treatment. As the clothes were removed, the wound came into view, and Garrett immediately furrowed his brow. The man''s chest was unnaturally contorted. Ribs were broken, the chest wall collapsed, and jagged bone edges pressed against the skin. What was more dangerous was the abnormal fullness on the right side of the chest cavity. The distance between several ribs was noticeably wider. With each breath, the part of the right chest that had sunken would suddenly collapse or rise. Combined with the earlier signs of blue lips, bulging neck veins, and difficulty breathing, Garrett immediately thought of one term: Tension pneumothorax! --------------- Here is a theCharacters List.Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Tension pneumothorax refers to the rupture of a larger pulmonary air sac or a significant and deep lung laceration or bronchial rupture. The fissure communicates with the pleural cavity, forming a one-way valve, also known as high-pressure pneumothorax. After tension pneumothorax forms, during inhalation, the pressure in the pleural cavity decreases, the valve opens, and gas enters the pleural cavity; during exhalation, the pressure in the pleural cavity increases, the valve closes, and gas cannot escape from the pleural cavity. The more one breathes, the higher the pressure inside the pleural cavity, firmly compressing the lungs. Eventually, the lungs collapse entirely, unable to expand... No matter how hard the patient struggles to breathe, they can''t get a breath in. This is one of the most life-threatening emergencies. Except for slashing the carotid artery or if the aorta in the chest or abdomen ruptures, other internal bleedings are fatal but not as rapid. Death by suffocation occurs in an i The Temple of the War God is indeed adjacent to the military camp. Dashing there and back would take at most five minutes. But the patient lying on the ground couldn''t wait for five minutes! "50ml syringe!" Garrett shouted. No response. No one handed him anything. No syringe, no needle, no drainage tube... No one knew what he needed, why he was doing this, or even what the patient''s condition implied. This is a different realm, not their hospital, not the emergency department he''d worked in for over a decade. Garrett looked around. Anxious faces surrounded him, staring at the patient, gazing toward the temple nearby, hoping for the priest to come rushing in. Some even gestured to remove door panels, grab shields, wanting to lift the patient toward the temple... By the time you lift the person, they''ll be dead! Garrett panicked. He forcefully stood in front of the patient, one arm outstretched, the other grabbing Sir Flynn: "I''m a healer! I can save him! Captain, help me!" "You can save him?" Sir Flynn immediately halted his steps. Garrett nodded vigorously: "He''s dying! I can save him! I''m missing something, Captain, help me!" Sir Flynn hesitated. Garrett had learned healing techniques, something he''d just heard from Captain Karen; no matter how much he trusted Karen, hearsay wasn''t the same as witnessing it firsthand. Moreover, the healing techniques of the Temple of the War God, they had been consistent for decades. "You..." "Look at his face! Turning purple, struggling to breathe, he''s dying! I can buy time until the priest arrives!" Garrett relaxed entirely. Kneeling beside the patient, he monitored his breathing, listening intently to the airflow in the chicken bone. His thumb rested on the chicken leg bone''s tip, occasionally pressing, occasionally releasing. Post chest decompression, an external one-way valve device should be applied to facilitate the expulsion of high-pressure gas from the chest cavity while preventing external gas from entering. In emergencies, experienced doctors had used surgical gloves, soft plastic bags, or balloons, cut a small hole, and fitted it onto the needle handle, substituting for a valve. Garrett had no surgical gloves, so he used his thumb, managing the situation on the spot... With his movements, the bulge on the right side of the patient''s chest gradually flattened, and his complexion subtly eased. Anyone could tell that this life had been snatched back from the jaws of death. "Saved?" "Saved!" "It seems like he''s really saved!" "I remember Old Shieko died like this, ribs crushed, and he choked to death in no time. The priest hadn''t arrived yet..." The surrounding soldiers discussed fervently. Sir Flynn''s gaze toward Garrett softened, and he proactively asked: "Little Garrett, what should we do next?" Next? Insert a drainage tube, perform closed chest drainage, take X-rays, reset the ribs, and if unlucky, open the chest to repair the lungs... But now, asking for things that didn''t exist, I can''t do any of these tasks... Garrett rolled his eyes internally. Fine, if it were in modern times and the emergency department was overwhelmed, they''d pass it to cardiothoracic surgery; but now, in this otherworldly place... ask the priest? A flurry of footsteps finally echoed. Garrett glanced sideways, the surroundings had already quieted down, everyone saluting, heads bowed: "Your Grace." "Your Grace" Curious, Garrett turned his head to observe. As for saluting, he was already half-kneeling beside the injured, there was no need to repeat the gesture. Surrounded in the center was a robust middle-aged man, broad-shouldered, and with a shining bald head. If you ignored the distinct Western features of a high nose and deep-set eyes, with just this bald head, some might believe it was Lu Zhishen. A shield was embroidered on the white robe''s chest, not in deep brown but outlined in brilliant silver thread. Above the shield, a war hammer and a scepter intersected in a cross. No other embellishments, just a fist-sized hand holding a scepter, embedded with several gemstones, signifying the esteemed status of the Archbishop. Around him, seven or eight priests, all muscular men, looked more like warriors than clergy. Among them was the young priest John that Garrett knew, the youngest and thinnest, seemingly only fit to be a priest''s apprentice. The group surrounded the injured. The bald Archbishop glanced at the patient first, then turned to Garrett, eyeing the chicken bone in Garrett''s hand. After observing for a moment, he smiled faintly: "Child, I''m here now. You and your" He gestured toward the chicken bone, "responsibility can come to an end." Garrett returned the smile. He was respectful and courteous but also composed, firm, without hesitation: "Please, proceed with the treatment first. When appropriate, I''ll remove it." --------------- Here is a theCharacters List.Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 29 Chapter 29 "Garrett!" Captain Karen hissed under her breath. Captain Flynn stepped forward, seemingly aiming to shield Garrett. Around them, the city guards whispered in surprise. Priest John murmured softly, hands covering his mouth, his eyes wide as he glanced between Garrett and the bald-headed bishop. Every freckle on his face seemed etched with worry. The bishop was thoroughly taken aback. He scrutinized Garrett from head to toe, from the coarse linen tunic like everyone else''s to the hand wrapped around a chicken bone and the hand clasping the pulse of the injured person. After a moment''s contemplation, he asked cautiously: "Child, do you know what you''re doing?" "I do." "Do you know the extent of this person''s injury and what treatment is needed?" "A severe chest injury, multiple broken ribs in various places, some piercing the lungs," Garrett answered without hesitation. "They need rib realignment, repair, and restoring the damaged lung and pleura. My healing spell isn''t strong enough for this; I beg your help." And adjusting blood pressure, resetting the mediastinum, relocating the lung... of course, once the healing spell is cast, the lungs should heal, and the mediastinum and lung should adjust themselves. I won''t go into that with you. "Why are you holding onto this thing?" To maintain chest cavity pressure balance, Garrett thought. But explaining that might require a dissected diagram and ten minutes of clarification on what pressure meant. It could lead to a Heidelberg experiment if they didn''t understand, which would be quite a hassle. Come on! Someone needs saving here! "Uh... well, it''s a bit complicated..." Garrett blinked desperately. How about you heal him first, and then I''ll explain slowly? Don''t worry, I''m not going anywhere! "Ah... alright. I''ll listen to your explanation later," the bald-headed bishop chuckled. He didn''t press further, instead clasping his hands together and murmuring with a smile. This prayer took far longer than Priest John''s healing spell; Garrett estimated at least ten minutes. While monitoring the patient''s breathing and maintaining pressure on the chicken bone, he thought: Luckily, the bishop intervened. Sir Westlow turned, grabbing Garrett: "I was just about to say that! Garrett, thank you so much!" "It''s nothing. It''s what I should do." Garrett replied adeptly. Calm in tone and demeanor, just like the numerous times in his past life when he saved patients'' lives and received thanks from them and their families. Sir Westlow, however, blinked slightly, scrutinizing Garrett, and when he spoke again, his tone had shifted to a more equal one, from address to expression: "Thank you so much, Garrett. Uh, please do visit my home tonight. I must express my gratitude properly!" "Uh, that''s really not necessary... I mean, these are things I should do..." Garrett tried to decline, but Sir Westlow persisted, repeatedly thanking and inviting him. The bald-headed bishop, observing with a smile, suddenly turned serious and glanced towards Priest John at the rear of the group: "John, is this the young healer you mentioned?" Garrett froze, swiftly looking at John. The freckled youngster vigorously nodded, beaming brightly with a big grin on his face. Then, he made a funny face, puckering his lips towards the Spring Goddess''s temple. It warmed Garrett''s heart. That wounded knight Roman, returning heavily injured, had clearly left a mark. His body might be damaged, but his connections at home weren''t. Who knew if he harbored grudges against Garrett or if he''d seek revenge. Of course, letting Garrett be the instrument to kill him, to let the necromancer finish him, was something he couldn''t bring himself to do... He was, after all, a law-abiding citizen in his past life... So, Captain Karen promptly escorted him back to the barracks to report upwards. It seemed that young John had also reported this incident to the War God''s temple, seeking some form of shelter and protection for himself. Garrett gratefully nodded towards young John. The bald-headed bishop observed their interaction but didn''t delve into it immediately. Instead, he extended an invitation: "Hello, young healer. What you did just now was fascinating. We''ve encountered many warriors we couldn''t save in time. Could you explain your method to us in detail?" "Of course!" Garrett replied without hesitation. --------------- Here is a theCharacters List.Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Since this was a lecture, it couldn''t just take place out in the field. Captain Leon raised his hand courteously, inviting the bald-headed bishop, who smiled in agreement, and they made their way towards the council chamber in the military camp. The priests hurriedly followed suit. Garrett fell back a few steps, lingering behind, joining the young priest John. John leaned in immediately, speaking urgently in a hushed tone: "I told the bishop!" "About the knight?" "Yeah!" The young priest nodded quickly. Garrett smiled, patting his shoulder: "Thank you!" The council chamber of the city guards wasn''t huge but wasn''t small either. A long table occupied the center, clearly made from a tree trunk split down the middle, rough-hewn and unpainted. A large map adorned the wall opposite the entrance, and it could seat about twenty people if they squeezed in. The bald-headed bishop and the captain of the city guards entered first. Seven or eight priests flooded in, quickly filling half the room. Garrett slipped in among the four squadron leaders naturally. Those in the rear, the lower-ranking officers and soldiers, tried to squeeze in as well. The last squadron leader gave a stern look and was about to close the door.Visit for the best novel reading experience "Wait!" Sir Flynn intervened. He glanced at Garrett, who was constantly looking back, and couldn''t help but smile, waving to Captain Karen: "Karen, come join us too!" A minor commotion stirred among the crowd. Soldiers who hadn''t received permission jostled, semi-jokingly complaining: "Captain, that''s not fair!" "Captain, we want to listen too!" "Captain, this could save lives!" Captain Karen made her way forward amid her comrades'' envy. Garrett looked left and right, seeing Raymond and the others far back in the crowd at the hall''s entrance, unable to push through. He thought for a moment, then turned to the captain: "Captain, what I''m about to share is beneficial for everyone, helping in times of injury to preserve lives as much as possible. Do you think, perhaps..." He gestured outward: "We could find a larger space?" Of course, that had to be possible! The captain readily agreed, and the bald-headed bishop had no objections either. The group exited the council chamber, heading to the hall. Before they reached it, the tantalizing scent of hot food wafted from the direction of the hall. Garrett''s stomach betrayed him with a couple of grumbles. The hall fell silent for a moment, then erupted into laughter. Even Garrett couldn''t help but chuckle. He gestured to Sir Flynn, who had stood up, trying to hold back his laughter: "Uncle Flynn, could you get a couple of large papers and a board for me? What I''m about to explain needs some diagrams to be clearer" He drew diagrams with his hands, explaining verbally, occasionally asking someone to come up and demonstrate bandaging techniques. Everyone was engrossed. As dinner time approached, bread and cured meat were brought in from the kitchen, and they paired it with vegetable soup for a meal, continuing the lecture. Just as he finished discussing ways to stop bleeding from the head and arms, a distant commotion arose. It grew louder and closer. Garrett glanced up at the hall''s entrance, and simultaneously, several knights stood up, gripping their swords. "Who?!" "Who goes there?!" "Captain, captain, captain!" Footsteps echoed relentlessly. A city guard soldier rushed in recklessly, propping himself against the door, panting heavily: "Captain, the Lord''s Mansion is here to arrest someone!" "What?!" "What''s happening?!" "The Lord''s Mansion is arresting people, why are they coming for the city guard?!" The hall erupted into a cacophony of discussion. Over a hundred city guard soldiers exchanged whispers, shocked, angry, or bewildered. Someone even blurted out in confusion: "Don''t we usually do the arrests around here?" Huff... Garrett stood steady on the podium. At this moment, with the Lord''s Mansion coming to arrest someone, he could guess roughly why, and indeed The doors burst open. A well-dressed messenger accompanied by two guards strode arrogantly into the hall. "On the order of the temple, Garrett Nordmark is summoned to answer questions" I hope that helps! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 31 Chapter 31 The warriors stirred slightly. "A temple?" The War God''s temple was next door. Everyone from the bishop to the priests were seated here; it couldn''t suddenly have people coming in. The Nature God had no temple at all. Besides, the followers of the Nature God were a bunch of gentle folks, not this proud. So, the only possibility for someone coming to apprehend someone was... The Temple of the Spring Goddess! Ugh, the most detestable one. The most aloof, demanding the most donations, reluctant to help when needed for healing, only seeing the faces of those noble lords... Sigh, as much as they''re disliked, can''t afford to offend them. Waiting for others to save lives on the battlefield, offending them now might cost a life if luck runs out. About a hundred soldiers collectively turned their heads, then collectively turned their gazes back. Captain Karen and Knight Flynn looked worriedly at Garrett, yet he stood firm on the platform, showing no signs of nervousness. Garrett indeed breathed a sigh of relief. They''d rushed fast enough; not too far behind the temple''s folks. They''d made it back to the city guards before Sir Roman reported and before the temple decided to capture someone. Luck was on his side; coincidentally saving Sir Westlow and gaining the attention of the War God''s temple. What favored him more was with the Spring Goddess''s temple coming for someone, both the city guards and the bigwigs from the War God''s temple were present. With these two around, they wouldn''t just stand and watch him suffer a loss, right? Garrett calmly walked off the platform. Before Knight Flynn and Captain Nolan could speak, he faced the temple messenger and calmly said, "Are you looking for Garrett Nordmark? That''s me." His demeanor was too composed, causing the messenger to pause, eyeing him closely. A teenager in his teens, black-haired, dark-eyed. Wearing a dark brown rough linen cloak, dusty, the look of the lowest-ranking soldier in the city guard. From appearance to attire, it matched Roman''s description perfectly. Though it was odd for him to stand on the platform, well, a soldier is a soldier... "Very well." He raised the staff in his hand and gestured forcefully. Two tall guards immediately stepped forward from behind, "Come with us!" Garrett neither complied nor resisted, staying put, looking to Captain Nolan Knight with an inquiring gaze. As expected, Knight Nolan rose with his sword, eyebrows furrowed, questioning the newcomer, "Garrett? What does the temple want with him?" Helplessly, the city knows the bald bishop''s style: fond of fighting, arm-wrestling people in taverns. Once, in a physical contest, he beat a level five knight using sheer strength. Now that the old man wanted to walk, what could they do? Everyone had to walk along. The messenger complained silently. As they walked, a figure suddenly dashed past from behind, one of the temple guards he brought along. With a few steps, he caught up to Knight Nolan, keeping pace, quietly reporting: "It''s Sir Roman who complained at the temple..." The messenger shivered. He looked left, four city guard captains flanked Garrett from both sides, shooting angry glares occasionally; He looked right, behind the bald bishop, seven to eight priests followed closely, seeming like an overwhelming force being deployed. Just by numbers, the one he was supposed to capture didn''t look like a city guard but more like a priest from the War God''s temple; Glancing back, a long line of city guard soldiers followed, craning their necks, appearing worried... The messenger''s head suddenly cleared. I''m just a messenger! I have no grudges against the city guard, this youth I''m supposed to capture! I haven''t even reaped any benefits from Sir Roman''s accusation! What good does my cooperation do for me? He hurried forward, passing Garrett, and whispered to Knight Nolan, crossing him, "Sir Roman accused your city guard''s Garrett of colluding with a Necromancer, causing his severe injury. Priest Donald testified for Garrett, saying that before the Necromancer appeared, Garrett was already in the hall below and was knocked down together... Now, due to the failed search and significant losses incurred, Priest Donald has been asked to reflect. Sir Roman''s injuries aren''t improving, even after the high priest''s treatment, and there''s some leniency towards him now. The high priest says the knight''s slow recovery is due to a night''s delay in timely treatment last night..." Behind Knight Nolan, Garrett''s eyes flickered slightly, a silent smirk playing at his lips. Not following medical advice! That''s it! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Sir Roman was irritated. He was not just irritated; he was also terrified. Last night, after that young city guard was taken in by the necromancer, Roman discovered something wrong with his hand. His right thumb couldn''t fully extend, nor could it bend properly. Not being able to bend was one thing, but the inability to apply force was a devastating blow for him! He couldn''t grip a sword anymore! Roman clenched his right hand repeatedly, then released it in despair. He had hoped that after his release this morning, Priest Donald would perform healing magic for himRead latest chapters at novelhall.com Only But it was futile. Absolutely futile. Pure, sanctified light descended time and time again. Blood surged, warm energy flowed from his arm to his wrist. Yet when he clenched his hand, his right thumb remained utterly powerless. At his most fearful moment, Roman remembered the youth''s plea just before pouring the healing potion, "You can''t heal this wound like that... external healing won''t work, it needs to be fixed from the inside..." Why did he say that? What did he know? Was it... intentional? It''s all that peasant''s fault! It''s all because of him! Roman roared softly. He turned to the apprentice knight standing nearby, his eyes so red they seemed about to bleed: "Have they caught him?" "I-I don''t know..." "Then go and find out!" The apprentice knight bolted out. How many times had it been now? From the temple sending people out until now, how many times had they sent him running! He was just a soldier; could the temple not capture him? Sending him out to check time after time, his legs were becoming thin The young apprentice knight sidled up to the side door, peered out, nothing. As he ran halfway back, a familiar guard, seeing him drenched in sweat, grabbed him: "Still asking about this? They came in through the main gate!" "Huh?" He stared at them intensely; there was no one on their side doing the same. The high priest of the Spring Goddess hurried down the steps, took two quick strides, then gracefully stood still. Raising his hands in a praying gesture, he smiled at the War God''s bishop ten paces away: "May the Spring Goddess bless you." Greeting, descending the steps, standing, and bowinga sequence of actions flowed smoothly and elegantly. This process seemed meticulously practiced; every detail flawless. To Garrett, it was akin to when their hospital dean welcomed higher-ups during inspections... "May the War God bless you." The bald bishop smiled in return. The two clerics finished their greetings, and the priest glanced at Nolan Knight beside them. Garrett distinctly saw the priest''s gaze pass over him, then glanced at the temple emissary and two guards who had come to apprehend him. Yet they acted as though they knew nothing, smiling politely, and again bowed courteously: "May the Spring Goddess bless you." "Thanks for the goddess''s grace!" In front, to the left, to the right, soldiers chorused in response. Garrett mimicked their posture, bowing his head along with them, murmuring the response. Pretending to be just an ordinary soldier, utterly inconspicuous. But he failed. Half the group were War God priests, all dressed in robes; from Captain Nolan down, though the knights didn''t wear robes, their armor''s exquisite craftsmanship put Garrett in a completely different league. Even the temple guards of the Spring Goddess, who came to capture someone, at least wore decent uniforms to save face outside... With a single glance, amidst them in his rough linen cloak and knee-length shorts, he was the most strikingly different. Not only that, after entering the temple, Captain Nolan pulled him over and pushed him in front of the high priest: "This lad is our new recruit from the city guard. He recently awakened healing magic, and I have high hopes for him. I heard your esteemed temple wanted to ask him a few questions, so I accompanied him to listen. You wouldn''t mind, would you?" Garrett: ... I''m not a kid! Ranked 25th in the new light novel list, only got 98 recommendations yesterday, breaking 100 for the first time... Do you all not love me anymore, sniffle sniffle... Seeking, recommendations, reviews... Feedback --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Without the City Guards stepping in, Garrett''s fate would likely have been a toss into the dungeon, perhaps with a side of bamboo shoot stir-fry or some other combo meal. As for when he might see the light of day again, it all depended on Captain Karen''s clout and when she could convince the City Guards to bail him out. Without the War God''s temple intervening, Garrett''s fate would probably involve some remote chamber and a barrage of interrogation from a priest. If he were lucky, Sir Roman might have a word or two with him. Traditionally, among equals, spellcasters held a higher position than warriors. The High Priest of the Spring Goddess''s temple could sit on par with Hartland City''s Lord, while the City Guards were merely under the Lord''s command. Even though Captain Nolan, a Level 7 Knight, matched the High Priest''s rank, he did indeed fall short in status. But now, the bald Bishop was smiling and strolling beside the High Priest. Regardless of rank or combat prowess, the leaders of different temples held ostensibly equal positions. The bald Bishop wanted to observe, so the High Priest reluctantly escorted them to the main hall, arranging seats while pinching his nose. The High Priest stood tall on the pulpit, lower-ranked priests fanned out behind him. Knight Nolan settled on the right side of the main hall, and despite the bald Bishop''s repeated attempts to decline, he sat among the audience in the believers'' section. As for Garrett''s position, a glance to his left and right revealedoh boy, the defendant''s seat. The defendant''s seat in a criminal trial. Is this some kind of lack of respect? Can''t I demand a defense attorney? Unfortunately, no attorney. Knight Nolan took the defense''s position, looking intimidating but with an unknown level of legal finesse. What really irked Garrett was Sir Roman''s seat on the left side of the temple, facing his own Captain Nolan from afar. That''s the prosecutor''s spot! He''s sitting as the prosecutor, so why am I at the defendant''s stand?! I haven''t committed any crime! I really haven''t! Garrett felt dismayed as Sir Roman, summoned from a side hall, was practically shooting fire from his eyes. Looking at Garrett, cool and collected, showing no signs of fear, made Sir Roman tremble, wanting to pounce on him and tear him apart: "You! It''s you! You''re the one! My hand, my hand!" Garrett was taken aback. A day''s absence, and Sir Roman seemed completely altered. His complexion was ashen, cheeks hollowed, and a scruffy beard had sprouted on his once chiseled jawline. His once neat short hair now looked lifeless, disheveled on top of his head. Garrett sighed inwardly. This change was all too familiar to him. In the hospital of his past life, those who received dire diagnoses, their families upon hearing bad news, those who couldn''t afford treatment for themselves or their loved ones... In just one night, or sometimes within an hour or two, one''s entire spirit could collapse. Comparatively, Sir Roman still had some spirit left. However, even that spirit faded quickly: he glanced around, seeing Captain Nolan of the City Guards opposite him, and the Bishop of the War God''s temple below, his expression shifted rapidly. Pain, resentment, disbeliefvarious emotions flashed through him, causing his whole body to tremble lightly. Garrett sighed as he looked at Sir Roman. To have Priest Donald in self-reflection beforehand, it seemed Sir Roman had used some significant connections to retaliate against himwhy bother? Why go through all this trouble when he was already done for? Why not use these connections to arrange the rest of his life? Besides, if you''re going to use connections, at least use them effectively! Look, in a crucial moment, someone''s stabbed you in the back, haven''t they? His response was more casual: "My team and I were on a routine patrol and were conscripted by the temple guards to join a search operation. Last night, after going to bed, temple guards found skeleton soldiers. We assembled and stormed the castle basement. After Sir Roman defeated the stone gargoyle and was about to open the inner door, the necromancer appeared and incapacitated everyone presentincluding me." Garrett paused, shrugging. When I went down, the necromancer hadn''t appeared yet; by the time the necromancer showed up, I was already incapacitated. Accusing me of collusion? I would''ve needed time to collude, wouldn''t I? He glanced around, the High Priest stroked his beard, nodding in silence. Captain Nolan gave him a faint smile, a gesture of encouragement, as if saying, "Don''t be afraid, no one can falsely accuse you." As for the Bishop... He couldn''t see the bald Bishop''s face, but he could hear his voice. Still as resonant as ever, filling the entire hall: "I''ve heard both sides from John. Oh, John is a newly-appointed apprentice priest who also participated in this search. What Garrett said matches his report from this afternoon." Garrett heaved a long sigh. Thanks, Your Grace! Thanks for supporting me and proving my innocence! Thanks to John for reporting promptly! With the War God''s temple backing me, my statement''s credibility has shot up. No more fear of them nitpicking my words! Hmm, the field emergency treatment class I left hanging last nightI''ll write a full text for you later! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Sir Roman''s face was ashen. Sending someone to apprehend Garrett hadn''t seemed like a big deal to himjust a grunt, a stint in the temple, a few days locked up. What could be so hard about it? But why, for the sake of this insignificant person, would the City Guards march in with such force? Who knew they would actually show upmore than that, a captain and two lieutenants? Not only the City Guards, but even the Bishop from the Temple of the War God appeared, willing to vouch for that lad! Why? Why! Sir Roman gritted his teeth audibly, his frustration mounting. His hand clenched into a fist involuntarily, only to realize that he couldn''t muster any strength in his thumb. Instantly, a surge of anger erupted from within. He was done for. Falsely accusing an innocent, violating the code of chivalry, and getting caught red-handed in front of esteemed guestsknights who engaged in such deeds were best suited to start from the bottom on battlefields, cleansing their sins with the blood of enemies. And he was finished. He couldn''t even make it to the battlefield. If that''s how it was going to be If that''s how it was going to be!Updated from "It was him who caused my harm!" Sir Roman abruptly raised his head, glaring fiercely at Garrett, his eyes red as if they were bleeding. "When I needed healing, he stopped me from drinking the healing potion! And after he and the necromancer went in, they sent that black cat out, trying to drag me in! If it weren''t for meif it weren''t for me holding onto the doorframe" Garrett let out a sigh. He truly missed Director Yu from the medical office. A stout man who could argue, slam desks, withstand the Health Commission, and handle medical disputes. Basically, with him at the forefront, any unreasonable complaints usually turned into trivial matters for the doctors. But now, he was on his own. He had to face the storms outside on his own. Garrett raised his gaze. Like any young lad who had just begun to grasp the world''s complexities, witnessing human malevolence for the first time, he looked at the captain of the City Guards with clear eyes, his voice slightly trembling: "Captain, if Sir Roman''s accusations prove true, what will happen to me?" What will happen? A common lad colluding with enemies, causing serious harm to a knight. Whether it was the temple or the lord''s manor investigating, Garrett being beaten on the spot or worse was entirely normal. Once the temple''s lights disappeared, Garrett was eager to inquire. Knight Nolan chuckled softly, tapping his forehead lightly: "Still not convinced? Lad, I''ve never seen the high priest be so severe!That place I''ve only heard about. They say it''s without light or sound, where even the meal deliverers don''t speak. It''s meant for high-ranking knights'' solitary meditation. Even if that Roman were a fifth-level knight, to break through, it would take at least a year and a half." "Uh..." "What''s...?" Knight Nolan raised an eyebrow. Garrett hesitated: "Then, he probably won''t ever come out..." "What?" Knight Nolan was surprised. "I sensed something amiss, especially with his right hand..." He turned to the bald bishop: "Can''t you heal him?" In the night, the bald bishop looked grave. Frowning in recollection for a while, he shook his head and then nodded: "I haven''t examined him closely enough to draw conclusions. But, the old man''s healing abilities are similar to mine. If he couldn''t cure it personally, I probably couldn''t either. Hmm... with a higher-level blessing, say from our archbishop, perhaps..." However, whether a bishop of level 11 or above would intervene for a fifth-level knight was another issue altogether. Garrett glanced left and right, his mind racing. Higher-level divine magic might facilitate things like limb reattachment or regenerationhe needed to remember this. If he got the chance, he''d study the principles! He silently set a long-term goal for himself. Meanwhile, Knight Nolan fell silent for a moment, pulling Garrett closer and advising cautiously: "If Roman is truly incapacitated, the temple won''t keep him locked up indefinitely. In a few months, or if his family pleads, they might release him. This guy holds grudges, he might seek revenge even after coming out. Is your place safe? Just to be sure, do you want to stay in the barracks?" Under the moonlight, Garrett tilted his head slightly and smiled. "A few months? I only need a few months too. I''ll soon become an apprentice mage, don''t worry!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Emerging from the Temple of the Spring Goddess, it was already deep into the night. The group gradually dispersed, each heading home. Sir Nolan purposely took a longer route, walking Garrett Nordmark to a street not far from his own home before parting ways. Garrett walked alone down the small street. He glanced around, the houses on both sides were pitch black, devoid of any light. It seemed like everyone inside had already retired for the night. Occasionally, a dogs bark would break the silence, sporadic and dreamlike. In this sea of darkness, Garrett tried to match his memories, struggling to recognize his own house. Unfortunately, the surroundings were too dark, and the houses all seemed similarlow, narrow, with eaves almost within arm''s reach. Glancing around, he hadn''t spotted a house resembling his own after a while, and a sense of impatience crept over him: "How reliable are my past memories, really?" To add to his troubles, his stomach chose that moment to loudly grumble. Garrett: "" He had dinner earlier, but clearly, it wasn''t enough. At this hour, where could he find something to eat? Did the previous owner store any dry food before going on patrol? Even if there was, after a couple of days, would the black bread still be edible? Maybe he should have stayed at the barracks tonight? Could he still make it back and knock on the door? Garretts mind swirled with various thoughts as he turned a corner, suddenly met with brightness. Thirty or so steps away, light seeped out of a window, not bright but quite noticeable in the pitch-black night. Instinctively, Garrett walked toward that house. After a few steps, the door creaked open, and a slender woman holding an oil lamp cautiously stepped out. Spotting Garrett not far away, she brightened up, vigorously waving at him: "Little Garrett! You''re back! Had dinner?Karen! Edward! Little Garrett''s back!" Rushing out of the house led by Uncle Karen, a group of people surged forward. Garrett stood rooted to the spot. For some reason, his heart felt a pang, his eyes already welling up. Since childhood, his parents had divorced, and his mother had worked tirelessly, selling noodles in the morning and thin porridge at night, struggling to raise him. Studying medicine, practicing it, every end of semester during school felt like taking entrance exams. After starting to work, it was continuous overtime, never enough time with his mother. Just as he was promoted to deputy director, hoping for some ease, life took a turn, leaving him yearning but unattended in the sea of lights. Until today. "Aunt Irene" He murmured. The woman had already rushed over, grabbing him and looking around: Avi persisted with her raised arm. Despite his attempts to avoid it, Garrett always lost against the determination of the little girl. He remembered the girl being fragile, her face turning pale at the slightest exertion. Garrett didnt want Avi to strain herself. Helplessly, he turned to Aunt Irene, complaining: "Aunt, why tell Avi these things?" "Of course, I''ll tell her." Aunt Irene stood by, smilingly observing, even raising her chin, signaling Garrett not to refuse. Garrett had no choice but to open his mouth, letting Avi feed him. As soon as the tip touched his tongue, a faint sweetness spread. It was a malt candy. In his previous life, such a trivial sweet, but here, a rare treat for children, often treasured for a month or two. "Thank you" Garrett gently patted Avi''s hair. The little girl responded with a smile but suddenly burst into a fit of coughing, pressing her chest, her face turning crimson. Garrett hesitated, reaching out to pat her back, halfway through, his heart skipped a beat. Early summer, the weather was warming up. The girl had dashed out in slippers. Her tiny toes peeked out, and her toenails, supposed to be a light pink, seemed to darken under the lamplight. Cyanosis?! Alarm bells rang in Garrett''s mind. He rubbed his eyes, not daring to believe, afraid he had seen wrong. He reached out, moving the oil lamp closer to illuminate Avi''s feet, scrutinizing No mistake, Avi''s toenails indeed had a hint of purple, cyanosis! Aunt Irene rushed over by then, embracing her daughter, gently patting her back. As she comforted Avi, she responded to Garrett''s query: "It''s alright. Avi just doesn''t like to move, weak in health, prone to coughs during seasonal changes." Garrett shuddered. Fragments of memories resurfaced; Avi had always been frail since childhood, prone to fatigue, coughing during changes of season, smaller than her peers... For a while, Avi''s cough subsided, her flushed face gradually fading. Garrett took the chance to observe closely. Her lips were rosy, slightly pale, but no signs of cyanosis. He took her hand, checking her fingernails, which showed a delicate pink color. Lower body more affected than upper. Differential cyanosis. Garretts heart sank uncontrollably. All signs pointed to an illness he hesitated to suspect but had to consider. "Don''t rush, don''t rush, it might not be." Garrett desperately reassured himself, forcing a smile, "Aunt Irene, as you know, I''ve recently become a healer. Avi''s cough sounds severe. Could you get me a tube, let me listen to her breath?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 36 Chapter 36 "Tube?" Aunt Irene looked puzzled. Garrett gestured the length of his forearm and then brought his thumb and forefinger together to gauge the thickness. "This thick, this long... and it needs to be hollow." "Just listen to it directly!" Aunt Irene waved her hand dismissively. "Avi is so small. Besides, you''ve seen her grow up!" Garrett was sweating. He never wanted to listen to a heartbeat again, especially not so intimately. If possible, never again! Seeing his persistence, Aunt Irene rummaged in the kitchen, eventually retrieving a pitch-black hollow tube, handing it over after cleaning. Garrett held it in his hand, realizing it was longer than his entire arm, darkened and bearing burn marks, undoubtedly a blowpipe. Well, it would have to do for now. Perhaps he''d craft a stethoscope when he got the chance. Keeping his composure, Garrett aimed one end of the blowpipe at his ear and pressed the other end against Avi. Despite the purpose being to listen to her breathing, the blowpipe''s end moved slowly until it reached the strongest heartbeat. Holding it firmly, he listened attentively, occasionally adjusting, his expression growing more serious. There was a murmur at the heart apex. Moving to the left edge of the sternum at the second intercostal space, the murmur during diastole became clearer, a distinct mechanical murmur. Shifting towards the aortic area, the murmur faded. The murmur near the tricuspid area was almost inaudible. Having circled the heart, he moved to the left clavicle, and there, the distinct mechanical murmur resurfaced... At the left edge of the sternum, second intercostal space, and beneath the left clavicle, a continuous mechanical murmur was heard during diastole. It had a wide conduction range. Combined with earlier symptomscyanosis, weakness, fatigue, and seasonal coughthere was a strong suspicion...New novel chapters are published on Patent ductus arteriosus. One of the classifications of congenital heart disease. Mild cases might exhibit no significant symptoms throughout life, while severe cases could lead to pulmonary hypertension, heart failure, and eventual death. Garrett closed his eyes firmly. He patiently listened to Avi''s lungs once more, ensuring there were no irregular breath sounds, then set the blowpipe down. With a glimmer of hope, he turned to Aunt Irene. It needed guide wires with diameters ranging from 0.88 mm to 0.45 mm, guided by X-ray, inserted through the patient''s femoral artery, all the way to the heart; It demanded a plug made of superelastic nitinol alloy with a high polymer biocompatible membrane, guided by the wire to the ductus arteriosus defect, then controlled to open and block the gap; Of course, it required contrast agents with high purity, injected into the blood vessels to show blood flow under X-ray, confirming the success of the surgery... Each step, each detail, was a testament to modern medicine and industrial prowess, the epitome of cutting-edge technology from the Industrial Revolution to the Electrical Age, the result of years of development in science, industry, and medicine, bridging the gap of life-threatening diseases. But now, here, Garrett Nordmark had nothing. This was a different world. No devices, wires, or plugs, no echo-X-rays, no anesthesia, no blood transfusions, no contrast agents... How could he snatch Avi''s life from the hands of death? Divine magic had proven unreliable. The Bishop had indicated the inability to treat, evidently lower-level divine magic couldn''t handle congenital diseases. Magic, magic... Could magic emit ultrasounds? Could magic generate electrocardiograms? Could magic summon fine wires to enter the human heart and treat defects? Could magic... allow him to see the mysteries inside the human body? Garrett didn''t know. But he knew that starting tomorrow, he would push open the doors of magic. If he worked hard enough, if his imagination was strong enough, everything was possible! Within ten years, he had to accomplish all of this! Uncle Karen, Aunt Irene, little Avi Wait for me! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Garrett''s own home was actually close to Uncle Karen''s place. After returning, he couldn''t sleep for a long time, tossing and turning in bed. Eventually, he gave up, lit a lamp, and decided to organize the things he''d need for learning magic tomorrow. This small house was Garrett''s own, the only property left by his father. It wasn''t big, just one room, around 20 square meters. In the dim light of the lamp, Garrett looked around and took it all in. Despite its small size, the house was surprisingly well-built. The windows were wooden shutters, quite old with numerous gaps. A faint draft seeped through, chilling Garrett as it brushed against his skin. The furniture in the room covered the basics. A double bed, a wardrobe, and a basin atop a cabinet by the bed. There was a table near the window, likely for dining, with two chairs, one of which had a broken leg, propped against the wall with bricks to balance it. On the other side of the room, against the wall, stood a wooden rack with a set of fine leather armor, adorned with several copper pieces. Next to the armor was a large sword that Garrett attempted to lift but found it too heavy, likely a weapon used by the previous owner, his father. Bending down, Garrett noticed a wooden box wedged under the bed, the same box of books left by his father. He wouldn''t need these books at the mage tower. Garrett pondered for a moment, pulling out the box, and found a half-used feather pen and a nearly dried-up small bottle of ink. Among the books, he retrieved a small, rough piece of linen paper, spread it out, finding only five or six sheets. Is this all that remains from the former studies, learning to read and write? If he could only take notes and not transcribe, these papers and pen would suffice for the first day... barely enough, right? Garrett sighed deeply. He stowed the papers and pen in his backpack, pushed the box back under the bed, blew out the lamp, and sprawled across the bed. Sleep almost immediately enveloped him. In the darkness, half-dreaming, Garrett thought: "Oh... I''ve become a homeowner now..." In his previous life, he hadn''t married, his salary was low, and he only decided to buy a house when wages had increased linearly while housing prices had soared. It was late when he finally made up his mind to purchase a house. Just paid the down payment, hadn''t even received the keys yet, and then he transmigrated. Utterly unfortunate. Fortunately, upon transmigration, he already had a house. No matter how shabby it was, it was still a place. Still made of bricks and wood, far better than the dilapidated wooden hut he saw yesterday. "Your residence surpasses 85% of the city''s dwellings. Please continue to maintain it." If he had brought a system with him during the transmigration, it might have given him such a prompt by now, right? He slept soundly until the loud crowing of a rooster sliced through the dawn light, causing Garrett to sit up abruptly. "Never mind that kid!" Aunt Irene shoved the clothes into his hands. Without further ado, she pushed him in a circle, and with another forceful pat, urged him to change clothes: "That kid, even if he wears good clothes, he won''t find a girlfriend on Midsummer. Put it on, little Garrett, you''re going to learn magic, of course, you should wear something nice!" As her palm landed, Garrett couldn''t dodge, immediately feeling a sting on his shoulder. Garrett''s face twisted in discomfort, reflexively letting out a miserable cry: "Ouch" This isn''t logical! This body was at least a first-level warrior! Turns out, even legendary warriors, when faced with a slap from their aunt who had watched them grow up, had a 100% hit rate. Garrett was smacked and swayed, so he hurriedly dashed to a corner, swiftly changing into the new clothes. Aunt Irene inspected him, growing more pleased with every glance. "Oh my, little Garrett, this outfit looks good on you! Aunt has always known you''d amount to something..." Garrett reached out and took her hand. Rough to the touch, with pits and scars on the fingertips, faint traces of blood, obviously from working through the night multiple times, poking her fingers. Garrett sighed softly, cupping her rough and warm hands in his, closing his eyes. "For health and safety" He silently recited. Between his palms, a faint white light gently glowed, sweeping over the woman''s fingertips, knuckles, palms, and wrists, soothing the cracks, healing the cuts. On those hands that soaked in cold water, pounded, and cleansed every day, a warm flow dissipated the lingering cold in the joints. "Little Garrett, you don''t need to..." The woman''s voice trembled slightly. Garrett opened his eyes, looking down at her hands now smooth and soft, smiling genuinely: "Aunt Irene, you''ve worked hard." --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Garrett''s journey as a mage began in a tranquil setting. All those conflicts, face-offs, and noble oppression of commoners from the web novels of his past lifenowhere to be seen. From Hartland City to the Mage Tower, Garrett couldn''t help but mentally concoct numerous common plotlines along the way, yet not a single one unfolded. It wasn''t that his classmates were morally upright, following a set of ethical rules; rather, there simply was nobody around. Mage Gelman was nowhere to be found. Nor could he spot the mage Elliot who''d been blasted out of the tower the last time. The silence outside the Mage Tower was such that birdsong was audible. Garrett speculated that either the experiments were going smoothly, or the mage had switched to a different experimentone less likely to explode for the time being. Several low-ranking mages or mage apprenticeswhen Garrett arrived yesterday, Mage Gelman had mentioned "disciples," implying there were more than onewere also nowhere in sight. Considering yesterday''s explosion occurred on the fourth floor, and Gelman only allowed him access to the first-floor books, Garrett suspected there might be a library upstairs exclusively for mages and apprentices. These novices who had crossed into the realm of magic most likely operated from the second floor and above, seeing no need to descend. As for classes... perhaps today wasn''t a teaching day? The library on the first floor of the Mage Tower was empty, with Garrett the sole occupant. The servant who showed him to the library simply stated, "No going upstairs," and left. Before Garrett could inquire about the location of the restroom, the person had vanished... Not even a pitcher of water. Ah, well, the school library back in the day didn''t supply water either. A habit, indeed. Garrett dropped his backpack, walked up to the shelves, and upon entering the library, his eyes immediately fell upon the bookshelvestall, sturdy, made of dark chestnut wood. The tops of the columns and the bookshelf''s edges bore exquisite carvings, suggesting the value of the books they supported. ...Just this one bookshelf could equal a year''s salary, huh? Garrett estimated silently, swiftly scanning the books on the shelves. The library wasn''t large, just two bookshelves in total. The books on the shelves were thick and substantial, as long as from his elbow to his fingertips, and nearly a fist thick. To accommodate these large books, each shelf only had four layers. The midsection of the shelves, made of solid wood, was over five centimeters thick and slightly bent due to the weight. Due to the sheer size of the books, even with both bookshelves combined, they didn''t exceed a hundred books... Garrett quickly did mental arithmetic. Thankfully, it wasn''t much different from the quantity of textbooks they''d used during their seven-year undergraduate and postgraduate study... purely in terms of quantity, it was about the same. After all, besides textbooks in medicine, there were plenty of workbooks, references, clinical guidelines, and such materials to memorize. We''re professionals when it comes to studying. No fear. In the future, he''d have to provide his own materials for transcribing spells! Paper, ink, quillsall had to be bought! I need to check the prices later... oh, I feel so broke... Garrett sighed, reluctantly closed the book cover, placed it back on the shelf, and went to retrieve the second book. The second book. No recognition. The third book. No recognition. ...The tenth book. No recognition... A thin layer of sweat had formed on his body, partly from fatigue and partly from frustration. He arrived early, not feeling hungry yet, but his muscles were weary, and his body felt empty, perturbed by this futile effort... No wonder being a librarian is a hidden profession. In this line of work, achieving mastery sure is something! He wiped his brow, continuing to move books. The seventeenth book finally had a title written in the common language, "The Miraculous Journey of a Great Mage." Just from the title, Garrett had a foreboding feeling, and as he flipped through, he found it to be a novel... A low-quality adventure novel at that. Not the kind that could even secure a publishing deal on a beginner platform. ...So, I''ve sweated through all this to haul these things, and how much of it is just fiction? Oh no... Garrett pounded his chest. The bad news was he''d have to battle through these novels for who knew how long. The good news? He''d need to read (memorize) fewer textbooks... "You can''t do it like this." A voice suddenly sounded behind him. Garrett''s hand froze mid-reach for a book. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Who''s Speaking Behind? Garrett dared not turn around, fearing he might drop the book he held. He steadied the book on the shelf, then turned to look at the person by the door. Who was this? The newcomer was a young man, around twenty, with sandy hair and dressed in a black mage robe. Seeing Garrett turn, he grinned widely, his white teeth shining brightly: "Hey there, kiddo!"Read latest chapters at novelhall.com Only "Mage, sir." Garrett bowed, puzzled: Who was this overly familiar guy? As he bowed, he noticed the man leaning against the door frame, his right foot barely touching the ground, seeming hesitant to put weight on it. Suddenly, it clicked for Garrett: No wonder he couldn''t recognize himyesterday''s explosion in the mage tower left his face blackened. The only thing familiar was that set of big white teeth... "Mr. Elliot! Is your foot not healed yet?" "How could it be so quick?" The man''s face fell as he gingerly moved to sit at the table, obviously not handling yesterday''s twist lightly. Garrett approached and inspected, asking, "Didn''t you get it healed?" "Are you kidding? Healing potions are too expensive!" Elliot exclaimed. But then, realizing his outburst wasn''t suitable in front of a newcomer, he awkwardly chuckled. Garrett had moved over to him by then: "May I take a look?" "Ohright, you''re a healer. Go ahead!" Garrett crouched by his foot. Upon careful observation, he noticed Elliot''s right ankle swollen like a bun on the outside, not so bad on the inside, but the top was visibly swollen. Garrett gripped Elliot''s ankle with his left hand and pressed firmly on the outer ligament with his right thumb "Ow!" Elliot cried out, jerking away. He hopped on his right foot, his left foot in the air, trying to escape: "You''re a healer! Where''s the healing spell!" "If I''m a healer, I need to check!" Garrett retorted, not looking up, focused on Elliot''s right foot: It can still take some pressure, good sign, likely no fracture. As for the ligament, just a bit of pressure and it hurts this much, probably a tear in the lateral ligament "Yes, Mr. Elliot." Garrett breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, the savior had arrived; he didn''t have to waste energy on novels anymore! That book was especially heavy, covered in copper! He earnestly asked for guidance: "I indeed lack basic magic education. Mr. Elliot, could you please advise me on the order to read these books?" In any discipline, the order of learning is crucial. Like in his previous life studying medicine, first anatomy, then physiology; then onto pathology, pathophysiology. Once those basics were clear, moving onto diagnosis, then surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics, pediatrics, infectious diseases, dermatology, and all the other specialties. Trying to learn advanced without mastering the basics was akin to building a tower on sand. Without wind or waves, given a bit more time, it collapses. So, what about magic? This power resides within oneself. Without a clear order, just picking up a book, was it a death wish? Garrett had considered gathering books he knew and finding an apprentice or, better yet, a mage to ask the proper sequence. Before he could figure that out, Elliot had appeared at his doorperfect! "The reading order?" Elliot''s eyes lit up. Healing potions were expensive, so surely, the healing spell wasn''t free either. Asking for advice on book reading order? Perfect. He silently recited a phrase and waved his hand. Whooshing sounds followed, and all the books flew off the shelves, hovering in the air, forming semi-circles around Elliot. He glanced around, then pointed: "You, you, you!" Swoosh, about ten books landed on the table, piled up. Elliot waved again, and the remaining books scattered, each grouping returning neatly to the shelves, as if they were never touched. Pointing to the table, Elliot said: "Start with these few. ''Magic Script Studies,'' ''Basic Meditation,'' start with these two. Magic symbols, spells, elements, and potions, it doesn''t matter. If you get tired, ''History of Magic,'' ''Alchemy Basics,'' ''Illustrated Guide to Magical Creatures'' can be leisurely reads..." Garrett''s journey into magic studies had finally begun! Though... not very smoothly, it seems... --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Around a dozen books. All needed to be read or, rather, memorized. With a farewell to Elliot, the mage who had already done his favor, Garrett stood by the table, gazing at the stack of thick textbooks before him. He breathed out softly. He measured them with his hand: around a dozen books, larger than the standard 16-k format of his previous life, piled up from the sturdy oak table to his neck. Leaning forward, his head lowered until his chin rested on the pages. This thickness... Well, just a minor thing. Medical students'' textbooks, exercise collections, picture albumsthey wouldn''t even stack up to a person''s height. Following Elliot''s instructions, Garrett flipped through the pile. The first book, unreadable. The second book, unreadable. The third book, still unreadable... Boom! All written in magical script? So, to learn magic, I have to learn a whole language first? And it''s a mute language... Hoping against hope, Garrett went through all the books except for "Study of Magical Script." Disheartened, he returned them to the shelf, opened the last book, and reluctantly began wrestling with the magical script. 4500 words in Level Four Vocabulary. Back then, memorized in a month. 5500 words in Level Six Vocabulary. Can''t remember how long it took. Under the pressure of major courses, cramming was the norm, and passing Level Six seemed relatively easy. Magical script... How many words does this dictionary contain? Garrett never counted, nor did he want to. The only certainty he had was that "Study of Magical Script" was the thickest among nearly a hundred books on the shelfothers were at most the width of a fist, while this one could be two fists thick. And now, all this workload is solely mine T_T Oh well, in online novels, some predecessors had to decrypt magical languages themselves. Comparatively, having ready-made books to copy from is quite fortunate... Page by page, Garrett copied the words and their corresponding common language meanings beneath their respective starting letters. Surprisingly, copying aided in memory retention. At least after a page, Garrett realized he had memorized what he copied. Garrett toiled away for half a day, his eyes sore, wrists aching, suspecting the onset of tendonitis. Just as he thought about using a healing spell to soothe his wrists, he encountered his first hurdle: He ran out of paper. He had brought five or six sheets, filled both sides densely, and now had no space left... Where could he get a blank page? Garrett felt he couldn''t do such a thing. Ask someone for paper? He didn''t dare. Gelman had strictly prohibited copying, and seeking help now would be akin to walking into trouble! Seek help or plead with Gelman? Garrett felt he hadnt lived enough and didn''t want to be turned into charcoal by a fireball... After a quick deliberation, he stowed his paper, pen, and ink in his bag and hurried off. The reference books could still be accessed tomorrow; if he didn''t return to the city now, the shops would be closed, and there''d be nowhere to buy paper~~~ He dashed back to the city, bursting into his home. Locking the door, he went to the table, moved aside the chair with a broken leg, and shifted the brick supporting its foot, digging a few shovels underneath. Neatly nestled in the earth lay a small money pouch. Garrett took it out and emptied it into his palm, coins clinking. Two silver coins, seven copper coins. At the other end of the street, Uncle Simon''s bakery sold black bread at one copper coin per loaf. He could manage a day if he ate sparingly. One silver coin could exchange for ten copper coins. This little pouch was his monthly expenses in his original form. His salary in the city guard was five silver coins a month. Patrolling in the city meant he could get a meal in the military camp. Calculating, he could save two silver coins a month for other daily expenses. But for buying paper... this amount might not be enough. Productivity in this foreign world wasn''t much better than the Middle Ages; in his impression, during this era, paper and pen were outrageously expensive... Garrett hesitated, climbed under the bed, pushed aside the book box, and dug out a small box. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 41 Chapter 41 When Garrett opened the box beneath the bookshelf, a dim light spilled out, illuminating a thin layer of coins. He carefully poured them out, sorting them by color, and meticulously counted each oneonce, twice. Ten gold coins. Eight silver coins. Among the gold, there was one that stood out. Garrett picked it up, examining it closely. Nine of the ten gold coins featured a beautiful woman''s face wearing a crown on the obverse side, with intertwined roses on the reversea familiar sight, likely from their own country''s currency. It seemed to be a depiction of a queen on the front and presumably the royal emblem on the back. But the last one had a different mark. The obverse displayed a bearded man with a crown, while the reverse showed a double-headed eagle with outspread wings. Different emblem, different face. Considering the rose pattern on the reverse of the other silver coins, this distinctive one might be from a foreign land? As for how it was left there, its value, or whether it could be spent directly, Garrett searched his memory but found no answers. Regardless, these ten gold and eight silver coins constituted the final savings left by his predecessor''s father. Buried under the bed and stowed beneath the bookshelf, he was instructed not to touch them unless absolutely necessary. The reason for the distinction between gold and silver was the concern that a young child, weak in strength, might recklessly spend gold coins and attract trouble. ... How much should he take out this time? After careful consideration, Garrett put back eight gold coins into the boxincluding the one with the double-headed eagleand returned three silver coins. He meticulously reset the box, cleared the traces on the floor, pocketed the money pouch, and darted out of the house towards the paper and pen store. In Hartland City, Garrett only remembered one shop that sold paper and pens. The store was near the city lord''s mansion square, about two hundred meters south along the main street, a prime location within the entire city. Carriages with family emblems adorned the bustling streets, gentlemen and ladies passing by now and then. On each side of the store entrance hung two lanterns, illuminating half of the street. Surprisingly, there was even a doorman under the lanternswhite shirt, suspenders, holding a board about a foot wide and over two meters tall, laboring to put it up for the shop. When Garrett arrived, the doorman glanced at him with surprise. His eyes swept over Garrett, who wore a visibly altered linen shirt, pants splattered with mud, and a patched backpack. His lips moved slightly, and he placed the board down, then approached to open the door for Garrett. So, it was specialized paper for copying magical scrolls. Garrett suddenly realizedthough paper-making had become common, high-quality paper wasn''t easy to produce. Not to mention magical paper representing tangible power; in his previous life, even top-notch papers could cost a hefty sum, selling thousands for just one or two gold coins. "How many sheets for a gold coin?" The young attendant sneered. But the elderly man didn''t find the question too mundane. He continued with a smile, "25 sheets, absolutely no discount!" Hmm... Garrett swiftly calculated. Twenty-five sheets for one gold coin, four silver coins. A thousand sheets would cost 160 gold coinsor 16 gold coins. He had ten gold coins, eight silver coins, and seven copper coins. But would a thousand sheets be enough for a child learning to read and write? Definitely not enough, right? These days, reading and writing seemed to be the privileges of the upper class... Garrett sighed. After the moment of reflection, he resumed negotiating the price, "Would buying more get me a discount?" "For one tael, that''s twenty pieces, seven gold coins and five silver coins! And we deliver right to your door!" "Pens? Ink?" "Quill pens, two silver coins for a goose feather pen that can be sharpened at least twenty times! Refined goose feather pen for four silver coins, can be sharpened at least fifty times, comes with a sharpening knife! Regular writing ink, two silver coins for an ounce, five ounces for a large bottle at eight silver coins!" They were really good at doing business. Garrett chuckled wryly. This pricing strategy and attracting customers reminded him of household packs, wholesale, and combination deals in supermarkets from his past life. He considered his needs and took out his wallet, "I''ll take four sheets of regular writing paper and one refined goose feather pen. I only have two gold coins and five silver coins, could I get another bottle of the large ink?" The paper, pen, and ink totaled two gold coins and eight silver coins. As soon as Garrett made his request, demanding a ten percent discount, the young attendant, watching from the side, couldn''t help but scoff and sneer, "If you can''t afford it, then don''t buy! Do you even have gold coins?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 42 Chapter 42 "Henry!" The old man frowned. While scolding, he couldn''t help but shift his gaze, covertly sizing up Garrett. Garrett''s hand paused while undoing the wallet strap. It seemed the old man was suspicious of him... It wasn''t surprising, considering his attireneither noble nor servant-like, not quite fitting any known role. It seemed like he was spending his own money for himself. The mismatch between his status and income would naturally raise eyebrows anywhere. Though he could withstand scrutiny, there was no need to invite unnecessary trouble. Garrett stayed silent, continuing to dig coins from his wallet. One gold coin, two gold coins... The old man''s eyes widened, immediately trying to dissuade him: "Sir, you''re joking. A small business like mine, selling so cheap might mean running at a loss... If it''s inconvenient for you, how about buying two small bottles first?" He picked up a gold coin, inspecting it left and right, blowing on it and even biting it. Garrett was surprised: Even at this age, still biting coins! Aren''t you afraid of damaging your teeth? Moreover, these coins were buried in a box underground for so many years. After touching them, I wouldn''t dare handle food without washing my hands, and here you are putting it straight into your mouth! Intestinal infections, diarrhea, vomiting, fever... Garrett''s mind raced, staring at the coins with increasing incredulity. The old man''s expression also turned peculiar, body leaning forward, arms spread out, unconsciously assuming a defensive stance. In the midst of this tension, with a sudden exertion, and inexplicably gasping for air, the entire coin went down his throat! The old man''s face contorted instantly. He gasped, grabbing his throat, his eyes bulging like a frog. Stuck? The coin got stuck? Choking?!Updated from Garrett was shocked. The young assistant beside him froze, flustered, rushing to pat the old man''s back: "Sir! Mr. Hogan!" The patting was ineffective. The plump old man rocked back and forth, bent forward, coughed a few times, quickly turning purple. The young assistant held onto him, attempting to open his mouth, clearing his throat. Meanwhile, he shouted outside: "Quick! Get the apothecary!" "Understood!" Outside the shop door, the boy replied, darting off. Normally, when someone fell ill or got hurt, they should summon a priest, but... wasn''t the apothecary next door? When unable to afford a priest or when the priest was too busy, they''d manage by calling the apothecary. The treatment might be slower, involving administering medicine or something similar... The young assistant yelled and continued trying to save the old man. Unexpectedly, Garrett leapt over the counter! "What are you doing?" The young assistant shouted. He wanted to help the old man but also wanted to drive Garrett away, causing chaos. He couldn''t free up his hands, only shouting loudly: "What are you doing! Get out! Get out!" Ignoring him, Garrett rushed forward, shoving the young assistant aside, enveloping the old man from behind. At least he was a first-level warrior. Compared to knights, picking on shop staff was his strong suit. Thrown by him, the young assistant slammed into the cabinet behind, curled up, shouting: "Thief! Someone''s stealing!" "Who?!" "Who?!" Garrett quickly stopped teaching to assist. The old man followed his lead, rising with his support, hand on his waist, loudly commanding the young shop assistant: "Roger! Bring what the healer needs! Frank! Get a dozen of the finest paper, no, make it two! And fetch ten quill pens, two large bottles of ink! Hurry!" A doorkeeper and a shop assistant, shouted by him, rushed back and forth, not touching the ground. This time, the one causing chaos by blocking was Garrett: "No need... I can''t afford these..." "How can I let you pay!" The old man laughed heartily, thumping his chest, making a "bang bang" sound. "Respected healer, you''re my savior, how can I not pay for your treatment fees?" "But..." For applying the Heimlich maneuver, the treatment fee... Well, in such cases, it doesn''t take much, maybe a few dozen coins at most for such a simple operation? "No buts! This shop is mine. If I owe this old man''s life, isn''t it worth a few pieces of paper?" "At least exchange it for normal paper... Magic paper is too expensive..." "Then add two more batches of normal paper! Roger! Pack everything and deliver it to the healer''s home!" One doorkeeper and one shop assistant, directed by him, ran back and forth, as Garrett sighed: "Please don''t trouble yourself... It''s just a simple technique..." Damn it! I pressed the diaphragm, who told you to hug the chest! This isn''t clear, it''s harmful! Finally, the pain in his shoulder subsided. Garrett freed up his hand, starting to explain to the apothecary. Under the lamp, he watched as the middle-aged apothecary nodded repeatedly, bending from a five-degree lean to ten degrees, then gradually to fifteen. The plump old man opened his mouth. Sweat beaded on his chubby forehead. He doubted the other''s money earlier? Why suspect the origin of that coin? Now, he had offended a legitimate healer! Even the neighboring apothecary would listen respectfully to their lessons! Now, the other party, not even sparing a glance at him, was busy chatting with the apothecary... The old man reacted quickly. As Garrett paused in his explanation, he immediately bowed deeply, showing respect. The fat on his belly creased deeply: "Respected healer! Thank you for saving my life, and please forgive the rudeness of my little shop..." Garrett quickly stopped teaching to assist. The old man followed his lead, rising with his support, hand on his waist, loudly commanding the young shop assistant: "Roger! Bring what the healer needs! Frank! Get a dozen of the finest paper, no, make it two! And fetch ten quill pens, two large bottles of ink! Hurry!" A doorkeeper and a shop assistant, shouted by him, rushed back and forth, not touching the ground. This time, the one causing chaos by blocking was Garrett: "No need... I can''t afford these..." "How can I let you pay!" The old man laughed heartily, thumping his chest, making a "bang bang" sound. "Respected healer, you''re my savior, how can I not pay for your treatment fees?" "But..." For applying the Heimlich maneuver, the treatment fee... Well, in such cases, it doesn''t take much, maybe a few dozen coins at most for such a simple operation? "No buts! This shop is mine. If I owe this old man''s life, isn''t it worth a few pieces of paper?" "At least exchange it for normal paper... Magic paper is too expensive..." "Then add two more batches of normal paper! Roger! Pack everything and deliver it to the healer''s home!" One doorkeeper and one shop assistant, directed by him, ran back and forth, as Garrett sighed: "Please don''t trouble yourself... It''s just a simple technique..." --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 43 Chapter 43 A heap of goods lay before Garrett. His square table at home was brimming with items, leaving almost no space. Two reams of paperofficial documents, perhaps. Without a reference, Garrett couldn''t distinguish between them, but he could tell the quality was much better than the hemp paper he had brought with him that day. Two rolls of magical parchment paper. Soft, pristine, and smooth. Though it didn''t match the A4 paper from his previous life, compared to the pages he had seen during the day, it was quite impressive. Ten feather quills, finely sharpened at the tip, with straight and long shafts. Accompanied by a small penknife, Garrett tested its edge and found it quite sharp. Two bottles of ink. Each a five-ounce bottle, about three times the size of the hero''s ink from his past life. They seemed like they''d last for at least half a year. Garrett took stock of his haul. If the cheaper paper was the official one, priced at one gold coin per sheet, that would be 20 gold coins. The two rolls of magical paper, one at 20 dollars and the other at 25 dollars for 25 sheets, totaling... 400 gold coins. Refined goose quills at 4 silver coins each, the large ink bottles at 8 silver coins each, together totaling 5 gold coins and 6 silver coins. Adding it all up, the cost of this treatment came to 425 gold coins... He wondered about the profit margin of that stationery shop. Even if it was cost-price, the old man had just spent over two hundred gold coins. ...But then again, how much would a spell like "healing lethal wounds" be priced at in this world? Scratching his head, Garrett pondered. He wasn''t entirely clear on the answer to this question, but in the web novels he''d read before, "healing lethal wounds" seemed to be a fourth, fifth, or sixth-level divine magic? Anyway, it definitely started at over a thousand gold coins. Commoners, even the ordinary middle class, couldn''t afford it... He realized it was much the same in his previous life. If throwing money could save a life, most people would go all out. When faced with life-threatening illnesses, a family spending hundreds of thousands in the ICU wasn''t uncommon If one choked on gold coins, luck might let them swallow them; if not, an esophageal obstruction could lead to instant death. Previously, his immediate aid might not have saved an entire life, but it certainly salvaged half of one. So, a shopkeeper thanking him with a few items from their shop was... acceptable, right? After much mental reassurance, Garrett finally felt at ease. He looked at the stacks of white paper on the table, his smile growing wider bit by bit, and suddenly, he clenched his fists up high: "Yahoo!" Money, no, paper and quills! No worries about transcribing books anymore! That much?! Seemed like the savings left by the original owner were about this much... Wasn''t the original owner''s father also a captain? Garrett slowly opened his mouth, thought for a moment, then quickly shut it. From his memory, the original owner''s father came from elsewhere, with no roots in Hartland City. Houses, armor, weaponseverything cost money. Even this box of books was exorbitantly priced, enough to drain someone''s savings for years... In any case, ten gold coins was a lot! A whole lot! He shook his head repeatedly, pushing back hard, "Healing the sick and saving lives is just something one should do! Besides, yesterday, the temple called me for questioning, and Uncle Westlow, you went along?That was worth much more than any money!" The two knights exchanged glances and smiled. Finally, Knight Flynn stepped forward, thrusting the money pouch into Garrett''s hand, grasping his fist tightly. While squeezing it, he said: "If you don''t take it, we won''t dare to come to you for treatment in the future, no matter what happens." "Patients?" Garrett''s spirits lifted. Knight Flynn pondered for a moment: "You mentioned yesterday, that treatment for Sir Roman''s wrist shouldn''t have been that way... Following your method, can it be healed?" Garrett''s face fell instantly. Knight Flynn shook his head vigorously, "Not him, not him. Do you remember Sir Barren? The city''s best archer, three years ago, got a cut on his wrist here..." Knight Flynn gestured at his wrist: "During a fierce battle, he could only bandage his wrist and fight with a sword. The next day, he couldn''t exert force or draw his bow. Could... that kind of injury be healed with your method?" It sounded like a tendon injury... but not necessarily , maybe a nerve or vascular injury. Garrett pondered: "I need to examine it. If it''s what I think, it might require a bunch of equipment." "No problem! I''ll have him come see you tomorrow!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Two knights hastily bid their farewells and departed. Garrett spent another day poring over books and, come evening, as soon as he reached home, he spotted Sir Flynn and Sir Westlow, who had visited the day before, along with a scruffy middle-aged man waiting at the door. Besides these three, an unexpected visitor persisted at the doorway, insisting on staying put with a persistent and cheerful demeanor. Before Garrett could approach, he noticed a person with an unusually large, shiny bald head that stood out conspicuously. "The Bishop?" "Oh, Garrett, you''re back!" The bald-headed Bishop greeted casually, waving his hand without any sense of formality. He then casually grabbed and pulled someone out from between the two knights. "Do you want to heal him?" Garrett: ...Could you maybe tell me who this person is first? He stepped forward to greet them while silently seeking clarification from the two knights. As he got closer, he caught a very familiar scent emanating from the middle-aged man. This scent... feels familiar. Garrett sniffed, suddenly taken aback. "Do you smoke?" Is there tobacco in this world? Has the age of exploration begun? Rubber, quinine, coffee, cocoa, and even the coca plant beloved and despised by doctors, have all made their way here? As well as the bountiful trio: corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, have they too arrived? Garrett made a concerted effort to refocus. He opened the door and invited them inside. The bald-headed Bishop didn''t hesitate to step in, while the three knights followed reluctantly, asking as they walked: Glancing at Balan''s torso, despite the three-year-old injury, he still had a sturdy physique; his belly hadn''t bulged. His left arm boasted a well-built bicep, while the muscles in his right arm visibly sagged. Hmm... the patient had kept up with exercise, a strong desire to recover. Garrett Nordmark, former emergency room physician, silently noted this in his mind, then extended his hand: "Let me see your right hand." Balan obediently extended his hand, palm up, resting it flat on the table. Garrett leaned in under the lamp''s light to examine a scar on the wrist, a reddish wound that protruded like an earthworm on the skin. The bald-headed Bishop''s paw immediately reached out, about to point out the wound, but Garrett breathed a sigh of relief: "How does the wrist feel? Can''t bend it inwards? But you can extend it outwards, right?" "How did you know?" Balan instinctively glanced to his side. Sir Flynn on his left and Sir Westlow on his right vehemently denied, "We didn''t tell him!" Garrett pursed his lips. He had wanted to ask further, but the bald-headed Bishop intervened, placing his hand between Garrett and the patient, with an air of determination to get answers: "How did you know?!" Rolling his eyes, Garrett attempted to cut through the bald-headed Bishop''s tirade, but unfortunately, he couldn''t overpower him. He sighed and pointed at Balan''s wrist to explain: "It''s quite evident! He injured the inner side of the wrist, not the outer. The tendons on the inside control bending, so if the outside isn''t hurt, of course he can extend it outwards!" "Ah... Oh." The bald-headed Bishop withdrew, deflated. Balan cautiously asked, looking at his wrist, "Can it be treated?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 45 Chapter 45 The gaze was all too familiar. Patients, family, no distinction of gender or age, status or rankso many looked at him this way. Garrett almost blurted out "I can heal" reflexively, but it transformed on the tip of his tongue into: "There''s a possibility of healing." After stating the conclusion, Garrett immediately shifted back. Even though he sat in a chair against the wall, his back against the wall, there was no escape, yet he instinctively tried to retreat further. In his previous life, when you said "possibility," patients and families weren''t satisfied. There''d likely be an inquisition: how likely is healing, how long will it take, how much will it cost... Eventually, it would end in complaints about the doctor''s reluctance to give a definite answer. And if the temper wasn''t good, it''d lead to a round of complaints. Even if these knights had good temperaments and didn''t cause trouble, even if they shook him by the shoulders, he couldn''t handle it! Garrett cautiously looked across. Contrary to his expectations, after a brief stupor, Knights Flynn and Sir Westlow immediately rejoiced. One of them reached out, grabbing Sir Balen''s shoulder, shaking him vigorously: "It can be healed! It can be healed!" "Old Balen, did you hear that? It can be healed!" "You''ve consulted so many... So many... It''s been three years, three years..." The two men shouted passionately. Their voices gradually lowered, becoming hoarse, almost like howls in the dark night. Sir Balen sat like a puppet, unresponsive, despite their attempts to shake him. After a while, with a sudden jolt, he stood up, shrugged off the two, and slightly bowed to Garrett: "Then please, heal him quickly!" "Yes, quickly!" Knights Flynn and Sir Westlow immediately understood. The three formed a half-circle, leaning forward, staring down at Garrett, almost as if they wanted to swallow him whole. Under their intense gazes, Garrett shrank back a bit more: "Not possible right now..." "Why not? Didn''t you say it can be healed?" Sir Balen''s voice heightened instantly. Garrett sought help in a glance toward Knight Flynn, arguing softly: "I can''t do it now... I''m missing something..." Garrett looked at him with new respect. Big guy, you''re gutsy! Studied medicine for a few years? Dissected a few cadavers? Know how to cut without severing blood vessels, how to avoid cutting nerves? Hmm... how do I explain this? Garrett fetched paper and pen, quickly sketching on the desk. Moments later, the ulna, radius, metacarpals were vividly depicted, with over a dozen muscle fibers attached to the bones. An illustration of the forearm muscles and bones was now on the paper. This was something he''d done countless times in his previous lifemaking it not just detailed but clear was routine. One person drawing, four heads leaning in, the bald bishop found the room too dim and casually cast a spell, illuminating the entire room. Garrett: "...Your mind''s already bright enough." Not even two minutes passed, and a rough sketch was complete. Garrett murmured, "Even those without medical knowledge do it like this," slowing down his speech, beginning his explanation: "See this on your arm? Besides muscles, there are veins and nerves... I''ll explain nerves later! Anyway, injuring any of these makes the arm dysfunctional. You think cutting and pulling it out will heal it?" The bald bishop nodded vigorously. Garrett turned to Sir Balen, frustrated: "What good is just a knife? You think this is slaughtering a pig? Skinning a sheep? You cut, reach in, pull out the tendon, sew a few stitches, and that''s it? I''m asking, if I cut your wrist, will it hurt? Will it move?" "We''ll hold him down!" both Knight Flynn and Sir Westlow replied simultaneously. Garrett snorted. Holding down? This is tendon surgery, not bone-setting! "I can endure without moving!" Sir Balen shouted loudly. Garrett retorted: "What use is your endurance? If you hold it too tight, I can''t stretch the muscle! Each of you, one by one," He pointed to Flynn, Balen, and finally the outermost, Sir Westlow. The other day, during Sir Westlow''s chest decompression, a knife barely pierced the chest, only with the help of Flynn''s quick action: "Each one of you is a knight, me! Use a knife! None of you can even pierce!" Sir Balen was speechless. Just then, a flash of light caught Garrett''s eye. He turned to see the bald bishop swiftly snatch the sketch and stuff it into his robes... As Garrett looked over, the bishop winked at him openly, with a mischievous smile. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 46 Chapter 46 "What''s this sketch for?" "Is it not considered theft if it''s just a sketch? Or is it an outright theft?" Garrett opened his mouth but decided not to argue with the bishop. He continued to roar at the Baron Knights, "And even if I cut it open, how do I sew your muscles back together? With my hands?!" "Why can''t you use your hands?" Garrett was speechless. He plopped back into his seat, took a few deep breaths, and couldn''t help but question his life choices. "Have I lost my ability to educate patients? In my past life, anyone would''ve understood at this point! And the bald bishop seemed to get it... Why are these knights still..." Forget it. A roughneck''s comprehension shouldn''t be compared to a spellcaster''s. How do I explain this... Should I perform surgery on the spot? Great idea! Garrett''s eyes lit up. He composed himself, stood up calmly, and smiled at the Baron Knight, "How about this? I''ll find a pig''s legor a lamb''s legand cut it here. Then you''ll understand how the treatment is done. Your Grace, could you wait for me a moment?" "Where will you find a pig''s leg at this hour?" The bald bishop furrowed his brow. After a brief thought, he took charge and grabbed Garrett, saying, "Never mind, come with me!" "Wait! My surgical knife! Knife!" The bald bishop strode ahead swiftly. Garrett was dragged along, panting and breathless. He swung the surgical instruments in one hand, and finally, Sir Flynn Knight, unable to stand it, rushed forward and took the surgery kit from him. As they followed the bishop, the surroundings grew brighter and livelier. Eventually, they arrived at a brightly lit, smoke-filled tavern with dozens of men laughing and shouting inside. The bald bishop barged in and shouted, "Old man, do you have a pig''s leg?"New novel chapters are published on "There''s half a leg left!" a distant voice replied from behind the counter. "Roast it for you?" "I want it raw! Take me to the kitchen!" That''s it. You bring in a live thing, don''t even sedate it, how am I supposed to operate? Even local anesthesia would do! The bald bishop chuckled. He bowed his head in a prayer for a moment and snapped his fingers. In an instant, white beams of light bound the live lamb to the counter. Its legs were up, clearly in distress but unable to make a sound. Ah... Operating like this feels more comfortable... Garrett sighed contentedly, positioned in front of the counter. Looking around, he said, "Uncle Flynn, please pass me the box. Uncle Silo, you stand on the left for a clearer view, no need to tiptoe... Your Grace, it''s a bit dark here, could you please cast an illuminating spell?" At this point, the tavern owner sneaked in with the head chef, both peeking at the bald bishop and the lamb he brought. However, to their surprise, the bald bishop merely stood aside, and it was Garrett who stood steadily at the counter, opening a wooden box and picking up the surgical knife. As soon as the knife was in hand, Garrett exuded an air of decisiveness. Just like the hundreds of surgeries he''d performed and supervised as a doctor in his past life, he swiftly began, giving orders, "Before the treatment, shave the surrounding fur... Baron, don''t laugh, when the time comes, if we need to shave, you''d better find a razor yourself... Then, make an incision on the skin, not too deep..." As he spoke, the tip of the knife had already pierced the skin of the lamb''s leg, effortlessly making a cut. The skin parted, the blood seemed to freeze for a moment, and only a thin line of blood appeared. "Wow..." A low murmur echoed in the kitchen. The bar owner and the assisting chef, mouths agape, watched as the bald bishop commanded every action, tying the lamb and casting spells. The bar owner even nudged the chef, "Hey, who''s this young guy?" "Don''t speak!" The chef snapped back without hesitation, fixated on Garrett''s knife movements, "His knife skills are amazing... He cuts without harming the flesh, and there''s hardly any bleeding. Impressive!" Garrett, however, wasn''t entirely satisfied. Truthfully, he was more familiar with human skin. A single cut, in his expertise, would only graze the skin without injuring the underlying tissue. He''d dissected rats and rabbits in his past, not much experience with lambs. He looked at the bloodstains on the knife and sighed softly, "This knife isn''t fast enough... Baron, if the knife were a bit faster, when I cut your wrist, the bleeding could''ve been halved..." "I''ll go find a knife!" Baron Knight replied promptly. Garrett sighed, "Not just any knife will do, it needs to be the shape I want... Next, pull the skin to the sides to minimize damage. Your Grace, could you please hold this hook?" He gave the order, and the bald bishop obediently took the hook and pulled backward. Garrett kept his eyes partly on the hook, never stopping his hands, "Pull back, pull back a bit more, put some more strength into it... Good, just like that, hold steady!" The head chef and the bar owner were speechless. The bald bishop remained silent, focusing on pulling the hook... --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Amidst all eyes, the bald bishop strained to hook onto something. His body arched backward, head stretching forward just to get a clearer view of Garrett''s every move, contorting into a peculiar "C" shape. Sir Westlow couldn''t bear it, stepping forward to grab the hook and hearing Garrett shout: "Get me some thin needles! Toothpicks will do!" Garrett meticulously separated each muscle section on the leg of a sheep, placing toothpicks between them as markers. Then he called everyone over, pointing at the leg. "Baron, look here. There are numerous muscles. The one on your armthis is one of them" He turned the blade and made a quick flick. With a snap, the tendon broke, the muscle recoiling upwards as the silvery tendon disappeared within the muscle mass. "Now, we have to find it again..." Garrett tilted his head, gestured at the sheep''s leg. That gesture was quite clear: "Dig it out." Baron Knight: "..." Flynn Knight and Sir Westlow: "..." The bald bishop leaned in, looked up and down, sleeves rolled up, and forcibly dug into the separated muscles. After much struggle, his hands bloody, he actually found the retracted tendon, gripping it with his fingernails and pulling "Oops!" It slipped! "Oops!" Slipped again! The third time, the bald bishop, learning from his mistake, grabbed the muscle with both fingernails, veins on his wrist bulging, and with a tug He made a hole in the perfectly good leg of lamb. "Hey hey hey, stop stop!" Garrett couldn''t watch anymore. "Your Eminence, we can''t use brute force here. We need proper tools... Someone, get a set of forceps... No, no forceps? Fine, bring two narrow flat iron rods and more hooks!" "Go fetch!" The bald bishop and several knights issued orders simultaneously. The kitchen immediately bustled, and after half a cup of tea''s time, the items Garrett requested were brought in. Despite the unevenness of the long iron rods and the crude bent hooks made by the knights, Garrett had to resign himself: "This will have to do..." He carefully parted the muscle, hooked onto it, and signaled the two knights to pull in opposite directions. From the depths, they found the torn tendon, squeezing it tight with two narrow flat iron rods, and calling Baron Knight: "Pull! Pull backward!" "Heave" Baron Knight strained, pulling the lamb''s leg with a squeaky sound, inch by inch, preventing the muscle from tearing open again. As the torn tendon met its other end, Garrett immediately commanded: "Alright! Right here, hold it steady, don''t move!Your Eminence, please cast a healing spell to join the tendon ends!" White light descended. A group of people crowded around, witnessing the tendon that had been cut by a surgical blade miraculously fuse back together! "So this is how it''s done!" "This, this many?!" The bald bishop was speechless. Garrett sighed, "These are just what''s urgently needed. To have a complete set, there''s still a long way to go..." Not a single surgical procedure arrived without a cart brimming with dozens of instruments, making it impossible to start. Absolutely no sense of security. Baron Knight glanced at the patterns on the paper, then at his own wrist injury, gradually bowing his head. His expression shifted from bright to dull, and finally, he clenched his fist tightly. "I..." Garrett had been watching his expressions. This conflicted, wavering, and finally determined look was something he''d seen countless times in his past life: Families in financial straits, deciding whether to make sacrifices, sell everything they had, hoping for a chance at healing. They always hesitated like this, pacing in emergency rooms, at payment counters, constantly in turmoil in the waiting halls. Back then, he couldn''t do much. Three hundred and sixty-five days a year, dozens or hundreds of patients a day, among them were always a few in economic distress. But this time, finally, he could do something. Garrett promptly laid a hand on Baron Knight''s shoulder. Tilting his head up, he confidently addressed the bald bishop: "Your Eminence, could you trouble yourself to make this set of instruments? Once it''s done, I''ll take Baron Knight to the temple to complete the treatment. I can also write up detailed notes on these diagrams and the entire treatment process" The bald bishop''s furrowed brow gradually relaxed. He shook his head deliberately: "Just this much?" "Isn''t this enough?" Garrett was brimming with confidence. "Your Eminence, among the followers of the War God''s temple, there are many warriors, right? How many have old injuries that couldn''t be healed? I don''t know, but you surely do, right?" The bald bishop nodded lightly. Indeed, among those he knew, there were about a dozen higher-level retired warriors due to old injuries "These warriors, quite a few of them have money, right? Imagine, if they knew old injuries could be treated, that they could return to the battlefield, what would they be willing to do for the temple?Other temples can''t heal them, only the War God''s temple can!" "Are you saying, only the War God''s temple?" The bald bishop was moved. Garrett shrugged: "I, for one, have no intention of teaching at the Spring Goddess''s temple..." As for the Church of the God of Nature, cough, his identity as a prophet there was a sham, and he couldn''t run away from it fast enough. The bald bishop pondered. The more he thought, the more feasible this proposition seemed. He looked at Garrett and burst into laughter: "You rascal! Teach us how to heal, and you''re already planning to earn a set of knives for free?" "Can you say no?" Garrett chuckled. The bald bishop slapped his shoulder: "Can I even say no?" "Ohdon''t hit me, if you break something, no one''s going to operate!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 48 Chapter 48 The knight, Baron Chevalier, left with profuse thanks. Even though Garrett hadn''t cured him, hadn''t even started the treatment, the effort he''d put in was genuinely appreciated. Garrett didn''t pay much heed to the gratitude. Before the knight left, he held his hand, repeatedly cautioning: "Stop smoking! When you go back, please, no more smoking! Smoking makes it harder for wounds to heal!" "Why?" "Just trust me!" Garrett pushed him out. Tobacco, nicotine, they caused blood vessel spasms, making wounds hard to heal. Especially post-limb reattachment, fingers were prone to necrosis. Even though what the knight needed was a wrist tendon operation, minimizing any impact was still beneficial. But do you really want me to explain what nicotine is? Thanks, but no, just listen to me! Seeing off the guest, Garrett returned to his desk, starting his drafts. Making a fortune was indeed delightful. With two thousand sheets of paper at home, he could write whatever he wanted without worry, tearing one sheet after another, no more cramped writing! He organized his thoughts, writing the medical history first, then dipped his pen in ink and continued: Anesthesia, Hemostasis, Disinfection, Surgery. Anesthesia: Inquire at the Temple of the God of War for available divine magic; if none, consult the apothecary. Yew, Mandrake, Aconitum, Thornapple; Check for corresponding magic. Hemostasis: Tourniquet, Hemostatic forceps, Divine magic for hemostasis. Disinfection: Hand washing, prepare strong alcohol, preheat and disinfect all instruments and clothes. Garrett questioned the term "instruments." Swearing to Hippocrates, he really hadn''t exaggerated. He only had two hemostatic forceps prepared and just three tissue forceps. What if there was an accident and the instruments got contaminated? How to proceed? Divine light for disinfection? Flame disinfection? If only mage hands could replace tissue forceps... but that wasn''t tangible, contamination might not be an issue... Well, time to buckle down and learn more magic! He reviewed the vocabulary he''d transcribed yesterday and today, then laid down to sleep. The next morning, he went to the City Guards'' barracks, fetched his horse, mounted up, and rode straight to the Mage Tower. The horse was borrowed from the City Guardsor rather, Captain Flynn did him a favor and allocated it for his use. He''d leave it at the stable while at the Mage Tower, paying the gatekeeper five silver coins per month, and retrieve it when back in the city. This saved him time to copy an extra 20 pages of words every day! "You''re copying books? You''re in trouble! Mister Elliot said you''re only allowed to read, not copy!" The papers weren''t that sturdy to begin with, and with the boy shaking them back and forth, one tore apart. Garrett got anxious: "Hey, give that back!" He moved to grab it, but the boy dodged left and right, giggling, then swiftly slid under the table. Before Garrett could bend down, the child shouted: "You dare try and take it back! Someone''s secretly copying books! Mister Elliot! Mister Elliot!" The child''s voice was sharp and loud, echoing throughout the lower levels of the Mage Tower. Garrett couldn''t stop it in time. Just as he was about to cover the boy''s mouth, outside the library, a dignified voice spoke up: "What''s going on?" Garrett stopped, turning around. Outside, Elliot had bowed respectfully: "Master." Oh no... caught red-handed by the head honcho. Garrett inwardly sighed in distress, but all he could do was also bow: "Respected Master." "What''s the commotion?" Magician Gelman stepped in. Still clad in that tight red robe, his eyes glistening, with just a glance, several scattered papers floated up and flew into his hand. Can''t escape... I was planning to show some results, then ask for help from someone, but it''s only been two and a half days! Can he tell what I''ve been doing in just two and a half days? Can I impress this magician? Or perhaps, is it still possible for me to seek refuge with a necromancer? Might I be hit by a fireball spell? No, probably not, this is a library after all, fire hazards... Garrett''s mind raced chaotically. His heart pounded, breaths quickened one after another, and he felt a cold sweat forming on his back. He was surprised he had the time to think about these things. Stepping forward, he stood tall, meeting Magician Gelman''s gaze squarely. Speaking calmly to defend himself: "I''m not just copying from the book. I''m, organizing and summarizing for easier memorization." "But you''re still copying!" The boy shouted. Magician Gelman, however, raised a hand to stop his argument. With a furrowed brow, he glanced over a few papers, then suddenly said: "What about the rest? Bring them out." --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 49 Chapter 49 "He''s secretly copying!" The boy shouted loudly. Seeing Magician Gelman ignoring him, he jumped forcefully, his face flushed with anger: "Fine! You don''t care about this! I''ll tell my grandpa! Do you folks at the Magic Tower even want to pass this year''s assessment?" Who''s this cheeky kid? Such an attitude! Could he be a second-generation mage, no, maybe even third? Garrett quickly bent down, took out all the papers from his backpack, and tidied them a bit before handing them over. Magician Gelman flipped through them one by one, then suddenly snorted and slammed the papers down in front of Garrett: "I asked you to organize, and this is how you organize?" "Oh... huh?" When did you ask me to copy? Garrett was taken aback. But the magician''s words clearly absolved him of the responsibility of secretly copying books, which was hugely advantageous. Garrett wasn''t stupid, so he immediately apologized: "It was my carelessness." "You haven''t even sorted uppercase and lowercase letters! The alphabet is a mess! Redo it!" "Oh... okay!" Garrett was ecstatic, hastily agreeing. The magician paid him no more attention, walking away with hands behind his back. After a couple of steps, he threw down a second command: "Copy two books, keep one for yourself. Hand them in within half a month!" "Yes!" Garrett loudly responded. He could copy books now, openly! Fantastic! Dictionaries are indeed useful! I''ve always said, anyone learning a new language can''t resist the charm of a dictionary! You''ve learned the magical script, but don''t need to study Elvish or Dragon language? Wait, are those languages even present in this world? He gathered his thoughts, quickly catching up and respectfully following the magician. Gelman suddenly stopped after a few steps and told his apprentice: "Keep an eye on him!" His tone had a slight edge. Elliott hurriedly agreed. Gelman shook his head and left on the elevator without another word. Elliott kept up his respectful stance until his teacher''s figure disappeared, then turned to look at Garrett. "Sorry for causing you trouble," Garrett apologized quickly. When the kid was yelling earlier, Elliott pretended not to notice, walking away on his own, though Garrett had seen it all clearly in the library. Now, upon reflection, Elliott''s deliberate leniency was clearly noticed by Magician Gelman. Garrett felt a bit sorry for him. Ummm... Every word is recognizable. Every phrase is understandable. But put together... what is mental power? My focus? Ability to think? The activity level of brainwaves? Invisible, intangible. Would getting an EEG help? Or maybe Musk''s brain-machine interface can extend mental power beyond the body? Or perhaps it''s not brainwaves but a neural magnetic field? Shaking off these thoughts, Garrett calmly started reading. Time was limited, and he didn''t know if he''d have time to copy, so he had to read and memorize simultaneously. After going through it once, then a second time, halfway through the book, his mind suddenly blurred, and then... The text in the book turned into distorted patterns, occasionally interspersed with a few familiar words. The spell''s duration ended. OVER. Immediately erased, not a speck of memory left. Garrett sighed in frustration. He spread out a new blank sheet, turned back to the first page of "Basic Meditation," and with the help of illustrations and a few scattered words on the page, he began to write from memory. The meaning of meditation. What meditation is. How to start meditation, calming one''s mind, entering a state between sleep and wakefulness, focusing first and then expanding. How to use mental power to touch the world, what one might feel during initial meditation, and what taboos exist... Line by line, page by page, unconsciously, a pile of papers filled with words accumulated on Garrett''s left side. An unexpected gain! Tonight, I''ll attempt meditation for the first time! The world of magic, here I come! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 50 Chapter 50 On his way home, excitement enveloped Garrett. He even braved the night to fetch a few buckets of water, split firewood, took a proper hot bath, using up half of the stored wood at home. Ancient life was quite a hassle. If only there was running water, a water heater, or heck, if he knew magic, he could just use it to heat bathing water directly... Sigh, even to elevate his living standards, he needed to become a mage apprentice quickly!Visit for the best novel reading experience Garrett sighed while soaking in the tub. Regardless of the hassle, bathing was necessary. To enhance the success rate of meditation, bathing and changing were essential processes. He cleaned himself up, climbed into bed, and sat cross-legged. This body''s flexibility is an issue! At just 16, he couldn''t manage to cross his left leg over his right, right leg over left, the proper lotus position! Though... even though ''Basic Meditation'' doesn''t mention sitting in the lotus position, as a Chinese person, not trying this posture before starting meditation always felt unsettling, like a -5, -5, -5 in success rate... Garrett tried crossing his left leg over his right, struggling repeatedly, but to no avail. He attempted relaxing his feet, forming a loose quadrilateral shape, but he couldn''t maintain balance. Trying to straighten his legs into a triangular shape resulted in him tipping backward. With no other choice, he collapsed onto the bed, rolled against the wall, propped himself up, legs extended. Ah, comfortable. Now, closing his eyes, clearing his mind. Inhale... exhale... imagine being in total darkness, shutting off sight, sound, smell... Following the steps outlined in ''Basic Meditation,'' Garrett mentally prepared himself. Quiet down... be still... relaxed... serene... Perhaps due to self-hypnosis or maybe a result of crossing into this world, he seemed to have gained some boost for learning magic. When he focused his mind, much like casting a healing spell, there seemed to be an actual light in the darkness. What''s this? Neither above nor below, left nor right, inside nor outsidethis is... me?! Garrett trembled violently, nearly losing the current state of clarity. He shut his eyes, struggling to calm himself for a while before finally steadying his mind once more. Into meditation, and then the next step! According to ''Basic Meditation,'' to train mental power, one needed to construct a virtual ''self.'' Then, draw in external forces, steadily solidifying this ''self.'' After reaching a certain strength, mental power could be emitted, starting to influence the external world... At this thought, the pinpoint of light in the darkness began to change, following the illustrations in ''Basic Meditation.'' A small figure with limbs, a head, facial features, muscles, and flowing blood depicted by points of light and lines, silently stood in the void. When he snapped out of it, the light-formed figure in the void had become infinitely more refined than the illustrations. Upon closer inspection, it was exactly like the human anatomy he had studied in his previous life. The heart made of white light beat strongly. Thump, thump, thump, one after the other. With each beat, an intangible halo emanatedyet this newly constructed figure, its emitted halo was more than twice as powerful as before! Is that so? Does mental power need to closely align with the body to resonate maximally, receive support, and simultaneously provide feedback to the body? Garrett wasn''t sure. But he had an inexplicable feeling: his mental power was significantly stronger than when he first constructed it. So, the next thing to attempt would be to perceive this world with mental power... How would the world appear to his mental power? Following ''Basic Meditation''s'' instructions, Garrett actively controlled the ripples emitted by the light-formed figure, extending them outward. Then, under the perception of mental power, the entire world... changed. Steady, solid power, bearing this world; Light, ethereal power, free and joyful, never resting for a moment; Fiery, restless power, unconstrained yet bringing the greatest force; Gentle, dense power, quiet and nourishing, silently spreading vitality... "Earth, water, fire, wind? The four major elements?" Garrett was extremely surprised. With his fluctuating emotions, the light-formed figure in his meditation environment shook violently again, almost dissipating: "This... is the world perceived by my mental power?" After the initial shock, Garrett was ecstatic: "According to ''Basic Meditation,'' being able to faintly sense the four major elements means my mental power has reached the level of a mage apprentice?" "From today onwards, can I start deciphering magic!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Garrett wasn''t particularly surprised to reach the mental level required for a mage apprentice. After all, he had managed to cast a healing spell, which by priest standards, at the very least, would classify him as an apprentice. Though the powers differed, the mental strength required to cast spells should be somewhat similar. But the world perceived through mental powerearth, water, fire, and airwas that his own perception, or was it the world as understood by the mages according to the "Basic Meditation"? Born in modern China and raised under its flag, Garrett found it hard to accept that this world was composed of earth, water, fire, and air. He had at least studied "Medical Physics"! The four fundamental forces, strong nuclear force, weak nuclear force, electromagnetic force, gravitational force... unifying the first three into one interaction... geometric optics, wave optics, special relativity, quantum mechanics... He had scored 93 on that, at least! Even though he promptly forgot everything after the exam... But now, thanks to crossing over, he could remember it all again! As the memories of textbooks from his previous life came flooding back, definitions, theorems, formulas, hypotheses... surged forth, leaving Garrett feeling dizzy, nauseated, and almost ready to throw up. The meditation environment shook intensely! Quickly dispersing the textbooks, he regained his composure. When he once again dispersed his mental strength to observe the surroundings, Garrett was astonished to find that the world his mental strength perceived had changed! Above him stretched a pitch-black starry sky, stars shining brilliantly, somehow linked to the ground beneath his feet. While the four primary elements seemed to remain, they were no longer as distinct as before. The boundaries between fire and wind, fire and water, had blurred slightly... So, was this meditation environment the world he perceived or the world he understood? Garrett felt perplexed. Fortunately, these changes didn''t affect him. The enhancement feedback to his mental strength within the meditation environment remained unaffected by these alterations. So, for now, he decided to let it be! Setting aside his doubts, Garrett calmed his mind and began exercising his mental strength. Following the methods outlined in the "Basic Meditation," he meditated until his head slightly throbbed before collapsing on the bed, closing his eyes. He had no intentions of reviewing the vocabulary list he had copied during the day. "Lack of sleep affects cerebrospinal fluid flow, causing the accumulation of -amyloid proteins produced by brain cells, increasing the risk of Alzheimer''s!" Not something he wanted! Who knew if an increase in mental strength could replace the function of brain cells? What if it couldn''t?! Upon waking from his slumber, Garrett''s eyes lit up as he flipped through the notes he had made yesterday. He remembered everything he copied! Not a single word forgotten! Learning meditation had improved his mental strength, and there was this advantage?! His pace in memorizing vocabulary could pick up again! He could learn magic sooner! Filled with such joy, Garrett copied books in the mage tower with a slightly lighter demeanor. However, increasing his writing speed wasn''t that simple. Despite his efforts, he managed only 5% progress in a day. Oh, Gellman the mage had given him a task to copy two books. Calculating this, the progress halved instantly to just 2.5%! "There is. Why? What do you plan to do?" Good, there was one. Garrett looked directly at Elliott and explained confidently: "I''d like to ask for your help to duplicate ''Studies in Magical Script.'' Then, I''ll cut the pages, arrange them alphabetically, stick them back in order, and once that''s done, you can duplicate it again. That should fulfill Gellman''s request." "..." "..." Elliott fell silent for a moment, then another. Suddenly, he burst into laughter, reaching out: "Great idea. That''ll cost you ten gold coins." "Huh?" Garrett was dumbfounded. He wanted me to pay? Elliott looked at Garrett, amused by his stunned expression: "Employing a spell requires compensation, didn''t you know? - The material cost for the copying spell, paper and ink, I''ll waive that considering you''re copying for the mage tower. Oh, and I''ll waive the consultation fee for your earlier question too. Two casting of copying spells, I''ll give you a discount, ten gold coins total. Pay up, and I''ll cast it immediately." Garrett couldn''t find the words. Yesterday, when Elliott cast the language comprehension spell, he did it out of his own laziness without asking for payment. But now that Garrett was asking for assistance, it was perfectly natural to pay In games, speeding up construction also requires spending money! The problem was, ten gold coins were half of his current wealth. Trading it for ten days to half a month''s time seemed like a terrible deal in terms of cost-effectiveness... "Kid, you''re trying to save time, aren''t you? Don''t rush, slowly copy, learn ''Studies in Magical Script'' thoroughly, it''ll benefit you!" Elliott the mage departed, laughing heartily. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Garrett couldn''t take shortcuts this time. He had to patiently spend two days diligently copying books. On the third day, as he made his way to the Mage Tower again, before he could even rein in his horse in front of it, he heard a familiar sound. "Boom!" It was still on the fourth floor of the Mage Tower, the same window, the figure in robes dancing, flying out in a parabolic arc. Garrett: "..." This time, he rode much slower. Arriving at the landing spot, sure enough, it was Elliott, wobbling and descending, grumbling all the while: "You little rascal, resorting to blasting when words fail... Aren''t you afraid of blowing yourself up... Oh, why are you here?" "Mr. Elliott..." Garrett looked at him helplessly. "I came to see if you needed help..." Elliott wanted to tell him to scram. Last time he flew out of the Mage Tower, it was only with Garrett''s help that he returned, otherwise, who knows how long he would have had to hop on one foot. At this moment, unable to voice harsh words, he grumbled as he struggled to get up and walked away. He didn''t cause trouble, but trouble didn''t spare him. A clang from the fourth floor of the Mage Tower, a window pushed open, a young lad popped his head out, golden hair shining, shouting in a peculiar tone: "If you''ve got guts, come up here!" Elliott glanced up, remained silent, and kept walking with his head down. Garrett accompanied him, circling a quarter of the way around. As the golden hair of the youth disappeared from sight, Garrett asked softly: "Couldn''t win?" "Who said I couldn''t!" Elliott''s voice rose suddenly. "That brat and I are on the same level! How could I not win!" Garrett remained silent. Elliott walked a few more steps, slumped his shoulders, sighed: "Just a little bit more!... Humph, that kid comes from a prestigious family, had the best meditation methods since childhood, stronger mental power than me. Just a bit more, and I could cast four spells like him!" "Meditation methods?" Garrett''s heart skipped a beat. He seized the chance to ask, "What kind of meditation methods are better?" "Yes, yes, you''re a healer... You already know what the human body looks like... You know..." Elliott murmured, stuttering, a myriad of thoughts churning in his mind. Ordering, coercing, enticingany means, really. After all, Garrett had just started learning magic, didn''t understand anything, and couldn''t even produce ten gold coins Give him a little benefit, or as he requested, help him cast the copying spell a few times, he''d surely spill the beans... If afraid of being exposed, just tell the teacher about the meditation, everyone benefits, surely they could keep the secret together... No knowledge comes without a price. And meditation, something so foundational to a mage''s power, its value even exceeded many spells. In the Mage Tower, spells from levels one to three were all openly available to the mages inside. However, regarding meditation, except for the introductory ''Basic Meditation'' book, not a single word about the other techniques could be found. That was a price he couldn''t afford. He stared at Garrett, torn between conflicting thoughts. Trying to obtain the meditation technique through some means would be easy, but... But aside from the fact that the other was a healer, someone who had just stepped into the realm of magic like him, it wasn''t right to take advantage in such a way. Elliott''s sense of morality and adherence to principles didn''t allow him to do such a thing. After hesitating for a while, gritting his teeth, Elliott turned and left. Observing the human body in the way healers do, then adjusting the mental core based on those observations. Just this single approach, a unilaterally proclaimed effective approach, was worth him giving up everything he had. Even if Garrett was willing to tell him more, he couldn''t offer something equivalent in exchange. The young mage hurried away, his black robe billowing, almost creating a wave. Garrett stood behind, smiling slightly, watching the black-robed mage who had always looked after him hurriedly leave. When the mage was three to five steps away, Garrett called out loudly: "Hey!" "No time!" The person ahead rudely replied, not even turning back, as if afraid of regretting it. Garrett chuckled even more: "Don''t try it yourself, I''ll tell you how!" With a thud, Elliott tripped and fell flat on the ground. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Elliott, the mage, scrambled to his feet. Looking disheveled, a trickle of blood stained his face, and his mage robe was smeared with a hefty lump of horse dung. Oblivious to his condition, he locked eyes with Garrett, took a deep sigh after a while, and said, "Garrett, thank you. But... I can''t learn." "Can''t learn? Why?" Garrett was surprised. "Afraid you won''t understand? I can simplify it for you!" I''m the best at explaining things! When it comes to patients and their families, explaining medical conditions, surgical procedures, I''ve always made it understandable for them! He took a step forward. Elliott immediately stepped back, his gaze reluctant yet regretful. "I can''t learn. According to the mage''s rules, any knowledge and service come at a price. And I can''t afford the cost of this meditation technique." "But you helped me so much before" "What you''ve told me is already enough." Elliott softened his gaze, staring deeply into Garrett''s eyes. Then, as if fearing a change of heart, he gritted his teeth and turned away. "I''ll cast the copying spell for you. Understanding languages, if you need it, is also fine. But don''t tell me anything moreI can''t afford it." Garrett stood there stunned. Earlier, if Elliott hadn''t spoken, Garrett would have understood. As a mage, there''s always some pride, some arrogance, about certain things. But after persuading and persuading, he still adhered firmly to the principle of fair exchange, refusing to waver... You could at least offer a layaway plan!Follow current novels at novelhall.com) Feeling regretful, Garrett wanted to smash something. The more Elliott declined, the more Garrett felt inclined to shareafter all, it wasn''t anything particularly special; in his previous life, even medical students could learn it. Caught in a dilemma, he suddenly had an idea: "Um... the price I need isn''t what you''re thinking." "What?" "When I was learning this knowledge, I once made a vow." As Garrett began to speak, his words flowed more smoothly. After all, the existence of an oath is real, the process of making it is real. Maybe he had revised it numerous times during his oath-taking, but it wasn''t the earliest original version: "I swore to teach everything I learned without reservation to my teacher''s children, my own children, and any disciples willing to take the same oath. So, as long as you''re willing to swear" Come on, agree already! I won''t teach you these things just because you helped me a lot before! ...No response. Elliott lay engrossed on the latest sketch of the human body, as if captivated, as if his soul had been captured. After patiently waiting for a minute, then another, Garrett finally gave up waiting and began to roll up his sleeves to copy the vocabulary list. After copying about half a page, Elliott suddenly jumped up like a startled rabbit and darted out. Garrett: "..." Hey! Hey! The body diagrams! Don''t just leave them! Elliott quickly returned. Gripping an ink bottle in his left hand and a large scroll in his right, he slapped it onto the table. Without a word, he snatched "Magic Linguistics" from Garrett''s hand, placed one hand on the book, and murmured an incantation. A glow shimmered, and the blank scroll instantly transformed into a stack of copies. Copying spell, done! Wow, that''s impressive! Garrett''s eyes brightened. He smiled and nodded at Elliottbut only caught a glimpse of his back. The young mage swiftly snatched the sketches from the table, once again dashing out. This time, he was faster, running while tightly clutching the papers, as if afraid of being seen. Ah... I hope he remembers everything. Back then, he studied systemic anatomy for a full 120 hours. Even though he condensed it and condensed it again, memorizing this stack of papers in one go was quite a challenge. With a smile, Garrett got to work. Scissors in his left hand, paste in his right, he cut the copies made from the copying spell into strips and pasted them in order onto blank sheets. He worked tirelessly for an entire day. As he walked out of the mage tower in the evening, there was a sudden loud noise above Garrett reflexively looked up. From the fourth-floor window where Elliott had been hurled earlier in the morning, a young boy flew out, gesticulating wildly and swearing: "Elliott! You''re breaking the rules!" Standing at the mage tower''s entrance, Garrett tilted his head back, his mouth slowly gaping. ...No way, did this meditation spell work so quickly? --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 54 Chapter 54 With the mental boost from meditation and the aid of transcription magic, Garrett''s progress surged forward. He finished piecing together the dictionary in just two days. Eagerly, he fetched "Fundamentals of Spells," ready to see which magic he could learn. The answer? All level-zero spells. The book stated clearly: as long as a novice had enough mental strength, they could learn all level-zero spells. Sounds generous, right? But even before turning the page, Garrett spotted a note scrawled in red on the margin: "Level-zero spells, also known as parlor tricks. Congratulations, you can now be a street performer." Garrett: "..." He took a deep breath, another one, then shut his eyes. Adjusting his emotions, he repeated silently: "There''s no useless magic, only inept mages... There''s no useless magic, only inept mages..." Continuing until he regained composure, he opened his eyes to continue reading. According to the "Fundamentals of Spells," based on a mage apprentice''s mental strength, they could cast between 1 to 5 level-zero spells a day. Beginners could manage one, while those about to advance to official mage apprentices could cast up to five spells daily, provided they had potions to supplement their energy. Generally, mastering three or more level-zero spells and being able to cast spells five times a day could propel one towards becoming a first-rank mage. The author of the "Fundamentals of Spells" sternly pointed out: "As mental strength increases significantly after advancement, it''s more efficient to learn lower-level magic. Typically, qualified mages are advised not to learn too many parlor tricks during their apprenticeship." ...So, he could only pick three for now? Thinking like this, Garrett didn''t believe he belonged to the inept category. Being a traveler, breaking through obstacles and swiftly advancing to top-tier mage status, mastering 9th-level magic effortlessly, even inventing new spells, that was the expected treatment. Moreover, didn''t he comprehend Healing on his first day here and immediately become a cleric apprentice? Filled with confidence, Garrett sifted through the "Fundamentals of Spells," picking and choosing. The book didn''t list many level-zero spells, maybe around eight or nine. Yet, Garrett found it a bit overwhelming: Reading Magic, used to interpret magical text on objectsbooks, scrolls, weapons, etc. This spell seemed like the first weapon for learning magic, but it required a transparent crystal or prism as a casting material. Garrett patted himself down and had to set it aside for now. Learning magic wasn''t that easy. Apprentice mage beginners could only cast one spell a day. Meaning, without spending extra, he only had one chance to try per day... How many attempts would it take to master a new spell? Three times? Five times? Ten times? Ten times would mean ten days... becoming proficient would take even longer, and just like that, one or two months could pass in an instant. No wonder the "Fundamentals of Spells" didn''t recommend learning too many spells for apprentice mages. Garrett felt a bit unwilling. He closed his eyes for a moment, carefully sensing... Huh? Can I try a few more times with my mental strength? If his intuition was correct, maybe two or three more times... So, does that mean I''m starting as a high-rank apprentice mage or at least a mid-rank one? Is this a perk of being a traveler or a cleric apprentice? Whatever, if it''s usable, it''s good! Excitedly, Garrett clenched his fist, then composed himself again, starting another attempt. This time, there was progress; he continued outlining the runes until the ninth stroke, just one step away from completing the symbol. He gritted his teeth; one more try! This time, in the enhanced vision of meditation, a faint magical aura shimmered. Success! Suppressing his excitement, Garrett approached the bookshelf emitting the magical aura. It was quite dim, barely brighter than a household lamp, likely just useful for repelling bugs or moisture. Garrett controlled his excitement, extending his right hand towards the glow... As if he could see through it and also as if he couldn''t? Is the aura too faint? Garrett thought for a moment, then dashed out of the library. Rushing upstairs, just as he turned at the landing of the stairs, someone abruptly yelled at him: "Oh, so you''ve come up here!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Garrett halted, coming to his senses. Looking at the one speaking. ...But there was no one there. He lowered his gaze again. 15 degrees, 30 degrees, 45 degrees... On the floor ahead, that mischievous kid from a few days ago was there, his face flushed with anger, bouncing around, stretching his arm and waving in front of Garrett''s eyes: "Over here! Who are you looking at?!" That rascal again. Garrett felt a bit of a headache, mumbled a vague response, and continued walking up. The kid tagged along, constantly yelling: "Why are you going up there? Hey, why are you going up there! That''s where official mages stay! You''re not even an apprentice!" Second floor and above of the mage tower, in the past, Garrett wouldn''t have had the qualification to go up there. The mage tower had a hall and a library on the first floor. Mage apprenticeslike the mischievous kid, who was only ten but had already stepped into the world of magicstayed on the second floor, while the official mages resided on the third. The fourth floor was for alchemy and experimenting with spells, the fifth floor was the residence of Mage Gelman, the overseer of the mage tower, and the hub of the mage tower was also located there. From the second floor and above, no matter how wealthy or influential someone might be, entry was strictly by invitation only. Garrett wasn''t qualified to go up. But now, just now, he successfully cast his first spell! He was now a mage apprentice! Going up to the second floor was only natural! Climbing to the third floor, finding a familiar mage to ask a question, that shouldn''t be a big problem, ha ha ha... The young boy chased after him, ranting and raving all the way, causing the stairs to resonate. Garrett wished he could make the noise physically disappear. Just as he paused, a loud voice came from the third floor: "Absolutely not!" "What''s not possible?!" Another familiar voice retorted even louder. "I''m on the verge of success! Why should my research be halted just for you to buy alchemical materials!" It''s Mage Elliott, arguing with someone? Garrett immediately perked up his ears. A slap landed on a table: "And what about you? Improving spells without materials? Without scrolls? I''ve at least made something, what about you? How many scrolls have you copied these days?When the Magic Council comes for evaluation, let''s see how you explain yourself!" "I''ll be fine!"Visit for the best novel reading experience "Oh, no problems now? Just relying on that little kid''s copied book? Don''t joke, the words are still the same as the original, just rearranged, do you think the Magic Council will appreciate such minimal results?" Huh... are they talking about my spellbook? Garrett paused, cautiously stepping back a couple of paces to avoid an awkward encounter with the mages. Unexpectedly, the stairwell door burst open, and the golden-haired boy who had been blasted out of the window a few days ago stormed out, immediately furious upon seeing them: "It''s... magic detection," Garrett replied. As soon as he spoke, the young boy "hmphed" disdainfully, mocking even louder: "Magic detection? Whether this spell succeeds or not, it''s up to you?You''re not just trying to deceive us with that, are you!" "George!" Mage Karen rebuked him softly. Then, turning to Garrett, he ordered: "Alright, cast it here, see how many magical items are in the hall. If you can correctly identify three or even point out the strongest one, it''ll count as a successful casting." Garrett nodded slightly in agreement. He took two steps back, his back against the wall, trying to widen his field of vision as much as possible, focusing to cast the spell. The hall was no more than 30 square meters, with six wooden chairs surrounding a rectangular table, occupying most of the space. There were chandeliers overhead, tapestries on the walls, and a fireplace at the end of the hall. At first glance, it looked much like the setup in the library downstairs. Garrett softly recited the incantation. With his voice, faint magical auras lit up during his meditationdazzling white, pale yellow, light azure, and more. As he shifted his gaze, amazing! That mischievous kid, his robe, the headband, and the necklaceall three items shimmered with more brilliance than the furnishings in the room! The third-gen mage was really something... Garrett silently swallowed his resentment towards the kid, moving his gaze, one by one, mentioning those magical items: "Chandelier, the tapestry on the left, the fireplace..." Although the magical auras were dim and the enchantment levels were low, probably similar to the bookshelf downstairs, but three items! With each item he listed, the boy''s eyes and mouth widened, forming three perfect O shapes: "It can''t be... you actually..." "How''s that? Someone learning faster than you?" The golden-haired youth teased, leaning down, deliberately asking near the young boy''s ear. After a moment of confusion, the boy shouted: "I don''t believe it!" He turned and ran out of the hall, slamming the staircase door shut. With a bang, even the vase on the table trembled. Vase? The vase! Garrett''s heart skipped a beat. He hurried forward, pulled out the flowers from the vase, and turned it upside down. Rolling out from the vase was a gemstone that shone brightly in the magic detection''s sight. Garrett reached out and captured that light. What he saw was still a hazy vision. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Garrett received a summons within half an hour. Magic research was common, but apprenticeships were not. In a mage tower, only a handful of apprentices were trained each year. If luck wasn''t on your side, you might go years without success. Mage Gellman, stuck in his research, was glad for the chance to meet the new apprentice Garrett. At least it offered a change of pace. After confirmation, Garrett''s status was immediately elevated to that of an apprentice. - A new set of magical robes. - A single room within the mage tower. - Paper, ink, candles, and all necessary personal items. Even the servant guarding the gate, with a worried expression, held five silver coins, wanting to return them to Garrett. The reason being that a mage''s mount could be stored in the tower, so there was no need for payment... Though he didn''t take the money, Garrett remained in good spirits throughout. As he entered the city, returned the horse at the military camp, and made his way back home, people kept greeting him: "Garrett, you''re back!" "Garrett, that robe... Are you a mage now?" "Congratulations, Garrett!" Garrett happily responded along the way. By this time, the sky had darkened, and the cottages along the road were starting to light up with scattered stars. Arriving at his doorstep, just about to pull out his keys, someone dashed out from a side alley. Their shoulders collided, causing Garrett to step back with an "Ouch." The person who dashed at him also exclaimed, "Ouch." He stumbled back more, almost tripping. Then, with a glare and a raised dark fist: "You" Suddenly, he froze, gazing fixedly at the staff emblem on Garrett''s robe''s cuff. Without a word, he turned and ran away. Garrett silently looked at his cuff. So, becoming an apprentice had its perks. Not bad at all. Humming a tune, Garrett entered his house. The person who collided with him ran quite a distance away, only stopping at the tavern. A man, reeking of alcohol, was waiting by the back door and asked upon his arrival: "Don''t shout so loudly. It doesn''t sound good if Roman''s identity is yelled about." Lord Joanne, with drooping eye bags, slowly replied: "That kid... he''s become an apprentice mage." "He''s harmed Roman! My Roman! His hands are ruined!" The middle-aged woman grew more agitated, her once graceful face contorting with rage: "You said he''s a city guard, then you say the Temple of War values him, so I can''t seek revenge. Dragging it out like this, and now he''s an apprentice mage! I finally found someone to teach him a lesson, and they won''t lay a finger on him!" "You got someone to attack him?" Lord Joanne suddenly lifted his eyelids: "Fool! Do you know why the city guard protects him? Why the Temple of War values him? He healed an injury the bishop couldn''t! When you''re a healer, you avoid making enemies if you can!" "But my Roman..." The woman cried bitterly. Lord Joanne sighed, patting her arm gently, soothing her softly: "If it''s for Roman, you shouldn''t trouble that kid even more. Do you know what that kid has been doing lately? He''s working on something, saying it can heal Barren''s hand." "Barren''s hand?" The woman immediately stopped crying. Barron''s skills with the bow and arrow were among the best in Hartland City, but he couldn''t shoot properly after injuring his hand three years ago. "That scoundrel says he can heal it?" "The Temple of War''s information claims he can," Lord Joanne sighed: "So, for now, endure a bit longer. Don''t go after that kid. If Barren''s hand can really be healed, I''ll approach the Spring Temple and have them release Roman to treat his injury. Even if the temple is strict, they wouldn''t deny treatment, right?" The woman gradually stopped crying. But then, she became anxious: "What if he refuses to treat him? Before, I mean..." Recalling the conscriptions, dragging people to the temple, each thing added up to antagonizing someone. If that scoundrel held a grudge, refusing to help, what then? That''s why, why did you try to get someone to attack him... Lord Joanne wanted to sigh again. However, the woman was his lover, and Roman, although a bastard, was still his. He was the only knight among his illegitimate children, usually quite amiable and cared for. He had to care for him at least a bit. "It''s okay, I''m here." He softly reassured: "If Barren''s hand can''t be healed, then so be it. But if it can, I''ll ask for help from the Temple of War. With the temple and the lord''s mansion behind it, that kid wouldn''t dare to refuse treatment." --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Garrett''s days settled into a temporary calm. He nestled quietly in the Mage Tower, reading, memorizing incantations, and studying magic. Two days later, he mastered the Spark spell, and another two days after that, he successfully executed the Mage Hand. The following days consisted of mental exercises through meditation and refining his control of the Mage Hand. But most importantly Every day, he sought opportunities to cast the detection spell three times, trying to see if he could find that magical glint capable of revealing bones through the human body. In a blink, half a month had passed. Garrett was once again summoned to the Temple of the God of War. This time, with the cooperation of priests and knights, he completed a surgery unprecedented in this world. The suturing of the flexor tendons on the radial side of the right wrist. He wore a makeshift surgical gown that had been steamed for half an hour and recently dried, along with gloves fashioned from intestines. Assistants stood across from him, and someone passed instruments from the side. Overhead, within a meter-wide disc, scattered white lights shone down. Upon closer inspection, they were all illumination spells conjured on-site by the priests...The source of this content nov(el)bi((n)) This was what surgery looked like! Compared to those crude abdominal surgeries in the wilderness, the difference was vast! It''s really better to be in the right place at the right time. Garrett breathed in the air of the temple happily. Well, the scent wasn''t particularly pleasant, and there were too many people around, with rather strong body odors... Priests from the Temple of the God of War, priest apprentices, knights with enough experience and curiosity, besides assisting him, all crowded into the hall. They brought chairs, tables, and piled up stools. They encircled the operating table in three concentric rings, from the inside out and from low to high. Seeing them huddling and straining to get a glimpse of the surgery, Garrett wanted to say: "Please don''t fall! And if you do, please don''t land on the operating table and disrupt my surgery..." But not everyone was allowed in. Sir Flynn, Sir Westlow, and other friends of Barron were pushed outside the hall, craning their necks to catch a glimpse. Sir Flynn even shouted: "Little Garrett, please!" "I got it!" Garrett shouted back. Preparing the skin, disinfecting with strong alcohol, applying a tourniquethe did it all himself, nodding to the bald Bishop across. With clasped hands, the Bishop murmured a prayer: "All-powerful God of War, please be merciful to your faithful, and spare them from feeling pain..." As soon as he finished speaking, a lattice of white light fixed the Knight Barron to the operating table. The knight''s head tilted, almost immediately drifting off to sleep. Garrett: "..." Even though it wasn''t the first time he had seen it, he genuinely wanted to ask: Is this a numbing spell, hypnosis, or some kind of magical confinement? It didn''t matter what method was used. They had previously experimented on live pigs. During the surgery, the pig remained completely still, not struggling at all, not even tensing its muscles. A thunderous boom. Garrett didn''t turn back. It sounded like the guy who threw up was thrown out of the circle directly from the table... Seriously, isn''t your Temple of the God of War quite violent? He continued his careful operation. Avoiding blood vessels and nerves, he hooked each muscle. Then, murmuring incantations, he employed the Mage Hand to pull sideways. But it wouldn''t budge. According to the "Basics of Spells," the Mage Hand magic could move objects weighing no more than five pounds. But now, it seemed the force required to pull the hook was exceeding that limit... Garrett inwardly broke into a cold sweat. He handed the hooks to the assistants, instructing them to pull. Meanwhile, he continued to search, finding the contracted radial side wrist flexor deep within the muscle. He clamped the tendon''s end with tissue forceps. Everything went smoothly until Garrett encountered his first obstacle. I pull I pull I can''t pull it! Damn it, just like last time with the chest decompression, I couldn''t puncture the chest, and now, when stretching the tendon, I can''t stretch the muscle? Are the knights in this world really so physically powerful! Relaxation, I need relaxation! However, in this otherworldly place devoid of pharmaceuticals, there was no place even if he had money to buy muscle relaxants... Garrett subconsciously glanced backward. In his accustomed direction from his past life, where an anesthetist should be, there were only layers of tables, chairs, and priests in white robes standing on them. As for the one who actually assumed the responsibility of the anesthetist... Garrett had an idea. He clenched the middle of the forceps with his right hand, released the left, and pointed the forceps handle towards the bald Bishop: "Hold onto this and pull back! I''ll say stop when to stop! One, two, three! Hey, stop stop stop stop stop!" I''ve ended up with this Bishop doubling as a knight! The radial side wrist flexor that I couldn''t budge, he straightened in an instant! Garrett wiped off a bead of sweat discreetly. Thankfully, with the Bishop''s every command corresponding to an action, he stopped as soon as Garrett signaled, without pulling a millimeter more. His robust arms stabilized and meticulously aligned the other end of the severed tendon, adjusting its shape, and joined both ends together. Then, with both hands raised in front of his chest, palms facing outward, assuming the preparatory posture of a surgeon, concentrating his mind, he silently recited: "The well-being of one depends on the trust of another" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 58 Chapter 58 A white light fell from his fingertips. The severed tendons wriggled a bit, almost reaching out to connect again. Garrett stared intently, quietly thrilled. Suturing had always been one of the trickiest parts of tendon surgery. Every needle placement, every tug of the thread, influenced the healing outcome. Let alone using 4-0 or 5-0 threads, sewing down to 10-0, they had to possess sufficient tensile strength. A curved needle with a 100 diameter required a precise 23-degree angle, no more, no less. The needle''s body had to curve perfectly but maintain a square cross-section for easy handling. With the world''s industrial level, Garrett doubted they''d achieve this in the next decade. But now, there was healing magic! No need for stitches! No more squinting through microscopes to sew six or eight stitches on a 1-millimeter blood vessel! Though he''d practiced stitching on oranges and grapes since university, it seemed all for naught. But it felt good! Under the white light, the tendons gradually began to fuse. Strand by strand... Stopped. Was the healing insufficient? During simulations, whether it was pigs or sheep, tendon healing had been a breeze! Garrett paused to think, surmising that the knight''s vitality demanded more energy for tendon healing. Alright, let''s try again! Another burst of white light, tendons growing... Stopped again. Trying to push more healing, he started feeling dizzy, temples throbbing. Familiar from his days as a mage apprentice: mental exhaustion, unable to cast spells... Low levels were truly a bummer. Even for a small tendon suture, alone, he couldn''t finish it all... Garrett signaled decisively. The lead physician, having completed the critical part, handed over the rest to the assistants. Bald Bishop! Time for your entrance! The Bishop''s move was impressive indeed. A fine, dense white light descended, and in an instant, the severed tendons were restored to their original state, not a trace of damage. Garrett tugged, muscles stretched, tendons firmly connecting muscle to bone, no sign of any rupture. It moved! It worked! "I''m all better!" Sir Barron roared. In that moment, Garrett felt the temple shake, the roof tremble, dust lightly falling... Even more terrifying, right after that roar, Sir Barron turned to embrace him. Garrett instinctively stepped back: "Wait! Wait, wait, wait! Let me check if your hand can exert force! Let''s do a... muscle... strength... test..." Garrett''s voice tapered off, gradually fading. Sir Barron looked left and right, gripped the table''s edge with his right hand, muscles taut, and exerted force! ...Nothing moved. That operating table was firmly fixed to the ground... Garrett felt a tad embarrassed. Sir Barron, however, remained composed, grabbing a curved hook, clutching it in his left hand, holding the bent part with his right, and pulled with all his might! "Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh!" The metallic creaking sounds, Garrett''s carefully drawn diagram, the specially crafted hook, all got straightened by Sir Barron... "Don''t, that''s mine..." He stared at Sir Barron, Sir Barron stared back, utterly innocent. After a moment, the knight dropped the hook, rushed forward, and hugged Garrett tightly, tears streaming: "I''m healed! My hand''s healed! It''s healed, ahhh" Garrett struggled to turn away from the commotion. Suddenly, he felt himself lifted high into the air. Sir Barron, Sir Flynn, Sir Westlow, and the other familiar temple knights, all joined in, catching him, tossing him, catching again, and tossing once more... "Put me down! Put me down! Don''t toss me around here! There are scalpelshelp!" In the temple, Garrett''s cries of distress echoed, lingering in the halls. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 59 Chapter 59 "Have you heard? Baron Knight''s hand has healed!" "Did you hear? That knight who injured his hand three years ago and couldn''t draw a bow again, his hand''s healed!" "Is it true that it was healed at the Temple of the War God?" "It seems the Bishop healed him..." "Oh, your sources are terribly out of touch! I heard it was done by a little lad. Even the Bishop takes orders from him, does whatever he says..." The news of Baron Knight''s old injury healing spread through Hartland City like wildfire. Those who were injured themselves, or had loved ones suffering, even those whose treatments hadn''t worked well, regardless of whether they were warriors or not, everyone was intrigued. Even Lord Joane, the city lord, summoned Baron Knight once and thoroughly inquired about his healing process. Three days later, Bald Bishop sent a letter asking Garrett if he could heal Roman Knight''s hand. The answer was a firm no. Without a doubt. "He refuses to heal? He outright refuses!" Roman Knight roared in his room. He was only put in the penance chamber as a formality, got gifts in just a couple of days, and the High Priestess of the Spring Goddess released him. Those places, silent and lightless, where knights below Level 10 spent half a month, drove anyone crazy. Yet, even then, he wasn''t allowed to step outside the temple, not even the rear temple, confined to a small room for self-reflection. If not for his mother''s letters that frequently arrived, he might have gone mad long ago. "I''ll kill himI swear I''ll kill him! Yes, I''ll write a letter now, tell my mother to send someone to kill him!" Mother and son were in sync. The middle-aged woman, Roman Knight''s mother, was currently raging in the city lord''s mansion. This time, she didn''t bother with pretenses, pacing in the mansion''s small guest room, knocking down ornaments in frustration: "These commoners are just thatcommon! I''ve been patient enough. I said if he heals Roman, I won''t pursue it, but this despicable fellow dares to refuse! I''ll kill him! I will definitely kill him!" The steward bent lower. Creaking, it felt like his bones were audible. Oh, my old waist... I should visit the temple another day. Can''t afford healing but catching some divine light during prayers would soothe me for a few days! The middle-aged woman''s expression grew darker. She gently waved her fan, opening and closing the feathered fan. The crimson rouge was deeply embedded among the feathers, as if throttling an enemy''s neck. "Click," the fan bone snapped, and suddenly, the woman said: "That commoner, is he a healer?" "Yes." "The Divine Emissary of the Nature God?" "Well... he said that himself... but it must be true! Both the city guards and the temple guards have heard of it!" "Then why has he never gone to worship?" The steward was at a loss for words. The middle-aged woman suddenly stood up, pacing in the room, her tone growing more urgent: "That''s it! He either stays in the Mage Tower or hangs around the Temple of the War God. All this time, he''s never worshipped the Nature God! He never speaks like those priests, always talking about ''Nature God''he never says such things! This Divine Emissary of his is definitely a sham!" "But, the Nature God... doesn''t have a temple..." "No temple doesn''t mean no followers! The worshippers of the Nature God roam the streets. It''s hard in the upper city, but in the slums, wouldn''t it be easier to find them! If not, just find a random hill outside the city, as long as there''s a ring of stones, you''ll definitely stumble upon them! That commoner relied on his healing arts, first got in with the Temple of the War God, then pleased the city guards, but never once sought out the followers of the Nature God. His Divine Emissary status is a sham, he''s guilty!" Snap, crackle, a few consecutive crisp sounds. The fan''s bones shattered, and even the feathers were torn off in pieces, filling the room with emerald and gold, fluttering everywhere. The woman stamped the floor, her voice excited, eyes gleaming: "Find the worshippers of the Nature God! Relay this message to them! No church tolerates a false Divine Emissary; it''s disrespectful, blasphemous! Pass the message on, the worshippers of the Nature God will definitely take down that lad!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 60 Chapter 60 God of Nature? Garrett had long forgotten about that. These days, he was cooped up in the Mage Tower, diving into magic studies with fervor. Meditation, memorizing incantations, perusing basic texts, learning magic Magic was so much fun! Ah, this Dance of Lights creates four light sources that float around. With a few more, couldn''t one create a handheld lamp without shadows? Oh, this Frost Beam, perfect for making ice in summer. If only it could drop the temperature a bit more, I could make some exquisite ice cream! Hmm, this Spark spell is good too, producing strong light. But using fireflies as the casting material harms the ecosystem. I need to research if there''s an alternative... Garrett was immersed in his studies. But there were two slight concerns: Firstly, his mental capacity had hit a plateau. After casting spells five times a day, he hit a wall; no progress. Secondly, his research into magical detection, or X-ray spells, hadn''t budged. He scoured every inch of the Mage Tower except the core. Despite the search, he couldn''t find a spell capable of revealing bones. Every day, he questioned life itself: Do the laws of physics in this world differ from my previous life''s? Or do I need radioactive materials? But if I find them, can my frail body handle it? Every day was spent eating, sleeping, and researching in the Mage Tower. There wasn''t a line but a single point. If he checked his daily trajectory with a mobile, he''d only see a solitary dot... Comfortable, dreamy, a life of contentment! But this time, Garrett was kicked out of the Mage Tower to patrol the nearby Tarl Village. It fell under the Mage Tower''s jurisdiction, or more accurately, the Magic Council''s ownership. Although rent collection didn''t require personal intervention, monthly patrols were necessary to assert the village''s affiliation. At least the Mage needed to make an appearance...Read latest chapters at novelhall.com Only Naturally, this mundane task, useless for magical research, fell onto Garrett, the lowest-ranked and newest mage apprentice. Riding an old horse, swaying gently, he followed the gatekeeper towards Tarl Village. The horse was docile, requiring no effort from Garrett. Lost in thought, he meandered along the path. Suddenly, a loud scream echoed from nearby! Garrett: !!! Someone''s injured? Where? Is it severe? He sprinted towards the sound. Arriving, he found a middle-aged man lying under a small cliff, pale-faced, with a twisted left leg. A woven basket lay five or six steps away, its rope dangling loosely. One end was tied around his waist, now just a meter long, roughly cut. The other end hung from the cliff, seemingly snapped while he was working there. A fall from a height. Left leg fracture. Possibly accompanied by other fractures or internal injuries. Garrett glanced and swiftly concluded. He crouched beside the man, pressing his right wrist: "You fell from up there? Anyone else nearby? Do you live nearby?" No other visible injuries on the body''s surface. Abdominal pressing, no significant pain in the upper left abdomen... upper midsection... upper right abdomen... Just as he finished checking, footsteps echoed from the nearby mountain path. Garrett glanced and saw an elderly man, one hand holding a staff, the other leading the farmer who had gone to call for help earlier. The elder sprinted so swiftly that even his deep brown robe billowed behind, easily carrying a hefty man of 180 pounds as if he were weightless. This old guy''s impressive! Garrett silently praised. Around him, the farmers bowed unevenly: "Elder!" "Elder!" "Elder, save me! Save me!" The injured man struggled. Garrett shouted at him, pressing him down and continuing his examination. "Who are you?" The old man arrived, placing the farmer beside Garrett, leaning over to check the injured man. Without lifting his head, Garrett replied: "Garrett Nordmark." "You''re Garrett?" The elder''s voice fluctuated slightly. Before Garrett could answer, the elder crouched, checking the area around the patient''s tourniquet: "You set this up? Clever thinking! Alright, step aside now, I''ll fix this leg!" He can heal a fracture with a single healing spell? He''s way better than me! Garrett glanced aside. Yet, when he saw the elder reaching out, he instinctively dodged, yelling: "Don''t move him!" The elder paused. Garrett''s rebuttal came out in rapid succession: "I haven''t finished examining! Do you know if he has any internal injuries?" The elder hesitated. After a moment of silence, he asked: "I''ve treated people with broken legs. Sometimes, the leg heals, but a few days later, they die. Could it be internal injuries?" "It''s possible..." Garrett murmured. There were many reasons for deaths from falls. Internal ruptures, brain damage, or, if luck wasn''t on your side, a ruptured aorta. Without seeing the patient, who knew what situation you''d encounter? "How do we check?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 61 Chapter 61 How do you examine a ruptured organ? It''s a question that, explored in detail, could fill an entire book. X-rays, ultrasounds, CT scans, abdominal puncturesif applicable, exploratory laparotomy... In clinical practice, there are countless methods and tools available to aid doctors in diagnosis. However, here in this otherworldly realm, facing this elderly healer, Garrett could only respond, "Physical examination!" "How do you examine?" the healer inquired. "Pay attention. For abdominal examination, basic palpation is crucial. Different positions correspond to different internal organs... Upper left abdomen..." Garrett elaborated at length. The white-haired elder leaned in, listening intently, almost eager to jot down notes. Garrett deliberately slowed his pace, ensuring clarity in demonstration while explaining, "When palpating the liver, your right hand''s three fingers should be together, palm flat, index and middle fingers parallel to the rib margin on the right side of the navel... Breathe... Hmm, no obvious signs of pain... Let''s continue to check the spleen..." The elder nodded, his gaze focused, lips moving slightly, as if reciting a lecture. Garrett continued the examination in one go, "Preliminary judgment: no apparent ruptured organs; spine shape normal, no significant curvature or deformity; no obvious head trauma, no hematoma, left arm... right arm..." Excellent, excellent! Aside from temporarily being unable to inspect and wait for the impending organ damage, the only issue to address was the open fracture in the left leg! Garrett was greatly excited. Shifting slightly on the ground, he felt around the skin at both ends of the fracture, then stood up, saying, "Alright, only the left leg needs treatment now" He glanced at the elder. Seeing the elderly man with flowing white hair, vitality in his eyes, arms sturdy enough to knock out a bear, something clicked in Garrett''s mind, and he cast a detection spell casually, "Oh" Garrett exclaimed. It was so bright! Especially the stick in the old man''s hand, shining in his meditation vision like a 500-watt high-pressure sodium lamp! Instinctively, Garrett raised his hand to shield his eyes. As he did so, he suddenly froze, reaching towards the wooden staff and trembling as he covered it with his palm: He could see it! Through the magical radiance emitted by the wooden staff, the bones in his palm and fingers were vividly visible, section by section! Finally, he found it! A variant of the detection magic, an X-ray techniquehe had finally found it! Garrett stared in astonishment at his palm. In a previous life, if he had seen this visual effect, he would have dashed away as fast as possiblenobody wanted to play with X-rays for no reason. But now, seeing the magical radiance penetrating his palm, he felt as if he''d found the most precious treasure! In this world with a hodgepodge of elements, for a surgeon, X-rays were priceless! The white-haired elder looked at Garrett with a smile. He took a step back, and Garrett stepped forward; he turned the wooden staff, and Garrett followed suitstill mindful not to step on the injured person lying beneath them. Until the detection magic''s effect expired, the magical radiance vanished, and Garrett jolted, snapping back to reality, "I..." Garrett''s eyes sparkled. This skill was genuinely usefullasting an hour, every second, it could clean a cubic foot of objects. Perfect for washing flasks, test tubes, or sterilizing surgical instrumentsit was an unparalleled tool! Just not sure about its sterilization effects... Might do a bacterial culture test another day... Observing the sharp knife for a moment, Garrett made a cut. Before the white-haired elder could express astonishment, Garrett''s knife moved swiftly, exposing the blood vessels. With a swift movement, semi-transparent forceps with a faint shimmer appeared in the air, swiftly clamping the slightly shriveled blood vessels. "Mage Hand?" The elder was astonished for the second time, "Using Mage Hand like this? What are you doing?" "Clamping the blood vessels... Alright, the tourniquet on the leg wound can be loosened now..." Garrett replied matter-of-factly. He set down the knife, cleaned the area with a damp cloth as best as he could, then smiled at the elder, "Next, I''ll need your help." "What do you want me to do?" The elder generously patted his chest. Garrett nodded in gratitude, "Place your wooden staff behind the leg. Find two people to hold both sides of the injured leg. When I say ''pull,'' pull to each side. When I say ''stop,'' please follow my instructions to realign the bone!" "You... won''t dislocate it?" "Absolutely not!" Garrett was confident, "Yes, I have a spell that allows me to see how the bone is inside the flesh!" "One, two, three, pull!" Creaking and groaning, the muscles were forcibly stretched, emitting extremely unpleasant sounds. Garrett wasted no time in activating the detection magic. In his meditative sight, radiant white light pierced through the muscles, revealing the bent, ruptured, and broken bones. Garrett fixed his gaze on the fracture: "Keep pulling, keep pulling, alright, stop!" He rushed forward, gripping each end of the fracture, striving to push it back into its rightful position. Oh, it''s so heavy! I''m not an orthopedic surgeon! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Bone-setting? Garrett decided not to exert this much effort. Actually, if he really gritted his teeth, he might be able to push it. After all, his original body was a first-level warrior. Whether it was strength or combat power, it was much stronger than a commoner. But why? I''m a mage! I''m an elegant mage! I''ve already changed my profession; I''m not a warrior or a physical occupation anymore! I should just wave my wand and chant spells. Anything over five pounds that a mage''s hands can''t lift should be left for someone else to carry!Read latest chapters at novelhall.com Only He stepped back, making room, gesturing for the white-haired old man to grip both broken ends. With someone as strong as him, who could lift a person with just one hand and run as fast as the wind, why should Garrett exert himself? Magic shone brightly. Garrett placed his hands on the old man''s hands, gently pushing and pulling, guiding the old man''s strength while constantly giving commands: "Move forward a bit, a bit more, good, retract your right hand, no, move back a bit, good! Aim! Slowly bring it closer, closer! Stop! Wait!" The muscles on the old man''s arm tensed silently. He turned his head, looking strangely at Garrett. Garrett awkwardly smiled at him. The duration of the magic detection ended... This thing is too short. For every spell cast, depending on the mage''s level, it only lasts 1 minute per level. Garrett was currently an apprentice mage, considered 0.5 level. When he cast a detection spell, it only lasted for 30 seconds... Garrett took a few breaths, closed his eyes, and focused again. The magical light shone once more, revealing the fractured bones in his meditation vision, guiding the direction of the bone-setting. Garrett pushed and pulled with his hands, commanded incessantly, while the white-haired old man cooperated well. Before another 30 seconds elapsed, they managed to realign the fractured tibia and fibula that had jutted out. "Done..." Garrett let go, plopping down to the ground. The consequences of casting four spells in a short time finally emerged: a throbbing headache, buzzing in his head, and aching temples. Garrett closed his eyes, resting on his own, only to hear the old man''s astonishment: "Perfect! How did you do it?" "I can see... with magic..." Garrett weakly replied. He immediately heard the next question: "What''s next? What should we do?" Garrett really wanted to say, "Toss a healing spell and leave me alone." But with the patient lying there, finer treatment would yield better outcomes. He couldn''t help but struggle to sit up and direct. Garrett opened his eyes, struggled to sit up straight, and leaned forward to look: "Wait a moment..." Luckily, the duration of the mage''s hand hadn''t ended yet. Garrett strained to focus and continued manipulating the spell. In a moment, the two main blood vessels were slowly pulled out and brought together. Garrett looked bitter. He tilted his head up weakly, looking at the old man: "I''ve run out of spells..." Currently, Garrett''s mental strength allowed him to cast five zero-level spells in a day. He had already used them all: three variations of detection spells similar to X-rays, one mage''s hand, and one magic trick. If he wanted to cast another one, his only option was: to wait until tomorrow. Oh, and he still needed a good eight hours of sleep that night. ...So, mages really aren''t meant for pulling all-nighters. Thank goodness, no need for 996. Finished? A hint of a smile flickered in the old man''s eyes. From the information received earlier, this young man was still an apprentice mage, and had just become one. Seeing five consecutive magic fluctuations after they met, it was indeed that he''d run out of spells and couldn''t cast any more... He took out a small bottle from his belt. After some thought, he put it back and reached for another one, handing it to Garrett: "Just drink a drop." A thin bottle, as long as a fingertip and as thick as a thumb. Garrett took it and looked inside: the mouth was sealed with a wooden stopper, and the liquid inside shimmered with a green glow, very pleasing to the eye. But this is green! Life potions are red, magic potions are blue, what''s with this green? It couldn''t be poison, could it?! He looked to the old man for help but got no answer. Removing the stopper, he first waved the bottle''s opening in the air with his palm, then cautiously sniffed it. A cool breath surged in, making Garrett''s nose tingle; he almost sneezed. ...Seems like it''s not poison? And, my mind feels a bit fresher! Garrett''s eyes brightened. Following the old man''s instructions, he carefully tilted the bottle and tried to take only a drop... Couldn''t you provide a dropper for such a small dose? It''s so easy to accidentally drink it all! A drop of coolness exploded on his tongue, rapidly spreading. Filling his mouth, rushing up his nasal cavity, and spreading into his brain. Garrett shivered, the exhaustion and dizziness from casting spells disappearing instantly. "I''m good again!" He jumped up. "Hold his foot, get ready, I''ll cast the spell!" In the meditative environment, the bright magical light flashed once more. Garrett and the old man collaborated to reset the patient''s bone, completing the treatment. While the patient and family expressed immense gratitude, the old man seemed indifferent, grabbing Garrett and slipping away from the crowd. Seeing Garrett following him very cooperatively, the old man patted his shoulder contentedly, smiling as he asked: "You''re the one who received the divine inspiration from the God of Nature, right?" Received the message, next week''s trial run is coming. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Garrett''s smile froze immediately. Oh no, oh no, darn it! Lies have their moment, but the truth comes to light! Why did I even tell that lie? Why did I blame it on the cult of the Nature God? He carefully examined the old man''s attire. Deep brown robe, oak staff, robust physique, and a kind demeanor. In every aspect, he looked like a devotee of the God of Nature. The villagers even called him the elder... He''s the leader of the cult! He stumbled into the hands of their big boss! What should he do? Would he be considered blasphemous? Would he be burned? Or worse, not by fire but by bears, wild boars, leopards, or something, buried under an oak tree? Garrett opened his mouth, trying to defend himself, but not a word came out. The old man still looked at him with a smile, like a bear observing a beehive from a distance, seemingly harmless at first glancebut appearances could be deceiving. Garrett broke into a cold sweat. Run away, justify, denycountless thoughts swirled in his mind, but finally, gritting his teeth, he decided to tell the truth outright: "I was just boasting at the time..." He honestly recounted the situation. Uncle Karen was severely injured, and miraculously, he grasped a healing spell. To prevent his comrades from worrying, he pretended it was a divine revelation... "I just... thought the God of Nature was more noble, and the cult was accommodating..." The old man''s eyes widened more and more as he looked at Garrett, as if witnessing something incredibly bizarreapparently, he hadn''t expected someone''s imagination to stretch that far. Suddenly, he threw his head back and burst into hearty laughter.Read latest chapters at novelhall.com Only Hey, is it that funny? My tongue''s almost visible! Garrett nervously shifted his feet. Oh no, even though the elder seemed to be in a good mood and might not necessarily pursue this to the end, it seemed he was going to become part of their dark history... The old man was still looking down at him, laughing like a bear that had just had a bellyful of honey and heard that the bee colony was willing to provide regular offerings. Sunlight streamed from behind him, casting a huge shadow over Garrett, rivaling the shadow of the nearby oak tree. Garrett quietly took a step back, then another. Crack! He accidentally stepped on an acorn, crushing it... "A few days ago, I heard about a young mage who claimed to have received a divine revelation." The old man suddenly spoke. Garrett''s heart skipped a beat, listening as the elder slowly continued: Garrett hurried to catch up. Elder Elwin walked up the hill, gazing at the village''s smoke not far away. Suddenly, he asked Garrett: "What is your belief?" "..." "What gives you the power to concentrate your will and cast healing spells?" Garrett fell silent for a moment. Standing beside Elder Elwin, he gazed at the children running around the village, the elderly bent over working, and the bustling life below, murmuring softly: "Health is crucial, entrusted lives" "What?" "Those who taught us medicine told us." Garrett recounted slowly. In this distant realm, when all mentors and colleagues were separated by different planes, recalling the teachings and vows from years ago filled him with immense emotion: "They said our mission is to save lives and care for their health. Patients entrust their lives to us, their health depends on us. So, we must never fail this mission, no matter what..." These teachings and vows were too solemn and serious. Elder Elwin carefully pondered them, a bit absentmindedly, silent for a long while: What kind of people would make such vows and teach disciples with such principles? After a long while, he came back to himself and spoke softly: "So, would you claim to have received a divine revelation from our God, to convey His prophecy?" Convey a prophecy?! Garrett shuddered. In his mind flashed an image: acting like a possessed individual, convulsing on the ground, speaking in a weird voice, claiming to be possessed by some divine entity, speaking gibberish... Absolutely not! Garrett vehemently shook his head: "I wouldn''t! Absolutely not!" Elder Elwin chuckled. Although he didn''t know what Garrett was thinking, this kind of hair-raising reaction, aside from being resolute, was quite endearing. He extended a hand to pat Garrett gently, calming him down, and spoke seriously: "Your beliefs and principles don''t conflict with the cult''s. So, if you''re willing to understand the teachings and blessings of the God of Nature, and if you find them acceptable, would you join us, and let us also learn your healing methods?" "I would love to!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Garrett found his way intoor rather, joinedthe congregation of the God of Nature and became a disciple of Elder Elwin. Of course, being a disciple was merely a verbal change in address, devoid of any ceremony or grand invitations for guests to witness. Garrett wasn''t one to boast, and Elder Elwin was astute enough to sense something amiss from the news about the Prophet. So, he let Garrett go that day and visited Mage Gelman alone at the Mage Tower the next day to express his intentions. "What? You want to take Garrett as your disciple?" Mage Gelman was so astonished his eyes nearly popped out. Leaning forward, his crimson robe ballooned into a lifebuoy. Fortunately, there were no buttons on his robe; otherwise, a few might have popped off immediately. "I know he''s a healer, but..." But does that warrant you personally taking him as your disciple? "Hey, this kid is quite interesting," Elder Elwin chuckled, his white eyebrows twitching. "He''s come up with some new twists on two tricks. Haven''t you seen them? Surprisingly, these two new tricks are quite useful in healing..." Mage Gelman: ??? Are you learning magic just for healing? How much do you love healing magic? If you fancy it so much, why not become a priest instead? What''s your motive in studying at the Mage Tower? Despite saying that, Mage Gelman became curious and asked Garrett to demonstrate. The Mage Hand didn''t pique the interest of the esteemed mage much; he deemed it as "just a finer control," but the Detect Magic spell caught his attention. In his meditation sight, Garrett''s hand covered the oak staff, bone by bone, joint by joint, vividly clear. "It''s really useful!" Mage Gelman rose and approached the oak staff, casting a spell himself. Bright magical light unfolded in his meditation sight as he reached out, covered, and observed... "I can''t see clearly!"Read latest chapters at novelhall.com Only Mage Gelman frowned. In his meditation sight, the magical light couldn''t penetrate his skin, barely illuminating the edges of his fingertips. The visual effect was akin to placing a palm under the scorching sun and attempting to glance at it. "I can''t see clearly either." Elder Elwin stood shoulder to shoulder with him, extending his hand in the same manner. "I tried this magic hastily last night, on myself and others from the congregation. The conclusion is, for those five levels lower than me, I can see with this staff." "Five levels..." Mage Gelman was moved. Elder Elwin had carried this oak staff through thick and thin for decades, nurturing it with his own energy. The God of Nature''s teachings had a distinctive feature in nurturing extraordinary items. This personal staff could almost be assumed to be on par with the elder himself. He said it takes being five levels lower to see clearly. Did that mean, for items of five levels or more above, the magical light could only penetrate the bones of commoners or at most apprentice mages? But not to mention commoners, even apprentice mages wouldn''t encounter high-level magical items more than a few times in their lifetime! "Such magic... do you find it useful?" "Very much so!" Elder Elwin nodded, his white beard fluttering as he laughed jovially. "It can help many people! Ah, after all this talk, you haven''t said whether you agree or not!" Mage Gelman: "..." Have there been any transmigrants in this world? If there have been transmigrants, why does everything still seem so primitive and ignorant, advancing only from sparks to flame orbs and fireball spells? Garrett''s mind wandered limitlessly. Elder Elwin tapped the table impatiently: "Quickly, quickly! Grab a pen and write down what I said!" "Got it!" Garrett jumped up and dashed to get one. Case studies! Fresh case studies! Fresh clinical cases! When it comes to writing papers, aside from theoretical basis and data deduction, the most lacking aspect is detailed case studies! And he didn''t have to go around looking for people, attempting hard with his pitiful five daily attempts at spellcasting! This was great! Garrett looked up: "Elder, should I add you as a co-author?... Ah! Don''t hit me if you don''t agree!" Elder Elwin stayed in the Mage Tower''s second-floor single rooms for several days. During this time, the old man stuffed Garrett''s mind with all the teachings of the God of Nature, prayers, the methods of divine magic, and all the knowledge an aspiring priest should know. Garrett learned as if his life depended on it. However, the old man wasn''t any better off: when Garrett was dizzy from memorizing teachings, history, and prayers of the God of Nature, every time he turned around, the old man was there, staring at his anatomical drawings, with disheveled white hair, eyebrows furrowed, eyes fixed: "The left ventricle connects to the aorta, the right ventricle connects to the pulmonary artery, the left atrium connects to the pulmonary vein, the right atrium connects to the superior and inferior vena cava... the left ventricle..." Garrett watched him repeat it three times in a row, then extended his hand, placed it on the paper, and spread his five fingers: "Where does the left atrium connect?" The old man looked at him dumbfounded, like a bear waking up from hibernation and not realizing the beehive next door was gone. Garrett silently recited the words in his mind for him: "...Marshmallow?" Hang in there! Let''s both endure this! The stuff you''re teaching me could be memorized in half a month, but what you''re trying to memorize? Heh, I spent seven years learning it in my past life! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 65 Chapter 65 After three days of intense study in the Mage Tower, the old man quietly slipped away, holding onto the materials Garrett had given him. Nearly half a month passed before he reappeared, tested Garrett once, confirmed his progress, and then briskly dragged him out. "Hey, where are we going?" Garrett struggled while walking. "It''s getting dark!" "To the congregation of the guild!" The old man eased his grip, shifting to a supportive hold under Garrett''s arm. Almost lifting him off the ground, they moved forward. "The guild gathers monthly, always on the night of the new moon. Did you study the book I gave you? Today happens to be a new moon, so I''ll introduce you to them. It''ll be helpful for everyone to assist each other in the future." Meetings of the Nature God''s congregation mostly took place on moderately elevated hills. Guided by Elder Elwin, Garrett arrived at sunset, just as the new moon ascended. Elwin finally said, "We''re here!" Releasing his hold, Garrett staggered, feet landing on the ground. He found himself halfway up the hill, surrounded by dense oak trees. Birds returned to their nests, chirping intermittently, their species unknown. The ground was layered with fallen leaves and delicate grass, as though no one had been here for centuries... "Hey!" Garrett was anxious. "Where is here? There isn''t even a proper path!" "Up to the mountaintop! You walk by yourself!" Elder Elwin had already started climbing, agile and steady, without even needing his oak staff. Garrett had no choice but to follow, stumbling and struggling. Amidst his efforts, he conjured a few light spells to illuminate the way, finally reaching the mountaintop. A clear space atop the hill was enclosed by waist-high stones in a large circle, about ten meters in diameter. Inside the circle, a pile of campfires burned, while several men and women in long robes leaned on oak staffs outside. As Garrett panted, following the Elder, everyone''s curiosity was piqued, all eyes fixed on him. However, Elder Elwin didn''t introduce Garrett. He placed him at one end of the circle and entered it himself. In the firelight, the old man, with a flowing white beard and his staff firmly planted, spoke solemnly: "Today, we gather here to worship the great Nature God..." "Praise be to our God..." Everyone bowed their heads respectfully, echoing the Elder''s words, praying together: "You are the protector of nature, the guardian of forests and animals... You bestow life upon all things, enriching the world..." Garrett had managed to memorize these prayers. Though he lacked an oak staff, he followed suit, murmuring the prayers. He recited them fairly well, with occasional stumbles but not enough to break the immersion. Glancing around during the prayer, he noticed the closer individuals were younger, with fewer embroidered green leaves on their robes. Conversely, the more distant ones were older, their robes adorned with three, four, and even five leaves. Oh, so I''m the youngest here... Garrett lowered his head, mechanically reciting the prayers, glancing at his own robe. ...I rushed out today without changing, still wearing my mage robes. Perfect. "Order! One at a time! - Garrett, you first!" With a slight pause, Garrett took the chance, darting through the crowd, climbing atop a stone, and shouted: "To practice bone setting? ... Practice on animals! Sheep! Dogs! Rabbits! Anything works!" "But there aren''t that many injured animals!" "You won''t break their bones, will you!" Garrett responded matter-of-factly. The followers of the Nature God fell silent simultaneously, the Elder''s oak staff deeply embedded in the earth. Inside and outside the stone circle, there was only heavy breathing and the rustle of wind through the oak trees. After a while, the previously inquisitive beauty spoke up: "Harming innocent animals?... But that contradicts our beliefs!" What? Beliefs? What are your beliefs exactly? You worship the Nature God, not Buddhism prohibiting killing, so why can''t you even conduct animal experiments? Does that mean no dissecting either? With so many "can''ts," how do you gain surgical proficiency? Did I choose the wrong affiliation? Perhaps joining the Temple of the War God would''ve been better... Garrett Nordmark, the naturalist priest apprentice who stumbled in with rote memorization, was utterly baffled... --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Garrett stared at the priests.Read latest chapters at novelhall.com Only The priests stared back at him. About a dozen people stood below, voices overlapping, creating a ruckus; one person stood above, clenching fists and waving arms. Ignoring numbers and focusing on intensity, it was like a leopard perched on a tree while a pack of wolves below howled, as if wanting to tear the leopard apart. ...Ah, still just a young leopard. Absolutely no match. Garrett compared his own strength to the others'', sadly reaching a conclusion. "Cough, everyone, please calm down." Elder Elwin Wilkinson observed the commotion until now and finally paused his oak staff, speaking up. Given his age and highest rank among the priests, everyone respected him and quieted down, stepping aside. Elder Elwin beckoned Garrett with a friendly gesture, saying, "Young Garrett, I''ve only taught you for a few days, and there are some details I haven''t had the chance to tell you. We are servants of the natural gods, honoring and protecting nature, befriending trees, animals, and plants. Harming innocent animals goes against our beliefs." Oh? There''s this rule too? The nature gods didn''t tell me this? ...Oh right, I''m just a fake prophet... Garrett wiped a bead of sweat. Pondering for a moment, he cautiously raised a finger, suggesting, "So... if we don''t catch wild rabbits, would you prefer raising them yourselves?" "Garrett!!!" He took a step forward, standing on the edge of a stone, raising a hand high. With all eyes on him, he bent the first finger, "First rule, substitution. Use a rabbit''s leg instead of the live rabbit, a rabbit instead of a sheep, a sheep instead of a monkeysimply put, use inanimate material instead of living animals, use small animals instead of large ones." In the glow of the fire, Garrett was animated, discussing fervently, "The second rule, reduction. Try to use fewer animals for the same amount of practice, or use the same number of animals for more practice sessions. This way, although we can''t reduce the total number of harms, we can at least harm fewer animals." "It sounds reasonable..." the servants of the nature gods murmured. Some wanted to refute, but faced with such a rigorous and systematic principle, they couldn''t find words. Garrett looked serious, bending the last finger, "The third principle, optimization. Treat them as well as possible, minimize or alleviate their pain. For example, before breaking bones, administer anesthesia as much as possibleor provide suitable living conditions for animals, let them live as comfortably as possible." "After all that, you''re still causing them harm!" Priestess Joanna stepped forward, countering loudly. With a hawk''s cry, she lifted her arm, and a hawk flew to perch on it. Joanna stroked the hawk''s feathers, her expression momentarily softening, immediately turning stern again, "So many reasons, so many rules, just to make yourself feel a little better!" "You''re right," Garrett nodded solemnly. He stared straight into Joanna''s fiery eyes, slowly admitting, "We break their bones, dissect them, extract their spinal cordsnot to torture or kill. We''re well aware that these animals are suffering for us humans, substituting the suffering we would face, substituting the suffering of the patients we must heal. We appreciate their sacrifice, remember their kindness" Joanna''s expression gradually softened. On her arm, the hawk let out a soft cry, gently brushing her cheek with its beak. Garrett lowered his arm. He stood firm, bowing deeply to the audience below and to the animals about to be dissected, "Lastly, to avoid wastage. After the dissection, we can consume every part of them, leaving nothing wasted." Joanna paused. Laughter rippled through the crowd, even the hawk on her arm seemed amused, flapping its wings. A young lad straightened up from a nearby rock, raising his voice: "Your questions are all too complicated! It''s late today, let''s talk about some simple life-saving tricks!" Best wrap it up in an hour! I don''t want to be stuck here for seven years, teaching you all every day! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Hemlick Emergency Method. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation. When these two emergency methods were employed, the scene nearly spiraled out of control. The religious figures, or rather, healers, as Garrett described doctors in his previous life, often held the fate of lives in their hands. Watching a patient gasp their last breath without revival would be etched in anyone''s memory forever, haunting them for decades: "If only I had done this or that, perhaps I could have saved them..." Garrett was immediately surrounded. Anthony, William, even the beautiful Joanna who questioned Garrett, everyone''s eyes sparkled, eager to move forward. Elder Elwin, relying on his high rank and strong combat skills, secured a place at the front but was almost pushed over by those behind. Helpless, he brandished his staff "Ah! Elder, you''re cheating!" Vines as thick as bowls slithered out of the ground. Every healer present was ensnared around the waist by the vines, dangling in mid-air like little dolls. Thanks to that lecture, Garrett''s reputation within the council soared, narrowly avoiding immediate punishment. Only because the council lacked a fixed temple, he managed to escape and was escorted back to the Mage Tower by Elder Elwin. Shaken, Garrett refused to leave, burying himself in the Mage Tower, remaining secluded until Midsummer. Studying magic, studying divine arts; reading journals, writing papers. It wasn''t until the day of Midsummer that he emerged from the Mage Tower to join Uncle Karen''s family. Celebrating the festival! Having a blast! Assisting big brother Raymond in wooing girls during Midsummer! Garrett always remembered the first day he went to the Mage Tower, how Aunt Eileen stayed up all night altering Raymond''s new clothes to fit herself. Those clothes were originally meant for Raymond to wear during Midsummer...The source of this content nov(el)bi((n)) Garrett wasn''t good with sizes and dared not buy clothes randomly. He could only purchase a piece of fine cotton, quickly returning it to Aunt Eileen''s family, etching her kindness deep into his heart. So, he had to go! He had to perform well and help Raymond win over a girl! "He''s Garrett..." "Oh, he''s Garrett?" The girl was surprised. She looked him up and down, her eyes shining, and suddenly giggled, "Quite handsome!" "Of course! Little Garrett is already a mage!" Garrett: "..." What did being a mage have to do with being handsome... After this short conversation, the music resumed. Garrett had to join in the dance againmoving forward, stepping back, raising arms, kicking legs, completing a circle and switching partners. This time, Raymond stayed put and refused to move. "Wow~~~" Laughter filled the circle. Raymond blushed but kept holding the girl''s hand tightly, and she showed no sign of pulling away. Whistles echoed, people around clapped and cheered: "One more! One more!" The group dance was turning into a paired dance. The accompanying musicians got into the spirit, the music gaining extra liveliness. With his right hand linked with the girl''s, left hand around her waist, Raymond swiftly spun her around. Cheering erupted. The flute played with more vigor, the drums became more cheerful. Men and women, all in pairs, danced along to the music. It seemed Raymond had succeeded... Garrett didn''t need to linger as a third wheel and potentially become a buzzkill... Glancing around, Garrett stealthily retreated. After dancing for so long, he realized the food he had eaten earlier was nowhere to be found. He needed to grab a bite again. Ah, he''d only explored half of the stalls on the street earlier... Roaming and eating alone offered him more choices than being with Avril. Garrett wasn''t afraid of upsetting his stomach, holding a skewer of grilled meat in one hand and a skewer of roasted bird in the other, lips greasy. But as he indulged, he heard a commotion up ahead, followed by a cry for help: "Help!" Garrett dashed forward. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 68 Chapter 68 From high above, a riot of colorful people converged ahead not far away. Some tried to rush in, others attempted to flee, while many stood bewildered, stuck in place, a jostling, unyielding mass. Amidst the crowd, cries of anguish rose and fell continuously. Garrett was frantic. He spread his arms, pushing and shouting vigorously as he edged forward, yelling, "I''m a doctor! I''m a healer! Let me through!!!" Finally, some started making way for him. One, two, three people. Garrett expressed gratitude as he squeezed through, all the while hearing questions shouted by onlookers: "What''s happening?" "The platform collapsed!" "How could it collapse like that?" "They were throwing candies down, a huge scramble, and then..." The situation was dire! In events of this scale, the worst fear was accidents like collapses and stampedes! Garrett''s heart raced. Squeezing into the inner circle, his gaze surveyed the scene, even worse than he''d imagined. At the center of the crowd, a wooden platform was half-collapsed, tilting precariously. Steps around the platform''s edge had crumbled, littered with fallen individuals. There were loud screams, moans of pain, some struggling to climb out, while others lay motionless on the ground. Some were desperately trying to help, while others moved aimlessly, unsure of what to do... Garrett even spotted a young woman with her right leg bent unnaturally, blood oozing. Yet she paid no attention to her own injury, using her hands to crawl towards the shattered platform: "Little LilaLittle Lila" A child?! A child was hurt?! Garrett''s hairs stood on end. Suddenly, a figure dashed past him, recognizedYoung John, the first priest he had met since arriving here. Young John had rushed to the side of the young woman, his palm emitting a soft white light, reaching for her bleeding leg. But she resisted his treatment, grasping his wrist firmly, dragging him towards the debris of the stage: "My child! Save my child" Young John froze. From all directions, several hands instantly clutched at him, grabbing his ankles, tugging at the hem of his priestly robe: "Save me..." "Got it!" The men carrying nodded vigorously. The young priest, almost as loud as them, shouted, "Aren''t you going to treat him first?" "Prioritize the severity!" Garrett shouted back, "Save those in critical condition first, then treat severe injuries, minor ones can wait! Hurryguide them in carrying the injured, come by after they''re brought in, I''ll mark them!" "Okay!" Young John sprinted off. Even though he was out enjoying the Midsummer Festival, he wore his priestly robes. People might not recognize him, but they recognized the robe. Seeing him following orders, everyone naturally followed Garrett''s lead. Soon, another injured person was uncovered. Garrett half-knelt, swiftly checking: "This... unconscious. Checking pulse and heartbeat, be cautious! Another one coming! Three people together, one supports the head and shoulders, one holds the hips, and one the legs, keep a straight line, on threelift!" Snap! A splash of bright red marked the person. Unresponsive, unconscious, with a pulse and breathingthis was the top priority for urgent care! They needed immediate transport to a hospital, but now there was no hospital... Once the sorting was done, they had to hurry and check, ready for CPR or if a priest arrived, prioritize letting them handle it! "Red marks in one area, place the yellows together, greens and blackseach in their own area! Leave someone with each patient, wait to assist me!" Garrett loudly instructed the volunteers helping carry people. After shouting, he lowered his head, immediately examining the next injured person: "This one... no breathing, no heartbeat, no time to attend to you now, my condolences..." Snap! A black mark was smudged on. Too busy at the moment; after sorting the injured, if there''s free hands, then decide if there''s still any value in trying to save them. "This one... can get up by themselves, go on, go aside and wait!" Snap! A green mark was delivered. These were the last priority, after the other injured were attended to, or when the on-site treatment resources became available, these minor injuries could be looked into. Of course, it was necessary to keep an eye on the injuries, who knew if there were hidden physiological changes, like hypoxemia, metabolic acidosis, if left unattended, they might suddenly deteriorate ... Garrett dashed back and forth, shouting ceaselessly. For a moment, the area around the stage was in constant motion, easily several dozen people bustling about under his command. Maintaining order, moving and transporting the injured, carrying the collapsed stage... Many hands make light work; what was a scene of hellish accidents moments ago was soon half-cleared. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 69 Chapter 69 "Garrett, we''re here!" Shouts echoed. A squad of city guards thundered through. The captain yelled from a distance:Updated from "What do you need us to do?" Garrett turned around, thrilled. The questioning squad leader, Horn, a close friend of Uncle Karen, was familiar to Garrett. He answered loudly: "Maintain order! Report! Get the priest over here! Go to the barracks, fetch my surgical kit! The rest of you, see any injured? Don''t touch others, but for those I''ve marked in yellow, apply pressure to stop bleeding!" Damn it! Something''s not right! I''m a city guard albeit just a nominal one for now, and Big Brother Raymond is too! During such major festivities, shouldn''t everyone be on duty, maintaining order? Why is everyone out playing on the streets? "How many priests do we need?!" "As many as we can find!" "@#$%!" Captain Horn cursed, leaving with a final, "You all follow Garrett''s orders," and dashed out. He sprinted, grabbing the first colleague he saw, yelling: "To the Temple of the War God! To the Spring Goddess''s temple! Get people! The North Street stage collapsed, dozens injured or dead!" Actually, it''s the followers of the Nature God who are most reliable... Captain Horn regretted inwardly. The adherents of the Nature God were warm and caring, never denying treatment to the poor for lack of money. But they didn''t have fixed temples! At this moment, finding people all over the streets was incredibly difficult! "What about you, Horn?" "I''m off to the Lord''s mansion!" Inside the Lord''s mansion, festivities were in full swing. Lord Joane, the city''s noble figures, mostly graced the celebration of the Midsummer Festival. The high priestess of the Spring Goddess''s temple, the bishop of the Temple of the War God, even the usually elusive elder of the Nature God''s faith, none were exceptions. It was about showing respect while active in Hartland City, honoring the Lord''s presence. Amidst the merriment, Captain Horn burst in, heading straight for several knights: "Captain! Trouble in North Street, dozens injured or dead!" "What?!" "Be cautious! If there''s trouble on the main streets, we guards will be the first in line when the Lord inquires! If fewer people die, our responsibility lessens somewhatGarrett''s helping us out! Those going to North Street, all follow Garrett''s lead. Whatever he asks for, provide it! People, money, insufficient? Cover it for now, ask me later!" "Yes!!!" The city guards rushed out. Meanwhile, on North Street, Garrett swiftly sorted the injured, categorizing them, marking them. Until the last was carried away, he turned, without pause, into a store turned makeshift shelter. The blazing sunlight turned to shadows. Garrett abruptly halted. Twenty-nine injured. He, a doctor, with limited help from an apprentice priest who knew barely more than nothing about healing. The people around were all commoners. Not to mention CPR, they needed instruction on how to apply a bandage. If this were his previous life, the entire emergency department would have sprung into action. Internal medicine, surgery, orthopedics, and supportive departments like blood labs and diagnostics would''ve hurried down to assist. But now, at this moment, with so many lives He had only himself to rely on. Garrett lifted his head, granting himself a second to reminisce about the hospital where he once worked. He missed the pervasive scent of disinfectant. Strong, sometimes choking, yet comforting, indicating a hospital''s sterile environment; He missed the blaring alarms of the cardiac monitors. Despite the spike in a doctor''s blood pressure each time they rang, having these devices monitoring patients was reassuring; He even missed the sharp-tongued head nurse. From scolding junior nurses to the deputy director, she commanded the chaotic emergency room, never missing a beat during critical moments... He even missed the X-ray machine. Yes, he devised a substitute, but so what? Something that could provide enough light source; to date, he had only found Elder Elwin''s oak staff... But now. Left, Little John looked at him expectantly; right, two guards stood at attention, waiting for his command. To make split-second decisions, issue orders, perform complex medical proceduresonly he was capable. One person. Twenty-nine lives! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Alone, facing 29 wounded. Among them, two marked in black had lost their breath and heartbeat. Three marked in red, with heartbeats but unconscious, needing immediate rescue. Five marked in yellow, not in immediate danger but requiring swift treatment... He needed help! Not the kind of temporary aid gathered for surgery at the Temple of the War God! He needed internal medicine, surgery, anesthesia, diagnostics, imaging, nursesbasically, a fully educated medical team! Garrett wished he could cast a wide healing spell immediately. A shower of light, and everyone would be healed, bouncing back to life. But, setting aside the fact that he''d only seen this stuff in online stories, even if it did exist in this world, he wasn''t at the right level to release it. So, what to do? What could he do to honor the profession of a doctor and save as many patients as possible? Garrett took a deep breath, then another. Years of experience in emergency care helped him quickly calm down and survey the scene. His gaze shifted from the red zone of unconscious patients to the groaning and moaning in the yellow zone, then to the perhaps salvageable, or maybe already beyond saving, black zone. For a moment, he felt like he split in two: One half was caring and compassionate, willing to do anything to rescue all patients; The other half was calm and detached, assessing the order of rescue and the probability of success. Who to rescue first? Who to give up on? Save lives first, then treat ailments. Emergency doctors never worked alone, never acted as lone heroes. Sustaining lives, preserving vital signs, delaying, delaying, until the reinforcements arrivedcolleagues in the hospital, here, priests from various temples Of the 29 casualties, who was in the most danger? Who would die immediately if left unattended, and who could be delayed for at least an hour? Garrett made a swift decision. Striding forward, he directed his attention to the injured in the green zone: "Give each of them a cup of hot water, add some sugar, add some salt, have them sit over there and drink. Tell them the priests will arrive soon." A city guard immediately handed him a knife. Garrett, not bothering with sterilization, made an incision at the site of the fracture "Ah!!!" The old man screamed. Garrett frowned. Intense pain would trigger adrenaline, rapidly raising blood pressure, leading to cardiac arrest, cerebral hemorrhage, a series of complicationscould it be this unfortunate? It didn''t matter how unfortunate it was! Without anesthesia, without spells or divine arts for anesthesia, this was the only way! Garrett gritted his teeth, hastening to cut the blood vessel''s severed end. Then, he hurled a healing spellwithout the means to suture, he didn''t have the time to watch. Only the treatment was thrown. Let the blood vessel close on its own; deal with the rest when setting the bones! From the perspective of a surgeon or a priest, this method was quite unconventional. But Garrett couldn''t afford to consider that anymore: nothing was more important than saving lives. His knife swiftly moved, dealing with several major blood vessels in succession. A thunderous noise outside, and two more priests rushed in. "Garrett! Anything we can assist with!" One wore a vertically striped long skirt of red and yellow, the other a light brown shirt, both adorned with floral wreaths on their headsdevotees of the gods of nature. Garrett''s eyes lit up: "Joanna! Anthony! You''ve arrived just in time!" He had met these two at a gathering on the night of the new moon. The man was level three, the woman level four, both surpassing him by more than a tier. Garrett shouted loudly: "Joanna! Where''s your hawk! Can you send it out to call for help! We need priests! Many priests!Once you''re done, check the two marked in black! If they''re gone, come and help!" "Alright!" Joanna turned and left. As she walked, she tore off a piece of red cloth from her skirt. In moments, there was a hawk cry outside; Joanna tied the red cloth to the hawk''s claw, caressing the eagle feathers: "Good child, fly lower! Circle in the air, let everyone see, then guide them! It''s up to you to bring everyone over!" She earnestly instructed her companion. Anthony had already rushed to the black zone, inspecting the wounded. Shortly after, he shouted, "The young girl is still alive!" Not long after, he added, "The other one still has a breath!" "Sustain their lives! I''ll be right there!" Garrett shouted back. He accelerated the handling of the old man''s injuries, footsteps hurried outside, and three more priests rushed in: "Where are the injured? What do you need us to do?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Someone else arrived! Garrett turned around, pleasantly surprised. "Elder Donald!" It was another familiar face, Elder Donald from the Temple of the Spring Goddess, the only person Garrett had managed to gain favor with in the temple, given his past blunders with the exploration team. It seemed like he was finally allowed to participate again after being reprimanded. "Elder Donald, is your temple here to help too?" "I happened to pass by," Elder Donald strode in briskly. Glancing around and seeing the various marks on the wounded, his eyes brightened. "This is a good idea! - Young Garrett, where do you need my assistance the most?" "This woman!" Garrett pointed at a middle-aged woman clutching her abdomen. Elder Donald lowered his gaze, his brows furrowing immediately. "This kind of injury... I''m afraid I can''t..." "Do what you can! Wait for the elders to arrive!" "They will come?" "Of course!" Elder Donald fell silent. He and the two lower-ranked priests he brought with him stood side by side, murmuring prayers. Beams of white light poured onto the wounded. Garrett hurried over to observe closely. The middle-aged woman''s condition gradually stabilized under the healing spell. Even so, Garrett couldn''t help but worry: Internal injuries worsen quickly. When will the higher-ups arrive? They were indeed on their way. Bald Bishop dashed out of the lord''s mansion, scanning the crowd gathered in the courtyard. - With such a dense crowd, there were no faster means than using their own legs. As he rushed out, a gust of wind blew, Elder Elwin''s robe billowing as he caught up. They exchanged a glance and without a word, sprinted forward - determined not to be slower than the old man or the bald bishop! The High Priest from the Temple of the Spring Goddess, however, was less hurried. Rising leisurely, he accompanied Lord Joane out, taking their time to queue up for the carriage. The lord, the High Priest, the mages, and curious nobles, all orderly formed lines and departed. Mage Elliott, amidst the crowd, overheard a woman at the back of the line incessantly speaking: "That lad is just a priest''s apprentice! If they let him handle this, those who might''ve survived won''t make it out alive!" If Garrett heard this commentary, he''d surely say: Even if it''s just one person, I wouldn''t want to see them perish! He entrusted the middle-aged woman to Elder Donald and dashed towards the dark zone. The red and yellow zones were already taken care of. If there was any chance to save those two at the back, he must! "Breath!" Garrett roared. Joanna swiftly leaned over, tilting the girl''s head back, pinching her nose shut. She took a deep breath and sealed her lips over the girl''s, exhaling forcefully! Garrett stared intently at the girl''s chest. Once, twice, continue chest compressions! Thirty chest compressions, two breaths, another thirty compressions, two breaths! On and on without pause! The table was hard, and within a minute or two, Garrett''s knees felt like they''d been stabbed. He completed five cycles in one breath, arms aching, sweat pouring, yet he didn''t dare stopchecking for pulse, checking for breath, confirming no revival, and continuing! According to guidelines, in CPR, it''s recommended to switch the person performing chest compressions every 2 minutes or after five cycles. But Garrett dared not let others take overeven certified doctors might make mistakes during their first rescue attempt, let alone these priests who had only attended lectures! Persist, keep going, little Lila''s life is in your hands! Keep going, Garrett! You can do this, you surely can! Seasoned healers have persisted alone for over an hour, pulling people back from the brink of death! When will the reinforcements come! Gritting his teeth, Garrett pressed down with all his might. Down, up, down, up. Beads of sweat from his forehead dripped onto the little girl. Joanna glanced at him, too preoccupied to speak, chanting her prayers even faster. "I''m here!" A shout from the doorway. Elder Elwin rushed in, followed closely by Bald Bishop. They assessed the situation and hurried to Garrett''s side, a gentle, abundant light raining down. Ignoring them, Garrett, gritting his teeth, continued the compressions. After this round of CPR, checking once more, placing his fingers under Lila''s neck, an overwhelming surge of joy enveloped Garrett. Under his fingertips, there was vitality, pulsating steadily. The girl''s heartbeat had returned! She''s saved... She''s saved! Garrett sighed, struggling to get off the table. But as soon as he moved, excruciating pain shot through his knees, and his body slumped sideways, falling to the ground beside the table. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 72 Chapter 72 With two big shots around, Garrett Nordmark wouldn''t come to harm. As he tumbled down, Elder Elwin Wilkinson didn''t even glance his way but quietly extended a vine from his foot. It wound around Garrett''s waist, lifting him high and gently placing him down. Garrett sat on the ground, drenched in sweat, rubbing his knees and panting, feeling lucky: Having big shots as teachers is great! Finally shifting the blame, Garrett rested on the ground for half a minute before limping to survey other wards. Elder Elwin and the bald Archbishop were busy while Lord Joane, the city master, was leisurely chatting away in his carriage. Accompanying him was an aged mage, the one who sat beside Mage Gelman earlier. The old mage glanced left and right and suddenly exclaimed, "That hawk?" A hawk incessantly circled above the shop. Its cries echoed, the red cloth on its talons fluttering like a flag. Lord Joane gazed up and exclaimed right there. As a city lord, revelry and dalliances were fine, a few mistresses didn''t matter much, even if his martial prowess didn''t measure up. But one thing had to be remembered: What extraordinary organizations existed in the city, how strong they were, and what their distinctive traits were when they acted! "Animal companion..." Lord Joane murmured, "This... This is a distress signal from the Radiant Church!" Sending out an animal companion for help... How bad was the situation over there? Lord Joane gripped the window frame tightly. The carriage moved on, and soon, reports from the North Main Street streamed in waves: "10 injured!" "17 injured!" "29 injured! All transferred to nearby shops, no deaths for now!" "10 severely injured, 19 lightly injured! Five are unconscious!" This is troublesome... Lord Joane frowned deeply. Meanwhile, the nobles in the convoy, with each new piece of information, grew increasingly agitated: "Oh no, my niece was on North Main Street!" "My grandson said he was going out to play today!" "My mother-in-law was taking my little sister-in-law out shopping, could they have run into this?" "Baroness Lona! My son is injured!" "Franz! Hurry to North Main Street, find that young priestwhat was his name?and tell him to treat my nephew first! If he heals him well, he''ll be rewarded; if not, I''ll break his legs!" The convoy sped up and surged forward. The crowds surged too, making it difficult to navigate through the city celebrating the midsummer festival. Knight Nolan led the way, clearing the crowds, while two squad leaders shouted incessantly: "Make way! Make way for the City Lord!" Quite interesting! The old mage couldn''t help but laugh. Categorizing the patients with priestly methods and then marking them with magical tricks, the apprentice in charge was an interesting kid... "A real mage?" Lord Joane furrowed his brow. The old mage grinned and nodded, "Yes, indeed, a real mage, a new apprentice of the Mage Tower..." A mage can also oversee healing? And command a group of healers? Didn''t the bald Archbishop give him credit? Lord Joane hesitated, uncertain whether to question it. The Grand Priestess had already spoken, "Are you saying Garrett did all this?He''s just a mage''s apprentice!" In a few short sentences, the nobles had disembarked one after another, crowding outside the shop. The shop was narrow, reeking of blood, deterring most from entering, only peeking heads remained outside. Upon hearing the Grand Priestess''s words, they whispered amongst themselves: "Mage''s apprentice?" "A mage''s apprentice doing a priest''s job?" "Can it be real?" "Didn''t the Archbishop say this apprentice was in charge?" "Oh, the temperament of the Archbishop, you all know..." "A mage doubling as a healer? Who would believe it? The temple must be mad..." "Yeah, teaching knowledge and fostering faith, it''s been so hard all these years! Teaching someone and then they leave for another place, which temple would agree!" The discussions grew louder, and Lord Joane''s suspicion deepened. His hand that held the purse withdrew: A few coins didn''t matter, but rewarding the wrong person would be embarrassing. What''s going on with this lad? An apprentice causing so much trouble! "Are you truly a mage''s apprentice? Or a healer?" Lord Joane asked with a furrowed brow. Garrett was about to respond when Elder Elwin finished casting a healing spell and interjected with a smile: "Yes, indeed, Garrett here is my disciple!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Disciple of the Elders of the Radiant Church? Viscount Joane relaxed. Whether Garrett Nordmark rotted in the pot or not, he was still one of his subjects. As long as his identity was sound, how to cultivate him wasn''t his concern. But the High Priest of the Spring Goddess Temple arched an eyebrow, "Your disciple?" Naturists always had issues! A good priest wasted on those mages! Priests sought devout faith, yet those mages, each one more lawless than the next, even their belief in deities seemed feigned! "Your disciple, and you let him go learn magic?" He couldn''t help but question. Elder Elwin''s bushy brows raised, a glint of healing magic in play, the old man bared a toothy grin, innocent yet cunning: "Oh my... You''re aware of our ways. Powers bestowed by the gods of nature come from nature itself. What''s odd about dabbling in a bit of magic? If the child wants to learn, let him." "You!" The High Priest seethed. Naturists were all lunatics! They''d regret coddling this little lad! Follow current novels at novelhall.com) He stormed forward, entering the depths of the shop. A quick glance led him to the most finely dressed wounded person, and he casually cast a healing spell. "Great Priest!" "Thank you, Great Priest!" "Save me, please, I beg you! Tomorrow, no, tonight, I''ll come and donate to the temple!" The green zone erupted into cries. These conscious, mobile wounded, all categorized by Garrett as minor, had only a few priest apprentices tending to them. Despite their wealth, the previous arrivals were predominantly War God priests and naturist priests, all complying with Garrett''s orders. Even the wealthiest screamed their lungs out but didn''t see higher-ranked priests hurrying over. Now, with the High Priest intervening, the rich, minorly injured saw hope, and chaos ensued in the green zone. Two more priests rushed in, unaware of the situation, bewildered, standing and looking around, unsure where to assist. Garrett observed from afar, contemplating maintaining order, opening his mouth but reconsidering. He aimed to uphold medical principles but wasn''t foolish; what authority did he, a mere priest apprentice, have to meddle when faced with nobles and temple officials? In this society of nobility and clergy, even in his previous modern world, with a supervisor leading a team, would a doctor dare make them queue? He averted his gaze, pretending not to see. Beside him, the bald bishop smirked, bellowing in a loud voice: "Nonsense!" A voice interjected. The High Priest from the Spring Goddess Temple strode forward, his face dark: "The Goddess will protect her people! The Goddess grants pure water sources, plagues aren''t possible!" "But" Garrett attempted to argue. Elder Elwin and the bald bishop cut in unison, "Garrett!" Oh... Stepping into someone else''s territory? Temples were truly bothersome... Garrett silently bowed his head, inwardly grumbling. Viscount Joane, on the other hand, chuckled: "Priest, don''t take the lad too seriously. Well, kid, do you know how much money is in this pouch? If I issue that order, how much money would I spend?" I don''t know how much money is in the pouch, but I can calculate how much it would cost. Garrett swiftly calculated, already speaking as figures streamed out: "The population of Hartland City, as far as I know, is around twenty thousand. The daily excrement is about a hundred loads. If sold outside for a copper per load, that''s one gold coin per day, 365 gold coins per year. As for cleaning the current excrement on the streets..." He paused, about to shrug or gesture as if he didn''t know. Before he could, Viscount Joane said: "You saved 29 people today. Originally, I planned to reward you with 29 gold coins. So, lad, why would I give you over 300 gold coins or even more as a reward?" "But" People''s health matters more! If cholera strikes, it won''t be a matter of a few hundred gold coins! Besides, properly used, excrement can fertilize fields, significantly boosting crop yields! This investment is trivial! Garrett wanted to argue further, but Viscount Joane already raised his hand, tossing the money pouch to him. Amidst the jingle of coins, the lord turned and departed --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 74 Chapter 74 Leaving already? Garrett frowned in disappointment. His money pouch felt heavy in his hand, jingling faintly, yet it did little to lift his spirits. In this city environment without running water and minimal access to clean water, diseases were practically imminent, with people relieving themselves anywhere they pleased. Cholera! Viral hepatitis! Typhoid fever! Dysentery! A slew of infectious diseases, each capable of causing widespread devastation, all easily transmitted through contaminated water sources! Damn it! This was infuriating! Which goddess protected the people? Which goddess bestowed clean water? That tiny fountain at the temple gates couldn''t possibly suffice! A sense of responsibility as a healer ignited within Garrett. When he first arrived, just surviving was a challenge, and he couldn''t afford to be concerned about this. But now, with resources and influence, able to reach out to influential figures directly, to stand idly by would contradict his duties as a doctor! "Teacher" Garrett lifted his head, seeking help. Elder Elwin Wilkinson waved a hand, cutting him off mid-sentence. "The matters of the streets can wait. For now, tend to these injured!" "Exactly!" The current injured took precedence over future patients! Garrett clenched his fists and dashed forward once more. With the city lord inspecting personally and the heads of the three major temples present, the priests quickly assembled. Guided by a circling hawk in the sky, the servants of the god of nature arrived the fastest. Soon enough, with a rush, even the priests from the temple of the war god, who had been guarding their temple, arrived in full force. After a while, those war god priests who had been strolling around gradually rushed into shops, each taking on their respective roles. Garrett realized there wasn''t much for him to do. Severely injured patients were being tended to by high-ranking priests. As for the lightly injured, it seemed they didn''t need his assistance for minor treatments?? Medical resources were overflowing... He stood aside, trying not to interfere with the priests'' work. Unconsciously inching closer to the wall, he was suddenly tugged by his sleeve: "You, go outside, gather the faithful, lead them in prayer..." The area outside the shop quickly became chaotic. Soon, the sounds of prayers began from both left and right: "Great god of nature..." "Great war god..." The prayers expanded in circles. From dozens to hundreds, and even a few hundred people. More importantly, the faithful were guided into orderly lines, their voices praying to the god of nature, praying to the war god, all in unison, coming from both sides. As one side increased in volume, the other quickly followed suit, the momentum akin to chanting at a military training ground. People here... Garrett shrugged, brushing off the word "ignorance" silently, and cast the healing spell again. Soon, he widened his eyes in astonishment: This time, the healing spell''s effect was more than twice as strong as before, mending wounds over 15 centimeters long! Unbelievable... This worked too? Prayer had this effect?! Garrett finished his prayer and slipped away quietly. Looking left and right, he couldn''t make sense of it he wasn''t familiar with the effects of higher-level healing spells. He grabbed a novice priest who had just finished praying and wiped sweat from his brow: "Uh... does prayer really work?" "It does!" The other looked at him as if he were clueless. After a moment, he pulled Garrett into a corner: "Why else would we build temples? Why bring them here for treatment? Why sing hymns together? Why, during major festivals, start with a prayer before displaying miracles? With others'' help, how much effort do we save!" Wow... it really seems to work! If that''s the case, when he treats in the future, he''ll gather a group to pray, and the effect will immediately double! No... that''s foolish! Garrett slapped his forehead. Why gather people! He was supposed to train assistants! All those priests were supposed to learn medical skills from him! Set up a hospital, train a batch of doctors, gather together for prayers, perform surgeries in groups! Even involve the patients and their families! Those who are ill or have family members ill, when they pray, they''d surely be the most devout! Patients pay for treatment and contribute their healing power for free... This idea was fantastic! Absolutely perfect! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 75 Chapter 75 The stampede incident kept Garrett busy until evening. The injured, one by one, healed instantly under the treatment spell, either leaving on their own or being picked up by their families. Outside the shop, a priest stood, reminding each departing person, "The treatment spell exerts a significant toll on the body. When you return, try not to overexert yourself. Remember to eat well..." And then what? Just like that, they''re released? Garrett watched as one patient after another left, gaping slowly. No follow-up cases, no revisits, not even a need to organize medical recordsoh, in this world where everything is achieved through healing spells, patients just bounce back and leave on their own, no need for records... A world without medical records! It''s heaven! After a night of rescuing, having to squint at dozens of medical records, each needing to be perfectly organized according to regulationswhat a nightmare! Front page, medical history, examination sheets, images, surgeries, consent forms, all in order; Examination sheets arranged by blood, urine, stool tests, liver and kidney functions, blood clotting, hepatitis; Each sheet aligned, the next one pressed under the serial number of the previous examination. Doctor''s signature, patient''s signature, nurse''s signature, not a single one could be missed... The medical department even conducts random checks! A single improper medical record could mean fines starting in the hundreds! But without records, how can you summarize experiences and lessons learned? Garrett agonized over whether, if he were to establish a hospital, he should promote a system of medical records... Oh, at least there''s still a discharge fee. The injured and their families thanked profusely upon leaving, some immediately pulling out money pouches, while others promised repeatedly to donate to the temple. Garrett glanced left and right, slipping quietly next to Elder Elwin Wilkinson, tugging at his sleeve: "We don''t have a temple in our guild, do we?" Where will they donate then? Will they find us? "Shh!" Elder Elwin hushed him. Meanwhile, Mage Gelman strode over briskly, standing beside them: "Elder, is the treatment over? I need to take him back today; the Council''s master mage has arrived, and the evaluation is set to begin in two days!" "Master, breakthroughs are all about seizing opportunities... George is still young. Becoming a mage apprentice at ten is already quite exceptional. Besides, he''s been really diligent these past few months..." "I don''t know him!" The old mage snorted heavily. "In just a few months, others start from scratch, not even recognizing magical script, yet they breakthrough to the peak of becoming mage apprentices, even learning healing arts! But him, when I left, and when I returned, he''s the same!" Garrett: "!!!" No way! Old man, you can scold your grandson all you want, but don''t make me the target! I don''t want to be the "someone else''s child" you''re comparing him to! The mischievous kid glared fiercely at Garrett, rolled his eyes, stuck out his tongue, made faces. After making faces, he lifted his right hand to his cheek, aiming towards Garrett, scratching the air repeatedly. From his expression, if magical swords could extend from his fingertips, he''d ensnare Garrett on the spot. Garrett lowered his head, pretending not to see. Unable to vent his anger, the kid stamped his feet and yelled: "All you do is compare me with others! Serena made a breakthrough, and you say I''m not working hard! Alexander learned a new magic, and you say I''m naughty! I''m only ten! Only ten! By the time I''m 16, I''ll be a Level Two Mage!" The old mage sighed. He pinched his grandson''s chubby cheeks, turned him away: "Don''t compare yourself to others! What are their conditions? What are yours? Others could only start learning magical scripts two months ago; when you were a little child, you tore magical books just for fun! You''re progressing slower than others, and you have the nerve to complain!" George, with teary eyes from the twist, didn''t know if it was from pain or anger. He pushed the old mage away forcefully, shouted, "I hate grandpa the most!" Changed direction and stormed into the Mage Tower. The old mage shook his head helplessly. Turning to Gelman, he sighed and shrugged: "These past months, this child has caused you trouble, hasn''t he? Well, let''s pick up the pace and finish this year''s evaluation. Once we''re done today, I''ll take George away tomorrow." "This... Master, it''s already late today. Why not rest and start fresh tomorrow?" "It''s not late. It''s not your first evaluation; you know the projects. We''ll take them one by one, alright?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 76 Chapter 76 The annual assessment of the Mage Tower wasn''t surprising for Garrett Nordmark. In this day and age, the Health Bureau evaluated hospitals, departments assessed sections, and sections reviewed doctors. Everyone carried Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), striving for their metrics. He''d spent over a decade in his past job, undergoing evaluations year after yearhe was accustomed to it. The custodians of the Mage Tower, residing in the tower built by the Magic Council, drawing their salary and funds from the Council, underwent an annual review. Wasn''t that just par for the course? He calmly followed the others up to the fifth floor. Watching the elder mage pull out a large leather-bound book, flipping through pages filled with tables at least the size of A4 paper. Reviewing left and right, he began ticking off each item one by one: "First item: Maintenance of the Mage Tower. Just came up here, I took a look, timely repairs to the Mage Tower, and the magic circuits are smoothly functioning. No new facilities, but added a new set of alchemical tools. Let''s give you a 90 on this." Mage Gelman nodded, unfazed. Clearly, he''d anticipated this evaluation. The elder mage lowered his head, scribbled a few lines, and continued: "Second item: Maintaining the Mage Tower''s status. During the midsummer feast in daylight, your seating remained unchanged, the Lord''s reception remained the same, and at least five nobles around expressed interest in sending their children for learning. However, you maintained the status quo without elevating the Mage Tower''s position, so this item only scores an 82." "Teacher!" Mage Gelman called out, a mix of protest and appeal. The elder mage shook his head: "The Magic Council''s regulations are precise. Gelman, considering the teacher-student relationship, I''ll push it to an 85 at most, no more." Huh? What kind of scoring system was this? It sounded oddly familiar! Garrett tiptoed, craning his neck, trying to peek at the table. The elder mage caught sight and waved, gathering the lower-ranked mages around, spreading the table among them: "Haven''t seen this before? Come, come, have a look. You''re all mages, possibly future Mage Tower custodians. It''s good to see this early, no harm!"Read latest chapters at novelhall.com Only Mage Elliott glanced sorrowfully at Garrett and slowly inched forward. Who wanted to see this stuff? It''s not like they hadn''t seen it before. Last year, when their assessment score wasn''t high, Mage Gelman slammed the assessment form in front of them and ranted for a good hour! There must have been another transmigrator! In this world, another transmigrator must have appeared to transform the Magic Council like this! And most likely, it''s someone from the humanities... considering the mages'' worldview is solely based on elements and not advancing into the periodic table, that predecessor transmigrator probably couldn''t apply scientific research methods, so they just followed the existing path... Right. Judging by the professionalism of this KPI table, they might have been an HR professional. Suppressing all curiosity and complaints, Garrett continued listening to the assessment process. As he listened, he couldn''t help but admire that predecessor HR person: their success wasn''t without reason, at least within this scope, he wouldn''t have thought of it. For instance, the Mage Tower industry was detailed down to villages, workshops, stores, mineral resources, and flora-fauna resources as separate items. Under the village category, it was further divided into population, land area, irrigation, seasonal harvest, each with different scores. More terrifyingly, the table the elder mage brought also recorded the values and scores of the past three years... It was impossible to cheat. Fortunately, Mage Gelman had been managing the Mage Tower for several years. Though not exceptionally skilled in management, he hadn''t made any major mistakes. Following the previous two years'' rules, he managed an 85 score. Not too high, but it didn''t drag down the average. Next came the training and progress of the mages. This was a crucial assessment as, after all, within the Magic Council, power held greater importance than anything else. This section held a 30% weightage, and the elder mage didn''t go easy, having everyone at the Mage Tower cast spells for individual evaluations. "Hmm, at your level, Gelman, progress is already challenging. But I can''t give points if they''re not deserved; Karen? Learned three new spells, and there''s a boost in mental strength, not bad! But, not yet at level three, can''t give higher marks; Elliott? Substantial growth in mental strength! Very good, almost on the brink of a breakthrough, your score can be higher... Oh, also taught a mage apprentice. By the way, young one, how many spells can you cast in a day now?" "Five," Garrett calmly replied. Before the elder mage could inquire further, he seized the opportunity and added: "It''s been over a month, but I can''t break through. Your Magehood, could you spare a moment to look into my situation?" "Over a month?" The elder mage raised an eyebrow. Counting on his fingers, it had been just over a month since this youngster began studying magical scripts. That meant, from the moment this young boy became a mage apprentice, he could cast five spells a day With such talent, it was truly worth his guidance. "First, meditate. Then, casually cast a spell, let me assess the situation." Following the instructions, Garrett complied. The elder mage also immersed himself in a meditation environment, carefully sensing the surroundings. After a while, coming out of meditation, frowning deeply: "Weird. Your mental strength, manipulating the surrounding magic, feels like... it''s as if there''s a layer of gauze in between. The utilization isn''t too high. At this rate, aiming for a breakthrough... well, take your time..." --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 77 Chapter 77 After all, evaluating the entire Mage Tower and dedicating such a long time to guide Garrett was quite unusual. The old mage realized that Garrett''s issues couldn''t be solved overnight, so he redirected his attention. With a forceful cough, he turned to Mage Gelman, his expression serious: "The cultivation and progress of a mage, in this regard, the comprehensive score" The old mage deliberately drew out the suspense. When the people around were impatient, and the mischievous kid was about to roll his eyes, he reluctantly uttered a number: "81." "So low..." Two low-level mages complained softly. If the score remained low, and they couldn''t pass, the Mage Tower would lose research resources next year. At this stage, nobody would benefit. The old mage had heard these complaints countless times. Considering Gelman was his own disciple, he glanced around, speaking earnestly: "This is the responsibility of the supervisors. Either focus entirely on breakthroughs or allocate resources to train new mages. Every Mage Tower is a significant resource, and whoever the Magic Council entrusts it to, must make returns." "This, you all must remember." The mages nodded silently. Garrett swiftly calculated his current score. Not too bad, thankfully. As long as he scored 70 on the last item, he could pass this year. However, the final task was magical research. There seemed to have been some issues between Elliott and Karen before... It appeared the progress wasn''t smooth? Garrett silently worried about next year''s research funds. The old mage had closed the document in his hands and spoke seriously: "I''ve checked before I arrived. Before my arrival, none of you had published anything in the journals or submitted any spell models to the council. So, does anyone have any submissions pending or unpublished? Show them to me." Huh? The Magic Council evaluated research by the number of papers published? How many journals did you all create, really? Could it be fluffed up? This senior who traveled through time, were you from a university''s academic affairs office? Garrett mused, not feeling that "papers" or "research" had anything to do with him, a mage apprentice. To his right, a few official mages exchanged glances, wearing uneasy expressions. After a moment of silence, Mage Karen took a step forward and spoke softly: The kid huffed heavily. Under his grandfather''s gaze, he dared not speak further. The old mage turned back, smoothed his gray beard, and smiled at Garrett: "This little thing is interesting, but it doesn''t really qualify as a spell model or a creation of magic you understand, right? Just for this, I can only add five points. Do you have any other accomplishments?" That would be fifty-five points... still ten points shy of passing. Mage Gelman was speechless. Elliott was speechless, and Karen remained silent, her vibrant blonde hair falling limp on her face, appearing dispirited. Apprentice mages required fewer resources, and this additional five points wouldn''t help Garrett next year. Garrett looked left and right, steeling himself, and raised a hand: "Your Excellency, could I... submit the paper you asked me to write?" Oh? A paper? The old mage couldn''t help but smile. He accepted it and, scanning through, immediately nodded approvingly: "Well written. Not a single formatting erroryour teacher has put in quite some effort." I already knew that! Garrett silently grumbled. From graduating in postgraduate studies to becoming a senior resident, and from there to becoming an associate director, which step didn''t require a paper! This formatting abstract keywords, I could do this blindfolded! The correct formatting, coherent sentences, for a novice, this level was enough to earn the old mage''s favor. He skimmed through it, nodding occasionally, shaking his head at times, and midway through, cast a spell, reaching out. "...Can''t see properly!" "Magic items have certain requirements." Garrett stood straight before him, chin up, assuming a posture as if defending his thesis: "Please look from the second paragraph on the third page to the fifth paragraph on the fourth page, summarizing seven cases. The conclusion is that the observed subjects should be five levels lower than the grade of the magical item." "...That''s not useful, then!" As expected, the old mage promptly concluded: "In that case, I can''t give you a high score..." Not high? How much? At least bump it up to 70! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Garrett stared earnestly at the elder mage, hoping to sway him with sincerity for a good score. Just a little boost, adding 15 points would do! If they reach 70 points collectively, they''d secure next year''s research funds! The elder mage had seen countless such expressions during his years inspecting various places. If the person were a formal mage who understood the Magic Council''s assessment rules, he would''ve just given a score. However, this was a newcomer, a talented one at that. With a heart inclined towards recruiting talent for the council, the elder mage decided to explain a bit more: "When it comes to grading magical innovation, the council has a fixed set of standards. It''s not about arbitrary scoring. Let''s take a look at your paper and see how much it''s worth." With a wave of his hand, a colorful light projected onto the wall. Garrett looked up to see the clear criteria for grading magical innovation displayed there. The organized grid, the neat layout, it almost seemed like a projection from a computer, though Garrett, having traversed here months ago, had gained some understanding of magic. He could tell it wasn''t a projection but a magical trick, meticulously crafted. He couldn''t help but admire the finesse. Looking at the content on the wall, Garrett felt a jolt as if his mind had been struck. The grading formula for magical innovation: 10 * Magic Level * Novelty * Creativity * Practicality What on earth was this! Novelty, creativity, practicalitythese three criteria mirrored the assessments for their research paper topics! That person who had traversed here must have dealt with patents... No, they should have been a humanities student, maybe partly involved in HR functions. Patent agents require a background in science or engineering. So, that predecessor might not have been directly involved in patents but could handle related matters in their daily work? Summing it up, the predecessor might have been from a humanities research department at an academic institution, involved in assessing educational research topics... perhaps... Garrett internally mocked, eyes slightly lowered, scanning the table below the formula. The magic level was straightforwardlevel 1 magic multiplied by 1, level 2 by 2, and so on. Regarding creativity and practicality, Garrett scrutinized the table, estimating his potential scores: CreativityCreating a new spell: 10 points, which mine isn''t; Moreover, magical items aren''t like equipment; they don''t depreciate even when kept idle! Garrett wanted to continue arguing, but the elder mage waved his hand, silencing him: "No need to say more. The council won''t approve something that involves massive investment but is of no use to high-level mages. Even if I were to give you a high score, it would still be rejected. Why bother?" Garrett tried to glare, but his efforts were futile; he couldn''t make a sound. The elder mage continued with a smile: "So, you see, the score is out. Base score 10 points; magic trick is a level 0 spell, conventionally multiplied by 0.5; for creativity, giving you the benefit of the doubt, multiplying by 2; as for practicality, it can only be multiplied by 1. 10 * 0.5 * 2 * 1, the final score is 10 points." "Ah..." Sighs filled the mage tower. Gelman, Elliott, Karen, and the other low-level mages were disappointed, helpless. To argue further seemed impossible; they''d already presented the achievements of mage apprentices. How could they dare push for more points? "Innovation in magic, 65 points. The total score..." The elder mage projected the entire table, showing each section, weight, and the individual scores. Finally, he impartially provided the result: "78.55 points." Didn''t make it to 80. A ''D,'' the overseer''s salary deduction, and deductions in resources for the entire mage tower. Next year would be tough... A wave of gloom swept through the mage tower. After concluding, the elder mage''s demeanor changed again, smiling to comfort everyone present: "It''s alright, don''t worry too much. Resource deductions by the council are also according to scores. You all are just a bit shy of the passing line; it won''t be too many resources deducted. As for your concerns about replacements next year" He turned to his own disciples: "I see many here in the mage tower are on the verge of a breakthrough. If one or two people upgrade next year, the scores will immediately rise." Gelman nodded reluctantly. The elder mage rummaged in his pocket, pulled out a gem-like object, and beckoned Garrett: "Come, take this. Gelman is my disciple, and considering your lineage, you''re part of our line too. A small token, take it" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 79 Chapter 79 "What''s this?" Garrett glanced at the palm of the old mage. Unfortunately, he had no idea. It was a spindle-shaped stone, tiny, less than half a finger''s breadth. Pale yellow, translucent, not shining like a gem. He looked at Gelman, wanting an explanationor at least permission to take it. But before he could speak, two voices erupted simultaneously: "The Aen Stone? Master, that''s too valuable!" "This is mine! Mine!" Gelman, the mage, and the old mage''s grandson, the brat George, were the voices. Garrett''s gaze shifted, catching the brat lunging and snatching the stone. "Grandpa said it''s mine! He promised!" "Who said it''s for you!" The old mage roared, giving chase. The brat wailed as he zigzagged from east to west, then west to east. Despite his age, the old mage struggled to catch up. After a couple of rounds, he stopped, panting heavily, shouting, "I said I''d give it to you once you reached level 1 as a mage! You haven''t, so it''s not yours! Stop! Hand it over!" "I won''t!" "You!" Then came a string of spells. Garrett couldn''t discern what they were, only seeing the brat stumble and fall. The old mage lunged, but the brat, agitated, shoved the object into his mouth: "I won''t give it to you! Uh, uh... cough, cough, cough!"New novel chapters are published on Angry shouts and chaos filled the air. Garrett didn''t intervene, silently watching from the sidelines. If they didn''t want to give him the Aen Stone, so be it. His upbringing taught him that what he earned was his, no matter how good someone else''s stuff might beit was theirs. Besides, he had no clue what this stone even was... So, what exactly was it? Garrett wracked his brain. In his past life, in novels and games, it seemed, vaguely, that he''d heard this name. It was something that flew around a mage''s head? An equipment that added attributes to a mage? Seemed quite flashy... Just thinking about it made Garrett grimace. The old mage and the brat, one escaping, the other chasing and yellingit meant nothing to him, merely entertainment. If only he had a phone or internet, he''d have loved to record it and post a video titled: "The Brat and His Bearish Grandpa"... But then, a cough sounded, and Garrett''s expression changed. "Thank you, Master... Then, may I take my leave?" Gelman nodded, preoccupied. Garrett seized the chance to slip away. Back in his second-floor dorm, he couldn''t sleep. Tossing and turning, he eventually got up, lit a lamp, and began writing and drawing. The plan to clean up the city during the day was shut down midway, and he couldn''t swallow that He''d write the plan clearly, in detail, outlining the operations and profit models, and discuss it with the teacher! And the Mage Tower, only today did he realize it also had profit demandsbet they were interested! Hmph! Garrett wrote until late into the night before finally dozing off. In his dreams, a diamond-shaped stone kept swirling around him, uncatchable. Twice he attempted to grab it, nearly startling himself awake... The next morning, after his early meditation, Garrett was heading upstairs for breakfast. As he opened the door, he saw a servant outside, wiping away. Upon seeing him, the servant hurriedly approached, offering a small basket of dew-covered berries. Garrett glanced at him oddly. This servant usually took care of the daily needs of the mages, disappearing after tidying up the living room or setting down a pitcher of water. If Garrett ever wanted a late-night snack, he had to forage in the kitchen himself... What was happening now? Heard about the old mage praising him last night? Word spreads fast! He took the basket absentmindedly, planning to snack on it during his morning reading break. The servant immediately bent down, half-smiling, half-worried: "Master Mage, I heard... our Mage Tower''s assessment... isn''t going smoothly?" Whether it went smoothly or not, what did that have to do with him? Garrett nodded vaguely and proceeded towards the stairs. The servant followed suit, stooping lower: "I heard the Mage Tower might cut resources? Cut salaries? Will they lower our pay? Will they kick us out?" "...Is that really necessary?" Garrett paused, finding it a bit funny. "Even if they cut resources, would it affect your pay that much?" He waved it off, climbing the stairs. Halfway up, he slapped his forehead in realization: Why would they worry about a few coins? These Mage Tower servants, although they bowed and scraped in the tower, representing it outside, at least they were village heads of sorts. Their demeanor and income put them in the middle class. What they truly feared was a change in leadership at the Mage Tower, losing their secure jobs, right? Even a mere servant seemed more anxious than him... --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Garrett pondered his own sense of detachment. So far, he hadn''t received a single allowance or used any materials from the Mage Tower. Even if they deducted his salary and resources next year, his room, books, and the paper he used for copying were probably exempt... He chuckled to himself, continuing to climb the stairs with effort. The dining area was on the fifth floor, the residence of Mage Gelman. It was decent, just a bit too high; he had to climb these stairs thrice daily. Well, as a doctor, he was used to climbing around the hospital, so this wasn''t much of a difference. Actually, this was quite a favor. Garrett had heard from the young priest John that in their temple, apprentice priests weren''t allowed to dine with the official priests; they had to eat in a separate hall. But maybe Gelman was more lenient, or perhaps, with only four mages in the tower, since Garrett became an apprentice, he had meals with the official mages every day. High dining standards aside, he could occasionally catch Gelman for a few questions or pick up some insights by overhearing others'' conversations. Just as Garrett reached the third floor, the stairway door opened, and two official mages with grim faces joined the line. The moment they entered, Garrett felt the atmosphere grow unusually heavy, as if the pressure dropped by a hundred pascals. Elliott, in a low voice, complained, "It''s all because of you! If you hadn''t diverted all the resources, would my spell model have been completed by now?" "Now it''s entirely up to you!" Karen retorted with a stern face. "Improving a spell model is no easy task, you know! ...Sigh, with fewer resources next year, it''ll be even harder to achieve anything..." Garrett glanced left and right, lowering his head to focus on climbing the stairs. They filed into the dining hall, and after a while, Mage Gelman also emerged from his room, silent and somber. The group waited, nearly fifteen minutes passed before the old wizard hurriedly came out. His face was dull, eye bags almost touching his cheekbones. Without sitting down, he addressed Gelman, "Gelman, please send a few people to bring over the leaders of the temple. George coughed for most of last night, having trouble breathing now and running a fever. It''s been chaotic, and he hasn''t even had breakfast." Coughing? Most of the night? And running a fever? Garrett''s breath hitched. So, the Aen Stone from last night hadn''t been swallowed but instead got lodged in the airway, causing inflammation? That was a big problemforeign objects in the airway could lead to suffocation and hypoxia. If it was a plant-based object like peanuts or beans, it could cause acute bronchitis with symptoms like high fever, coughing, and coughing up pus. What type of object was the Aen Stone? As the light dissipated, the boy''s forehead beaded with sweat, his flushed face calming down instantly. The old wizard grasped the grand priest''s hands, expressing gratitude, then asked, "So... if the Aen Stone isn''t removed, will he continue to fall ill?" Certainly! The grand priest didn''t speak, but his expression said it all. Unable to resist, the old wizard pressed on, "Can you find a way to deal with that Aen Stone?" "Well..." The grand priest hesitated, reluctant to intervene. He glanced at Elder Elwin, who pondered for a moment before softly saying, "Judging by the cause and effect, I can only guess it''s stuck in his lungs. - Garrett, what''s your opinion?" - Watson, what do you think? Garrett silently supplied the voiceover for Elder Elwin. Seeing everyone''s attention focused on him, he stepped forward, serious, "I also suspect it''s stuck in the lungs. To confirm if it is and precisely where it is, I need to perform an examination." "An examination?" The old wizard raised his eyebrows. All three temple leaders had seen his grandson, but not one had mentioned an "examination." And now, this young lad casually mentions an "examination"... "How do you plan to examine?" "Please wait a moment." Garrett slightly bowed, retreating to a corner, opening the box the knight had brought him all the way from the horse. Seven to eight people''s gazes fixed on him as he lifted a copper tube from the black velvet padding inside the box. With one hand habitually covering the tube''s far end, he approached the boy''s bedside, calmly instructing, "Come on, sit up, undo your shirt... pull it aside, expose your entire chest." "I won''t! Go away!" The boy screamed, attempting to kick. Garrett didn''t argue, calmly taking two steps back, turning to the old wizard. Hey, can''t you control your kid? --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 81 Chapter 81 The old mage looked at Garrett Nordmark, half-believing. If he hadn''t witnessed Garrett leading the rescue yesterday, with both major healers claiming it was orchestrated by this young man, he wouldn''t have bothered with him now. But at present, with Elder Elwin Wilkinson taking the initiative to inquire and the bald Archbishop smiling, he hesitated for a moment, then personally unbuttoned the child''s clothes: "George, listen, take off your shirt." The boy squirmed, looking defiant. The old mage coaxed and threatened, even saying things like "If the Aen Stone rots in your lungs, you''ll die." Eventually, he managed to quiet the child down, who then took off his shirt. Garrett knelt half-bowed in front of the child, the copper tube pressed against the boy''s left shoulder, tilting his head, the other end on the right ear. "No wonder he''s covering that copper tube. I guessed for half a day, turns out he''s afraid of chilling the child." At the foot of the bed, the bald Archbishop leaned towards Elder Elwin Wilkinson, praising in a low voice. The elder nodded: "Young Garrett is quite careful with patients." The old mage glanced at them, staying silent, merely storing these words in his mind. Looking back at Garrett, the youth was focused, listening intently to the sounds inside the copper tube. His right hand occasionally moved the other end of the tube, not too fast or too slow, stopping evenly for one or two breaths at each position. From left to right, from top to bottom. The copper tube in the youth''s hands moved back and forth, with all the points symmetrically placed. Although the old mage couldn''t figure out why he was doing this, he could be certain that Garrett must have a plan. Above the clavicle, front chest, left armpit, right armpit. Garrett moved around the boy, even turning to the back for a while, finally putting down the copper tube. Raising his head, he looked at the old mage and the three temple leaders, calm and confident: "It is indeed stuck in the lungs. Right here" he pointed to the right side of the boy''s chest, fingertip landing just below the clavicle, close to the inner side: "How do you know?" Elder Elwin Wilkinson and the bald Archbishop asked simultaneously. The high priest hesitated for a moment, lips moving, emitting a vague sound. Garrett answered confidently: "Listening to the sound! The breath sounds in this part of the right lung are noticeably lower than elsewhere!Come, listen..." The bald Archbishop was the first to approach. Elder Elwin Wilkinson hesitated for a moment, but was pushed behind by him, shaking his head in resignation. Garrett handed over the copper tube, letting the bald Archbishop listen with his ear pressed to it. "Come, just like this, aim at your own ear, press one end against the patient... stop!" Garrett had to explain it again. This time, Elder Elwin Wilkinson had more and finer questions: "Why is the sound different on the left lung and right lung? Why does the right lung sound like snoring? Why..." Garrett: "..." Do I have to explain to you about dry rales and wet rales, wheezing and rhonchi? The patient is still waiting here! Theoretically speaking, it would take three days and nights to explain! In short, after the two big shots personally listened and agreed with Garrett''s judgment, it was confirmed that the Aen Stone was indeed stuck in the lungs. As for how to solve it, Garrett spread his hands, looking at the senior healers with an expression that said, "I can''t do it, you guys do it." "If it''s trauma or disease, with the blessing of the Goddess, it can completely heal him." The high priest of the Spring Goddess''s temple spoke first, frowning with a hint of helplessness: "But the Aen Stone is stuck in the lungs... I''m sorry, the church has no corresponding divine magic, and I don''t know how to treat it." The bald Archbishop shook his head too. "I can only think of cutting open the chest and taking it out..." Before he finished speaking, the unruly child screamed desperately: "I don''t want it! I don''t want it! Grandpa! He wants to kill me" ...I said not to discuss treatment plans in front of the patient. Especially the version of directly opening the chest, see, scared the patient. Fortunately, it''s a child. If it were a patient with hypertension or a critically ill patient, a sudden shock might cause a stroke or even worse... Tsk, without systematic medical training, it''s easy to make mistakes. Like us, when doing rounds in front of cancer patients, we just say "CA," guaranteeing not to reveal anything. Garrett silently complained behind the big shots. The bald Archbishop turned back to reassure a few words, to no avail, only ensuring "I won''t do anything, I absolutely won''t do anything," and stepped back. Elder Elwin Wilkinson had been pondering with his head down, until the two in front finished speaking, he hesitated and raised his head: "With the blessing of the God of Nature, I can stimulate vines to penetrate into the lungs and remove the object. However, I don''t know where the object is stuck in the lungs, and I don''t know how the vines should go." He paused and turned to Garrett, eyes full of anticipation. Garrett thought for a moment, under the puzzled gaze of the old mage, took a step forward: "I have a solution to this problem." Garrett looked calm, his tone firm. Without waiting for the old mage to ask, he stared into the other''s eyes and continued in one breath: "I can see where the Aen Stone is. Just use" he gestured with his hand: "Detection magic, as mentioned in yesterday''s paper. If you can see it, you can guide the vines to remove it." --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 82 Chapter 82 "Can the Aen Stone be seen too?" The old mage looked puzzled. He had read the paper yesterday and personally verified it. The meditation field was blurry, and magical light couldn''t penetrate it. Even though Garrett had mentioned yesterday that a five-level difference could make things visible, how could a level 1 magical item like the Aen Stone be seen? "Teacher, may I borrow your staff?" Garrett turned to Elder Elwin. The elder raised the staff, lifted the boy with one hand, placed him on the chair, and leaned the oak wand against his back. Garrett quickly cast a spell, and the elder circled around, coming to Garrett''s side with surprise. "Ah! Indeed, it can be seen!" Huh? It actually appeared directly? Garrett was pleasantly surprised. He didn''t expect the object to emit light directly or show shadows. Regardless of the longitudinal oscillation, transverse shift, increased transparency, and many other indicators in radiology that help doctors locate foreign objects... "What are you and your disciple doing behind my back?" The bald bishop laughed and scolded, joining them. He widened his eyes, looking around, "Where is it? Where is it?" "It''s not seen like this. You have to use meditation vision..." Elder Elwin pointed it out to him. The bald bishop closed his eyes and focused. After a closer look, he exclaimed, "Ah! I can see it too!" Five levels... right. The old mage recalled the statements in the paper. A five-level difference between magical items and the observer would make things visible. He looked at his grandson - an apprentice mage; then at Elder Elwin - the deep brown hemp robe embroidered with silver thread on the cuffs, clearly an eighth-level priest. He had heard about the characteristics of the Nature God Cult. The elder''s oak wand was probably also eighth level. More than enough. The old mage hurriedly approached. As an eleventh-level mage, his meditation was faster, and he focused slightly - nothing. Turning his head, Garrett stood aside, looking embarrassed. "The duration is over..." Oh, this boy is still an apprentice. Detecting magic doesn''t last long, only 30 seconds in total. Elder Elwin and the bald bishop had just finished looking when he walked over. Alright, just a trick; who wouldn''t know it? The old mage didn''t even need to chant a spell. In the meditation vision, a burst of magical light immediately came through. The light emitted by the oak wand was extremely bright. With a spell from the old mage, his grandson''s sternum and ribs became clear. A small rhombus-shaped stone was embedded in a large area of shadow, illuminated by the activation of the detection magic. "It really can be seen clearly..." Without waiting for him to find paper and pen, Elliott had already run out voluntarily. Garrett raised and lowered his foot, standing in place, feeling a bit happy. After two months of crossing over, I finally got to the point where someone helps me run errands just by asking ^_^ Mage Elliott ran down and up, holding a particularly large roll of paper, spreading it out diligently. Garrett smiled wryly, "It doesn''t have to be this big..." Turning his head to assess the kid''s size, he made dots and lines on the paper. Based on the size of a ten-year-old child''s torso, he outlined the entire chest cavity, the position of the clavicle, and each rib. Then he drew two lung lobes. Next, he switched to a red pen and drew from the nasopharynx, trachea, all the way down to the bronchi: "These two are the lungs. Inside the lungs, there is the trachea. Teacher, you see, only the trachea is where the vine can go... Below the trachea, it divides into left and right main bronchi. The right bronchus is thicker and steeper, branching like this downwards..." Swish, swish, swish. Under his pen, the right bronchus divided into three branches, and each branch further split into ten twig-like structures. Elder Elwin supported the tabletop, stretching his neck beside, feeling dizzy. "Wait a moment, let me note this downwhy are there so many branches!" Indeed, it''s quite a lot. Garrett sighed: "So, the blood vessels inside the lungs follow the bronchi. Therefore, we divide the lungs into different bronchial segments according to the bronchus... The right lung has 10 bronchial segments..." "Isn''t this a tongue twister?" The bald bishop blurted out. Well said. When I learned this part, I thought the same. Garrett lazily shrugged. The bald bishop continued complaining, "So, the left lung also has 10?" "...No, the left lung has 8 bronchial segments." Garrett rolled his eyes at him. Surprised or not? Expected or unexpected? When we learned about lobes, the teacher teased us like this... The two of them bantered a bit, while Elder Elwin still furrowed his brow, memorizing. Mumbling, "It''s so hard to remember..." It indeed was difficult. Garrett empathized; the anatomy textbook he used was full of flat drawings, not easy to understand. He almost died trying to memorize it... If it weren''t for a classmate sharing the "Netter''s Atlas of Human Anatomy" with colored illustrations, he would have struggled to memorize it for who knows how long. "By the way, you just mentioned that the lungs are three-dimensionalso are these airways you drew pointing inwards or outwards? How should my vine go?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 83 Chapter 83 This... From 2D to 3D, Garrett Nordmark had studied everything thoroughly in the past, but explaining it to these novices... If only there were a model of the lungs...Visit for the best novel reading experience Garrett nostalgically thought about it. He didn''t even hope for a specimen; he just wanted a model. In his previous life, you could buy that on Taobao! A simulated human body with proportional lungs divided into three lobes each, colored trachea, bronchi, arteries, and veins, all detachable! For just a few bucks, shipping included! Garrett deeply missed his previous life. Back then, things he could easily get, now, where could he possibly buy them? Even if there was a place to order, there was no convenient delivery like back then! Right! He could make it himself! Garrett jumped up. Magical tricks could create small objects! Rough or fake, as long as it works! He waved his hands, carefully shaping the model in the void. Under his fingertips, a model connecting from the nasopharynx to the lungs, including the trachea and bronchi, gradually appeared. As soon as it solidified, Elder Elwin Wilkinson''s vine couldn''t wait to reach in. "Don''t! Teacher, usually, the bronchoscope goes through the nasal cavity!" One had to admit, the expert was an expert. Garrett watched helplessly as Elder Elwin Wilkinson held a seed in his hand, walking to the model. No gestures, no incantationsdelicate vines grew in the wind, exploring the model''s nasal cavity. Growing, growing. Without moving his fingertips, the vine had already retracted. Elder Wilkinson lifted his face, looking at the anxious old mage: "Very smooth. Throw something inside, and let''s try again?" This works too?! Garrett remembered the times in his previous life when his colleagues in respiratory medicine carefully inserted throat mirrors and bronchoscopes, gingerly maneuvering inside. It made him shed a sympathetic tear for them. Although the visibility was much better thereOlympus'' electronic bronchoscope had a large screen, providing a clear view of the airway''s condition, unlike here, which was essentially blind manipulation. But threading a tube was troublesome! Such a thin trachea and bronchi, the bronchoscope had to navigate carefully in the middle, avoiding contact with the tracheal wall. Otherwise, the airway could spasm, the patient might feel a choking sensation, and if it accidentally pierced a tumor or something, massive bleeding could occur... "Did George have breakfast this morning?" "No. He said he felt uncomfortable and couldn''t eat." "What about drinking? Even a drop of water counts, milk, juice, anything?" "No." The old mage raised worries about his grandson again, frowning. "He''s so young and refuses to eat or drink, how can he endure this..." In the middle of his sigh, Garrett''s expression slightly eased, eyes narrowing. "Not eating or drinking is good. Your Excellency, the non-painful divine magic you used earlier, can it numb the throat so he won''t feel anything when something is inserted?" "Ah... uh..." The bald bishop was tongue-tied. His head tilted left and then right, pondering for a while, shaking his head: "I don''t know. Is that important?" "Very important. If the throat isn''t numb, the vine can''t go in; it could be fatal!" Garrett earnestly warned. In his past life, who dared to perform a bronchoscopy without anesthesia? Coughing, choking, in severe cases, people could die! The bald bishop was in a dilemma. Scratching his head for a long time, thankfully, he was bald; otherwise, he might have pulled out a handful of hair. Finally, he arrived at an inconclusive conclusion: "Divine magic mainly depends on the guidance of the caster. I can concentrate the power mainly on the throat, but whether it works, I''m really not sure... Otherwise, shall we find someone to try it?" "If you''re willing to try, that''s great." Mage Gelman, who had been listening on the side, finally saw a glimmer of hope and heaved a sigh of relief. "Wait a moment; I''ll go call a servant. Blake!" "Mage, what are your orders?" A young lad immediately pushed the door and entered, bowing respectfully. Garrett recognized him as the servant from the mage tower, responsible for running errands on the fifth floor and attending to Mage Gelman''s daily life. While reading on the first floor, Garrett occasionally saw him among the servants, bragging about things like "the mage turned me into a frog" with an animated crowd around, marveling. But now, hearing what Mage Gelman instructed him to do, the young lad''s face turned pale, changing from Blake to White: "Ma...Mage, I''ve been faithfully serving you... faithfully... faithfully..." Clatter, clatter, clatter. The young servant''s legs trembled, shaking like playing a pipa, echoing on the floor. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 84 Chapter 84 "Don''t waste time, do it quickly!" Blake nervously opened his mouth, his legs trembling like cotton. Seeing that it wouldn''t work this way, Mage Gelman flicked his fingers, and a chair flew over to cushion his bottom. Elder Elwin Wilkinson lowered his head and muttered a prayer, and the light barrier descended. Blake immediately froze in place, eyes wide open in shock. Only his mouth was moving, but no sound came out. Elder Elwin frowned slightly and, unable to bear it, reached out his hand. Verdant vines snaked up, quickly entering Blake''s nostrils. In no time, Blake''s eyes bulged out, and his face was covered in tears and snot, struggling desperately. "Quiet! Quiet! Hold back the coughing, breathe shallowly..." Garrett tried to comfort him, but it had no effect. Seeing the young man''s eyes growing larger, with the whites turning red from the blood vessels, Garrett finally sighed and raised his hand to stop them. "Alright, let me try." "You''re insane! You''re a mage!" Both the bald bishop and Elder Elwin shouted simultaneously. Garrett smiled brightly at them and shook his head. "It''s okay, teacher. I know what will happen; I won''t be as nervous as him. At times like this, the more relaxed you are, the less likely you''ll get hurt. Besides, teacher''s vines won''t harm me, right?" Elder Elwin still had a dark expression. Garrett sighed again. "I need to try it myself to know if this will work and what to pay attention to. Come on, it''s okay; after all, I am a doctor." "What?" "I am a doctor." Garrett repeated it, his expression gradually firm. In this world where everyone only knew healers and not doctors, his words might not be understood. But at this moment, no words could better reflect his feelings than the two words, "I''m a doctor." In the past, senior doctors had experimented with hepatitis vaccines on themselves when there were no gorillas available. Some had pioneered interventional surgeries by inserting tubes into veins. Others had tested polio vaccines on their own sons... So, what''s wrong with me trying magical anesthesia on myself? It''s just a bronchoscopy. As long as I''m careful, I won''t suffer any harm! He raised his left hand, touching his throat, his expression determined. "Bishop, remember, only make the lower part of my chin to the chest numb. Teacher, look at my gestures, continue if I point down, and withdraw if I point up. Alright, let''s do it!" As the white light relaxed, Blake scrambled out of the room. After a brief pause, the same white light descended on Garrett again. Is the magical anesthesia complete? "Really?" The old mage raised an eyebrow. "This is important. Please tell me the truth; don''t hide anything from me..." Garrett opened his mouth. Originally, he didn''t want to say it, but for some reason, it just came out: "Don''t worry; bronchoscopy is generally safe, but it may cause discomfort and nausea in the throat. In some cases, it may cause the following complications: 1. Bleeding during or after the procedure, severe bleeding can lead to suffocation and death; 2. Infection; 3. Postoperative fever; 4. Damage to surrounding tissues or organs, pneumothorax; 5. Cardiovascular accidents; 6. Edema of the larynx, asthma, spasms of the trachea and bronchi leading to hypoxemia and suffocation; 7. Reflux or hypoxemia leading to death; 8. Anesthetic allergy (let''s ignore this, divine magic anesthesia has no allergies). If any of these conditions occur, we will actively address them, and I believe the treatment skills of you esteemed masters can definitely bring the person back What kind of magic did you use on me!!!" Garrett suddenly realized. At the same time, the old mage had already blurted out: "Why so many things happened!!!" He was just worried about his grandson, casually casting an enchantment to tease the little guy. The result was this endless string of horrifying information, each one scarier than the last Just getting an Aen Stone, how could there be such terrifying consequences! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 85 Chapter 85 The old mage''s face turned as dark as an impending storm. Garrett opened his mouth but was momentarily unsure whether to defend himself, flip the table, or argue his case... Honestly, I''ve seen all sorts of medical disputes in my past life. Unauthorized recordings, videos, signing consent forms with fading ink, signing and then denying it, shouting that we don''t understand. Human nature, always innovating. With over a decade of clinical experience, working in the explosive environment of the emergency department, he considered himself seasoned, adept at handling all kinds of confrontations. Yet, no defense could withstand this magical manipulation of words! Moreover, did I express this complication just a bit too bluntly? I knew people from other realms weren''t bombarded with consent forms; they might find it difficult to adapt... But now, there''s no time for regrets. Besides, this isn''t a matter of regret. He''s the victim here, having fallen under someone else''s magic spell controlling his speech. Garrett hadn''t figured out how to defend himself when Elder Elwin Wilkinson pulled him behind, his face turning iron blue. "What are you doing?! Treat him if you can, or we''ll leave!" Great, back when dealing with medical disputes, we couldn''t just shout, "Treat or leave!" Garrett felt a touch of sadness and huddled behind his teacher, looking as if the sky was falling and someone influential was holding it up. Elder Elwin Wilkinson slammed his oak staff on the ground, pointing it at the old mage, shouting with authority, causing the mountains to tremble: "Who wants to harm your grandson?! Who would take such a risk?! If young Garrett doesn''t step forward, if he doesn''t say he has a solution, can you blame him? The method has been explained, how to do it has been taught, he allowed us to try it on him, and now, just because he says ''such cases are rare,'' you want to interrogate him?!" Teacher, you''re amazing. It''s great to have traveled through time T_T. If I shouted like this in a hospital in my past life, with just one patient complaint, the hospital administration would have come knocking... Garrett sighed inwardly. Elder Elwin''s scolding had the desired effect, and the old mage kept apologizing, promising not to cause trouble even if anything went wrong. After much fuss, the elder finally calmed down and waved his hand: "Alright, let''s begin the treatment..." "I don''t want to" The boy screamed. The ten-year-old boy''s voice was sharp and bright, almost reaching a dolphin-like pitch, just a little short. Garrett''s hand trembled, and halfway through casting the detection spell, it dissipated. A swooshing sound, Elder Elwin''s vines retracted, transforming back into a seed. "George! Behave!" The old mage scolded. Unfortunately, he was previously busy apologizing to Elder Elwin and, in a moment of distraction, let the restraining spell expire. The naughty child, tied up and forced to listen all this while, was already trembling with fear. Now, with a chance to escape, he rolled on the floor: "I don''t wantI don''t wantcough, cough, coughGrandpa, save me, I''ll behavecough, cough, coughI don''t want vines poking into my lungscough, cough, cough, cough" In his terror, the mischievous child displayed astonishing mobility, pouncing onto the old mage. Tears and snot smeared over the mage''s robe as the old man lifted him up, dropped him heavily onto a chair, and bellowed: "Don''t move!" Another magic spell shot out. The boy froze on the chair, wide-eyed, unable to make a sound. Constrained by magic, even the tip of his little finger couldn''t move, forced to stare with wide eyes, tears streaming, his face pleading. I wish I could send it to him... A unique existence in the world, enough material for an excellent case report! "Symptoms and Subsequent Treatment of Aen Stone Entering the Airway" - Hmm, with an article like that, I wonder if The Lancet would publish it... Sighs of relief echoed. With the lifting of the restraining magic and the dissipation of the divine spell, the naughty child jumped down, his high-pitched cries ringing out: "Wowcough, cough, cough, coughwow" "Shut up!" The old mage moved swiftly, grabbing his grandson''s ears. With a forceful pull, he brought him in front of Elder Elwin: "Bow! Thank him!" "Wow...sniff...thank you, thank you for the treatment..." The mischievous child, sniffling, bowed in succession. After thanking Elder Elwin, the bald bishop, and the high priest, he was then brought by his grandfather in front of Garrett. Crying and sniffing, he bowed deeply: "Thank you for the treatment...sniff..." "Anything else?" The old mage urged. The naughty child was pulled by the ears again, sobbing, and bowed deeply once more: "Sorry... I shouldn''t have snatched your Aen Stone... I won''t dare again..." Ah, it would be so good if all children were taught this way. Garrett sighed quietly and reached out to support him: "It''s okay..." He suddenly froze, his expression strange. Elder Elwin, who had just finished casting his spell, saw him standing there dumbfounded and couldn''t help asking: "What''s wrong, young Garrett?" "Teacher..." Garrett raised a trembling hand: "I seem to be... having a breakthrough..." --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 86 Chapter 86 "Are you about to break through?" "Little Garrett, are you really going to break through? That''s fantastic!" "How did it happen?" Questions, congratulations, footsteps the fifth floor of the Mage Tower buzzed with noise. Garrett kept his eyes closed, not answering, focusing entirely on sensing his own condition. A breakthrough was imminent. An upgrade was on the horizon. The sensation was subtle and challenging to describe, like catching a whiff of flowers in a windless nightno evidence, but undeniably present. Garrett first felt it when he stepped forward, saying, "I can see, I have a solution," proposing a plan to extract foreign objects from the airway using vines guided by X-rays. As he drew diagrams and models, instructing Elder Elwin on the operation, it felt like a gentle spring rain in the dark, filling the pond. And when the surgery was completed, and the Aen Stone was extracted, the ripples silently overflowed the banks. "Breakthrough? Little Garrett, are you becoming an official mage?" Elliott blurted out. Mage Gelman Klaus, though silent, watched him anxiously. Garrett was just a hair away from passing the Mage Tower assessment; a breakthrough at this moment would fill that score gap! Garrett remained silent. He stood up in a trance, as if meditating or sleepwalking. His palm lifted, extended forward, flipped, and pressed against his chest. In front of everyone, between the closed fingers, a faint but warm white light emerged! "Healing Spell!" Elder Elwin''s eyes lit up. At the same time, the old mage sighed softly, full of disappointment: "It''s a breakthrough to the Priest level..." The gentle healing power seeped into his chest like a fine rain, soothing the faint burning and discomfort. Garrett let out a long sigh; without this healing spell, the discomfort in his throat and the persistent cough would have been unavoidable. Part-time priest, not bad. Curing oneself of any ailment at a moment''s noticequite convenient! Vibrant energy surged at his fingertips. Garrett smiled, opening his eyes. Mage Elliott rushed over, grabbing his hand. "This is amazing! Garrett, it''s truly amazing!" He was overflowing with joy. While he didn''t understand the types of priestly magic, the intensity of the magical fluctuations was palpable. Garrett''s Healing Spell was indeed of a first-level priest''s strength. Seeing his happiness, Garrett was also in high spirits. For some reason, he felt like cracking a joke to tease his friends. "Modify this paper, and with today''s achievement, I''ll personally recommend it. If it gets published in a good journal with a high rating, the Magic Council will even reward you." "Thank you so much..." Garrett whispered his thanks. Having a renowned figure endorse a paper makes a huge difference; if he were to submit it himself, the best outcome would be a review period of over six months. The old mage waved his hand with a smile and earnestly advised him: "Don''t mention it. You are a mage of our lineage, and it''s my duty. Go ahead, study magic diligently. Mages who can discover new spells often have a bright future, and they face fewer obstacles during promotions compared to others. Oh, and take this mana pearl for your advancement, use it wisely!" A shiny white pearl was tossed over. Garrett quickly caught it, and upon closer inspection, the pearl was the size of a little finger, perfectly round and slightly glowing. Before he could express his gratitude, Gelman Klaus interjected: "Don''t forget to thank the teacher! It''s a level-two mana pearl. It can replicate one of your level-two spells every day. Noteworthy because it can be used by both mages and priests. Once you level up, it''ll come in handy!" "Is this... swapping the Aen Stone for a mana pearl?" Garrett hurriedly expressed his thanks. Thankfully, he''d rather have this pearl than the Aen Stone he had pulled from his lungs. And regarding the one the old mage had taken out yesterday, if it were this pearl... Given its size, it might have not only lodged in the bronchus but perhaps even blocked the airway entirely. Garrett kept imagining, his thoughts flowing rapidly. Beside him, Elder Elwin Wilkinson chuckled and pointed to the old mage: "Trying to make things difficult for me, aren''t you? Since you''ve given such a valuable gift, I can''t be light-handed with my own disciple''s advancement. Garrett, go out with the teacher tomorrow; he''ll prepare a healing wand for you!" As this statement was made, several influential figures showed subtle reactions, indicating the considerable value of the healing wand. Just as Garrett was expressing his gratitude, the bald bishop chuckled and pulled something out of his pocket: "Since everyone is so generous, I can''t be stingy. Little Garrett, take this!" A heavy metal badge landed in Garrett''s palm. When he looked down, it was a shield-shaped silver badge, with an ancient and slightly dim hue. The bald bishop continued to chat away: "It has a protective spell attached. Once a day, it can withstand a full-force strike from a level-one warrior. Just wear it on your body. If you don''t want it to be conspicuous, you can keep it in your pocket." "Bishop, this is too valuable!" "What''s valuable about it! Those drawings you did today, give them to me!" Two consecutive people gave gifts, and the high priest of the Fountain of Springs Temple also had to join in, taking out a bottle of healing potion and stuffing it into Garrett''s hand. Garrett didn''t care what level the potion was; he thanked them nonetheless. Whatever level it was, he''d figure it out once he had it in his hands! Left hand holding the mana pearl, right hand with the protective badge, and a bottle of healing potion tucked between his fingers. Garrett couldn''t even hold them all, feeling like singing on the spot, "A chicken in the left hand, a duck in the right hand." Lucky for him, leveling up on the spot, what a huge profit! Laughter and joy filled the scene, and Gelman Klaus, on behalf of the Mage Tower, presented consultation fees to the leaders of several church factions. After the banquet, he escorted them quite a distance. Upon returning to the Mage Tower, just as Garrett sat down to conduct an experiment, a servant reported: "The Elder of the Nature Cult and the Bishop of the Temple of the God of War have returned together." --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 87 Chapter 87 "Elders? Bishops? What are they here for?" Mage Gelman Klaus was puzzled. A thought naturally crossed his mind: Could it be that these two are not looking for him but for young Garrett instead? "Call... Garrett, and welcome our guests!" With a command given, Garrett hastily received the message and rushed downstairs. As soon as he entered the hall, he heard laughter coming from the reception room, where two individuals were teasing each other. The bald bishop exuded confidence, while Elder Elwin Wilkinson spoke with a moderate tone. Their banter was clear and struck right to the heart: "Why are you here?" "Aren''t you here too?" "I came to find my disciple! What about you?" "Need to run to the village to find your disciple and then sneak back?" "You did the same, entering the city with the High Priest and then sneaking back!" "If not, how can I outpace that old man?" "You''re not trying to outpace that old man but me! Forget it, Garrett is my disciple!" Garrett glanced at Mage Gelman Klaus and silently lowered his head. Teachers, bishops, can''t you stop arguing in the mage tower? It''s embarrassing in front of Mage Gelman Klaus! Mage Gelman Klaus was also somewhat surprised. They really came for Garrett? This young man, a newly promoted level one priest and a mage apprentice, was actually being treated differently by the two leaders of the church. It even seemed like they considered him a collaborator! In that case, the treatment he received in the mage tower shouldn''t be too low... He discreetly took two steps back, coughed, and then led Garrett inside. The reception room immediately fell silent, and the two healers sat opposite each other with cheerful smiles. It seemed like they hadn''t been arguing at all. "Mage, I apologize for disturbing you again," the bald bishop said, though his face showed no signs of remorse as he boldly took a seat on the sofa. His legs stretched out, occupying the space for two people. "We''ve come to discuss the matter from yesterday... Garrett, about the plan for cleaning up the city, continue!" Garrett''s eyes lit up. He had indeed stayed up all night to complete the plan, but he hadn''t figured out when to approach his teacher and how to convince him. Who would have thought that the opportunity would present itself without him actively seeking it!This chapter is updated by "Bishop, Elder," he stopped in his tracks, slightly bowing, "please wait a moment, and I''ll fetch the plan for you to review." "You''ve actually written it down? Hurry up!" Garrett hurriedly ascended the stairs, then descended with a rolled-up parchment in his hand. He handed it forward, left, right, front three hands simultaneously grabbed the corners of the paper. "Teachers, Mage Excellency, Bishop, can''t we find a way to start the cleanup work first?" The more Garrett spoke, the more uneasy he became. A project requiring several hundred gold coins to start, probably exceeding a thousand, with returns visible only after a year, and who knows how many years to recover costs, or if they could recover at all pitching such a project to investors would likely be a tough sell. The sincerity he could offer and the upfront investment he could provide were only "If you need money..." Garrett extended his right hand forward. With a clang, the money pouch gifted by Viscount Joane yesterday landed on the table. "Heyhow can we use your kid''s money?" Mage Gelman immediately objected. Elder Wilkinson, however, raised a hand to stop him: "No, let him contribute." "What?" "This business counts as his share." Bishop Lord Joane also caught on and interjected without hesitation. He took the money pouch and casually placed it on the table: "Besides young Garrett, the three of us will contribute equally, and profits will be divided equally." "Equal distribution isn''t suitable," Elder Wilkinson shook his head. "Experimenting with composting methods and teaching farmers is something only we can do, and those farmers only trust us." "We''ll handle convincing the Lord!" Bishop Joane asserted without showing weakness. "As for the street cleaning, I''ll contact the City Guards to handle it, and they should get their share too!" "The Mage Tower can provide land," Mage Gelman quickly added. Bishop Joane snorted, "Land? Tenant farmers? We have those too!" "We can also convince the Lord!" "Just the City Guards, who can''t we handle?" "The Mage Tower gets thirty percent!" "At most, twenty-five percent! Otherwise, look for someone else!" The harmonious and friendly academic discussion turned into a bickering marketplace scene in the blink of an eye. Moreover, it lacked any technical content, resembling the bargaining of street vendors. Garrett was dumbfounded. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 88 Chapter 88 Perhaps the elders felt that quarreling in front of apprentices was beneath their dignity, as Garrett Nordmark was quickly dismissed. It wasn''t until the next day, when Elder Elwin Wilkinson took him to get the oak wand, that he was informed of his share: "Consider it half. Little one, don''t complain. The Guild''s money is ten times yours, and you only get thirty percent!" Oh, the technology I provided is also included in the shares. The elders are quite generous! "Just that you won''t see the money until next year. Little Garrett, if you ever need funds for magical research, let me know!" "Teacher, the money isn''t urgent" Garrett lived and ate in the Mage Tower, with no immediate expenses. Sir Westlow thanked him with ten gold coins, and after healing Baron''s wrist, he received another fifteen gold coins. With a hefty sum in hand, Garrett felt no financial strain and showed no sense of urgency: "The important thing is to start the cleanup quickly. Teacher, if you''re slow, the danger of the plague increases. Please be cautious!" "Got it! Child, you don''t need to worry about this matter!" Elder Elwin responded impatiently, lifting Garrett and leaping onto the treetops. Garrett tried to speak but was met with a gust of strong wind, leaving him no choice but to remain silent. The place Elder Elwin brought him to was the hill where worshippers of the god of nature gathered on every new moon night. From the foot to the summit of the mountain, countless oak trees covered the sky densely. Elder Elwin carried him halfway up the mountain and then dropped him off: "Find a tree." "What?" Garrett was bewildered. On such a large mountain with oak trees everywhere, you want me to find a tree without any specific guidance? Teacher, at least give me a target! "Each of us uses an oak wand that we cultivate ourselves, starting from an acorn when we receive education," Elder Elwin explained without providing any hints. Instead, he stood aside, slammed the wand into the ground, and slowly began to narrate: "Children starting their education will plant an acorn in an open space, wait for it to take root and sprout, growing into a sapling. On the day they become apprentices, with the help of their teachers, they turn the sapling into a wand." From then on, this wand grows with them, fighting alongside them, experiencing decades or even centuries of storms. Until the end, it returns to the forest with its owner... "And what about me...?" Garrett couldn''t help but ask. Growing an acorn into a sapling takes several years. Forget about apprentices trained from childhood. Did you bring me here just to give me an acorn for an oak wand? "Your situation is special. However, in the thousands of years of the teachings of the god of nature, there are methods to deal with it. Find an oak tree, and then I''ll tell you what to do next." "How do I find one?" "Search with your heart. Release your mind, feel, listen. You will discover the oak tree that resonates with you the most." With a "plunk," a dark brown acorn fell into his hands. "Teacher" Garrett turned back in amazement. However, just as he was about to react, Elder Elwin leaped up, his robe fluttering, and went straight up the tree trunk. After a moment of silence, he handed Garrett a bundle of verdant: "Mistletoe. Take it." Garrett hurriedly accepted it. Elder Elwin lifted him again, arrived at the middle of the stone circle at the summit, and with a clang, threw a dagger at him: "Soak the acorn in your blood. Then, wrap it with mistletoe, bury it in the soil, and think about making it grow quickly." Garrett did it without saying a word. He crouched in the center of the circle, pressed the loose soil on the ground with his hands, concentrated, and visualizedor imaginedthe appearance of the oak tree rising from the ground. Silence surrounded him, only the rustling of leaves in the summer breeze. Unconsciously, there was a great pressure accumulating in the air, even the chirping of birds around disappeared. Suddenly, everything went dark in front of Garrett. His body weakened, limbs powerless, as if something was extracting his strengthjust then, a slight movement under his fingertips, a trace of green breaking through the soil, a stem, a raised head, leaves unfolding... Not enough! I want more! I want to grow! Give me power A greedy thought came from that green. Garrett''s head spun, his brain dizzy, he knelt down with a thud. Not enough, even if you suck me dry... you''ve only grown two leaves... He silently spoke to the green shoot. A hand suddenly rested on the back of his neck, a warm and vast power surged down, turned in a circle, and gushed out from his fingertips. The green shoot responded with a wave of joy, rustling, rapidly growing. Garrett knelt on the ground, watching it grow taller than his head, the main stem from translucent to the thickness of chopsticks, to the thickness of a pen, to the thickness of a cup''s mouth. Finally, seven or eight main roots pulled themselves out of the soil, carrying a play of light, silently shrinking into the trunk "Take it." Elder Elwin lifted him up, grabbed the just-grown sapling, and handed it to him: "This is your oak wand!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 89 Chapter 89 Garrett Nordmark stared blankly at the oak staff in his ha He turned it sideways, weighed it, then held it upright and gave it a poke on the ground. The staff felt heavy in his hand, and the smooth, verdant trunk he grasped felt like a young tree, untouched by wind and rain. From the trunk to the treetop, there were no visible branches, only two tightly closed green leaves at the top. At first glance, it looked more like a decorative item carved out than a functional staff. Is this... my oak staff? Garrett turned to ask, but when his gaze fell on Elder Elwin Wilkinson, he was immediately shocked. "Teacher!" The old man seemed like he had just emerged from water. The color drained from his face, wrinkles deepened, and sweat covered his beard. Using the oak staff as support, he stood unsteadily in place, as if a gust of wind could blow him away. How much did Elder Elwin sacrifice for his oak staff during the process of inducing the sprouts earlier? "Teacher..." Garrett rushed to support the old man. His fingers were brushed away when he tried to help, but Elder Elwin Wilkinson burst into laughter, grabbing Garrett''s wrist in return. Though exhausted, he was exuberant, proud to the extreme: "You don''t know! Little Garrett, you don''t know! Only the most outstanding apprentices can use this spell! Old Hiss boasted for so long after using it once! Now it''s finally my turn!Come, try it!" His fingers were as hard as iron hoops. Garrett struggled for a moment but couldn''t break free, nor did he dare to force his way out. Following the teacher''s guidance, he silently focused his mental power into the oak staff, releasing a healing spell. A faint white light emanated from the green leaves at the staff''s tip. Garrett carefully felt it and reported softly: "Casting is smoother... and the consumption is lower... It feels like at least a ten percent reduction..." "Anything else?" The elder urged. Garrett frowned, allowing his mental power to circulate within the oak staff, and suddenly he was surprised: "This is alive?!" "Yes! It''s alive!" Elder Elwin Wilkinson stroked his beard and smiled. Turning to gaze at the wooden staff in his hand, he looked gentle, as if he was looking at a trusted comrade: Garrett swallowed a bite of the barley cake with his head held high, ready for the second bite. Suddenly, he turned his head and saw a three or four-year-old girl standing beside him, sucking on her fingers, eagerly eyeing the barley cake in his hand. The little girl, dressed in rags, with the hem of a coarse linen cape hanging down, revealing her bare legs. She looked pale and thin, her arms as skinny as a twig, but her little belly protruded upwards, a clear sign of prolonged hunger. Garrett''s heart softened, tearing off a piece of barley cake for her: "Little sister, are you hungry?" The little girl''s eyes lit up instantly, swaying back and forth, reaching out. Before she could take it, a voice came from behind: "Eva! No, you can''t!" Eva immediately pulled her hand back. Garrett turned to look and saw a woman in her thirties sitting not far away. She was thin, covered in dust, and her clothes were patched everywhere. Little Eva glanced at her, then reluctantly looked back at the barley cake in Garrett''s hand and turned to run back. Garrett quickly grabbed her. With his left hand pulling Eva, and his right hand raising the oak staff next to him, he shouted, "It''s okay, ma''am. The little sister is hungry, and I''m just sharing some food with her!" The woman carefully examined Garrett, her gaze shifting between him and Elder Elwin Wilkinson''s oak staff. Finally, she lowered her head, folded her hands, and made a somewhat awkward praying gesture: "Thanks to the grace of the God of Nature." "Thanks to the God of Nature." On the open space, seven or eight men and women responded unevenly. Garrett took advantage of the situation and stuffed the barley cake into Eva''s hand. Watching her take small bites, her eyes curved into a smile, he felt that the barley cake in his hand also tasted much better. Well, fortunately, he was wearing the Natural Sect''s priest robe today. If he were in a wizard''s robe, he probably couldn''t give away the barley cake. After Eva cherished every bite of the barley cake, she looked left and right, then hopped to the other side of the mountain path. Standing on tiptoe, she strenuously plucked a wildflower, turned around, and raised it toward Garrett: "Big brother!" Garrett responded with a smile. He smiled as he watched Little Eva run towards him happily, the white flower in her hand swaying. However, as he watched her running joyfully, the smile suddenly turned into a look of shock: "Be careful!" In the distance, a carriage rushed towards them at an alarming speed. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 90 Chapter 90 The girl''s smile was radiant. A carriage raced towards her, about to collide. Gasps from bystanders, screams from the child''s mother, and the swirling dust from the rolling wheels... In Garrett''s perception, everything unfolded in slow motion, frame by frame. Instinctively, Garrett lunged forward. The carriage rumbled, approaching closer, and the kicked-up dust already reached his faceyet, he reached out his hands towards the bewildered girl, who was now just one and a half meters away, one meter, half a meter Swish! A figure swiftly appeared from behind, rushing past. Garrett was pulled back by that person, changing from a forward charge to a backward fall, landing heavily! "Ah!" Garrett cried out in pain. His back slammed into the ground, sliding backward flatly. Amidst the hustle, Garrett struggled to lift his head and saw a grey figure sweeping past, bending down to pick up the girl. The person''s movements were extremely agile. With the left arm cradling the girl, the right arm extended, already embracing the galloping horse. A somersault, and they directly mounted the horse, pulling on the reins: "Whoagood child, stop! Stop!" The spirited horse neighed loudly, gradually coming to a halt. Garrett, with a wry smile, said: "Teacher..." He managed to prop himself up, rubbing his back with one hand. Surprisingly, the fall didn''t hurt. It seemed Elder Elwin deliberately threw him out? Perhaps finding him troublesome? "Just... stay on the sidelines like a level one newbie, don''t cause trouble?" Garrett murmured softly. Just as he sighed in relief, a crack of a whip echoed in front: "Get down!" The carriage driver swung the horsewhip, flailing it forward. With an extra person on the horse, the carriage shook violently before stopping. The lady inside the carriage screamedwhat was this? This was messing with his livelihood! Moreover, the person holding the carriage had a dusty appearance, not exactly a silk-clad noble. Such commoners, relying on a bit of skill, causing troubledeserved a good whipping! The leather whip cracked with a violent sound. Elder Elwin didn''t even turn back; he just reached back and, with a pull and a shake: "Get down!" "Ah" In the long cry, the insolent servant had no choice but to tumble off the carriage. "Madam!Someone is trying to rob the carriage!" The servant yelled from the ground. Inside the carriage: "What!" Elder Elwin disentangled Garrett and walked away. Behind them, Lady Deya climbed down from the carriage in a hurry, rushing towards them: "Roman! Roman''s hand! Can you heal it?" What? Garrett was bewildered. Elder Elwin, already by his side, reminded him, "She is Roman''s mother. The knight from the Temple of the Spring Goddess." Oh... the one whose thumb flexor tendon was scratched off by the undead mage''s cat. Garrett recalled his injuries, then pondered his current healing abilities. He shook his head decisively: "Sorry, I can''t heal it." No microscope, no specialized surgical instruments for hand surgerywhat, am I supposed to use my head to treat him? However, his contemplation was misunderstood by the lady as hesitation, and hesitation was understood as unwillingness to help. Thump, thump, thump, Lady Deya hurriedly approached, opening her arms in front of Garrett: "Please! I beg you! I know Roman offended youwe won''t dare again! Please save him! I''ll give you anything! Anything you wantthis, and this..." Lady Deya knelt with a thud. Her gorgeous silk gown spread out on the ground, stained with mud, but she paid no attention, hastily removing rings, bracelets, and pulling off necklaces. A heap of precious gems was presented to Garrett, her hands trembling violently, the brilliance of the gemstones particularly dazzling in her palms: "All of these are for you! Carriage, estate, you can have anything... please, save him, whatever you ask forthis, and this..." Garrett sighed inwardly at the plight of parents in this world. His many years of medical experience not only prevented him from stepping forward to assist but also made him step back a few paces, hiding behind Elder Elwin: "Sorry, I truly can''t heal your son''s injury. My medical skills are not advanced." "Do you know how to heal or not?! You clearly know! You just refuse to help!" Lady D eya shouted sternly. Her voice paused, then became sorrowful and tearful: "I beg you to save him... How can you turn a blind eye to death? You''re a healer, a healer!... Please, I only have Roman, only him..." ...See, this is a perfect seed for medical disputes. If you don''t treat him, they make a fuss; if the treatment fails, they make a fuss; if the treatment is successful but costs too much, they make a fuss... Comparatively, it''s better to just not treat him from the beginning, causing the least trouble. Fortunately, there''s no concept of a designated primary care physician in this alternate world... Garrett, on high alert, took another step back and repeated, "I''m sorry, I really can''t heal him." "Why are you still talking to her!" Elder Elwin, having finally had his fill of the drama, shouted. He grabbed Garrett and walked away. Behind them, Lady Deya''s cries continued mournfully: "Please..." --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 91 Chapter 91 Garrett Nordmark carried his newly acquired oak staff back to the Mage Tower. As soon as he entered, he tossed aside thoughts of being a knight or anything similar. - He had treated countless patients in his past lifesome were cured, some weren''t, and some couldn''t be saved despite his efforts. If he held onto every case, would he still be a doctor? Returning to the Mage Tower, he climbed familiar stairs to the second floor and headed to his room. Upon entering, he found it completely empty. Clothes, bedding, paper, pens, and the book he was reading halfway through last nightall gone. Garrett stood still for two seconds, puzzled: What''s going on? Did they kick me out? - My surgical tools! My alchemical equipment! The medical records I wrote! The books I copied! - I need all of those back! "Mage Nordmark!" A cheerful voice sounded behind him. Garrett turned to see the servant who had brought him strawberries yesterday, running towards him, bowing at a 45-degree angle.The source of this content nov(el)bi((n)) "Your room has been moved to the third floor! Come, take a look. If there''s anything you don''t like about the arrangement, we''ll fix it right away!" "Third floor?" Garrett was surprised. The third floor was the domain of official mages. He had originally estimated that it would take at least another month or two before he could move up. "I''m just an apprentice mage!" "Oh, but you''re already an official priest!" The servant bowed even lower. "It was Master Elliott''s suggestion, and Lord Gelman approved. You can move up with confidence!" Maintaining a 60-degree bow, the servant smoothly turned 90 degrees on his heels. The movement was so seamless and fluid that Garrett couldn''t help but admire the talent among the servants. In every trade, there are outstanding individualsgiven that, he decided to visit the third floor. The third floor was bustling. Both Master Elliott and Master Karlan were present, directing servants in a flurry of activity. Two servants, under their command, were spinning around, sweating like raindrops falling, and Master Karlan was complaining: "Be careful! Don''t dirty the floor! Wipe your hands, they''re all sweaty. Don''t touch the parchment! Ah, Garrett, you''re here?" Garrett greeted them with a smile. He walked into his new residencea bedroom and a living room, the floor area doubling compared to downstairs. What''s even better was that the suite included a bathroom, unlike the second floor where only a shared one was available. Washing face, brushing teeth, bathing, and using the toiletall had to be done outside the room, reminiscent of student dormitory days. According to the standards of his previous life, a one-bedroom, one-living-room space like this would have a starting floor area of at least 50 square meters. "Thank you for your effort," Garrett sincerely expressed his gratitude. He invited the two mages to sit in the living room, and immediately, a servant brought beverages and two plates of snacks. Master Elliott laughed as he waved his hand: The magical power was noticeably higher than the previous days! Upgrade achieved! Garrett pumped his fist, letting out a joyous cheer. With a bang, the door was forcefully pushed open, and a group of people rushed in, led by the old mage. He immediately asked: "Little Garrett, did you break through? Mage or priest? Hurry, meditate and let me see!" Following his instructions, Garrett began meditating. The old mage also immersed himself in the meditation environment, sensing the elemental changes around him: "Weird... Your mental power and affinity with magic seem to have increased by a tiny bit. Though it''s just a tiny bit..." He slightly parted his thumb and forefinger, revealing a 2-millimeter gap, indicating "just this much": "But affinity, this kind of thing rarely changes. The records I''ve seen before mention encountering significant opportunities, consuming precious items, or having a breakthrough between life and death. Your affinity should increase due to such circumstances, but what''s the reason in your case?" The old mage paced around Garrett, twisting his head. His gray beard floated with each turn, and his gaze at Garrett seemed as if he could dissect him "Why? Why? What''s the reason for this?" You''re asking me? I''ve been here for less than two months after crossing over. I completely don''t understand the rules of this world, and my knowledge of magical basics is only at the most fundamental level... Garrett felt like rolling his eyes. The old mage moved to the third circle, suddenly grabbing his shoulders: "Right! When did you start feeling the urge to level up? Why did this feeling suddenly arise?" "I... This morning, the teacher took me to plant the oak staff... But yesterday, when I took out the Aen Stone, I had a slight feeling..." Garrett was shaken back and forth by the old mage, his words turning into three fragmented pieces. The old mage released him with a long sigh: "That should be it... Creating new magic, crafting new magical items, establishing new theoriesmages who can achieve these innovations usually level up faster than others. The masters before us always had a speculation that such mages, who create these innovations, are favored by the world..." --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 92 Chapter 92 Is the world''s will favoring? Garrett Nordmark''s heart skipped a beat. If there really was such a thing as the world''s will, he, a trespasser, was probably the least favorite of the world''s will. Was his reputation negative from the start?! So, his path to advancement was different from othersprobably save one person first, and the world''s will, in appreciation for his act of saving, grants him a tourist visa; save three to five more people, and the tourist visa turns into a green card; develop new healing methods, and permission for citizenship? So, if the affinity between spiritual power and elements increased, it meant the world''s will found him pleasing and granted him a bit of authority? Wait a minute! Now is not the time to draw conclusions! Garrett struggled to prevent himself from wandering thoughts. With too few samples, he needed to level up at least two more times! To level up, he needed to learn first. After seeing off the old mage returning to the council, Garrett, without hesitation, plunged into a sea of books. Promoted to a first-level mage and an additional level as a priest, the books and subjects he needed to study immediately increased significantly. Pitifully, there were downsides to leveling up quickly. The magical apprentice had not finished memorizing the magical history, continental geography, magical flora and fauna guides, alchemy, and potion-making. Having dual professions meant double the effort. In the dimness of the mage tower, Garrett, oblivious to the passage of time, studied relentlessly. In just over a month, the messenger from the magic council was sent. "Garrett Nordmark?" The newcomer, a man in his twenties, appeared weary, with a waxen complexion and black hair hanging like a curtain over his forehead for who knows how long without washing. The embroidery on his robe had three wands, indicating that he was a third-level mage. He received a document from the knight behind him and handed it to Garrett, saying, "The council is initiating a plan to gather young, promising low-level mages for special training. Master Lorenz recommended youlast month, your paper passed review and was selected for this program." Passed review? Garrett was a little excited. He clenched his fist with force, revealing a big smile: Passed review! Published an article! In his past life, publishing an article was incredibly challenging, especially those with an impact factor above five, often requiring one or two years of research, preparation, writing, and often multiple revisions. It seems that publishing articles is easier when standing on the shoulders of giants... This sincere joy also infected the newcomer. His waxen face twitched, and he forced a stiff smile: "Prepare yourself. In two days, come with me to the magic council." "Alright!" To welcome the messenger from the magic council and to bid farewell to Garrett, a small feast was held in the mage tower. During the feast, Garrett heard news that could neither be described as good nor bad: Sir Roman, dead. "Dead?" Garrett was stunned. "How did he die?" "It''s said to be suicide." Mage Karen treated this gossip as appetizers on the dining table, saying with relish, "He died miserably, with all his blood drained! According to my servant, he committed suicide in the temple''s secret chamber, using blood to draw a large inverted pentagram, lying on top of it!" "What..." Garrett was stunned. The Water Elemental Realm? Such a high-end thing? Does their Mage Tower directly connect to it? "You don''t know this?" Kallan, the mage, was also dumbfounded. "Right, you''ve just leveled up not long ago. It''s not yet time to learn about Mage Tower-related matters... But you''ve been quite diligent these days, haven''t you? Not even bothering to inquire about any news?" Garrett grinned awkwardly. These days, he had read a stack of half-sized books, learned five spells and three divine arts, completed two experiments, and had one ongoing. Even during meals, with a fork in his mouth, he would be thinking about spell models. Forget about inquiring about news; he didn''t even know what he was eating... "Ah, don''t bother about that! It''s been about ten days since that guy died. If something were to happen, it would have happened already. If nothing happened, then nothing happened!" "But..." Garrett''s brow didn''t relax. The spread of an epidemic takes time, brother! Even for an intense infectious disease like the plague, from a tiny outbreak to an explosive spread, it takes time! He finished his meal with a heavy heart. Stepping out of the restaurant, a waiting servant hurriedly approached, bowing deeply. "Magician Nordmark! There''s someone named Raymond looking for you. He says he''s your neighbor and it''s urgent!" Raymond, the big brother? What urgent matter? Is it related to the knight Roman''s death, and his family is blaming Uncle Karen''s household? Garrett was surprised and quickly descended the stairs. Raymond was pacing back and forth at the entrance of the Mage Tower, his brows furrowed in anxiety. Seeing Garrett, he rushed up, grabbing Garrett''s shoulder painfully. "Little Garrett! Save Auntie! She''s fallen seriously illcan''t find a priest anywhere!" ---------------Updated from Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 93 Chapter 93 Aunt is sick? Garrett Nordmark was startled. The City Guards and the War God Temple had always had a close relationship. If Aunt Eileen fell ill, Uncle Karen could easily pull some strings and get a priest to check on her. At least, young John would definitely come... So, what happened? How could they not even get a priest! "I''ll go with you!" Garrett decisively said. He rushed in to grab his surgical instruments and alchemical equipment, swiftly walking out of the Mage Tower. While riding his horse, he inquired. Amidst the howling wind, he listened intermittently to Raymond''s account: Aunt Eileen fell ill the day before yesterday. She had a few bouts of diarrhea, initially dismissing it as food poisoning. However, yesterday, she suddenly developed a high fever. From last night until this morning, she had diarrhea about ten times, and her stomach was excruciatingly painful. Finally, she couldn''t even stand up. Uncle Karen, sensing something amiss, went to the War God Temple early in the morning to summon a priest... "The priest refused to come?" Garrett urgently asked. Raymond shook his head vigorously while leaning on his horse, a bitter expression on his face: "The priests have all been called away... even apprentices like young John have been sent away. The temple entrance is crowded with people... sitting, lying down, and some lying down and suddenly starting to have diarrhea... Garrett, didn''t you see..." All of them are people?! Lying down and suddenly having diarrhea?! A lightning bolt flashed through Garrett''s mind. Raymond''s description instinctively led him to think of a term: Medical overcrowding! Too many patients in a short period, and the medical facilities were completely insufficient to cope. Moreover, if the symptoms of these patients were all the same or similar... The city gate was right in front of them. Garrett pulled the reins, slowing down. Two City Guards were on duty at the gate and, seeing Raymond returning, greeted loudly: "Little Garrett, you''re back! Hurry home, your Aunt Eileen is sick!" "Little Garrett, can you come to my house later? My daughter is also sick " Also sick? So many patients? Garrett felt anxious and confused, nodding randomly as he quickly passed through. The main street had considerably less black mud and sewage compared to last time, evidently showing the initial success of Garrett''s urban cleaning plan. However, not long after, turning onto a side road, a foul stench immediately hit them. Too late... The plan to clear garbage and feces, and clean the streets had started too late... Garrett tried to speed up. Arriving at Uncle Karen''s house, the two dismounted simultaneously. Raymond rushed in and shouted: "Aunt! Aunt, how are you?" Garrett pressed her back down, then turned to take the water bowl from Raymond, feeding her sugar-salt water. After watching for half an hour, ensuring Aunt Eileen no longer had abdominal pain or the urge to diarrhea, Garrett sighed in relief and stood up: "Raymond, watch over Aunt. I''m going out." "Where are you going?" "To see how many people in this city are sick!" With these words, Garrett swiftly left the room like the wind, mounting his horse. He first rushed to the Temple of the God of War, where the three steps at the temple entrance were densely packed with patients. He then rode to the Temple of the Spring Goddess, finding its gates tightly closed, not a single guard in sight. On the small square, about a hundred people sat or lay, filth flowing around, a nauseating stench in the air. Garrett''s heart sank deeper. Hartland City had only a population of about twenty thousand. Just those gathered at the temple seeking medical help numbered around two hundred. Then, what about those already cured by the priests? Those too weak to come? Those not yet affected, or whose conditions were mild, and thought they didn''t need to come? With a 1% infection rate, this was already terrifyingrelying solely on the healthcare system wouldn''t be enough, reports had to be made, emergency plans initiated, administrative forces involved! Fortunately, the Lord''s mansion wasn''t far from here. Garrett rushed to the mansion gate, dismounted, and grabbed a guard: "Where''s the Lord?" "He left the city!" The guard, who had helped him during the midsummer festival incident, remembered him well, answering quickly: "Three days ago, as more and more people fell ill in the city, the Lord went to the estate!" Ah! Garrett threw a quick thanks, stomped his foot, turned, and left. He headed straight for the slums, navigating through streets and alleys he knew well, finding Elder Elwin: "Teacher, this won''t work! The plague has come, treating them one by one won''t save everyone!" Elder Elwin halted his spellcasting. Drops of sweat rolled down his snow-white hair and beard. He looked at Garrett: "What do you suggest?" "Ask the teacher to gather all the prominent figures in the city, reestablish order. Then" Garrett glanced outside, at the endless queue extending from the doorway, at pairs of eager eyes: "We need to contain this epidemic!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 94-95 Chapter 94-95 Dozens of eyes were fixed on Garrett Nordmark. A father, thin and hunched, carrying his daughter on his back, struggling to spread his not-so-wide shoulders to make his little girl more comfortable. A mother holding her son, lips cracked, eyes deeply set, leaning against the wall, gently patting her son in her arms. A daughter supporting her mother, using her tender shoulders to bear the weight, preventing the woman from falling to the ground... One patient after another, one family member after another.This chapter is updated by Children, young adults, middle-aged, those with white hair. This room belonged to Elder Elwin in the city, also the frequent gathering place of the Nature God''s cult. At this moment, there were at least five people busy in the cult. However, the priest''s healing arts were limited, no matter how busy or hardworking, they couldn''t cope with the overwhelming number of patients. Moreover, because Elder Elwin stopped treating and talked to Garrett, the commotion in the crowd, starting nearby and spreading, surged like ocean waves. "Elder, save me!" "Please... save my mother..." "My son is dying... please take a look at him... look at him..." The crowd pressed forward. Desperate hands, thin and wrinkled, tattered clothes, swayed and reached almost to Garrett''s face. Elder Elwin instinctively pulled Garrett, placing him behind himself. "Little Garrett, we can''t leave them and walk away like this..." "But staying is not an option!" Garrett pulled him forcefully. "Teacher, with such a massive epidemic, the lord has fled the city. We must rely on ourselves! Relying solely on healers is not enough, relying solely on us is not enough!" His eyes were ablaze, his arms trembled, and his breath was rapid. He had witnessed this scene before, and in his previous life, not long before his transmigration. Family members desperately pushing and shoving, vying for a bed or at least a chance for treatment; exhausted doctors shouting with tears in their eyes, "We can''t do anything..." What was even more terrifying was that at that time, they faced not a gastrointestinal infectious disease but a respiratory system illness. The virus spread through droplets, and their only protection on the frontline against patients was thin medical masks... That time, before reinforcements arrived, they filled in with their own flesh and blood. Batch after batch, they stepped forward. "Teacher! I''ve seen such a pandemic! I know what to do! Teacher, trust me!" He had seen it, experienced it, and fought against it. "Without gathering everyone''s strength, at least a third of the city will die! Garrett, you say!" He stepped aside, revealing Garrett. Dozens of eyes looked over, seeing a young man standing behind the elder, dressed quite strangely: holding the iconic oak staff of the Nature God''s cult, wearing a robe with a wand embroidered diagonallyjust looking at the robe, he was a standard 1st-level mage. Who was this person? Those well-informed naturally knew that a few days ago, a mage apprentice appeared in the city and was accepted as a disciple by the elder of the Nature God''s cult. Those less informed were still gossiping and trying to find out. Garrett had moved two steps to the side, standing in front of a wooden board brought in earlier, and spoke loudly: "Because following the current treatment methods, the number of patients will only increase, and the power of the healers can never catch up! Teacher, how many people can our cult treat in a day?" "It depends on the severity of the patients" "If they''ve been bedridden for a day or two?" Elder Elwin calculated silently. "For second-level priests, at least one can be cured in a day. Considering you and me, there are a total of fourteen people in the cult, with different levels... um, 30 to 35 people, not exceeding 40." "Your Excellency Bishop, what about the Temple of the War God?" "About the same." "So, how many patients were there the day before yesterday? How many yesterday? Gentlemen, do you know how many patients there are in the city just today?!" Garrett''s voice suddenly soared. The hall fell silent, only the calm voice of Elder Elwin, as if making a note for his disciple: "The day before yesterday, we treated a total of nine patients. Yesterday, twenty-eight. Today, just the ones I''ve seen are over a hundred" "The day before yesterday, five. Yesterday, nineteen." The bald bishop added in a low voice, "Today, over a hundred." As they spoke, Garrett waved his hands, using magical tricks to draw a line graph on a whiteboard. All eyes were drawn to that line: on the first day, fourteen people; on the second day, forty-seven; on the third day, two hundred! Following this trend, what about the fourth day? The fifth day, the sixth day? Garrett was also thinking about this. What was the r0 of the dysentery? What was the formula for calculating the number of infections? What was the mortality rate? How many people would get sick tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, and the day after that? Whatever, just fill in randomly! No one here understands anyway He waved his hand again. On the chart with a black line as the base, the bright red line soared high. On the fourth day, six hundred; on the fifth day, fifteen hundred; on the sixth day, five thousand! The line was steep, shocking, far surpassing the green line representing life, which was just a hundred people! "We can''t treat so many people! If left unchecked, no one can save so many people! Gentlemen, if you don''t want yourself, your family, your friends to fall ill and die, we must take action immediately!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 96 Chapter 96 ---- At the forefront of the hall, the bright red lines on the graph soared high, catching everyone''s attention. On both sides and below the hall, nobles, knights, merchants, craftsmen, and others fell silent. Under the command of the bald archbishop, a piece of armrest snapped off with a crisp sound. He stood up abruptly, saying, "What should we do? Tell us, and we''ll cooperate with you!" It was a tremendous trust and an immense responsibility. Despite Garrett Nordmark''s dual roles as a priest and a mage, combining two level-one professions, he was still far less powerful than the bald archbishop. Yet, Garrett showed no fear. He extended his right hand, fingers ticking off one by one as he spoke: "First, gather all the patients in one place, separate them based on severity. Assign people to take care of the mild cases, and let the priests treat the severe ones" Before he could finish his sentence, the hall erupted in uproar. Lord Joane Vaughn jumped up, exclaiming: "How can we allow that! My family should not be placed with those commoners!" "Do you know how to take care of them? Do you know how to treat them? If someone falls ill, do you know what to do to prevent others from getting sick?" Garrett bombarded Lord Vaughn with three questions. With each question, Lord Vaughn''s arrogance diminished, and after the third question, he blinked his eyes in bewilderment: "But" "No buts," Elder Elwin Wilkinson coldly stated, "If you don''t obey orders and refuse to help, the Divine Magic Temple won''t have time to heal you." "The Temple of War won''t have time either," added the bald archbishop. With all three major churches closing their doors, the Radiant Church, God of War, and God of Nature, they practically monopolized all healing resources. United, they could command the entire city. Lord Vaughn fell silent, listening as Garrett calmly issued orders: "Retrieve maps and census data for the entire city, divide it by regions, and search for patients house by house. Transport all patients to one location for treatment." "I''ll send my men!" Captain Nolan immediately agreed. Elder Elwin added, "Just take them to the Lord of Radiance''s temple; it''s empty there anyway." "Thank you for your kindness," Garrett nodded slightly. Turning to the official recording the orders, he asked, "Note it down as a donation to the temple?" He looked at his teacher. Elder Elwin nodded, and immediately, Mr. Hogan, who had previously given him paper and pen, jumped up, his belly buttons trembling: "I donate ten gold coins!" "Thank you for your generosity," Garrett bowed slightly. Turning to the official, he said, "Record it as a donation to the temple." He looked around, and Mr. Hogan''s initiative prompted others: "I''ll donate ten too!" The grandest structure in Hartland City, the Temple of Radiance, stood in the central square, facing the city lord''s mansion from a distance. From above, it resembled a standard cross shape, with a tall spire towering at the intersection, surpassing even the city lord''s mansion in height. Surrounded by a wall, the temple had a large military camp marked out around it. Three years ago, the Knights of Radiance, the most formidable and ruthless force in Hartland City, was unmatched. Even with their influence waning and being expelled from Hartland City three years ago, the vacant temple still stood there, imposing and untouched. If not for the epidemic, holding a righteous reason, Elder Elwin wouldn''t have wanted to intervene with their church. But now, circumstances were different. Following Elder Elwin, Garrett entered the Temple of Radiance. A cacophony hit them immediatelycrying and chaos filled the hall. Wives clung to husbands, mothers held their sons, crying as if it were a farewell "Damon! Damon! Don''t take him away, please, don''t take him to that place" "Priest, please, save us" "Lord of War, have mercy on your faithful" "Run! They want to lock us up and wait to die" Garrett stood still. In the midst of it, a small, soft thing collided with him, grabbing onto his leg. Not far away, a woman''s voice exclaimed, "Eva" Garrett lowered his head. It was Little Eva, the girl he had given a piece of bread to, thanked him with flowers, and was almost hit by a carriage but saved by his teacher. Now, the girl with slender hands clutched his robe, speaking timidly: "Big brother, please help my mom. Don''t lock her up, okay? I can take care of her... I don''t want her to die waiting..." Waiting to die... yes, concentrating critically ill patients seemed like making them wait to dieand this was a common method in this world! This won''t work! It will cause chaos! Without time to discuss with his teacher, Garrett lifted the girl onto a table, shouting loudly: "Not locking them up to die! You''ll have food, care, and treatment! You''ll get better!" He didn''t notice the abnormal magical fluctuations or how loud his voice was, rolling through the hall. The commotion fell silent, and someone shouted: "How do we trust you?!" "I am Garrett Nordmark!" Garrett shouted back, "During the midsummer trampling incident, I led the rescue, and not one person was abandoned, not one person died! This time, concentrating patients for treatment was also my idea! I''ll be with you until the last person is healed, won''t abandon you! No one will be abandoned!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 97 Chapter 97 The room was filled with people, all eyes on him. Garrett Nordmark gazed back with determination. Not abandoning anyone, saving every soul, that was his plan. Just like in his past life, he wouldn''t leave until every patient was cured, until the quarantine was lifted, the doctors withdrew, and the support teams departed. He looked down at the patients, still cradling the little child in his arms, unconcerned about soiling his robe. His gentle demeanor gradually calmed the panicked patients. Elder Elwin Wilkinson smiled, standing on the table with his disciple, shouting loudly: "Citizens! Followers of the God of Nature!The source of this content nov(el)bi((n)) I am Elder Elwin, leader of the Radiant Church! Gathering the sick here was a joint decision between me and the High Priest of the Temple of the War God. The servants of the God of Nature and the priests of the War God will take care of you here! Please follow the arrangements, go with the priests, and I won''t leave until the last patient is healed!" Elder Elwin''s prestige and reputation were much higher than Garrett''s. Stepping forward and comforting the patients, the Elder finally restored calm. The crowd began to move again. Garrett gently placed the child down, wiped his sweat, and went to the side chamber to wash up and change clothes. Just as he changed into a clean robe, the door creaked open. Someone rushed in, grabbing Garrett urgently, "Why are you still here!" It was Mage Elliott. Why was he in such a hurry? Garrett turned and saw a knight following Elliott at a measured pace. Upon seeing Garrett, the knight nodded slightly in acknowledgment. "Mage Nordmark. Mage Weitman is set to depart for the Magic Council the day after tomorrow. The Mage Lord asked me to relay the message. Please be prepared to accompany him back." The day after tomorrow? Garrett subconsciously glanced around. Elder Elwin, the hastily arrived priests like Anthony, Elwin, Joanna, and the priests of the God of Nature, and a few priests from the Temple of the War God almost simultaneously stopped what they were doing. Elder Elwin simply waved his hand, not looking at Garrett, and continued changing. Anthony, Elwin, and the just-arrived John stared directly at him. John blurted out, "Garrett... Are you leaving?" "Yeah... There are so many patients here..." Anthony whispered. Joanna pulled him, "Just go! Little Garrett is going to the Magic Council, it''s a good thing!Little Garrett, you just go on the day after tomorrow, we''ll handle things here!" Go? Garrett gently shook off the teacher''s hand. He broke free from Mage Elliott again, took a step back, and said seriously: "Elliott, I''m sorry. I appreciate the Magic Council''s recognition and Master Lorenz''s efforts in securing this opportunity for me. But, before being a mage, I am first and foremost a healer." "I can''t abandon my patients. I won''t go anywhere until the plague disappears, and every patient is cured..." He bowed deeply to Mage Elliott, to the knight who brought the message, to the old mage and the Magic Council that gave him this chance. Then, he straightened up, walked out with long strides, and began shouting: "Don''t mix utensils! Everyone uses their own bowl. After using, boil it in hot water before passing it on! Before eating, everyone must wash hands. Fruits that have been washed must not be eaten without peeling!" "Boil water! Every mildly ill patient should drink water with salt and sugar. How much? Set up a separate room for sugar and salt water. I''ll check immediately!" "Make more curtains to separate the beds! After patients have diarrhea, it must be cleaned and dried! Otherwise, sores will develop on the body!" The priests followed suit, pouring out. Mage Elliott stood dumbfounded in place for a long time, finally stamping his foot in frustration: "Why are you so foolish!" Garrett continued shouting as he walked. Not many people came from the Church of the God of Nature. On the side of the Temple of the War God, besides the priests, even the temple guards and efficient stewards were sent over. He just kept giving orders, and people ran to execute them. Garrett checked once, seeing that things were roughly in order, and went to see the patients. The severely ill patients had been separated and placed in a side chamber. Elder Elwin stood at the bedside of a little boy, his palm extended over the child, emitting a white light that sprinkled down like stardust. Garrett waited nearby for the treatment to finish and quietly pulled the old man aside: "Teacher, I have some ideas about treating this plague... The focus of healing spells can be on the lower left abdomen... You see, many patients are experiencing severe pain there..." Elder Elwin pondered for a moment, nodded, and immediately relayed the message loudly. The servants of the God of Nature all responded, but on the side of the Temple of the War God, there was a low, disdainful snort: "Oh? A student is directing a teacher? A Level 1 junior priest commanding an 8th-level priest? Kid, how much healing have you learned? Do you understand this disease?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 98 Chapter 98 Being questioned? Garrett Nordmark wasn''t nervous at all. Since the day of his internship, rotating through various departments, the weekly grand rounds that left everyone weak in the knees. Then, after starting work, being scolded by teachers, scolded by the department head, scolded by the head nurse. And on unlucky days when the entire hospital convened, being questioned in turns by department heads and the dean, it was like navigating through a sea of knives and fire. Now, proposing a treatment plan and being questioned by a stranger? Was this even an issue? The only strange thing was that someone like this appeared in the Temple of the War God. Unusual and enigmatic, a newcomer perhaps? A priest from the Temple of the War God, and he should know everyone? Garrett turned his head to glance in that direction. The person speaking boldly stepped forward, draped in a flowing robe, making it impossible to see any muscle definitionoh, indeed a newcomer, the style was quite different. Seeing Garrett looking over, he coolly chuckled and raised his voice: "Kid, at your age, how long have you been studying healing arts? Have you treated this disease before? It''s one thing for your teacher to command you, but to bring it to the Temple of the War God? By the grace of the War God, we..." "Iken!" The bald bishop roared. His voice rumbled like distant thunder rolling over the side hall. He hurried over in three or two steps, fingers spread like five carrots, reaching for Iken''s head. Garrett quickly intervened: "Wait!" He raised his hand to signal a pause. The bald bishop halted at the command, still angry, glaring fiercely at Iken. Garrett smiled: "You make a valid point. I am young and inexperienced. I haven''t personally treated this epidemic. But knowing where to focus the treatment is not difficult" He turned to Elder Elwin Wilkinson, his expression serious, and slightly bowed: "Teacher, can you help obtain a corpse? One who died in this epidemic, we can freely dissect and examine" "Do you have a solution again?" Elder Elwin raised an eyebrow. In the presence of outsiders, he couldn''t directly ask, "Is it another revelation from your so-called god?" However, without understanding, Garrett knew. Confident, he smiled and nodded: "Of course." The corpse was quickly brought in. The city guards easily found the body of a vagrant. No family, no relatives, no one would come looking for trouble no matter how it was dismembered. The third side hall in the church emptied. The War God priests skillfully brought in tables and chairs, forming an inner circle of stools and an outer circle of tables, enclosing the dissecting table securely. Garrett changed into a specially made leather apron, entered leisurely, and Little John stood by the feet of the deceased, handing him the surgical knife, just as before. But Garrett didn''t take it. He raised both hands in front of his chest, palms facing outwards, backs of the hands about a fist''s distance away. Surveying the surroundings, he raised his voice: "We can never understand all diseases. For those we recognize, we can treat them based on experience. For those we''ve never seen, the quickest way to understand is to dissect a corpsesee where changes occurred, which organs suffered damage.This chapter is updated by That is where we need to prioritize treatment." "The cecum shows no abnormalities." "The ascending colon shows no abnormalities." "The descending colon looks normal." "The sigmoid colon... well, everyone, take a close look. There''s obvious bleeding here, and pus, consistent with the appearance of the patient''s feces." "Liver... gallbladder... spleen... kidneys..." "So, this disease primarily damages the sigmoid colon." After showcasing each organ, Garrett put them back in place one by one. He raised both hands in front of his chest and declared: "Everyone has seen it. The sigmoid colon is located in the lower left abdomen of the human body. So, when treating, focus the healing arts on this area to achieve the greatest effect. Any questions?" Silence ensued. The origins and treatments of diseases were always subject to various interpretations. However, with a dead body laid out on the table, the diseased intestines exposed, such evidence was irrefutable. Even without a normal corpse for comparison, the affected area looked different from the normal appearance of the intestines above it, visible to anyone with eyes. Even the first one to speak, Priest Iken, now avoided the gaze of others, bowing his head in silence. "Cough, since there are no issues, then let''s do as Garrett says," Elder Elwin spoke, easing the atmosphere. He walked over with a smiling face, looking at the body lying on the dissecting table with all its organs exposed: "Little Garrett, I''m getting old, and it''s easy to forget some things. Draw a map of which section of the intestines is where, and where the healing arts should be directed. Let everyone see, alright?" "Of course!" Garrett bowed respectfully. Soon, a large frame was erected at the entrance from the mild to the severe zones. A clear and concise anatomy chart was affixed to it, visible to anyone. A constant stream of people flowed in front of the chart. Garrett clearly saw that several priests would come to take a look when one person was being treated, and when treating two people, they would come again... Soon, there were excited shouts, one after another. "The effects of the healing arts have improved a lot!" "Yes, it''s the same here!" "At least thirty percent savings!" "Forty percent is possible! Don''t just throw it in, think about what you saw just now, the appearance of that intestine!" "Little Garrett, you''re amazing!" Garrett smiled. It wasn''t an illusion that the effectiveness of the healing arts had improved. It seemed that being familiar with the anatomy of the human body indeed aided in treatment! In such a widespread epidemic, saving even one percent with the healing arts was significant! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 99 Chapter 99 Garrett Nordmark was in high spirits. Though he hadn''t personally participated in the healing process, under his guidance, overall healing efficiency had increased by more than 30%! I''m truly amazing! He pumped his fist in excitement. Watching the priests efficiently perform their duties, Garrett tiptoed behind Elder Elwin Wilkinson and quietly tugged at his robe: "Teacher, I''m stepping out for a bit." "What for?" "I''m going to find the true source of this plague!" Garrett had never considered staying indefinitely at the Radiant Church or the centralized medical facility. He was just a first-level priest with only a handful of healing spells at his disposal. Fully dedicating himself to treating severely ill patients could deplete his abilities within half an hour. This level of healing was like a drop in the ocean when faced with hundreds of afflicted individuals. However, in the face of this epidemic, he had his unique value. Some things, only he could do, and no one else would even think of doi He strode into the City Guards'' barracks. In the hall, Baron Vaughn, Sir Levi, and several wealthy merchants who had made donations had already left. The food merchant was arranging the supply of provisions for the Radiant Church, and the leader of the construction guild was organizing the construction of makeshift kitchens. Among the people Garrett specifically called in, only two remained seated, staring at each other, trembling with anticipation. "Sorry for the wait." Garrett rushed in. After being left hanging for so long, the two finally learned that it was this young man who had summoned them. They now regarded him as their savior. The dye merchant eagerly shouted: "I''ll donate five gold coins!" "I''ll donate five, no, six!" The jeweler couldn''t be left behind. "Mage sir, if you have any good gemstones, I''ll embed them in jewelry for you for free! No need for labor fees!" "No need for your donations." Garrett quickly waved his hand. He couldn''t even distinguish who was who, and the jeweler''s words spared him the trouble of asking. Garrett turned to the dye merchant: "Could you do me a favor? Bring all the dyes from your shop, give me half an ounce of eachno, even a quarter ounce is enough. Charge the market price, and I''ll have the quartermaster settle the payment." "No need, no need! Just a little dye, I''ll donate it directly" "You must pay. I''m pressed for time, so please hurry." Garrett wasn''t interested in more conversation and cut him off directly. Then, he turned to the jeweler: The clergy of the Spring Goddess were directly connected to the sacred spring, and indeed, they excelled at purifying water sources. In the midst of their prayers, gurgling spring water bubbled out from bottles and pitchers, poured onto the ground, instantly dissipating the dark aura on the floor. However, as soon as the prayers ended, two low-ranking priests immediately exclaimed: "Oh, my stomach doesn''t feel good... I need to step aside for a moment..." The high priest felt like vomiting. Since the demise of the knight Roman, they had performed countless exorcism rituals, and the dark aura in the sealed chamber had gradually lightened. However, the number of people falling ill increased. It started with ordinary servants who lacked extraordinary powers and had mediocre health, then guards and apprentices, and now, even low-ranking priests were falling sick... It was simply ludicrous! However, the Spring Goddess was a deity of purity, a clear and transparent god. The appearance of impurities during prayers was disrespectful to the goddess. The high priest could only wave his hand dismissively, urging those two fellows to leave promptly. The group gathered their belongings and started to leave. Midway, a young attendant rushed in, holding his robes, and approached the high priest: "Your Excellency, those beggars at the entrance have all been taken away!" "Taken away?" Well, good riddance... The Spring Goddess was the ancestral deity of the kingdom, and over half of the nobility in the kingdom believed in the Spring Goddess. Even if the temple closed its doors, they still had the privilege of receiving treatment. Of course, their donations to the temple wouldn''t be meager, and they wouldn''t hesitate to send their sons and daughters to the temple, aspiring to become priests or knights... As for those poor folks who could only pray and shout in the square, scooping water from the fountain at the entrance to drink they were just decorative most of the time. There were neither too many nor too few of them, and in critical times, well, if they were taken away, so be it. "Oh, by the way, I heard someone in the street banging drums and shouting, advising not to drink water from the fountain... They claim that this plague is caused by drinking untreated water and urge everyone to drink boiled water from the large cauldrons instead..." "What?!" The high priest was furious. The fountain at the temple entrance represented the blessing of the Spring Goddess, and the water in the fountain came directly from beneath the temple, blessed by the prayers of the clergy! Forbidding the citizens from drinking water from the fountain wasn''t that tantamount to saying there was an issue with the Spring Goddess''s blessing?! This was undermining the foundation of the temple! This was disrespecting the goddess! "What nonsense is this?! Take a team and drive them away, then investigate who is spreading such baseless rumors!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 100 Chapter 100 The Temple of the Spring Goddess stood firmly at the roots of Hartland City. Shortly after the High Priest released the people, news from the outside world began to pour in. "They are taking the patients away, the City Guards are doing it!" "The City Guards have dispatched people to patrol the streets, going door to door. If someone is sick, they take them to the Radiant Cathedral!" "The priests of the Nature God Cult and the War God Temple have all gathered at the Radiant Cathedral!" "It is said that it was a resolution made by the Nature God Cult, War God Temple, and City Guards together..." "We saw Baron Vaughn''s servants..." The more the High Priest listened, the more his brows furrowed. The Nature God Cult, War God Temple, and City Guards, these three coming together always made him think of a somewhat annoying name. However, these were all irrelevant. The most important thing was, who was the guy spreading nonsense? "High Priest, we have found out" another attendant rushed in, panting for breath. "These ideas were all from someone named Garrett... Garrett something, the one who visited the temple last time..." "Garrett Nordmark!" The High Priest raised an eyebrow. That little guy again! He was the one who came to confront them before; During the Midsummer Festival, he declared the city''s water source needed cleaning; And when treating Master Lorenz''s grandson, he arrogantly taught two senior priests as if they were his students! That old man Elwin spoiled his students, the bald bishop went crazy following him every day, pampering that kid to the point where he questioned even the blessings of the Spring Goddess! He angrily slammed the table, "Men! Prepare the procession, we''re paying them a visit!" Although the idea came from the little guy, those two sly old guys must have nodded in agreement behind his back. A bunch of troublemakers! Shaking the faith in the Spring Goddess, were they trying to expand their influence? "Enough!" High Priest Holna, furious, flicked his sleeves. The other party had laid out all the details, and leaving now would seem guilty; waiting here to watch someone feed rabbits would appear foolish. Garrett nodded respectfully, bowing his head and speaking softly: "Of course, if you are tight on funds, we can also buy the rabbits for you" In response, a pouch of coins was thrown at him. The rabbits were quickly bought. Garrett calmly marked the water samples, labeled the rabbit cages according to the samples, and fed them separately. He even made sure to do things thoroughly; the water dishes used for feeding were taken straight from the steamer, each rabbit having its own dish without mixing. Then came the long wait. After feeding the rabbits, Garrett discreetly left. Elder Elwin and the bald Bishop had exhausted their healing spells for the day. Both sat idle, one on the left and one on the right of the rabbits, praying individually. High Priest Holna sat in the middle, bored, waiting until the red sun sank, night fell, and then... The rabbits got diarrhea. Except for the few rabbits that drank cold boiled water, the rest, including those who drank fountain water, began to have diarrhea one after another. Bald Bishop: "..." Elder Elwin: "..." No quarreling, no blaming each other; just a few rabbits brought out to face them, it was perfect! High Priest Holna: "..." In front of everyone''s eyes, his old face looked like it was smeared with rabbit dung. Finally, he flicked his sleeves: "The Holy Spring must be contaminated. I will organize prayers and purify the water source but, prohibiting the people from taking water from the fountain is absolutely impossible!" "I''m afraid it really needs to be prohibited." Garrett walked in with large strides, a serious expression on his face. He bowed slightly to Elder Elwin: "Teacher, many of the early patients took water from the temple''s fountain." "You?!" High Priest Holna was shocked and angered. Garrett looked at him seriously, not backing down: "I have evidence!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 101 Chapter 101 "You have evidence? Hmph, what evidence could you have!" The High Priest Holna, irritated, huffed and puffed like a pressure cooker desperately boiling water with a faulty valve. Garrett remained unfazed, gesturing outward. "Please!" Evidence, huh? Garrett led the way, and a group of people followed him into the rear hall with a clamor. Evidence? He had long prepared for it. High Priest Holna hurried footsteps, looking like he wanted to catch Garrett and get rid of him immediately. Elder Elwin Wilkinson followed at a leisurely pace, looking confident. Bald Bishop glanced ahead, then at Elder Elwin Wilkinson, his expression anxious, as if wanting to scratch his head. "Hey, what has your apprentice stirred up again? Didn''t he just finish messing with rabbits!" Elder Elwin Wilkinson gave him a mysterious smile. The rear hall of the Radiant Cathedral was at the deepest part of the church. Passing the altar and the statue of the Radiant Lord, there was a semi-circular hall behind. Three years ago, this was the lounge before the grand ceremony held by the main priest of the church, and also the place where high-ranking priests gathered. The walls were decorated magnificently, thick and soft carpets covering the floor like a pit when stepped on. Now the room was filled with files, stacks of them, at least a few hundred. A large map lay on the central long table, adorned with various small flags on it. When Garrett and the others entered, several priests were holding files, busy back and forth. "Patient record for bed 318!" "Received! Fell ill two days ago! Lives on South Small Street, near George''s Uncle Bakery on East Cross Street!" "Patient record for bed 319!" "Received! Fell ill yesterday, husband had diarrhea three days ago, recovered the next day! Lives on Kelvin Street, near Freya''s Tailor Shop!" The priests, with pale faces and trembling legs, had just finished using their healing spells for the day, thinking they could rest. Instead, Garrett threw them into new work asking for medical histories, writing patient records, comparing them with the narratives of the patients'' families, and organizing the onset conditions. Oh, and the format for writing patient records was something Garrett hastily provided to them one at the entrance to the rear hall, one for severe cases, and one for mild cases. Paste them on the large wooden rack and copy them yourselves. If something was missing, they had to go back and rewrite it. Garrett glanced at their disheveled appearance with a smirk. Asking for medical histories, writing patient records which medical student hasn''t gone through this? Since they followed me to study anatomy and improved the effectiveness of healing spells using my methods, then let them be junior doctors for me! Hehehe... "Nonsense! These words are spoken by the patients themselves, how can they be taken as evidence! Those confused patients, their words can be used to accuse the temple? Are you trying to blaspheme the goddess by repeatedly accusing us!" "Holna!" Elder Elwin Wilkinson stepped forward, pulling his disciple behind him. However, Garrett, ungrateful, took a step forward, revealing half of himself behind Elder Elwin Wilkinson: "Your Excellency High Priest, I have no intention of questioning the temple, let alone blaspheming the goddess. All I''ve done is try to find the source of the plague and stop this disaster as soon as possible believing in the mercy of the goddess, hoping that her people will not be disturbed by the disease." "Smooth talk!" The High Priest coldly snorted. Garrett turned around and pointed to the map: "The patient''s statement can indeed only be used as a preliminary reference and cannot be used to accuse the temple. But, you''ve seen the results of the rabbit experiment, and you''ve seen the process of patient spread. Should we temporarily refrain from allowing people to fetch water from the fountain at the temple entrance, what do you think?" High Priest Holna''s gaze was heavy. To be reasonable, both pieces of evidence were right in front of him. To be unreasonable, both the Radiant Church and the War God''s temple were this guy''s backers. He took a deep breath and flicked his sleeve: "Before, you said you had no intention of questioning the temple?" "Indeed!" "Fine! Then prove to me that this plague has nothing to do with the temple!" What? With the temple? Now, with a large amount of evidence pointing to the Spring Goddess''s temple, you want me to fake evidence, making it difficult for me! Rest assured, if it is proven that the plague originated from the temple, I will definitely present irrefutable evidence! Garrett''s face suddenly became serious. He bowed gently, but his tone was firm and decisive: "I seek only the truth always the truth. Since you are concerned about the origin of the plague, rest assured, I will present irrefutable evidence!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 102 Chapter 102 The High Priest stormed off in anger, but Garrett remained unfazed. He ate when it was time to eat, slept when it was time to sleep, and worked when it was time to workthree times a day, shouting at the priests to inspect wards, write medical records, and compile data. From morning till night, he only moved his mouth to command others, not bothering to perform any healing spells himself. Superior doctors had their privileges and responsibilities. For instance, after the nightly rounds were over, Joane could corner him, cheeks flushed, and directly inquire, "The number of patients is increasing... when will it decrease? When will this plague end?" Garrett secretly wiped off a cold sweat. If it were a year ago when he crossed over, he really couldn''t answer this question. Although he could look up "Epidemiology" in his memories at any time and calculate the data using formulas, it was a bit challenging. However, thanks to the disaster last year, determining when the epidemic would reach a turning point and when it would end became much easier. "When it can decrease depends on whether we can cut off the transmission of the epidemic. As long as all patients are brought into the cathedral, and there are no new cases outside, give it another week, at most two weeks, and this plague will be completely over." "How do we cut it off?" "Make everyone drink boiled water! Clean all water sources! And find the source of the epidemic... I''ll handle that!" Seizing this excuse, Garrett openly ditched his healing work. Once the data was compiled, he turned and left the back hall, disappearing in an instant. "Garrett? Where''s Garrett?" Those looking for him had to inquire all the way. From the hall to the side hall, from the side hall to the back hall, and then from the back hall to the second floor. Finally, they found Garrett''s exact location. Pushing the door open, the smell inside immediately did somersaults. The visitor covered their nose, shivering, standing at the doorway, almost wanting to flee. The room was filled with a strange smell, amid the fragrant aroma of meat soup, there was a nauseating stench. It''s unclear how long it had been brewing, entwined with each other, indistinguishable. The person at the door lost their intelligence, hesitating for a full five seconds before remembering to exit the room. A strong wind blew in, fiercely clearing the air, and then rushed back in. "Why are you still here? The Council members are returning tomorrow! Hurry up and come back with me, pack uphey, you smell weird, you need a good wash!" "Elliott the Mage!" Garrett joyfully turned around. Elliott frowned, endured, and finally rushed to his side, reaching out to pull him. "What are you doing? Oh, what is this thing!" In front of Garrett was a strange-looking object. A heavy and sturdy base, an arched support, fixed on top was a long cylinder. Below the cylinder, there was a rack supporting an enchanted silver rod emitting a steady and bright light. "So, with this cylinder, you can magnify things a lot. Fix them yourself and take a look" Elliott tremblingly took it, one by one, fixing them on the rack. Through the cylinder, he saw long, interconnected grids on the onion skin, with small black dots inside; in a piece of cork, grids arranged like a beehive; a drop of blood on the glass, he saw countless tiny dots, crowded together. A piece of sulfur... "I understand! Hahaha, I understand! So that''s how it is!" Elliott burst into laughter suddenly. He grabbed the sulfur from the rack and ran out like crazy. On the balcony, he chanted a spell, pointed forward with his right hand A pea-sized spark flew out from his fingertips. Forward, forward... Suddenly exploded! A thunderous roar. The outer wall of the cathedral shook twice, and Elder Elwin, Bishop Donald, and the others were shocked, each coming out: "Who?" "Who cast Fireball?" "Is there an attack?" Pairs of eyes looked at the fireball in the night sky, then followed the faint elemental fluctuations, looking towards the source of the fireball. On the balcony, Elliott danced with excitement, laughing madly: "I understand! I''ve broken through! Thanks to you, little Garrett! Hahaha!" It turned out that the Levenhuk telescope was just a brick-flying plaything. I tried hard to think about it, and I won''t use it anymore. But it''s really amazing to grind out a single 300x magnifying glass at that time... It''s a single 300x! Not the 300x obtained by multiplying the eyepiece and the objective lens! Levenhuk is really a handicraft master... Seeking collection, seeking recommendation, seeking reviews... The collection this afternoon didn''t increase much... --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 103 Chapter 103 Oh? Such a big reaction? Garrett Nordmark, arms crossed, glanced sideways at Mage Elliott from a distance. Even though he knew you were approaching the level up... breaking through so grandly, are you afraid the microscope''s advertising effect isn''t enough? By the way... If this microscope is reported to the Magic Council as alchemical equipment, I wonder how much reward we could get... "Little Garrett, what have you come up with again!" The shouting outside interrupted Garrett''s thoughts. The bald bishop shouted, Garrett rushed to the balcony, shouting back: "Bishop! Teacher! I found it! The culprit of this plague, I found it! Come and see! Hurry!" "I''m coming!" The bald bishop took a few quick steps and jumped high. He reached out, already grabbing onto the sculpture on the wall, flipping himself up. Seeing him like this, Elder Elwin Wilkinson smiled bitterly, beckoning everyone to go up the stairs. They circled properly, not yet entering the room, and from afar, they heard the bald bishop shouting excitedly: "Wow, it''s really clear! This works too! ...This also works! But Little Garrett, why do you claim that these small things are the cause of this plague?" "I found these things in the patients'' feces," Garrett''s voice was calm and steady. "In the contaminated fountain, in the patients'' feces, and even in the feces of sick rabbits. On the contrary, in healthy rabbits, there is none." "Really?" "Is that true?" Dozens of priests crowded the room. Garrett moved aside, giving space for the microscope: "You can see for yourselves! After you see it, I''ll teach you how to make something visible to everyone! Line up, don''t push, come one by one!" The bald bishop reluctantly stepped aside. Elder Elwin Wilkinson adjusted his expression and approached the microscope. Serious, he thought, don''t be startled like that guy... "Ah!" He made a slightly lower volume but certainly not less intense exclamation. Stuck on the microscope, it refused to move. "Cough, cough!" The bald bishop loudly fake-coughed on the side. Elder Elwin Wilkinson greedily looked for half a minute, reluctantly moved his eyes away. Garrett had been waiting on the side; seeing him move away, he immediately approached: "Teacher, let me teach you how to cultivate and stain so that everyone can see these things..." "Time is pressing." Elder Elwin Wilkinson waved decisively, interrupting him. "Do it yourself. Show me the proof that these little things caused this plague!" This... What did I just say? What if my proof is flawed or my procedure is wrong? Garrett silently wiped his sweat. However, with the stern gaze of the elder, he could only stand tall and answer loudly: Penicillin!!! Garrett regained his senses, continued to guide everyone in making slides, drying, and staining. After finishing, they lined up in front of the microscope, one by one, to check. Holding the glass slide with the accustomed oak wand, their hands trembled, afraid of breaking it, holding it in their palms, afraid of blowing it away... Soon, cries of surprise came continuously. "Wow! Blue little rods! I can see them here!" "I can see them here too!" "Me too! Many of them!" "I don''t have many here, but there are some..." "I don''t have any... really none!" One person exclaimed. The person next to him came over to look and laughed, scolding, "Of course you don''t have any. Yours is rabbit blood; it''s strange if it does!" Elder Elwin Wilkinson stood on the side, looking at them one by one. Blood, feces, water source. Except for blood, feces from healthy rabbits, and boiling water, blue little rods could be seen in everything else. He finally sighed with relief: "So, these little things really triggered this plague?" Garrett pretended to nod firmly. In fact, it couldn''t be confirmed yet ; he hadn''t done the second infection experiment but, he was familiar with the appearance of the Shigella bacterium! The elder lowered his head in thought. Suddenly, lifting his eyes, he stared straight at Garrett: "So, as long as we kill these little things, the disease can be cured?" "Yes!" Antibiotics, treating the symptoms, is the most reliable! Besides, bacteria in this world don''t have antibiotic resistance... "Alright, I''ll give it a try!" The elder suddenly walked out with big strides. Garrett blinked, running to catch up. Unfortunately, the elder''s robe fluttered, and the faster he walked, Garrett was still left behind, until he rushed into the hall, he saw a shower of light falling in front... "Alright! I''m healed!!!" "Thanks to the God of Nature!" In the surprised cheers of the patients, Elder Elwin Wilkinson clenched the oak wand in his hand, veins bulging on his arm: "The consumption of healing spells has reduced by seventy percent! Little Garrett, your method really works!" Garrett stood still, slowly opening his mouth, not knowing what to say. Teacher, besides being able to selectively induce the birth of microorganisms, you can also work as a living antibiotic?! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 104 Chapter 104 Since the advent of antibiotics, with its sweeping power, human medical capabilities have taken a significant leap forward. Elder Elwin''s "Living Antibiotic Treatment" played a decisive role in the treatment of this epidemic. How significant is the 70% reduction in treatment consumption? The Cult of the God of Nature and the War God Temple, with their previous healing powers, could cure about 30 to 35 people a day. Together, the two could heal around sixty to seventy people. On the first day of large-scale admission of patients, 528 people were admitted to the Radiant Cathedral. On the second day, the city guards, accompanied by people, searched the entire city and brought in another 317 people. Among the family members of the cathedral patients, more than 200 people were detected as infected and were immediately taken to the treatment area. The number of patients exceeded the existing treatment capacity by almost ten times. Garrett had to categorize them into critically ill and mildly ill patients based on whether they could get out of bed and place them in designated areas. Then, he persuaded the two leaders of the cults to issue strict orders: treatment could only be used for critically ill patients and could only be maintained, not cured. As for the mildly ill patients, they were to rest in bed, be given sugar-salt water, and only allowed to eat liquid food. There was no extra treatment capacity for them! With these measures, they barely managed to maintain the situation without collapsing. Although none of the admitted patients had recovered so farmost acute dysentery patients took 1 to 2 weeks to recoverat least they managed to keep everyone alive. On the second day of the appearance of the "Living Antibiotic Treatment," after the priests learned the improved version of the divine art, and after eight hours of sleep, the day the divine art was restored, the light of the treatment swept through the entire critical area! "Bed 12 recovered!" "Bed 25 recovered!"New novel chapters are published on "Bed 39 recovered!" "Bed 57 recovered!" Cheers echoed continuously. Pride, joy, excitement. From one person to two, to twenty, to fifty, in the end, all the patients in the critical area got out of bed, rushed towards their families in the mild or isolation area: "Little Ava, Mom is okay!" "John, I''m better! I''m better!" "Mom! My stomach doesn''t hurt anymore! Mom! Why are you crying, Mom..." Garrett stood at the entrance of the critical area, watching the waves of patients leaving, smiling sincerely. Where his gaze reached, mothers hugged their children, wives hugged their husbands, and the elderly embraced the young. Every face displayed joy. Even in the mild area where patients were not illuminated by the treatment, a glimmer of hope shone on their faces. The seriously ill had all been cured, and now it was their turn! "Little Garrett, we owe it to you this time." A hand patted his shoulder heavily. Before Garrett could react, he was patted down, becoming noticeably shorter. He reflexively exclaimed: "Bishop!" Among the healers standing here, the younger ones were fine, but the older ones, even if they hadn''t experienced it themselves, had heard of the arrival of the epidemic. Nobles could escape, mages could shut themselves off, but they, these healers, for faith and compassion towards the believers, only had this one choice. They originally thought they had to exert all their efforts, exhaust themselves time and time again; They originally thought they had to persist for half a month, a month, or even longer; Originally, they thought they would have to watch ten, a hundred, or even more dying patients pass away... Who would have thought that after getting through the first day and overcoming the second day, after one dissection, one experiment, the details of the release of the divine art changed, and on the third day, they saw the dawn! Garrett also wanted to be excited with them. However, at this moment, being thrown up high, watching the ground approach and retreat repeatedly, in panic and dizziness, he couldn''t help but scream: "Ahhhh, let me down! Let me down! Help! Teacher, help!" Elder Elwin appreciated his disciple''s predicament for a while before reaching out to lift Garrett down and disperse the crowd. Watching the priests disperse in pairs, treating the mildly ill patients, the elder smiled and sighed with emotion: "Little Garrett, thanks to you this time." "If it weren''t for you, I''m afraid we would still be struggling with the epidemic. Your insight into the source of the epidemic and your efforts to find a solution have saved countless lives." Garrett nodded, feeling a mix of emotions. The battle against the epidemic was not over yet. There was still much work to be done to ensure the complete eradication of the disease. "Teacher, I need to go inside. There''s a lot more to do!" "What do you plan to do?" "As I mentioned before, I need to find the source of this epidemic. Only by identifying the source and disrupting the transmission chain can we completely stop the spread of this plague!" As Garrett answered, he walked forward. His steps became faster, and the commanding voice became more resolute: "Get water! Collect water from all sources in the city, whether it''s rivers, channels, or wells. Mark the locations and bring them here!" "Wash all the plates and dishes! Clean the glass pieces too! Steam them in the steamer! Boil another pot of meat broth!" "Get some rabbits too! At least 20 of them!" "Run! Quickly!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 105 Chapter 105 The news of zero critically ill patients spread throughout the city, riding the bustling city guards and the assistants delivering food and firewood, wave after wave. "Have they all been cured?" Baron Vaughn''s cup in his hands clattered and shattered. The personal male servant reporting hastily said: "No, not all. Only those who couldn''t get out of bed have been cured. The ones with milder symptoms are not healed yet." "...How many critically ill patients are there?" "Well..." "Quickly go find out!" The servant dashed away. Baron Vaughn looked regretfully at the broken pieces on the ground and muttered: "So soon... Holna doesn''t have this ability. If it''s true, I''ll have to donate more to the Temple of the War God." "So soon?" Viscount Joane, in his estate outside the city, received the news not too late. "Good, good. I''m tired of this wretched estate. Hey, someone! Pack up, we''re heading back to the city! Oh, and do you want to come?" "I want to go back! Of course, I want to go back!" Lady Deya teared up. "My lord, please intercede for me! Roman has been dead for so long, and the temple won''t let me collect his body! My lord, please have pity on this son, help him one last time!" The carriage rumbled from the estate outside the city, streaming towards the Spring Goddess Temple inside the city. Meanwhile, at the helm of the temple, High Priest Holna was troubled by the news from the Radiant Church. The increased healing capabilities of those two families were not good for the Spring Goddess Temple. To put it lightly, he would overshadow the bald-headed archbishop; to put it heavily, the temple''s influence and future donations would decrease. "How did they manage it? Do we have more detailed information?" "Yes, yes, yes!" The messenger nodded vigorously. "According to the information we received, that young man called a jeweler, concocted something, and then used that thing to see... see... We didn''t have a chance to get close, and we don''t know what it is, but it seems like after the elders saw it, they gathered a group and whispered. Then, today, those critically ill patients were all cured..." "Is that so?" The high priest pushed up his round-framed glasses on his nose. With his hands behind his back, he paced from east to west, then back from west to east. Thinking and contemplating, his brows furrowed: "I need to go see for myself. Someone!... No, forget it, bring that jeweler here first!" The jeweler came trembling. Gesticulating, he explained for a long time, but failed to clearly convey what Garrett had him create the only useful information was that with that thing, one could see very small things! "How small?" With a wave of his staff, the three gems on the staff''s head simultaneously lit up with a shimmering light, apparently preparing for a divine spell. "Holna." Elder Elwin sighed. The bald-headed archbishop also walked out and stood side by side with him. At the same time, in the darkness, a wave of footsteps sounded, and healers and warriors surged out, facing the Spring Goddess Temple, forming an imposing half-circle. "What? Do you still want to fight?!" High Priest Holna was stunned for a moment, then angrily shouted: "Without evidence, you forced your way to the temple''s door, intending to blaspheme the glory of the goddess? In that case, even if the temple is outnumbered, we will fight to the death! Guards!" "Here!" With a clang, behind the high priest, the temple knights unsheathed their swords. Elder Elwin tapped his oak staff, the bald-headed archbishop raised his right hand high, and the warriors silently stepped forward. At the tense moment , as swords were drawn and crossbows were cocked, a clear voice suddenly rang out in the background: "I have evidence." Garrett walked out slowly. Elder Elwin quickly glanced back at him. Trying to stop him again, but it was too late: Why are you coming out? Why are you coming out? If you insist that the temple''s fountain also needs purification, fine, let the teacher speak for you. Why did you jump out yourself? You''re just a level 1 novice priest, offending the high priest won''t benefit you! In the flickering flames, Garrett appeared calm and composed. Only his black eyes, gazing at the high priest, flickered with flame-like radiance. He didn''t necessarily want to take the spotlight, but for the relationship between water quality testing, bacterial reproduction, and the epidemic, Elder Elwin only half understood. Letting the teacher argue for him would certainly not make it clear... To eliminate the source of the infection as soon as possible, this matter required him to step forward. If the high priest resented him, so be it! He raised a small glass bottle high: "We tested samples of water from the entire city. This fountain, as well as other bodies of water connected to the fountain source, all revealed the source of the epidemic. Even the mouth of the water outlet wasn''t spared; we have reason to suspect that the fountain was contaminated before the water emerged." "Garrett Nordmark!" High Priest Holna stared at him, syllable by syllable grinding out the name of the youth through his teeth. With the new silver crown, a strand of flower-white hair not tied up almost stood straight: "The source of the fountain is the deepest part of the temple, the sacred spring bestowed by the goddess! It has undergone prayers and blessings before emerging; how could there be a problem before it comes out?" "I have evidence." Garrett calmly repeated: "Your Excellency High Priest, if you want evidence, I can show it to you. But the situation is urgent, the plague is still spreading throughout the city. For the well-being of all the people in the city, please let us purify the spring water first" "Oh? Evidence?" A voice abruptly interjected. At the same time, outside the circle of people facing each other, a long shout echoed: "His Lordship the City Lord has arrived" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 106 Chapter 106 "Wow, it''s quite lively here!" Lord Joane Vaughn, the ruler of Hartland City, strolled in casually. Despite the tense atmosphere with drawn swords on both sides, he seemed oblivious, smiling and looking around. If he dyed his current beard white, lengthened and increased it threefold, he could easily pass for Santa Claus. "Lord of the City." "My Lord Baron." The people present greeted him unevenly. Lord Joane gestured this way and nodded that way, making his way to the center of the crowd. He stopped, straightened his beard, and appraised Garrett Nordmark. "I remember you. You''re the... the disciple of Elder Elwin at the Midsummer Festival, right?" "Garrett Nordmark, paying respects to Your Lordship." Garrett bowed. Lord Joane casually waved his hand. "Hmm, you say there''s evidence? Where is it? That bottle? Show me!" "To see it, tools are needed." Garrett looked around. "My Lord Baron, with your permission, I''d like to find a well-lit room to present the evidence." "What are you waiting for? Go inside!" Lord Joane Baron lifted his foot and walked towards the Fountain Temple. After a couple of steps, he turned in surprise. "What are you doing?" Garrett lifted the hem of his robe and was leaning over the fountain, reaching out to scoop water.Read latest chapters at novelhall.com Only "The evidence is in the fountain water, My Lord Baron." Garrett personally intervened just to capture the attention of the Lord, achieving his goal, then promptly stopped and stood up. "Of course, for the sake of fairness, it''s best if you send guards to fetch the water. Or," he smirked, restraining a laugh, "the priests of the Fountain Temple can do it too." The bald bishop chuckled. Elder Elwin''s concern prevented him from laughing out loud, and the white-bearded man trembled under the firelight. High Priest Holna, with a face as dark as the bottom of a pot, had to say to the Lord: "Please, My Lord, send guards to fetch the water!" "Remember to wipe the mouth of the bottle" Garrett, sandwiched in the crowd, walked inside, simultaneously racing against time, turned his head, and shouted... A group of people entered the temple in a grand manner. Garrett set up a microscope, and Lord Joane Baron leaned in to take a look, his eyes brightening. "Interesting, truly interesting..." He circled the microscope, praising it, occasionally reaching his fingers over, pulling a piece of sleeve, or plucking a hair to observe. After messing around for a quarter of an hour, he remembered the guards standing by and waved his hand. "So, is this thing used to see things in the water? Bring it here!" "What''s the point of finding something that can''t even be seen without a microscope? Even if it''s found in the fountain, so what? In this drop of water, there are too many little things! Why do you say it''s causing the plague? What about other things? Why is it not the poor people themselves who are sick?!" The temple suddenly fell silent. Lord Joane, the city''s ruler, was dumbfounded, the bald bishop scratched his head, and Elder Elwin instinctively wanted to answer, his mouth opened and closed, looking at Garrett: ... Yeah, why would this little thing make people sick and spread the plague? Suddenly, Garrett laughed. In the light laughter, he confidently stepped forward and raised his head high: "I certainly have a way to prove it." At his request, Lord Joane''s guards turned and left, bringing back ten rabbits. Eight healthy ones and two with diarrhea. High Priest Holna, the bald bishop, and Elder Elwin, the leaders of the three sects, took turns using healing spells on the healthy rabbits, brushing them over and over until they were sure there were no problems. Then, under Garrett''s guidance, they began the experiment step by step. Taking feces from healthy and sick rabbits, placing them on the frozen meat, Elder Elwin used a growth spell. After the magic, bacterial culture was done, and unsurprisingly, in the feces of the sick rabbit, those short rod-shaped things were found. "There shouldn''t be these little things on the healthy rabbits, right?" Garrett smiled leisurely. The eight petri dishes lined up in a row, and there was nothing resembling rod-shaped objects in the feces of the healthy rabbits. Looking at his sharp smile, High Priest Holna resisted for a while before throwing the rabbit droppings at him: "No! So what?" "It doesn''t matter." Garrett shrugged and continued to the next step. From the culture dish of the sick rabbit, he picked up a bit of bacteria from the gray-white circular colonies, applied them to a new, never-used culture dish "Teacher, I''ll trouble you again." The second growth spell was cast. On the translucent frozen meat, circular colonies quickly spread. Cultivate the bacterial community, verify the purity of the colonies, mix the bacteria with cold boiled water, feed it to the healthy rabbits, patiently wait a few hours until they begin to get sick The newly sick rabbits, in their feces, indeed cultured the same rod-shaped microorganisms. After everyone verified it in turn, Garrett smiled and spread his hands towards High Priest Holna. "Sick rabbits have them; healthy rabbits don''t. What we obtained from sick rabbits, when injected into healthy rabbits, caused exactly the same condition. From the second batch of sick rabbits, the same things were isolated. Do you need any more evidence?" The famous Koch''s postulates, you can refute them on the spot unless the Water Goddess immediately descends! "Impossible!" The high priest''s face turned ashen. He turned and rushed to the main hall, kneeling in front of the idol, clasping the goddess''s robe with both hands: "It''s really the Holy Spring... it''s really the Holy Spring causing the plague... Oh, Goddess! Are you punishing us?!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 107 Chapter 107 High Priest Holna knelt on the ground, wailing in agony. His graying head repeatedly struck the idol, and soon, the pure white robes of the Spring Goddess were adorned with tiny specks of blood. One by one, those behind him also fell to their knees with a thud. The devotees of the Spring Goddess prostrated themselves, murmuring prayers. The sacred spring in the temple symbolized the goddess''s blessing to her followers and her glory. Now, this spring, meant to bring divine favor, was tainted with a plague. Wasn''t this a sign of the goddess''s anger, a divine punishment? Confronted with this tragedy, the visiting guests involuntarily slowed their steps. The bald bishop''s face turned solemn, and Elder Elwin Wilkinson discreetly averted his gaze, feeling a sense of shared sorrow. Both serving the divine, they could empathize with High Priest Holna''s plight. The bald bishop imagined praying for the War God''s protection before battle, only to find that all the weapons inexplicably rusted. Elder Elwin envisioned praying for abundance and harvest to the god of nature, only to witness the entire forest wither and die inexplicably. Both shivered simultaneously, exchanged a glance, and turned away. If they were in such a situation, being stripped of their sacred roles was the least of their worries. Even death might not be enough for redemption. Inside the main hall, the cries were loud. However, an untimely voice emerged at the temple''s entrance. "Um... Teacher..." Garrett Nordmark, waiting patiently, felt he had given them enough time for mourning, but no one paid him any attention. Helpless, he had to make his presence known. "There''s something we need to discuss later," whispered Elder Elwin, trying to silence his disciple. Unexpectedly, Garrett not only refused to be quiet but also raised his voice: "Teacher, I believe the spring is contaminated. It might not be the goddess''s divine pu Garrett never thought it was a divine punishment. The reason he spoke up now was a mix of the inappropriate atmosphere and the wild ideas the High Priest had conjured. What in the world was this divine punishment? Why would the Spring Goddess deliberately introduce a bunch of disease-causing bacteria into her own spring? Even if she wanted to, could you tell me which god in this world would engage in bacterial cultivation? High Priest Holna, panting heavily, arrived, ignoring the blood on his head. He stood there, gazing at Garrett with a mix of resentment and hope. Any clergyman who thought they were under divine punishment and was told "maybe not" had to cling desperately to that hope. He panted a few breaths, pointed forward: "In the temple, where the water source connects, and there has been an incident recently, it''s right here." The crowd surged in. Priest Donald stepped in and immediately stoppedeven though he had seen it dozens of times, the scene before him was still shocking. The black inverted pentagram deeply engraved on the stone, despite days of prayer and cleansing, remained vivid. Not to mention, at the center of the pentagram, a human-shaped recess was deeply formed... Thinking about the fact that this was once a living person, someone he had interacted with, someone who had protected him, Priest Donald''s throat bobbed up and down uncontrollably. He felt like throwing up again. Garrett, on the other hand, felt nothing. Inverted pentagrams, humanoid figures in the middle he had encountered more disgusting things in games and animations from his past life. He squatted down, curiously examining the black traces on the ground. With a wave of his hand: "Samples! From the ground, walls, cracks in the stone. Where does the water seep down from? Sample everything in the pipes that carry water!" Half an hour later, a large group of priests surrounded Garrett as he conducted three sets of bacterial culture experiments. He used water from outside, fountain water, and black water from the secret room, scraping off black spots on the secret room walls. He then performed bacterial cultures, smears, staining, and microscopic examinations. "The results are clear." Garrett raised his head from the microscope. Across from him stood Lord Joane Vaughn, the bald bishop, Elder Elwin, and High Priest Holna, all in a line. Garrett pointed to the culture dishes in front of him with confidence: "The bacterial count in the black water is at least ten times higher than in the fountain outside. The black spots scraped from the walls have a bacterial count ten times higher than that in the black water. Since there are no other water sources leading to the secret room" "That scoundrel Roman!" The High Priest spat out angrily. He glared at Lady Deya, disheveled and held captive on the side, his eyes red with an intense desire to tear into her: "He refused to sincerely repent and, instead, committed suicide in the secret room using a dark ritual! He must have summoned a demon! The body turned into black water, polluting the water source and triggering the plague! Lord Joane! The temple has been working tirelessly to purify the water source! You''ve seen it yourself, the depth of the imprint on that stone before our prayers and purification!" I knew something bad would happen. Garrett silently complained. I was worried when that knight died, and now, here it is, just as I feared... You guys, with all your prayers, purifications, and divine arts, why didn''t you throw some lime into the water source? --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 108 Chapter 108 "Enough!" Viscount Joane Vaughn, observing coldly, finally spoke at this moment. He ignored Lady Deya, who was crying uncontrollably, surveyed the scene, and loudly concluded: "This plague, instigated by the insane Roman Knight, blaspheming the gods, has attracted evil forces. The temple has worked tirelessly to purify and eliminate the majority of the evil, but a small portion leaked out, causing the epidemicany objections?" "Praise your fairness." High Priest Holna, the devotees of the Water Goddess, and others, including Baron Vaughn, who had hurried back upon hearing the news, responded in unison. "The Temple of the Water Goddess, due to negligence in supervision and failure to completely purify the evil, will be responsible for all the expenses incurred in treating the plague and comforting the people!" High Priest Holna reluctantly agreedbetter than the temple facing divine punishment. Viscount Joane Vaughn pondered for a moment, exchanged glances with the resentful High Priest Holna, and emphasized: "Roman Knight blasphemed the gods, abandoned knightly virtues, committed a great crime. Stripped of knighthood, confiscate his property!" No one on the scene voiced objections. The only one screaming and crying, Lady Deya, had her ability to speak stripped away by a divine spell from High Priest Holna, and temple guards dragged her out. Viscount Joane Vaughn turned away, no longer looking at his aged and faded old lover. He turned to Elder Elwin Wilkinson and the bald Archbishop, speaking with a pleasant expression: "This time, thanks to both of you. The people are still suffering from the plague, not a time for celebration. When the epidemic ends, I will personally host a banquet to thank you for your hard work." Viscount Joane Vaughn kept his word. Seven days later, the patients in the Radiant Cathedral were completely clear, with only occasional cases in the city. He hosted a grand feast, inviting all the prominent figures in the city. Garrett was also dragged along. Reluctantly sitting at the feast, he looked around and almost burst into laughter Except for the group of nobles who had run out together before, the guest list included all those people he had gathered on the day he discovered the epidemic. Everyone was invited! Food merchants, dye merchants, guild leaders in construction, jewelers... These businesses, neither too small nor too big, were usually not qualified to be invited by the city lord''s mansion. Now they were sitting at the banquet, bewildered and even trembling. Don''t worry; I won''t fleece you... Garrett wanted to tell them that. But his seat was relatively close to those businessmen and craftsmen, and he could only wink at them. Even though he''s now a formal mage, with an empty wallet, he still can''t afford it... Success! Big profit! Lord Vaughn, you''re really a good person! Garrett was almost about to cheer. The corners of his mouth kept rising, still maintaining a humble posture, and he whispered: "If possible, I would like to have the qualification to open a clinic in the city. Like my teacher, to diagnose and care for the health of the poor..." Open a hospital! Hire doctors! Hire nurses! Spread medical knowledge, treat patients, and pave the way for your own upgrade! In the ears of Lord Vaughn, this request was entirely selfless, benefiting others. Viscount Joane Vaughn was deeply moved, once again patting Garrett''s shoulder with force: "Garrett Nordmark, you are a spellcaster with noble sentiments. I want people to sing your praises and reward your virtue. Nolan!" The captain of the city guard stepped forward again. Viscount Joane Vaughn rubbed his fingers: "In Roman''s private property, are there several estates? Take one out, and choose a house in the city. All of it will be transferred to Garrett Nordmark''s name! I want everyone to know that those who contribute, those with high moral character, I, Lord Joane Vaughn, will not mistreat them!" Wow! A place for a hospital! Funds for operation are also available! A whole estate, enough to cover the daily expenses of the hospital. Next, it''s just medicines, equipment, doctors, and nurses! Garrett, go for it! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 109 Chapter 109 Lady Roman, the wife of Knight Roman, returned to her parents'' home with her child and dowry. The confiscated property belonged to Knight Roman, not involving her dowry. At least, she still had two or three hundred acres of land under her name, enough to make ends meet. Lady Deya also retreated to her own estate. Her background was slightly better than her daughter-in-law''s, and her dowry was more substantial. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have been able to marry a baron. However, later on, she had an affair with Lord Joane Vaughn, which her eldest son couldn''t accept, leading to a severance of ties. Now, with her younger son deceased and the elder son estranged, she had nowhere else to go but to stay in the estate that served as her dowry. A property, or strictly speaking, two properties, fell into Garrett Nordmark''s hands like this. With a sudden surge in wealth, his dream was now one step closer. Amidst his joy, Garrett felt a bit perplexed: Is the lord being this generous? He did save a considerable number of peoplewithout him, the plague would have lingered for at least another half month, claiming the lives of one or two hundred unfortunate souls in the city. However, could just these accomplishments be worth a house in the city plus an estate? Most of those who would die in the plague were, frankly speaking, the poor. Considering the lord''s usual behaviorshying away to the countryside during an epidemic and being unwilling to spend money on disaster reliefthese people might not be of much concern to him. So, why give him a house? The logic didn''t add up! With these doubts, Garrett remained somewhat bewildered until he obtained the deed to the house. Elder Elwin Wilkinson accompanied him to inspect the property. Seeing Garrett looking lost, Elder Elwin Wilkinson asked, laughing heartily: "Do you think it''s because you treated the plague? Don''t be silly! It''s just an excuse. It''s not about your promising future; who would be this generous? In less than a month, you become an apprentice; in two months, a full-fledged mage and priest. Such a person, if not befriended, who would want to befriend?" Garrett, feeling a moment of enlightenment, still felt that there must be more to it. Only after listening to Elder Elwin Wilkinson''s further explanation did he understand that among the nobility, there was a rule: those with abilities must have corresponding wealth and status. In other words, even if you were a penniless lad, once you crossed the threshold of the extraordinary, local nobles would find a way to absorb you. If you lacked money, they would provide it; if you lacked manpower, they would supply it. As for status, the position of a full-fledged mage was equivalent to that of a knight, qualifying them to participate in noble discussionseven if the outcomes weren''t guaranteed, they at least had the right to sit among peers and not be stepped on without reason. Pondering this, Garrett increasingly felt that this unwritten rule made sense. In this different world, the power of the extraordinary resided solely within oneself. If they weren''t given money or status, they might resort to seizing it, becoming a destabilizing factor! Who would cry then? Probably not the wealthy and influential gentlemen! "But they have to spend a lot of money!" Garrett blurted out. Elder Elwin Wilkinson couldn''t help but laugh: "In fact, it''s not that much. Generally speaking, families that aren''t wealthy and influential can''t afford to send their children down this path. Knights earn military achievements, and naturally, the lord rewards themmages, learning magic is an expensive endeavor!" Garrett frowned. He needed so many thingsmaterials, instruments, equipment. Even if he followed the most basic clinic setup, a single sheet of A4 paper wouldn''t be enough to list everything. Summing it up, the most fundamental requirement was: Money. "Do you have money, teacher... I feel like doing all this will cost a lot of money..." Especially the water purification device, plumbing, sigh. Right, he also needed to create a shadowless lamp. The current solutions for shadowless lamps involved assembling a dozen priests for human-powered illumination... It was simply unbearable. The more people, the greater the risk of infection in the operating room! Elder Elwin Wilkinson paused for a moment, then looked at Garrett with a smile. Until Garrett felt a bit uneasy, he casually asked: "Why do you think you don''t have money?" "Well..." Viscount Joane Vaughn only gave the estate and the house, no cash! Should I sell the estate? Even if I rush to sell it, I might not get a good price... Garrett struggled to argue. Before he could speak, a shout came from outside the stone house: "Lord Nordmark! Are you there? Your Excellency!" "I''m here! What''s the matter?" "I, at the behest of Baron Vaughn, bring gifts to congratulate Your Excellency!" "Sir Levi congratulates Nordmark Mage!" "Viscount Fulma congratulates..." "Sir Nolan..." "Sir Barron..." Gifts kept pouring in until, in the blink of an eye, the long table in the living room was filled. Looking at the gold coins, silk, spices, and various gifts piled on the table, Garrett''s mind was in turmoil, and only one word echoed repeatedly: Prosperity and success... He suddenly looked at Elder Elwin Wilkinson. Lifting his chin, he smiled: "Teacher, do you want to... send a few priests here to settle? I can teach them!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 110 Chapter 110 "You''re willing to teach?" Elder Elwin exclaimed in surprise. He had introduced Garrett Nordmark to the Natural God''s Teachings with the intention of having him share his knowledge with the priests in the organization. However, due to their short time together, Elwin hesitated to bring up the topic. Besides, Garrett was not someone reluctant to share his skills; whenever the opportunity arose, he generously imparted his knowledge. Moreover, judging from Garrett''s occasional revelations, Elder Elwin could tell that there was a vast system behind him, not something that could be explained in just a few words. So, Elder Elwin patiently waited, and finally, Garrett took the initiative to speak. "Anyone can come to learn? Are there any conditions?" Elwin asked cautiously. Garrett thought for a moment. "There are conditions, of course. Firstly, there is no salary for working with me..." Ah, opening a hospital and not paying the doctors! I must be a villainous capitalist! The priests might not understand modern medicine, but when it came to healing arts, they were all skilled doctors. It''s like using licensed physicians as interns! "Salary?" Elder Elwin was astonished. "You want payment for teaching?" Who asks for payment from their apprentices? Doesn''t room and board provided by the teacher suffice?! "Well..." Garrett was at a loss. Okay, he was wrong. Even if they were formal priests, those learning a craft were treated as apprentices. Just like formal doctors attending a higher hospital for further training... "Also, you must follow my guidance and adhere to the same oath as I do." "In sickness and in health?" "Yes!" Elder Elwin fell silent. He silently recited these eight words, repeating them several times, and nodded solemnly. "Any other conditions?" he asked. "None." "Just these two?" "Yes." "What kind of conditions are these!" Elder Elwin suddenly burst into laughter. "Leave it to me; I''ll find ten or eight for you!" "That won''t do!" A burst of laughter came from outside the door. The bald bishop rushed in, making the wooden floor creak beneath his feet. He pointed at Garrett, then at Elder Elwin, laughing as if he had caught a fox with a yellow weasel: "Hey, having a feast alone? Hey, Garrett, from the time we met until now, I haven''t mistreated you! Your teacher can arrange ten or eight, and I''ll also send ten or eight over; otherwise, I''ll tear down this building of yours!" "I''ve been wanting to come! Your peculiar healing methods have always intrigued me. When the high priest asked, I was the first to sign up!" Garrett nodded with delight. He released Donald Priest''s hand and looked around. Everyone who came to work for him was a familiar face, each meeting his gaze with a smile and a nod. The Natural God''s Teachings sent a man and a woman. Elwin was excited, asking questions eagerly as if it were their first meeting. Joanna laughed lightly, winked at Garrett, and her face blushed with flame patterns. As for the War God''s Temple, Garrett directly designated Little John to occupy a spot. The other, according to Garrett''s request, had to be someone with a "warrior rank as high as possible." Therefore, standing locally was a four-level priest, broad-shouldered and twice the size of Little John. Garrett nodded to each of them. Calming his mind, he spoke loudly: "Before you came, you should have heard and agreed to the same oath as me. But today, before we start learning, I still want to solemnly swear together with you." He took a deep breath, lowered his brows, recalled the past, then raised his right fist to ear level. Across from him, the five priests imitated his gesture, lifting their right fists identically: "In sickness and in health." "In sickness and in health" The priests followed suit unevenly. Garrett looked at each of them, his voice steady, tone heavy and clear: "As I step into the sacred medical school, I solemnly swear:" "As I step into the sacred medical school, I solemnly swear" You may not understand what this oath means, and you might not have heard some of these words. But that''s okay; from today onwards, I will lead by example, teaching through my actions "I volunteer to dedicate myself to medicine, uphold medical ethics, respect teachers, abide by discipline, study diligently, tireless in effort, seek excellence, and develop comprehensively." "I volunteer to dedicate myself to medicine, uphold medical ethics, respect teachers, abide by discipline, study diligently, tireless in effort, seek excellence, and develop comprehensively" An excited warmth surged in Garrett''s chest. He clenched his right fist, fingertips embedded in his palm, and his voice rose: "I am determined to do my utmost, alleviate human suffering, assist in perfect health, uphold the sanctity and honor of medicine, save lives, endure hardship, persistently pursue, and strive for the lifelong development of the medical, pharmaceutical, and health care cause for the well-being of human body and mind!" His emotions infected others. Priests from three different congregations, with three different beliefs, gradually became more solemn. Their expressions serious, voices resolute: "I am determined to do my utmost, alleviate human suffering, assist in perfect health, uphold the sanctity and honor of medicine, save lives, endure hardship, persistently pursue, and strive for the lifelong development of the medical, pharmaceutical, and health care cause for the well-being of human body and mind" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 111 Chapter 111 Garrett Nordmark walked happily in his newly opened hospital. The hospital is located on the east side of Hartland City. In terms of housing or shops, the location is not considered great. To the north is the area where warriors, craftsmen, apprentices, and low-ranking priests reside in other words, the middle-class area of the city. If you go a bit south, you''ll find yourself in the slums. For those who can afford a two-story building like this, they should ideally live a bit further north. But for Garrett, this location is perfect. Close to the patients! Close to the poor people who can''t afford treatment! Why did he open a hospital? Of course, it''s to teach more doctors and treat more patients! It''s not about making money. When he needs money, he can always find a wealthy person to negotiate with! Well, calling it a hospital is a bit too much. A third-level hospital should have more than 500 beds and over 500 health technicians; a second-level hospital should have 100-499 beds and no fewer than 100 health technicians; a first-level hospital should have 20-99 beds and no fewer than 14 health technicians, with at least 3 doctors and 5 nurses. Looking left and right, this so-called "hospital" doesn''t even meet the standards of a first-level hospital, let alone a community health service center. At best, it''s just a health service station. Well, regardless, it''s my medical facility! Mine! He examined each room. As soon as you enter the lobby, there''s a table right in front of the entrance, serving as a reception desk; to the left are three consultation rooms, each with a table and a bed, a chair on both sides of the desk, and a bench against the wall; to the right is a spacious observation room with three single beds arranged side by side, and a bench along the wall. Passing through the observation room, the treatment room and the procedure room are in a straight line, with a large door at the end of the procedure room tightly closed Garrett''s reserved dissecting room. Behind the reception desk, the kitchen has been transformed into a sterilization room, equipped with a specially made pressure cooker, responsible for the disinfection of all instruments, gauze, and cotton in the hospital. Next to the sterilization room is the temporarily unused laboratory, and on the other side is the staircase leading upstairs. The toilet is located at the back of the small building, accessed through the staircase. The second floor is reserved for the doctors or rather, the priests. Going up the stairs, the first thing you see is a spacious living room and dining room. To the right of the living room, directly above the consultation rooms on the first floor, is the priests'' lounge; to the right is a corridor, walking along the corridor, to the south are the study and Garrett''s bedroom, to the north are the storage room, pharmacy, and alchemy room. What? A kitchen? A bunch of guys who''ve never touched spring water with their fingers want a kitchen! Let them refine herbs if they want, but cooking might just blow up the kitchen! The tavern is nearby; just have food delivered every day! "I''ll do it!" Little John jumped up and shouted. Even a concise version of "Systemic Anatomy," which is only one-tenth of the content, is not that easy to memorize. After three days of life and death memorization, five people went to take the exam, and only two passed. Joanna from the Nature God''s Temple, and Patrick from the Temple of the God of War that fourth-level priest, the combat powerhouse. The other three, all failed. "How much more do we have to memorize?" Shaking, High Priest Donald, who ranked last, asked. Good question... Garrett rested his chin on his hand. Using the hand that was free, he kept flexing and flexing, and flexing... The Blue Life and Death Love, fifty-three volumes, also known as the full set of planning textbooks for clinical medicine. "Chinese Medicine," "Medical Computer Application," "Sports Science," "Hygiene Law" you probably don''t need to study them, but you have to catch up on high school mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology. If you calculate it like this... "Five years, studying 12 hours a day, diligently and talented, probably... you''ll finish memorizing..." and then there''s internship, residency, and lifelong work and study. Well, don''t thank me too much. With a gurgling sound, High Priest Donald fell to the ground, fainted. Garrett suppressed a smile and dragged him to the side. Taking out a stack of textbooks, he thought for a moment, put back three: "Come on, everyone who passed the exam, let''s continue talking about joints..." "Help me!!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 112 Chapter 112 Garrett Nordmark left the priests at the hospital to attend to their duties and casually strolled back to the Mage Tower. The custodian of the Mage Tower, Mage Gelman, greeted him immediately, expressing regret and almost pounding his chest: "It''s such a pity! How could you give up this opportunity? Just one more day! After you created that divine technique, with a bit of effort, you could have caught up with the Magic Council''s envoy!" Garrett chuckled awkwardly. While catching up was possible, as a doctor, how could he turn away when the plague was still rampant? In the entire Hartland City, or rather, the whole world, he was the only one capable of cultivating bacteria and detecting sources of infection. Without ensuring that all water sources were purified and witnessing the number of patients reduced to zero, how could he, as a doctor, leave for magical council studies? Mage Gelman sighed in regret for a while. Garrett smiled knowingly, understanding Gelman''s concern, and didn''t argue. After Gelman sighed enough, he finally patted Garrett on the shoulder. "Well, since you''re back, don''t leave again. Everything you need is in the Mage Tower. Focus on studying and strive to break through!" "Um..." "Yeah?" "Gelman, sir... I came back this time to ask... Can I bring the books to the city? After all, I still have a hospital..." "No!" Gelman immediately furrowed his brows. He blurted out, "Books from the Mage Tower are not allowed to be taken outside!" "Gelman, sir... I''m really too busy..." Garrett pleaded, "I can''t break through as a priest, and I can''t advance as a mage! It''s not that I don''t want to study at the Mage Tower, but just burying my head in magic studies won''t help me break through!" "You..." Gelman drummed his fingers on the table, conflicted. To agree meant violating the Mage Tower''s rules against taking magical books outside. To disagree meant ignoring the significant contributions Garrett had made to the Mage Tower. Moreover, there were currently no 1st-level mages in the Mage Tower, meaning there was no competition for the books with Garrett. "Fine, I''ll ask Karan and the others." Gelman finally relented. As a 5th-level mage, Gelman had almost no need for 1st-level magical books. However, Karan was still a 2nd-level mage, and Elliott had just reached 3rd level. Who knew if they needed those books?New novel chapters are published on According to the rules of his past life, even for a community health station, there were more than twenty major categories and dozens of subcategories of essential medicines, totaling two to three hundred types. At the very least, he needed penicillin, lidocaine, nitroglycerin, adrenaline, and promethazine, not to mention alcohol, iodine, and saline. These must be provided! This darned different world had nothing... he had been distilling alcohol himself for several days already... "I need a pharmacist here." Garrett, partly considering Karan''s face and partly because of this name, agreed openly. "Let him come for an interview. If his skills are okay, I''ll hire him." At least he could help wash the flask! Garrett thought with a sinister smile. Linde showed up early the next day. Carrying a wooden box with a copper angle, he carefully walked up the steps, stood at the door, and knocked: "...Excuse me, is Lord Nordmark available?" "That''s me." Garrett dismissed the priests to the consultation room, sat at the reception desk, and wrote and drew casually - there was no need to memorize textbooks in the study, and he could also keep an eye on the door. Hearing the inquiry, he raised his head from the table and assessed. At a glance, Linde appeared to be around forty - Garrett wasn''t very familiar with the appearance of foreigners, so he wasn''t sure if his judgment was accurate. The waist was slightly bent by the box, and there was a hint of sorrow on his face. He was dressed in a dark blue silk robe with clear folds, obviously carefully ironed before coming out. However, the fabric seemed dull and brittle. The leather boots under his feet were slightly deformed, and who knew how long he had been wearing them. "I am Linde Ferrell, introduced by Mage Karan, applying for the position of pharmacist..." He cautiously extended his hand. Garrett reached out his right hand to shake, and his gaze fell on Linde''s hand. Thumb, index finger, and the middle finger joint were stained with ink, and there were scars on the back of the hand. They didn''t seem to be burns, perhaps acid burns. Garrett felt a bit relieved; at least, this guy had practical experience. "Did you bring alchemical equipment? Come, let me see you in action!" Garrett was delighted. Linde didn''t disappoint him. Although his operation speed wasn''t fast, it was steady. Garrett watched him handle medicines, heat, evaporate, filter, crystallize, distill, and extract - each operation was neither fast nor slow, well-organized. He couldn''t help but rejoice: "It''s you! - Monthly salary of 5 gold coins, in the hospital, one gallon of distilled water, half a gallon of saline, and a flask of alcohol every day, all under your responsibility. Is that okay?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Garrett Nordmark delegated the most tedious daily alchemical tasks to the newly arrived potion maker, Linde Ferrell. With a joyful heart, he immersed himself in the alchemy lab. The two worked back-to-back, each busy with their own tasks. Linde set up the distillation apparatus, watching as droplets of condensation fell into a container. When he confirmed that constant attention was not needed, he sneaked a glance at Garrett. What he saw startled him: Garrett squinted, holding a thin goose feather quill, meticulously marking lines on a long glass tube. The glass tube was fixed on a wooden frame, hanging vertically, with one end dipping into boiling hot water. Steam rolled, and the hot vapor hit Garrett''s face, but he seemed oblivious, completely focused on his task. In the center of the glass tube, a thin, bright silver line rose. Garrett''s quill touched the tip of the silver line, drew a horizontal line, then he moved a step to carefully compare. After observing for a while, he finally sighed in relief: "Done..." Curious, Linde inquired. Garrett took the glass tube off the rack, laid it down carefully, and drew a long line along its wall. Responding to Linde''s inquiry, he turned around with a cheerful expression: "Making a thermometer!" "A thermometer?" "Yes, a thermometer!" Garrett''s eyes sparkled. Finally, he managed to bring it out. Stuck in this hot workshop, working day and night with a jeweler a small-time artisan doubling as a glass blower. He had to work hard for seven or eight days! It was just a glass tube! You could get one for less than 10 yuan on Taobao, 30 yuan for ten, and free shipping! But here in this darn parallel world, everything had to be done by himself! Heating, stretching, snappingjust this step wasted countless glass tubes. Then, heating again, welding a short glass tube, heating to vacuum, letting it suck in mercury. Turning it over, inserting the lower part into ice water, letting it shrink to the bottom, and heating the top to seal it... Luckily, inhaling mercury was the last step, kept separately in the next room and specifically cooled with ice water. If he worked rough, the mercury vapor could poison him! "A thermometer? What''s it for?" Linde was puzzled. Garrett raised a bright smile: "Indicating temperature!" Oh, finally, no need to rely on hands to check if the body temperature was 37.5 or 38.3... Though a thermometer couldn''t compare to a stethoscope or a blood pressure cuff in clinical aspects, it could still be a useful tool! Seriously, without tools, everything was off when it came to diagnosing diseases! "Well, you see, the mercury in the glass tube expands when it''s heated and contracts when it''s cold. Now, watch as I insert it into the ice watergoes down, right? Insert it into boiling water, and it goes back up. Using sewage treated with purified diet, and clean water generated by the water creation spell, he completed the bacterial cultivation. Garrett labeled each Petri dish, noting the sample source and cultivation time. After completing these tasks, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and returned to his study to start writing his paper: "The Sterilization Effects of Magician Tricks, Purified Diet, and Water Creation Spell... hmm, let me think, should I make a trip to the Magician Tower and include the water from the water elemental pool for comparison..." Boom!!! A sudden explosion resounded outside the door. Garrett''s hand trembled, and a large drop of ink fell onto the paper, instantly staining it: "What happened?" Could it be a problem with the alchemy lab! The distillation apparatus is still there! Can''t leave now! And downstairs, the disinfection room downstairs, the pressure cooker must not explode... He rushed outside without a care for his life. In the lounge across from him, High Priest Holna also ran out holding a book. There was a series of footsteps on the stairs, and in the consultation room where Aiven, Joanne, Patrick were reading books, along with little John sitting at the front desk, all rushed upstairs: "What''s going on?" "What happened?!" "Garrett, are you okay!" "I''m fine!" Garrett loudly replied. Following the sound, he rushed into the alchemy lab across the hall, only to see the newcomer Linde leaning out of the window, half of his body hanging outside. Hearing Garrett''s footsteps, he tremblingly raised his pitch-black right hand, tears and mucus streaming down his face as he cried and laughed: "I broke through! I broke through! I finally advanced to Level 1 Magician, wuwuwu..." So it was you who caused the explosion just now? Garrett reached Linde''s side, peering down. The smell of gunpowder had not yet dissipated from the air, and below the alchemy lab, on the roof of the flat building, there was a dark scorch mark, obviously scorched by flames. Garrett''s feet shook for a moment, quickly retreating two steps and summoning a strong wind to disperse the smell: "Linde! If you broke through, don''t explode the toilet!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 114 Chapter 114 Linde''s breakthrough caused a stir in the city. People came bearing gifts, inquiring about the news, asking if their nephews could come work, all in a steady stream. Garrett remained unfazed. He continued writing textbooks, conducting experiments, and compelling the priests to memorize scriptures until it was pitch dark outside. When patients came with ailments that other priests could easily treat, he simply observed without lifting a finger. A month passed in the blink of an eye. The slowest priest had finished memorizing the entire "Systematic Anatomy," while others, progressing faster, had already dissected seven or eight rabbits under Garrett''s guidance. Cut and heal, heal and cutthose rabbits had the worst luck, enduring all sorts of inexplicable experiments. "Healing Divine Magic Antibacterial Experiment No. 035." Garrett stood steadily in front of the dissection table, using tweezers to lift the rabbit''s leg skin with his left hand, and gently sliding a surgical knife with his right hand. His voice came out steadily from behind the mask. John sat at a table in the corner, writing furiously: "Make a midline incision, open the abdomen, cut the skin and subcutaneous tissue. Use water created by the Water Creation Spell to prepare saline directly, rinse the abdominal cavity, and let the surgical wound heal. Tag it, keep it in a separate cage, and wait for tomorrow to assess the treatment effects." "How many more rabbits do you plan to cut?" Joanna lamented. Same rabbits, cut open, rinsed with distilled water, healed with divine light; Rinsed with water created by the Water Creation Spell, healed with divine light; After brushing with purification divine magic using well water, rinse again, healed with divine light; Rinsed with water created by the Water Creation Spell, rinse again after brushing with purification divine magic, healed with divine light; Open the abdomen, rinse the abdominal cavity, heal; Open the abdomen, rinse the abdominal cavity, expose for two hours, heal; Cut the leg muscles, rinse the muscles and subcutaneous tissue, heal... What''s more frustrating is that after healing, they have to be cut open again the next day, take blood, cut meat, and heal again... She was a devotee of the god of nature! Listening to the sounds of nature, communicating with plants, soothing animalsthose were her specialties! Watching those rabbits being cut and tortured every day, never dying, she was on the verge of a breakdown! "...I mainly want to see how effective divine light is against bacteria." Garrett paused for a moment, contemplating how to explain it to them. If operating under contaminated conditions doesn''t affect the prognosis of immediate divine healing, the operating room doesn''t need to maintain a sterile environment. For heaven''s sake, he still hasn''t found time to distill disinfectant... "Antibacterial? Are you talking about that short, stick-like thing from last time? Doesn''t that give people diarrhea?" Joanna exclaimed. With a bang, Garrett slammed the door shut, leaving the two who brought in the patient outside. He walked quickly to the operating table. As he walked, he fired off a series of rapid questions: "Is the patient conscious?" "Is he breathing?" "Does he have a heartbeat?" "Blood pressure... no, never mind the blood pressure, how about the pulse?" Four or five priests looked at each other. After a moment, Reverend Donald lowered his head and looked at the patient''s complexion, being the first to answer: "Fainted. Can''t wake him." "Breathing... still there," Patrick continued. After releasing the divine magic, he bent down to listen to the patient''s heartbeat and continued to report, "Heartbeat is there." "Pulse is very fast, very weak," Joanna answered the last question in a hurry, adding anxiously, "Garrett, we need to call the elders! Or even the bishop, or even the archbishop! Our levels are too low, and the healing magic may not be enough. I''m afraid we can''t save him!" "Don''t panic!" Garrett surveyed the surroundings. Two level-fours, one level-two, one priest apprentice, plus myself at level onethe healing power should be sufficient; the key is how to use it! "Joanna!" He checked the patient''s heartbeat and breathing, confirming they hadn''t stopped, and decisively ordered, "You keep an eye on the patient''s condition, use healing magic to sustain his life, just keep his heartbeat and breathing going. Patrick, tie up his legs to stop the bleedinglike I taught youthen get some alcohol cotton balls from the cabinet and wipe his entire stomach. Evin, Donald, both of you go wash your hands, John, bring the surgical instruments!" The Temple of the Springs not only installed divine magic arrays but also specially dug a water well, drawing water up to the surface using a fountain-like method, and then used pipes to connect to the examination room, treatment room, disposal room, disinfection room, and toilet. Garrett didn''t even need to leave the treatment room; he washed his hands with the tap water and started wiping his hands with alcohol. Unfortunately, the previous divine magic antibacterial experiment wasn''t complete yet. If it could be proven that short-term exposure to a contaminated environmentsuch as two or three hourswouldn''t have too much impact on the healing effect, he wouldn''t need to scrub his hands to death with the seven-step method! Garrett regretted silently. Before he could finish his thoughts, Joanna, who he assigned to watch the patient, was already urgently calling out: "Garrett, come quickly! He''s not doing well!" "I''m coming!" Garrett rushed over. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 115 Chapter 115 Is the patient in critical condition? Garrett Nordmark hurried over. Ah, if this were in his emergency department, there would have been a set procedure. Open the airway, perform CPR, transfuse blood, administer fluids, replenish volume, administer adrenaline, administer dopamine, administer mannitol for cranial injuries Back in the day, it had become routine, almost a mechanical process. It was only when he recalled it in this unfamiliar world that he realized how precious those skills were. No endotracheal tube! No adrenaline, no dopamine, no mannitol! He hadn''t even managed to get the needle for the blood transfusion yet. The jeweler''s craftsmanship was so poor; he still hadn''t succeeded! As for fluids and volume expansion, that guy Linde had failed to produce even a simple saline solution Poor sterilization, too many impurities in the liquid. Recklessly infusing it into the bloodstream would either lead to thrombosis due to excessive impurities or bacterial sepsis if bacteria entered the bloodstream. It was a recipe for disaster! As for magical tricks and purified diets, the liquids produced by a spell and a divine art didn''t meet the sterilization standards he needed. In his past life, seven years of undergraduate education and over a decade of work had rendered most of those skills useless! Garrett sighed silently as he rushed forward. One step, two steps, three steps, and he arrived at the patient''s bedside, his spirits already revitalized: So what if there''s no blood transfusion capability, no medicine, no medical equipment? No instruments at all, so what? The foundation of modern medicine was never these things! It was the mindset of evidence-based medicine, the principle of assessing severity, prioritizing urgency, combining holistic and partial treatment, and the diligent exploration of the mysteries of the human body, supporting us step by step! "Garrett!" Joanna''s tone was urgent. Garrett bent down, pressed on the patient''s abdomen, not lifting his head as he responded loudly: "Monitor the heartbeat and breathing! Use healing spells to stabilize! Stabilize!" He slapped the patient''s abdomen once, twice. Then let the priests beside him move the patient, patting on the left side, then the right side. The more he patted, the more furrowed his brow became. Patrick, who had just finished binding the patient''s left leg, raised his head: "How is it?" "Shifting dullness!" Garrett answered urgently. After a moment of thought, he explained further: "Intra-abdominal fluid at least 1000 millilitersunfortunately, in this case, the entire 1000 milliliters is blood loss!" "Then quickly stop the bleeding!" All four priests present exclaimed. Garrett shook his head decisively: "Wait! Patrick, check the patient''s spine!" "No problem with the spine!" This war priest reached down, felt along the patient''s spine, and immediately replied. Garrett had already pounced on the patient''s head at the same time, lifting the eyelids: "Evan! Illumination spell! Check the pupils!" A beam of white light shot straight in. Garrett lowered one eyelid, then raised the other: "Bilateral pupils equally dilated, normal light reflex...no obvious head injury, no brain damage..." The spleen was much smaller than the liver, weighing only about 1/5 to 1/10. After the treatment for minor injuries, the white light spread upwards with some surplus energy. Garrett quickly put it back in place, letting the white light jump a few times in the abdominal cavity, naming some ligaments and membranes. He then checked the kidneys. Tsk, the left kidney seemed fine. Just to be safe, treat a minor wound. The right kidney was a bit troublesome, let''s go with another treatment for minor injuries... Kidneys sorted! Pancreas sorted! Gallbladder sorted! All major blood vessels visible in the abdominal cavity were checked! "How is the patient doing?" Garrett looked up. Joanna had been monitoring the patient''s heartbeat and breathing, not daring to relax for a moment. She answered: "It has stabilized! Although he''s still unconscious...but he''s stable now!" Her gaze towards Garrett was full of surprise. On the other side, Patrick was staring blankly, murmuring: "Two treatments for minor injuries, five treatments for minor wounds...two treatments for minor injuries, five treatments for minor wounds..." For such a serious injury, stabilizing it with two treatments for minor injuries and five treatments for minor wounds was absolutely impossible in his opinion! Doubling it wouldn''t even be possible, let alone doubling it twice! However, seeing was believing. After Garrett cut open the patient''s abdomen, he really stabilized the near-death severe injury with just these few healing spells! "Garrett, you''re amazing..." It''s not me being amazing. Garrett sighed inwardly. It''s the guidance of modern medical arts that made me know the correct order of treatment and which areas to prioritize; It''s the instant healing of divine arts that prevented the patient from struggling on the path of recovery after the surgery; It''s the patient''s own physique that allowed him to persist until now without oxygen, blood transfusion, or any life support... Perhaps I should also thank fate for letting this patient''s injury fall within the range I can handle. He collected himself and raised his voice: "To save his life, there''s still a lot to do! John, go get saline solution! Put in some effort, move quickly, he can survive!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 116 Chapter 116 "He''s going to make it!" Garrett Nordmark''s voice rose triumphantly. At the same time, young John hurriedly ran out to get saline solution, and his words echoed through the open door, reaching the crowded hall outside. "What? He''s really going to survive?!" "That''s fantastic!" The hall was already filled with a large crowd. Two men who brought the injured person, the injured person''s wife, children, and siblings, as well as the family of the child rescued by the injured personadults were crying, children were shouting, creating a chaotic scene. The pharmacist Linde tried desperately to maintain order, but with little effect, ending up drenched in sweat. As John opened the door, dozens of eyes turned towards him simultaneously. Hearing Garrett shout, "He''s going to make it," everyone was thrilled and buzzing with excitement. Two people nearby hurriedly ran inside: "Really? Really? How is he now? Is he okay?" "Don''t let them in!" Garrett screamed. This was an operating room! How could the family members just enter casually? Did the sterile principles of the operating room still matter? John quickly halted his steps, extending his arms to block the two men. Unfortunately, he was just a novice priest, a small figure who could block on one side but not the other. The two men rushed forward at full speed, causing him to stumble and retreat. Helplessly, he could only grab the clothes of one person with one hand, raise his voice, and struggle to shout: "Don''t go in! You''re not allowed in! The procedure inside is not finished yet!" Garrett, hearing the commotion, realized that something was amiss. With a start, he realized what he had neglected: This wasn''t his past life! It wasn''t like the emergency room in the hospital where he used to work, with people coming and going, security guards patrolling, and multiple checkpoints to the operating room!The source of this content nov(el)bi((n)) Here, from top to bottom, there were only six people! Five doctors (priests) had all entered the operating room, leaving only one pharmacist outside. Unable to fight and unable to shout louder than the crowd! He should have at least arranged for a security guard! "No one is allowed in!" Garrett, with his back to the operating room door, couldn''t move and could only shout louder. John struggled to stop, stepping back step by step. Seeing that he had already retreated beyond the door frame of the operating room, Priest Patrick suddenly stepped forward, swinging his arms: "Out!" "Out!" "This is the peritoneum... this is the extraperitoneal fascia, transverse fascia, rectus sheath... we cut along the white line, otherwise, you''ll see the posterior layer of the rectus sheath, rectus abdominis, anterior layer of the rectus sheath..." With the abdomen closed on one side, on the other side, Joanna''s falcon cried out, wings folded, gripping an oak wand and landing on the windowsill. The window rattled, and Garrett looked up, suddenly overjoyed: "It''s here! Bring it in quickly!" The teacher''s oak wand! A source of magical detection! The radiography''s radiation source! Just as he finished dealing with the abdominal injury and was about to start treating the two legs, the item arrived! "Come, help this person up, let him lie on his side!" Garrett gave rapid-fire orders: "Place the oak wand behind him. Let me first check the bonesI want all of you to enter the meditation state and take a closer look Hmm, the skull is fine, cervical spine is normal, thoracic spine is normal, no rib fractures, and the pelvis is clear, thank the heavens! Alright, lay him flat, and let me see how the two legs are broken, making it easier for bone setting" In the slightly dim meditation state, from head to toe, 206 bones. Those things that he struggled to memorize over the past month were now vividly illuminated under the bright light. "So, this is how they''re shaped..." Donald, who had never personally broken someone''s arm or leg, murmured to himself. "No wonder I need to find the teacher..." Joanna clenched her fists. If she were just one level higher, she could use her oak wand without having to seek help from the elders. "So... it''s like this..." Patrick stared at the skeletons in the meditation state, unable to blink. If he had known earlier, if he had seen it earlier... Walter, Carl, Ron, your legs... Could you have avoided limping? "Hey! Don''t daydream!" Water droplets splashed across his face. Patrick snapped out of his thoughts, seeing the semi-transparent mage hand slowly fading away. Garrett had splashed water on him: "Come to your senses! Help me lift the thigh!" A high-level warrior! A perfect laborer! The reason he called you was to help lift the thigh! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 117 Chapter 117 Many medical students, excluding those with extraordinary talents, have painful memories of brown-nosing. Orthopedic surgery is always like a construction site, with the sound of electric saws, hammers, and drills echoing through the operating room. Changing a hip joint, a femoral head, or holding onto a fat thigh for hours Keep in mind that one leg of a person constitutes about 1/5 of their body weight. Imagine a 200-pound strong man undergoing surgery, and you have to maintain a specific posture while holding onto a 40-pound object, unable to move Enduring for three hours, not just the arms, but the entire body''s muscles no longer feel like your own. That''s why orthopedic surgeons are usually robust. In Garrett Nordmark''s past life, the orthopedic department was filled with men over six feet tall, broad-shouldered, narrow-waisted, with long legs. Their average arms could carry a horse, and their fists could support a person; they spent their time either in the operating room or the gym. During the big rounds, from the deputy director to the interns, everyone wore the same outfit, a white coat over them, walking confidently under the leadership of the chief director, automatically accompanied by a background music: "I roam the world as I please~~ All look up to me~~~" Garrett Nordmark was not particularly tall, and his muscles were not that strong. When he did his rotation in orthopedics, he suffered enough. This time, with conditions improved, he was determined to find a strong man to assist him. Father Patrick didn''t disappoint him. After Garrett clamped the blood vessels in the thigh, this old fellow separated his hands, firmly holding both ends of the injured person''s right thigh, pulling them apart steadily. Garrett just had to focus on his meditative view, constantly giving instructions: "Pull again, slower this timehey, it''s almost there, slow down a bitgood! Hold it steady! Stop here, don''t move, wait for me to set the bone!" As the saying goes, the arm can''t twist the thigh. When orthopedics encounters a patient with a thigh fracture, they usually immobilize the upper body and assign a person to grip the patient''s thigh with both hands, pulling forcefully. But Father Patrick, with just his two hands, firmly pulled apart the muscles at the fractured bone, keeping them still. With such assistance, performing orthopedic surgeries was simply delightful Garrett was happy, and Father Patrick was impressed. In his meditative view, he watched Garrett turn and observe the leg bone from various angles, then carefully manipulated and relocated it, instructing him to rotate it inward. While doing so, he mumbled: "This is a one-third fracture in the middle of the femoral shaft... Oh, lucky break, a bit higher would be hard to control bleeding, a bit lower would damage more blood vessels and nerves... After a fracture, muscles pull, causing it to bend. So, we need to stretch the adductor muscles to realign the bone... Can''t you move your hand a bit? You''re holding it so tight; I can''t move it!" It turns out this is how bone setting is done. Father Patrick stared at the leg bone in his hands, trying to remember. No wonder he used to treat legs that often ended up crooked; after the bone broke, it naturally inclined, and he, ignorant, just used divine magic, leaving the misaligned bone uncorrected... Following Garrett''s instructions, Father Patrick pulled, moved, and relaxed meticulously. In his meditative view, the broken ends of the bone finally came together seamlessly. Father Patrick prepared himself, ready to cast a healing spell, but Garrett brought over two hooks and called for Evin and little John: Following Garrett''s process, Father Patrick carefully did it once, feeling the leg bones cracking under his hands, watching the damaged muscles become whole. Then, infusing holy power into the broken leg, he suddenly closed his eyes The sensations of the past hour, the books he had memorized tirelessly over the month, the experience of treating wounded for over a decade, all surged back and forth in his mind. Successes, failures, moments of confusion, sudden realizations. Joys, regrets, guilt, and acceptance... Time passed second by second. Patrick suddenly opened his eyes, clasped his hands, bowed his head in prayer Dozens of white lights descended straight down, enclosing the unconscious patient. "Peace spell?" Little John blurted out. Garrett paused for a moment, only then recalling that this was what he secretly called the "anesthesia spell," a characteristic spell of the War God''s temple, requiring a level five priest to cast "You leveled up?" "...Yeah. I leveled up." Patrick stood still, staring at his hands for a while, then at the white light in front of him. After a long silence, he replied with a dreamy voice: "I finally leveled up... Seven years, seven years..." Once, he was a genius everyone envied. After reaching the edge of leveling up, he was stuck for four years, clueless, and took the risk of joining battles. In that battle, he lost his best friend and the hope and drive for a breakthrough... Until today. Someone told him, maybe it''s not your fault, just bad luck; someone guided him to see a more exciting world, realizing that healing spells could be used like this... "Thank you..." He murmured in a low voice, "Garrett, thank you..." "What are you thanking me for? Keep healing!" Garrett scolded him. Seeing Patrick bowing his head in shame, continuing to release healing spells, Garrett turned to look out the window, smiled, and clenched his fist firmly. Anesthesia spell! Available on demand! No need for it anymore; whenever needed, just go find the bald archbishop! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 118 Chapter 118 "Another promotion?"New novel chapters are published on Elder Elwin Wilkinson finally hurried over. Pushing the door open, he saw a sea of white light, restraining the unconscious casualties in the middle. It was the iconic calming technique of the War God''s Temple, only usable by a 5th-level priest. His steps immediately halted. The old man looked at the radiant white light in front of him, looked at the face of Priest Patrick, who seemed to be crying and smiling with muscle twitches, and sighed with emotion: "Little Garrett, you... too prosperous, huh?" Running a healing clinicoh no, this kid insisted on calling it a hospitalhad only been open for a few days, and a new pharmacist had upgraded on the same day. In just over a month, a 4th-level priest had advanced to 5th level. If we count the breakthrough by Mage Elliott before, in the past three months, three people closely related to Garrett have made breakthroughs. Two of them had been stuck for many years. God knows if he hadn''t timely released the message, "All the staff are arranged by me, come to me," this hospital of Garrett''s would have long been crowded by gift-bearing people. Even so, today another breakthrough, and he might not be able to handle it... "Teacher!" Garrett turned around, immediately delighted. "Teacher, we''ve healed all the injuries on him, but he''s lost too much blood, and my healing technique can''t handle it! Teacher, we''re relying on you!" "Oh, excessive bleeding." Elder Elwin nodded and stepped forward. He took the oak staff and chanted softly. As he chanted, light green dots, like fireflies, fluttered from the staff, from the air, from outside the window, and fell onto the injured person. Visible to the naked eye, the patient''s lips gained a little more color, and the breathing became slightly heavier. So, healing magic can also remotely replenish blood... Garrett stood obediently by the teacher''s side, watching the patient''s vitality gradually recovering, watching the gratitude of the family members as they carried the injured person away. As soon as they left, he grabbed Elder Elwin: "Teacher... help me again?" "What do you want now?" "Teacher, look, in this hospital, there are six priests and one pharmacist. There''s not even anyone to maintain order when things get busy. Teacher, can you introduce a warrior to me again?" "It''s too late when you think of it!" Elder Elwin glared at him impatiently. "Okay, okay, the teacher already sent out a message a long time ago, and there should be a response in these two days. Before that... do you want to go to the Mage Tower to hide for a few days?" These were all auditors, paying ten gold coins in monthly tuition fees, qualified to read books in the Mage Tower. Also, twice a month, they were eligible to attend Mage Gelman''s public lectures. Garrett used to be one of them, but he hadn''t even attended a single public lecture, and now he became a mage apprentice, no longer mingling with them. These auditors, each dressed in satin and gold and silver, some of the girls even had gemstones shining on their earlobes and necks. They looked very wealthy, of course, not from noble or wealthy merchant families, and couldn''t afford the monthly tuition of ten gold coins... "Cough, cough, cough! Bang, bang, bang!" Mage Gelman''s cough suddenly sounded, accompanied by the sound of a ruler hitting the table. The group of auditors dispersed like birds and beasts, and Garrett was overjoyed. He looked at Mage Gelman with grateful eyes. Mage Gelman nodded at him, cleared his throat, and began the lecture: "Today, we will discuss the principles of fire magic. As we all know, fire, the most passionate and impulsive among the four basic elements, has the most powerful destructive power in fire magic. Five hundred years ago, the great legendary mage Clement Beriel summarized in his work, ''New Experiments on the Relationship between Flame and Air'': Fire is a substance entity composed of countless tiny and lively particles. These fire particles can combine with other elements or exist freely. A large number of free fire particles gathered together form a visible flame, which, when dispersed in the atmosphere, gives people a sense of heat. The elemental substance of fire composed of these fire particles is called ''ignition element''!" "Huh?" Garrett reflexively opened his mouth, then immediately closed it. Mage Gelman did not notice his anomaly and continued to speak facing a group of attentive auditors, eloquently going on. After a long explanation about the "ignition element," it finally came to the practical application of spells: "All models of fire magic spells include the structures of ''gathering ignition element'' and ''attracting good air.'' Taking the model of Fire Spark spell as an example..." Mage Gelman waved his wand, using magical tricks to outline the spell model of "Fire Spark," explaining piece by piece. In the room, the sound of pencils scratching on paper was heard, and only Garrett sat dumbfounded in place, staring at the model in the air without moving: "Burning is because of the ignition element?" "Air can attract the ignition element?" "Are you kidding me!" So, all this time, the fire elemental I saw in meditation was defined by you as the "ignition element"? Meditating in this way, it would take ten thousand years to upgrade! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 119 Chapter 119 August 5th, morning, first experiment. Attempting to replicate Lavaxi''s "Twenty-Day Experiment," heating mercury in the curved-neck flask to produce mercuric oxide. Measuring 100 grams of mercury, adding it to the curved-neck flask (thank you, mage tower, for using metric units, must be the legacy of a predecessor from another era), and heating it with a furnace. One hour, no change. Two hours, no change. Three hours, no change. Suspected that the heating temperature wasn''t high enough for mercury to react with oxygen. Moved the curved-neck flask closer to the furnace. The curved-neck flask exploded... August 5th, afternoon, second experiment. Red powder appeared on the surface of mercury, suspected to be mercuric oxide. The curved-neck flask exploded again... Improper temperature control. Let me think of another way; the mercury thermometer is definitely not working. August 6th, morning. Bimetallic thermometer! Success! The mage tower is truly extravagant; having platinum... a bimetallic element made with platinum and copper strips is the best! August 6th, afternoon. Continued the mercuric oxide experiment. Using the bimetallic thermometer to indicate temperature is indeed convenient... no more fear of the curved-neck flask exploding. August 7th, morning. Slipped while adding charcoal, and the furnace went out... luckily, quickly rekindled the fire. Really wish I had a furnace boy to watch over it. August 7th, afternoon. Continued burning. August 8th, morning. Continued burning. August 8th, afternoon. So, pointing the construct used to gather "combustible essence" with mental power toward the combustible material; pointing the construct used to select "good air" toward the carried oxygen used as spell material What would happen if done this way? Garrett heard his heart pounding. He rushed out of his room, went up to the fourth floor alchemy room, and set up the alchemical apparatus for heating mercuric oxide and extracting oxygen once again. After the oxygen collection in the test tube was complete, he sneaked down the Mage Tower with the test tube. "Garrett, where are you going?" Someone spoke in the dark night. Garrett paused, slowly turned his head: "Elliott? Sorry, did I wake you up just now?" "No problem, I wasn''t asleep anyway. Hey, in the middle of the night, where are you going without even turning on a light?" Saying that, he snapped his fingers, and four light orbs floated up silently in front, back, left, and right. Garrett followed him down, answering in a low voice: "I improved the Burning Hand and wanted to try it out..." "Burning Hand? You learn so fast!" Elliott praised. He and Garrett walked into the dark night, arriving at a square behind the Mage Tower. This was the place mages used to practice magic. Elliott slightly focused and raised his hand A cone of red flames spewed forward. Five meters away, a humanoid wooden target was engulfed in flames, immediately burning. Elliott waved his hand, extinguishing the flames. He turned to Garrett, eyes shining with curiosity: "Give it a try!" "I might be a bit slow..." Garrett replied in a low voice. Holding his breath, concentrating, trying to enter a spellcasting state: Meditate! Recite the incantation! Use mental power to outline the spell model! Extend mental power, resonate the spell model with the surroundings, and pay attention, the construct for filtering air must be pointed towards the oxygen in the test tube! Reach out, push forward Boom! A blazingly white flame sprayed out from Garrett''s palm, bursting forward. Within ten meters, a 60-degree fan-shaped area in front was engulfed by the bright white flame. Where the flames passed, the humanoid wooden target immediately turned into fragments, standing on a metal stake on the ground, bursting with bright and dazzling sparks like lightning. Beside him, Mage Elliott slowly widened his mouth. "Is this... the Burning Hand? It''s twice as far as mine, and the flame is more than twice as strong! Garrett, are you really just a level 1 mage?!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 120 Chapter 120 Garrett Nordmark is naturally still a first-level mage. Moreover, up to this point, he hasn''t touched the threshold for leveling up, and his mental power hasn''t reached the limit of level 1 yet. Garrett is not in a hurry. He slowly polishes the image of himself in his meditative vision, bone by bone, meticulously sketching: The benefits of being a novice mage at level one have been used up, and the energy given by the teacher when planting the oak staff has also been exhausted. What comes next is meticulous work, and there''s no rush. A few bones a day, encountering complex bones like the hip, meditation can only be completed for one piece.Read latest chapters at novelhall.com Only Until now, Garrett''s mental power has only constructed 80 central axis bones and 64 upper limb bones. As for the 62 lower limb bones, less than half are completed. Perhaps after completing the entire skeleton, my mental power can advance to the next level? Garrett speculates. Besides this, he is anxious about one thing: When can I return to the hospital? Teacher, you sent me to hide in the mage tower, when will you let me out? I''ve completed all the experiments! The papers are also written! The microscope paper, the burning hand paper, and the paper on sterilization, all done! If I don''t return to the hospital soon, I won''t have the conditions to conduct so many experiments! The teacher''s summons came quickly. In mid-September, after Garrett had improved the burning hand for half a month, Elder Elwin Wilkinson sent a message to the mage tower: The followers I found for you have arrived. Come and meet them. Garrett swiftly entered the city. Dismounting at the entrance of the hospital, at first glance, he saw a big man standing next to the teacher. Elder Elwin Wilkinson is already considered tall, but the man next to him is at least a head taller, conservatively estimated at two meters. It''s already deep autumn, and Garrett is wearing a thick jacket, while the man is bare-shouldered, with a beast skin draped over his shoulder. A necklace made of the fangs and claws of fierce beasts hangs on his bare chest, and below the pendant, eight clearly defined abdominal muscles are displayed. The only weapon on his entire body is the big stick in his right hand. Garrett looked closely and became increasingly silent. The stick is more than half a head taller than its owner, with a diameter as thick as the owner''s upper arm. Looking at the shape of the end, who knows if it''s a thigh bone from some wild creature. Is this a barbarian? It''s quite obvious that he''s a barbarian, right? Teacher, can someone like him be my follower? If I can''t afford to feed him, will he eat me? Can barbarians communicate normally? Garrett really wanted to ask this, but he didn''t dare in front of the giant. The giant, however, spoke with a buzzing voice: "Are you Garrett? Can you feed me?" What, feed you? Big brother, is your only request to be fed? Garrett discreetly glanced at the teacher as much as possible. Seeing Elder Elwin Wilkinson nodding with a smile, he boldly replied: Elder Elwin Wilkinson, seeing his disciple''s dilemma, couldn''t help but smile. He reached out gently, moved both wooden cups in front of himself, and signaled the waiter: "A glass of grape wine. No, make it a glass of mint water. And bring some white bread and a plate of nuts. Roasted lamb, hurry up!" "No problem! Please wait, dear guests!" Ordering a whole roasted lamb is a big deal. It took a while for the innkeeper to come back with a waiter, personally carrying a whole roasted lamb. Elder Elwin Wilkinson took up a long knife, cut off a leg of lamb, and pushed the remaining half towards Bernard. Then he turned to look at Garrett, picked up the lamb leg, and stabbed it directly into his plate. Is this whole leg for me?! Garrett instinctively leaned back. Little did he know, the long knife in front of him flickered, one piece, two pieces, three pieces... Three pieces of lamb fell into the plate, followed by the leg, steadily returning to the elder''s plate. Garrett breathed a sigh of relief. He ate this carb-overloaded, fat-protein-excessive, severely deficient in vitamins and plant fiber lunch slowly, accompanied by mint water, bread, and nuts, and belched lightly. Across from him, Bernard was still eating heartily, with sheep oil and light red meat juice dripping from the corners of his mouth, smearing his beard everywhere. The lamb spine and ribs had completely disappeared. Bernard, with a leg of lamb in each hand, was eating enthusiastically. Garrett quickly glanced at his waist. Eight abdominal muscles were still eight abdominal muscles, but the barrel of beer and half a roasted lamb seemed to have disappeared without a trace... Can I really afford to raise this guy... Garrett was once again at a loss. Elder Elwin Wilkinson leaned over to him quietly: "Bernard is from the Northern Glacier. A few years ago, when I was traveling outside, I saved half of their village when they were in trouble. At that time, we agreed that when I needed it, they would send warriors to serve me for ten years. During these ten years, just feed him, you don''t need to eat this well usually. As for armor and weapons, take a look and decide." Understood, mainly bread for daily meals, occasionally bring meat for a feast. Garrett eased his mind a bit: "Teacher, what about the salary?" "Why do you think the warriors from the Northern region need a salary? Of course, if their village is short of food any year, give them a few dozen gold coins to buy food!" Writing about this barbarian, I don''t know why it was written so happily, probably because I can''t eat meat as heartily as he does (not at all). --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 122 Chapter 122 "Elder Elwin, please join the main camp and participate in the attack sequence."The source of this content nov(el)bi((n)) "Bishop Martin, please join the front camp and be responsible for blessing the knights in the assault." "Priest Edwin, lead the healing work." "Lord Baird, could you accompany the scout team in their actions?" Garrett Nordmark sat far away at the entrance of the council chamber, waiting for the assignments to be given to him. He was the youngest, lowest-ranked, and his seat was farthest from the chiefonly a 5th-level priest at the moment. It would be a while before his turn came. In this major battle, Hartland City was not going alone; it was gathering under the banner of Count Newman in Nust County. Count Newman himself was a 12th-level grand knight, with great prestige in the county. Even the lord of Hartland City, Viscount Joane, had served as a squire in the count''s household in his youth. With such a figure leading, the nobles of Nust County naturally followed suit. Nobles from the various cities in the county arrived with their knights and soldiers to join Count Newman''s army. All spellcasters were also gathered, evaluated and discussed by the head of the religious council. They were then assigned to different teams based on their ability levels and types of divine magicwhether for attack, support, healing, or other services. After a long list, it finally reached him: "All 2nd and 1st-level priests and priest apprentices, all responsible for healing affairs." The allocation of healing tasks was generally based on hometowns. In principle, priests from the city would be responsible for healing the city''s wounded. Before the war started, the camp of spellcasters in the military camp was bustling with activity. Every priest''s individual tent had knights visiting, bearing gifts and making requests: "Please take care!" "Seeking support!" "What do you need a big tent for? Big tents are for nobles. You, a little priest, why do you need such a big space?" "As long as it can accommodate people." Garrett tried to smile, as if dealing with a critically ill patient without money in his past life, pleading with the medical department to prioritize treatment, using the green channel: "Older, dirtier, and even damaged is fine. I''ll clean it up myself... Please, beg you..." He quickly handed over a money pouch. The supply officer weighed it in his hand, tossed it up, listened to the jingling of metal inside, and his expression softened slightly: "Fine. Follow me!" Thus, Garrett got his hands on a tentdirty to the point of being unsightly, old, and practically worthless. The oil and mud on the tent had formed a crust, and Garrett''s fingers were smeared with black mud as soon as he touched it. Fortunately, two soldiers approached, separated the tent fabric and poles, and firmly shouldered them. Dirty as it was, it would serve its purpose for sheltering from wind and rain. But if used to house wounded, it might increase the risk of infection. Garrett helplessly smiled; all he could do was have them carry the tent to the river, roll up his sleeves, and start cleaning. As he worked, one soldier jumped in to help, while the other, sensing trouble, quietly walked away. Garrett struggled to decline, but Captain Karen directly dragged him away: "Let us handle this rough work! Garrett, you go backwhat do you spellcasters call itmeditate! The more skilled you are, the safer our lives are!" Garrett resisted, resisted, resisted in vain, and Captain Karen dragged him back to his own tent. Still dozens of steps away, he saw several people moving around the tent. Spotting Garrett, they waved from afar: "Little Garrett, we''re here!" Garrett Nordmark''s field hospital, everyone assembled. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 123 Chapter 123 A cluster of priests surrounded Garrett Nordmark, eagerly vying for his attention, each trying to speak over the others. As Garrett was about to invite them in, a hoarse voice emanated from behind the tent: "Count me in as well"Thi/s chapter is updated by The voice was unusually raspy, with eyes deep and mysterious, resembling ghostly flames even in broad daylight. Behind the tent, a black cat with white gloves gracefully leaped down and landed in front of Garrett, letting out a gentle meow. "Linde Ferrell!" Garrett exclaimed joyfully and hurriedly approached. Linde Ferrell, the necromancer, had been Garrett''s guide when he first entered the world of magic. Garrett had obtained admission to the Mage Tower with the recommendation letter Linde had provided. Although months had passed since they last met due to Garrett''s studies in magic, divine arts, and experiments, Garrett cherished the debt of gratitude. Separated for months, Linde Ferrell still maintained his peculiar appearance in a swaying black robe with a skull on top. However, the fur of the black cat, Troka, seemed much glossier, indicating a comfortable few months. "Linde Ferrell, Troka, welcome!" Garrett greeted them with delight. Seeing Linde reminded him of the golden skeleton capable of lifting his own head and disassembling his hip bone. Garrett was eager to revisit that peculiar experience. "Long time no see! Did you come with the others? I didn''t see you during departure!" "Of course, I had to come." Linde Ferrell smiled, though his appearance was unsettling, with shrunken skin and twitching facial muscles. Only the eyes, reminiscent of a doctor''s gaze, could discern the direction of facial muscle movement. He continued: "That old man Gelman had you all protected at the rear, charging into battle alone! And he deliberately kept it from me! I had to rush over alone, went the wrong way, almost bumped into the Radiant Church people!" "Ah!" Garrett exclaimed. The Radiant Lord was known to be the bane of necromancers, enhancing skeletal damage with healing spells. "How are you holding up?" "I''m fine." Linde Ferrell grinned ominously. "Killed two of them. By the way, what brought you all the way here? Aren''t you a mage?" "But I''m also a priest... I came this time to heal... uh, to heal wounds and save lives." The necromancer shot him a accusing look. A priest? If you''re a priest, go to the temple! Why did you bother getting a recommendation letter from me? I went through the trouble of writing many praises for you, and you come visit me as a priest? Garrett felt a bit uneasy under his gaze. He took a step back, hastily finding an excuse to soothe Linde: "By the way, if you have time, come over! When I''m healing, I often use surgical techniqueslike cutting and stitching people up. Come lend a hand and discuss it together?" He busied himself preparing saline, alcohol, arranging cotton, gauze, bandages, and potions. Before noon, wounded soldiers started arriving one after another: "Knight Scott is injured!" "Sir Terence is injured!" "Knight Vincent is injured!" The priests systematically attended to them. Prayers murmured continuously, and white light flickered. Soon after the knights, poorly dressed common soldiers were carried over, running urgently: "Save him! Please save him!" Blood dripped steadily. Garrett stood by the camp fence, watching them run towards the nearby camp of Melton''s priest squad. Before long, pleading and shouting echoed from that direction: "No cure!" "Carry him away!" "Move aside! The knights can''t handle it either!" "Please save himCaptain got injured for us, sob... He has a little son waiting at home, and his daughter is about to get married..." Garrett''s expression turned solemn. Before embarking on this journey, he had heard and even learned that a priest''s healing was mainly reserved for nobles. Whether commoners received treatment depended on the caster''s mood at the time. Despite being prepared for this, Garrett brought plenty of supplies on this trip, intending to heal as many common soldiers as possible. But hearing about it and witnessing it were two different things. He sighed silently, wanting to go help those people but hesitated. Just then, the sound of footsteps approached rapidly. Two guards from Hartland City led the way, carrying wounded soldiers, and they headed straight for Garrett: "Little Garrett, help us save them!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 124 Chapter 124 "Bring them in!" Garrett Nordmark scanned the scene with a single glance, immediately shouting at the approaching group. Turning, he dashed towards his own tent. The city guards behind him collectively breathed a sigh of relief, lifting stretchers and briskly following. "Garrett, you" Someone immediately tried to stop him. Fortunately, Garrett had a high reputation in Hartland City. As soon as someone spoke, a companion pulled the speaker aside. If he wanted to treat, let him treat. The healing capacity of a Level One Priest was limited, and wasting it wouldn''t offend anyone much. Garrett had no intention of paying attention to the commotion. He quickly checked the woundedfortunately, no acquaintances. The problem was, either the wounded didn''t come, or when they did, there were five of them: one with a head wound and blood streaming, one with an arm chopped off, one with a broken leg, the fourth with a collapsed chest, and the fifth, barely breathing on the stretcher, the nature of the injury unclear. ...But I only have two hands! Garrett felt immense pressure instantly. Moreover, while others could complain, he couldn''t. The task was self-imposed, to save as many people as possible, and it was indeed his wish. He casually picked up a basket, hurried to the entrance of his prepared large tent, and shouted to the side: "One by one, carry them in! Before entering, let me take a look first!" The one with the head wound was the first to be brought in. Garrett bent down to inspect, asking on the side: "How were you injured? Did you faint?" "Hit by flying rocks! Fainted just now, seems to be waking up now..." Blunt force impact causing cranial injury. Momentary loss of consciousness. Garrett quickly glanced around the wound, silently adding: ...No sign of brain tissue extrusion for now. Not going to die so quickly. Garrett immediately ordered: "Lay him down inside, shave the hair around the wound, wipe away the blood. If the patient vomits, be careful not to choke on vomit. I''ll come check on him later. Next!" The next one had an arm chopped off. The upper arm was tightly bound with a bandage, face pale, unconscious but thankfully still alive. Garrett glanced to see no other external injuries, picked up a spiral tourniquet from the basket, and immediately put it on the patient: "Lay down inside! Rotate the stick with force, tighten the strap, fix the stick in place, then undo the bandage. I''ll come to check later. Next!" The one with a broken leg was observed for vital signs, bleeding stopped, then carried inside. As for the one with the completely collapsed chest, Garrett checked the neck pulse, breathing, lifted an eyelid, saw no heartbeat, no breathing, pupils dilated 8mm, immediately shook his head: "He''s already dead. Take him away. Next!" "How is that possible! Save him! Save the captain" the soldier carrying the person reached out to pull him. Garrett stepped aside, shouting: "Give you an axe, can you accurately chop where I''ve colored?" "No problem!" Bernard looked down, patted his chest. Garrett lifted the severed limb, wiped the axe blade carefully with alcohol, handed it to Bernard: "Chop accurately! Don''t cut diagonally!" Swish! The axe blade whistled down. Body parts that orthopedic experts would take half a day to separate, under the barbarian''s axe, fell in one blow. "Don''t! " Another scream came from the tent entrance. The soldier thrown out scrambled over, "Captain, captain! Huh?" The patient didn''t scream or struggle at all. The blood vessels and nerves had been cut beforehand, and this one blow didn''t cause much bleeding or intense pain. The soldier rushed forward, just in time to see Garrett scoop something from a jar and smear it on the broken bone. Then he continued to pick up small forceps, flipped the pre-cut skin flaps, and neatly covered the section. With a healing minor wound spell cast, the twelve-centimeter-long skin flap incision healed seamlessly. "Is this... okay?" "Barely saved his life." Garrett tiredly shook his head. He pointed to the corner of the tent, indicating for the patient to be carried over for observation, wiped the sweat from his forehead: "Next!" Femoral closed fracture, detect magic... guided traction reduction! Skull fracture, X-ray reveals linear skull fracture, not penetrating the brain. No CT, no MRI, throw in a healing spell, let him lie down for observation! The last one unconscious, found abdominal bleeding, open abdomen exploration, heal the ruptured spleen, suture the abdomen! Finally done... Garrett finished the last stitch, straightened his back, and immediately heard a rumbling sound from his stomach. He was about to go out to find something to eat when, outside the tent, an anxious loud voice rang out again: "Garrett, are you taking in more patients here?!" "Come in!" Garrett turned and rushed out again: "Line up, one by one, come in and let me take a look first!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 125 Chapter 125 "Heal! I can heal here! Bring them over!" "Form a queue, one by one!" "Next one!" "Next one!" "Next one..." The injured knights came one by one for treatment, returning to the battlefield intermittently. The healing area became noisy for a while and then quieted down. The priests leisurely ate their lunch, took a slow rest, and then, with a slow and refreshing face wash, began to chat over tea. They tasted the rich red tea and spread honey and jam on freshly baked scones. Sitting under the tall white umbrella in the center of the camp, they conversed softly: "Casualties aren''t significant today." "Yes, the battle wasn''t too intense. I didn''t even use half of my healing spells todayhow about you?" "About the same. But it''s good to save some healing spells; who knows if we''ll have a severely wounded knight later?" "True, if a heavily injured knight comes, I''ll have to use all my remaining spells..." "Hope there aren''t too many injuries tomorrow..." "Hey, how''s it going over here?" A priest with brisk footsteps entered the camp, his face full of spring, greeting everyone one by one. Dressed in a light blue silk robe adorned with two narcissus flowers embroidered in white silk on the belt, he was the second-level priest of the Spring Goddess Temple. The healers from Hartland City recognized him; he was the proud disciple of the chief priest of the county, unevenly getting up to greet him: "Priest Hilde." "Hilde." "We''re doing fine here. Treated five knights, two severe injuries, and three minor injuries. The ones with minor injuries have already returned to the battlefield." "As long as the number of casualties isn''t too high..." Just as they were chatting, a commotion arose in the corner of the healing area, beyond a row of tents. Priest Hilde turned his head upon hearing the noise: "Haven''t they finished over there?" "Over there? It''s Garrett from the Nature Cult, treating the wounded..." The first priest to greet him explained casually. Suddenly, he was surprised: "Why are they still busy? I''ve even taken a nap!" "Indeed!" The priest beside him also discovered the blind spot and couldn''t help but stand up and turn to look: "One level." Garrett replied in a low voice, his voice hoarse, almost inaudible. After saying this, he immediately raised his voice with effort: "Next one!" Another stretcher was brought over. Garrett lowered his head again, immersed in his busy work. Priest Hilde stood dazed at the other end of the tent, feeling somewhat redundant. He was about to leave, but two voices almost simultaneously sounded outside the tent: "Garrett, I''m back! I''m here to help you!" The tent flap lifted, and two battle priest apprentices rushed in. Priest Hilde glanced at them, one apprentice and one level five. He was about to greet them, but Garrett had already shouted: "Change your clothes! Wash your hands!" "No problem!" The two of them hurriedly ran over, their steps not stopping, just nodding hastily at Priest Hilde on the way. While running, they took off their priest robes, ran to the edge of the tent, and each put on a set of short shirts similar to Garrett''s. In the surprised gaze of Priest Hilde, they carefully washed their hands, all the way up to their elbows. Then, while applying something to their arms, they quickly turned back: "Garrett! Where do we start?" "Over there, in that row, from left to right!" Garrett shouted to the level five priest. The apprentice priest followed suit, waving his hand: "Let me do it for you; you must be tired! I''ll handle this onethis one has a fracture, release a detection spell first to see where it''s broken..." The lineup of wounded soldiers, which had just paused for a moment, quickly moved again with Garrett''s voice. This busyness continued until the sky turned dark. Joanna and Elwin returned from the scouting team, and Donald completed the logistics work. Several people gradually joined the healing efforts. Garrett finally got a chance to catch his breath, sitting down on the side and drinking water. With a creak, Priest Hilde pulled a wooden box over and sat next to him: "Do you plan to heal these wounded soldiers every day? Why?" There''s no need for a reason to save lives. Garrett''s words reached the tip of his tongue, but he pulled back and quietly assessed Priest Hilde with his peripheral vision: How to convince him to join in helping people? Although the guy hadn''t done anything just now, he had been willing to stand there and watch for quite a while. He could be someone to win over... The instructor said it well; we need to unite all the forces we can... He tilted his sweat-drenched face and smiled slightly: "Of course, it''s because it improves my healing skills!" "Oh?" Priest Hilde''s eyes lit up. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 127 Chapter 127 Silence filled the air. Inside and outside the tent, the notaries counting for both parties, low-ranking priests who came to watch with Hilde, knights and noble offspring transporting wounded soldiers tirelessly, and the just-healed patients by Hilde... One by one, they were dumbfounded. Hilde actually admitted defeat? Garrett, however, wasn''t surprised at all. After treating a patient, he bent down to wash his hands again, simultaneously raising his head with a smile. "You haven''t lost. - The patients you treated have all recovered and can return to the battlefield at any time. The ones I treated can only be said to have their lives hanging by a thread, waiting for other priests to further treat or slowly recover on their own. In that regard, you''ve actually won."Thi/s chapter is updated by After Garrett said this, the priests and noble youths behind Hilde, all relaxed their facial expressions, smiling lightly. That''s right, if no one is healed, how can you count it as a successful treatment? That rural lad has a bit of self-awareness; he should admit defeat! They were satisfied. However, Hilde himself was not satisfied. He took another step forward and spoke earnestly: "But you saved more lives! - If, as you say, many people can slowly recover, I can only save ten people a day, but you can save thirty! Your healing skills are indeed better than mine. Can you teach me?" Got another one hooked! Garrett almost wanted to give himself a pat on the back. Facing a big battle, soldiers generally couldn''t get divine magic treatment, so saving one person at a time was an achievement. He warmly greeted: "It''s not a matter of teaching or not teaching. Let''s work together to save people, and I have a lot to learn from you too!" "Then it''s settled!" Hilde hurriedly walked to Garrett''s side. He bent down to look at the just brought-in patients, reflexively wanting to release healing magic. Only when he lifted his hand did he realize that his magic power was already exhausted. He chuckled: "No magic left for today... What else can I help with?" "Help me keep records!" Garrett let out a sigh of relief. He pointed to the shelf where he had brought the two stacks of parchment in the morning, all piled up there. "I say, you record!" Finally, caught someone who can write medical records! The familiar priests were either too busy or too lazy to help. The soldiers helping carry people didn''t have anyone literate! Hilde the priest plunged into the pile of medical records in this way. He worked tirelessly until the sun set in the west. He watched Garrett cut, sew, and pull, continuously saving the lives of about ten seriously injured patients, and he admired it greatly. Early the next morning, he hastily ate a few bites of food, packed a box of healing potions and mental elixirs, and eagerly ran to Garrett''s place. "Garrett! I''m here! Uh... what is this?" "The patients haven''t been brought down yet. Take your time to read. If you don''t understand, ask me. After asking, either follow the rules or leave." A thick stack of paper fell into Hilde''s hands. He looked down and saw on the first page, the title alone was written in two lines: "On the Sterilization Effects of Various Basic Magics and Divine Arts, a Comparison with High-Temperature and High-Pressure Sterilization, and the Necessity of Aseptic Principles in Different Scenarios" ... ... Every word felt familiar, but when put together, he had no idea what it meant... Hilde read through the abstract, keywords, and author line by line. The abstract was completely incomprehensible, the keywords... magic, divine arts, and unfamiliar words combined, only made it seem like the author''s imagination was vast. As for the author, Garrett Nordmark was followed by the Church of Nature, the Mage Tower, and the hospital. What does that mean?! He entered the main text and the more he read, the more dizzy he became. The first section was vividly illustrated, describing something called "bacteria," which he found confusing but understood that it could cause diseases. In the second section, it explained how to see bacteria, which seemed inexplicable to him, only knowing that using something called a "microscope" and a method called "bacterial culture" could reveal this thing. In the third section, in this paper, he understood that it compared distilled water, magically cleaned instruments, water created by water creation spell, water purified by the "clean diet" divine art, water directly transported from the water elemental pool in the Mage Tower, and instruments sterilized by high-temperature and high-pressure... "Why not compare healing potions?" Hilde blurted out. Garrett, busy organizing instruments, didn''t even turn his head: "Can''t afford it." Poor! Not so extravagant! I also want to research healing potions together, but can''t afford it! A bottle of minor healing potion costs 50 gold coins, and to conduct a comparative experiment, you need at least four bottles. How much money does my hospital have in cash? Hey, this Hilde priest is wealthy, should I find a way to dig some money from him? --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 128 Chapter 128 "After the incision, rabbits treated with divine magic for immediate healing showed no significant differences in healing effects and consumption of healing spells compared to traditional healing methods. On the second day of healing, bacterial cultures from the previous day''s incision did not differ significantly from the tissues of healthy rabbits." "This indicates that in cases of immediate healing after surgery, even if strict aseptic conditions are not fully observed, it is highly unlikely to lead to patient infection." High Priest Hilde rubbed his dazed head and continued reading the paper. Although many parts were still unclear, the author''s strong creativity and rigorous logic were evident. Just this aspect alone was enough to motivate him to continue reading. Line after line, paragraph after paragraph, after various incomprehensible analyses and diagrams, he finally endured until he reached a section he could understand. Feeling that he found evidence, he murmured softly, "So as long as divine magic is used on the spot, you can do whatever you want... No need to change clothes..." "Keep reading," Garrett''s voice came from behind. Clear, decisive, with a hint of command. His eyes, however, rolled discreetly when the other wasn''t looking, thinking about how to get some resources from Hilde. Ignoring the experimentation issue, even if field hospitals couldn''t cut rabbits, a comparison could be made directly on wounded soldiers. High Priest Hilde shrunk his neck and continued reading: "After fully exposing the wound, rabbits healed with holy light two hours later... body temperature... healing effects... consumption of healing spells..." Each situation was presented in a comprehensive table. After the tables came curves, followed by peculiar equations. Hilde read with a dizzy head, trying to skip to the conclusions: "The above data indicates that in the absence of divine magic healing, or if timely divine magic healing is not obtained, the use of instruments and water during the treatment process will greatly affect the patient''s healing process." "Therefore, in cases where divine magic healing is insufficient or unavailable, it is recommended to strictly adhere to aseptic principles in the operating room to facilitate the patient''s recovery." Insufficient divine magic healing or the unavailability of it. High Priest Hilde took a deep breath, surveying the surroundings. The siege had just begun today, and the wounded had not been sent back yet. However, the moans of the wounded soldiers in the tents yesterday had already revealed a harsh reality: Following Garrett''s method for treating injuries would indeed result in insufficient divine magic healing, or some individuals might not receive treatment at all. He obediently handed back the paper. Picking up the hideous surgical gown, he closed his eyes, opened them, closed them again, and opened them once more, vigorously building himself up mentally: "No one is watching me... No one is watching me... No one is watching me... Anyway, those pretty girls are busy today... No one is watching me..." He quickly and skillfully changed into the surgical gown, then brushed his forehead again. His elegant and smooth golden hair made a graceful arc, quietly falling on his forehead. The next moment, two pieces of fabric were thrown at him: "Hat. Mask. Put them on!" "Don''t!" Hilde exclaimed in misery. "My handsome face!" This time, High Priest Hilde answered lightly and quickly. As he washed again with the sound of flowing water, he complained mutteringly: "Why do I have to coat my hands with mud twice... If you told me this is a ritual of your Natural God Cult, that you have to wash your hands like this before treating patients, I would have listened to you long ago..." Garrett: "..." You read through such a long paper, and the conclusion drawn from the paper says to adhere to aseptic principles, and then the sterilization handwashing method is a ritual of the cult... Do you think this logic makes sense? I must have tons of water in my head to convince you like this and this water can''t be distilled water, nor rainwater made by water creation spells... He glared fiercely at Hilde: "Do you, a priest of the Spring Goddess''s temple, follow the rituals of the Natural God Cult?" "Ah? This? Hahaha..." Hilde really wanted to scratch his head. Just as he was about to do so, Garrett stopped him: "Put your hands down! Not above the shoulders, not below the navel, not beyond the midline of the armpits on both sides! Don''t put them behind your back!" "So troublesome..." Hilde''s hands were frozen in mid-air, not daring to go up or down. He could only pray silently for salvation. Fortunately, cries for help finally came from outside the tent: "Help! Someone is hurt!" "Here we go!" Garrett turned around and ran outside. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 129 Chapter 129 "Help! All priests come over here! Quickly! Ed, go to the Temple of the War God and fetch the Archbishop! Melissa, go to the camp on the other side of the county, see if there are any high-ranking priests, try to bring them over! Old Barney, hold on! Hold on!!!" It was a severely wounded soldier... and a wounded soldier that the on-site priests couldn''t handle or didn''t dare to approach. High Priest Hilde followed Garrett Nordmark out of the tent and was immediately stunned. Outside the tent, there were no stretchers, no wounded soldiers, only the barbarian Bernard holding his arm, standing taller than a person, with a large bone club poking to the side. A grass leaf moved up and down at the corner of his mouth as he chewed, seemingly enjoying himself. Right... the injured person wasn''t a soldier but a knight, and knights wouldn''t be brought here. The ones eligible to invite the Archbishop were probably high-ranking knights! He followed Garrett, rushing forward. Passing by a row of exquisite single-person tents, they reached the central open space and suddenly stopped. In the center of the open space lay a severely wounded knight, probably Old Barney, with a face as pale as his beard, and a pool of fresh blood beneath him. A spear slanted through his abdomen, piercing straight through to his back.Thi/s chapter is updated by A circle of people surrounded Old Barney, with two squires supporting him on either side, letting him lie on his side on the ground. One of them wore armor with the same emblem as Old Barney, crying with red eyes, likely a nephew or grandson of the injured. Someone went to call a high-ranking priest, someone went to get healing potions, and seven or eight priests surrounded him, chanting spells with all their might. White light fell like rain, but no one dared to touch that spear. This wound... Hilde also froze. Treating minor injuries was definitely not enough, and the healing of third and fourth-level priests seemed ineffective. And there was this spear, this spear... If it''s not pulled out, someone will surely die; if it''s pulled out, someone will die on the spot... What to do? What to do! "Take off his armor!" a determined voice suddenly rose, and Hilde turned her head to see Garrett rushing past him like the wind. "Cut off the spear, lift him into the tent! Quickly!" "The armor is stuck on the spear!" a kneeling squire instinctively replied. Garrett didn''t hesitate: "Disconnect the connections on the side! Cut the plate armor open from the hole and tear it apart on both sides!" Really, why wasn''t this kind of thing prepared in advance? In his previous life, when faced with such steel piercing injuries, someone always dealt with it before going to the operating table. Usually, it was the fire brigadeoh, forgot, there''s no fire brigade here. Well, there''s no way, just have to hope someone takes the initiative... Garrett cursed inwardly, kneeling beside Old Barney and reaching to feel the injured''s carotid artery. A priest tried to stop him: "Little Garrett, you" Hilde tiptoed outside the crowd, stretched her neck to take a look. Between the gap of shoulders and neck, she saw Garrett holding a pointed knife, surveying the surroundings: "Can anyone cast a Calm Spell?... No one? Well, since he''s unconscious, we can only cut directly... Anthony! Mariano! Help me hold the hooks!Hilde! Be ready!" "I''m here!" Hilde squeezed into the crowd. Before standing firm, Garrett''s sharp knife entered the injured''s abdomen, cutting down with a single stroke. Blood surged. "Ahhhhhh!" Half of the people present screamed. The priestesses of the Goddess of Springs collectively took a step back. "Hilde! Divert the blood flow!" Garrett yelled urgently. Reflexively, Priest Hilde began to pray. With each chant, a stream of blood rose like a rainbow, falling to the ground as he directed it with his gestures. At the same time, two curved hooks, one on the left and one on the right, had already hooked into Old Barney''s abdomen, forcefully pulling apart. Translucent mage hands appeared one after another, gently probing between the injured''s organs, lifting, turning, searching, pinching a ruptured blood vessel. "Heal Minor Wounds!" "Here it comes!" A white light descended. The lowest-level apprentice priests could easily use Heal Minor Wounds, and third and fourth-level priests could release dozens of them at will. As the white light swept over, the blood vessels instantly healed, and the mage hands gently loosened. Fresh red blood flowed again. "Heal Minor Wounds!" "I''m here!" "Heal Minor Wounds!" "Heal Minor Wounds!" In Old Barney''s abdomen, the mage hands worked methodically, searching bit by bit. With Garrett''s command, healing spells descended one by one, and the gushing blood visibly eased. "The situation is improving!" the leading level six priest, who was leading the prayers, suddenly exclaimed. "You can slow down the healing spells!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 130 Chapter 130 "What is Garrett doing?" "What on earth is Garrett up to?" "I don''t know... I can''t understand. What about you?" "I''m not one of Joanna''s followers, learning from Garrett. Well, let''s do as he says; he always has a reason." Therapists whispered to each other. Without washing hands, without wearing masks, they continued talking, with an average distance of less than a meter from the operating table. Saliva sprayed into the patient''s abdominal cavity every minute, and the possibility of infection increased. +1, +1, +1... In a past life, the circulating nurse would have sprayed them with disinfectant and kicked them out of the operating room. However, there were no circulating nurses or head nurses here. In this situation, Garrett could only turn a blind eye. He lowered his head, tried to ignore the discussions around him, and focused wholeheartedly on the surgery: "Clamp the mesenteric artery." "The repair of the transverse colon artery is complete." "The repair of the right colon artery is complete." "Open the mesenteric artery." "The repair of the intercostal artery is complete." "The repair of the subcostal artery is complete..." Garrett muttered words that no one could understand. His fingers danced, directing the hands of mages to continuously move inside the abdominal cavity. Dissect, loosen, expose the vessels, clamp the damaged vessels... Then, he signaled the nearby priests to cast healing spells. When the priests looked confused, he used mage tricks to add some color, indicating where they should cast the spells. Even so, the workload was much less than before, and Garrett sighed silently. In his past life, after clamping the vessels, it would involve using forceps to hold tissues and a needle holder in the other hand, desperately suturing.Updated from Now? One healing spell, and it''s done. Not even a second. The vessels healed perfectly, with elastic walls, and there was no need to worry about leaks or poor subsequent healing... Each has its own advantages, divine magic is indeed beneficial. "Where are they? Taken away?... Oops, in that direction, it''s where little Garrett is!" "What? Is he going to handle it directly?... Let''s hurry!" "Garrett! Don''t rush to treat!" A shout came from outside the tent. At the same time, Garrett calmly gave the command: "One! Two!Three!" With a swish, the spear shaft flew out, and the white light of the healing spell immediately followed. A stream of fresh blood flowed from Old Barney''s abdomen, but soon, it eased under the soothing effect of the healing spell. "Little Garrett... Ah!" The tent suddenly lit up. Garrett looked up and saw the shining bald head of the archbishop from a distance, couldn''t help but smile: "Your Excellency, you''re here!" "Can I not come?" The bald archbishop rushed over, as if shouting, "Wait until I arrive before opening the abdomen," but found that the intern had already taken the lead. Garrett greeted him with a shout: "Your Excellency! Perform a tranquility spell!" Thank goodness, a high-ranking warrior priest had finally arrived, anesthesia was finally available! Although the patient had been unconscious, performing surgery without anesthesia felt weird... Should he take the time to extract some ether? Or a similar anesthetic? Honestly, he was a bit afraid of using this plant-derived compound anesthetic that couldn''t control the dosage. Or maybe try to get some ether? What was the reaction formula for ether again? "Little Garrett, you have to work hard!" The bald archbishop took a step, relieved. He still had time to cast a tranquility spell. It seemed that Garrett''s side had no major problems... Hearing Garrett shout, he raised his staff and laughed: "Level up quickly and try to learn tranquility spells sooner!" A white light fell like a forest, enclosing the unconscious patient. There was a low exclamation around: the casting speed of this divine magic was almost instantaneous, even with a considerable distance and a crowd blocking, the effect was not compromised. The healing power of the bald archbishop was truly remarkable. Unfortunately, not everyone could afford this level of skill. There was a cold snort behind the bald arch bishop, followed by a sarcastic remark: "How about it? Do you want to take him away to the Temple of the War God?!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 131 Chapter 131 Behind the bald bishop, a dignified old man sarcastically remarked. Not only did he mock, but he also raised the oak staff in his hand and whipped it down on the bald head in front of him with a "smack": "He is one of ours from the Cult of the Natural Gods!" "Hehe~~~" The bald bishop didn''t even turn his head, lifted the staff in his hand, raised it high above his head. The oak staff clashed against the metal staff, one sinking, the other rising, rebounding each other. A slightly muffled sound, the old man leaned back slightly, and the bald bishop took a half step forward, knees slightly bent, leaving a half-inch deep mud imprint under his feet. The crowd once again automatically parted, creating a path for them, faster than when Bernard came over just now. Garrett happened to glance forward and, seeing this scene, was immediately stunned: Why are they fighting? Are they really fighting or just pretending? Should I assume they are trying to rob me? Shouldn''t I shout, "Stop fighting" The bald bishop and the elder of the Cult of the Natural Gods clashed half-heartedly, heading straight for the operating table. The crowd dispersed, and the old man saw from a distance that the spear had been pulled out. He was suddenly shocked: "Why did you start without warning?! You''re too bold! You..." He suddenly stopped talking. His gaze moved, looking at the chest of the injured person lying on the operating table, where the fresh blood had almost stopped flowing rapidly. Mechanical movement inch by inch, tilting his neck, Garrett, several meters away, also felt like he heard the sound of the cervical vertebrae cracking: "You actually revived him! Impressive! I didn''t even have confidence!" This surprised look, this awkward turn, was like the head of a department who had been shouting "I''ll open the abdomen when I arrive" rushing in and seeing that the intern had already started and done a great job. But, no confidence? You''re too modest, Director... No, Elder. Garrett nodded politely to the old man and continued working. Chatting was impossible; the injured person was still lying on the operating table Although the surgery had been relatively smooth so far, without electrocardiogram monitoring, without blood pressure monitoring, without a pure oxygen and an anesthesiologist watching vital signs, he felt a bit uneasy. Moreover, even if he could crack jokes on the operating table, who would he tell them to? "Treat minor... no, minor injuries!" The kidneys were still important; if the surface was healed but the inside wasn''t, it would still be a big problem. Fortunately, there were many people around, and healing arts shouldn''t be stingy. Go! Duodenum, transverse colon, ileum... Garrett successively lifted out damaged organs, repeatedly invoking healing spells. The workload in the intestines wasn''t significant, but no damage could be overlooked, and nerves and lymphatics were even more troublesome. He combed through everything from top to bottom, finally finishing the repairs. When he finished, his body swayed, and he was already soaked through. A hand promptly caught him. The bald bishop joked: "Garrett Nordmark, you can''t handle this! Your body is so weak; why not come to our Temple of the War God and train properly!?" Garrett: "..." Can I throw him out? Can I, can I, can I? Well, I can''t beat him... Fortunately, he couldn''t beat him, but someone could. With a loud bang, the bald bishop was thrown far outside the tent, and another hand supported Garrett: "When will you stop! Our Cult of the Natural Gods also has ways to train the bodyGarrett Nordmark, after this battle, you follow Bernard and train well! Bernard, keep an eye on him!" "Teacher!" Garrett complained spontaneously. The next second, his mask was pulled off halfway, and a fruit was shoved into his mouth, making his face twist with sourness. The barbarian next to him responded with a deep voice: "Okay!" Garrett''s vision darkened, almost fainting. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 132 Chapter 132 Repairing the posterior wall of the abdomenlumbar muscles, fascia, subcutaneous tissue, skin, and so on. Rinsing the abdominal cavity. No active bleeding points found, no damage to the intestines, and no damage to other organs... Rinse again with holy water, hoping to sterilize. Oh, speaking of it, how effective is the sterilization of holy water? Couldn''t get it before, too busy usually, and can''t find time to make it myself, need to schedule it later... Layer by layer, close the abdomen. Garrett Nordmark operated methodically. It wasn''t until the wound on old Barney''s abdomen had completely healed and he was carried away by two knight attendants that everyone suddenly realized: For such a serious injury, in everyone''s view, it would take several "Healing Severe Injury" or even "Healing Fatal Injury" spells to save him, meaning a level five or even level seven priest. From start to finish, except for a calming spell, Garrett had everyone release spells that could be completed by level three or four priests, or even level one or two priests. That calming spell wasn''t even to save the patient''s life. On the battlefield, he was leading a group of level one or two, level three or four soldiers, defeating level five or even level seven knights. His strength had undergone a qualitative change. "Elder Elwin, your disciple is extraordinary." The old man who came in with the bald protagonist patted his beard and squinted. Elder Elwin Wilkinson stared at him alertly: "What are you up to again? Old Heath, I warn you, he is my disciple!You still owe me that drink!" "I''ll treat you, I''ll treat you!" Elder Heath laughed heartily. He was the elder of Nust County''s, a member of the Radiant Church of the Cult of the God of Nature, and a longtime friend of Elder Elwin Wilkinson. The two had studied under the same teacher in their youth, received training as servants of the God of Nature, and grew up adventuring and fighting together. They had fought, argued, gasped for breath, chased after the same girl, and even blocked knives for each other with their backs. After many years of ups and downs, their friendship had long solidified into a bond resembling both deep friendship and mutual teasing. And showing off one''s disciple was, of course, part of the mutual teasing. The two stood side by side from a distance, looking into the distance. A new batch of injured soldiers had already been brought to the tent area, and Garrett was busy, his footsteps never stopping. The healing session just now consumed a lot of Garrett''s mental energy. He only managed to pull himself together with the fruit given by Elder Elwin Wilkinson. However, in the eyes of the two seasoned high-level priests, Garrett''s busy appearance didn''t show a hint of "I''m tired, I want to slack off." This sincere concern for ordinary soldiers was one of the virtues most admired by the Cult of the God of Nature. The discerning eyes of an old friend could be quite persuasive. Elder Heath clicked his tongue. He twirled his beard with his fingers, lost in thought: "Elwin, have you ever thought... of letting this kid do something else?" The smell of burning! Various stenches of burning wood, burning bodies, and burning strange things! The smell was sometimes worse than in the emergency room, but Garrett quickly adjusted. Elder Elwin Wilkinson had been observing his condition, and seeing him recover, he pointed to the opposite city wall: "Look. We''re besieging the city." Arrows were flying, and wood and stones clashed. Soldiers carried ladders and rushed up in waves, only to be knocked down in waves. Garrett finally saw the origin of the injuries he had been treating for the past few days: Brain injuries from being hit by rolling wood and rocks; Stab and pierce injuries from arrows and knives; Burn injuries from the charcoal fires and boiling water on the city walls; Injuries from falling from a height, halfway up the ladder, for various reasons, falling off the city wall... Some people made it to him and received his treatment, but more soldiers forever fell on the battlefield, slowly dying under severe injuries without receiving treatment. Sieges in the age of melee weapons were so cruel. "Don''t they have medics..." Garrett murmured. Emotionally, he really wanted to organize a rescue team, carrying the banner of a red cross on a white background, moving through the battlefield during breaks, saving the wounded; Rationally, however, he knew that as a level one novice priest with no power or status, it was impossible for him to call for both sides to agree to something like the Geneva Conventions. He needs to level up! Whether relying on healing, assistance, comfort, or coercion, whether he wants to develop more healing methods or integrate medicine with divine arts and magic, if he wants to reduce the suffering of this era, he needs to level up! Garrett silently came back to his senses. Beside him, Elder Elwin Wilkinson suddenly raised his hand and pointed forward: "Look quickly!" The sound of hooves thundered. A group of war horses galloped out, heading straight for the city, knights in bright and dazzling armor on their backs, their capes fluttering. In the sparse gaps between the rolling logs, the knights reached the base of the city, abandoned their horses, and leaped up, a few jumps and they were on top of the city wall! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 121 Chapter 121 "Hello, we''ve come to present a gift to Lord Nordmark" "Put the stuff aside! Everyone, out!" "Todd! Todd! How are you" "Lord''s orders, no entry! Get out!" "At least let me see a doctor... I feel terrible..." "Out! Line up!!!" Garrett Nordmark chuckled as he drifted past the outpatient hall. Ah, having a barbarian as a security guard was quite convenientstrong, simple-minded, and straightforward. Whatever Garrett said, he followed, and others trying to argue or engage with him proved futile. Useless! Moreover, most visitors, seeing a barbarian, simply gave up on communication and obediently followed instructions. Hospital efficiency significantly improved. Oh, why couldn''t they hire a group of barbarians as hospital security in his past life? Barbarian security, or rather, the value of the followers his teacher gave him, reached a new peak a month later. Garrett was inexplicably brought to the Lord''s mansion, where all the nobles, mages, priests, and knights of Hartland City gathered. Viscount Joane Vaughn, the city lord, waved his staff, expressing indignation: "Traitors have seized the throne! They''ve enthroned a false king, trampling on the blood of the rightful heir and locking up the true heir in prison!" A mild stir ran through the audience, not too strong, like a summer breeze rustling through the treetops. Garrett blinked: Oh, a change of regime. So, what are we going to do? Go to war? How far is the capital from here? By the time we huff and puff our way there, won''t the "rightful heir" have already been dealt with? Obviously, more than one person thought the same as Garrett. Everyone sat quietly, neither expressing outrage nor chanting slogans. Lord Joane Vaughn took a couple of breaths and continued: "The false king worships the Radiant Lord! These traitors aim to restore the Radiant Church to the kingdom! The Holy Knights have already mobilized! The Black Cavalry from the Religious Tribunal will set foot on the coast next month!" Religious Tribunal! Garrett shivered. Witch hunts, arresting heretics, hunting down dissenters, burning at the stake... a series of history flashed through his mind. Meanwhile, the council chamber resonated: "What!" "So audacious!"Updated from Baron Vaughn slammed the table. Across from him, Baron Seymour raised his fist in anger: "Down with the false king!" Garrett looked left and right. The mage Gelman Klaus looked as calm as water, his staff gripped tightly, and his knuckles slightly whitened. The bald bishop slammed his heavy metal staff on the ground, cracking the floor. Elder Elwin Wilkinson''s oak staff hummed, leaves appearing at its tip without wind: "Elder, you" "Let him go." The elder stroked his white beard and said softly. "Rest assured, with me there, nothing will happen to him." Going to war! Garrett felt a bit trembling. In his past life, he helped in non-combat situations, but then there was a whole army protecting him, and he could focus on healing. This time, going to the front lines with city guards and the lord''s army, would they be capable? Or should he stick with the Temple of the War God''s group? Those temple knights looked reliable, even the priests could fight... "Don''t worry! I''ll protect you!" A deep voice suddenly exploded next to him. Startled, Garrett turned, raised his head, and kept raising it... Bending his cervical spine backward, his head directly angled parallel to the ground... A tall man over two meters tall was looking down at him. Chewing in his mouth, droplets of meat juice dripped from the corners of his mouth, looking particularly terrifying. In his left hand, he held a large bone club, and in his right hand, a box of surgical instruments. Striding over, he casually tossed it onto the carriage near the door: "Lord! What else do you need!" "Gauze! Cotton! Medicines!You, come with me!" It was truly touching to have such a powerful warrior following him. The sense of security instantly skyrocketed to +10086... The hospital was already in chaos. Garrett went straight to the storage room, pointing and directing: "Willow bark powder, bring it!" "Calendula infusion, bring it!" "Alcohol, bring all of it!" "Alum, bring, bring, bring! Take half of it directly!" "Spiral compression bandages, how many have we made? Only 20? Bring them all! Get more wooden sticks, sturdy cloth straps, make them as we go!" "Table salt, take it away! This box is candles, take them all!" "...Do we really need candles?" Looking at his moving-like ''s-a-move attitude, Priest Donald finally couldn''t help it: "Who here can''t cast Light Spell?" "Are you sure there will be spells when the time comes?" Garrett retorted in one go. On the other side, Bernard picked up the box of candles, effortlessly putting it on his shoulder. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 133 Chapter 133 The thunderous drums shook the earth, and the warriors'' shouts seemed capable of collapsing the city walls on the spot. Garrett Nordmark stood dumbfounded, watching as the lead knight leaped onto the city wall. With a sweep of his spear, seven or eight defending soldiers on the wall were sent flying high and crashed down from a distance. This is beyond science! Human strength shouldn''t be this immense. Bones, muscles, cardiovascular system, and internal organs shouldn''t withstand such a powerful force! And don''t think he didn''t notice; some of the defending soldiers were not hit by the spear at all! Some soldiers retreated in panic, while others recklessly rushed forward, only to be dealt with by the knight with a punch each, or a spear for multiple opponents, sending them flying. One spear even swept through a corner tower of the city, and with a loud crash, half of the tower collapsed instantly. "Wow!" Garrett widened his eyes. One sweep of a spear brought down a whole floor. Can a person really achieve such a feat? A roar suddenly echoed within the city. A dark light surged from the inner side of the city wall, spinning continuously, leaving chaos in its wake. Garrett was astonished to see a warrior emerging from the city, wielding a giant axe, slashing towards him. Even from the military camp, he could feel the chilling light of the axe, as if it were about to cut through his face. The first knight to reach the city wall was no match for the giant axe warrior. With just a brief exchange, the spear in his hand broke into two pieces. His two companions were surprised; as two spears crisscrossed towards him, he clamped one under his rib, using his waist as a pivot, and swung the axe horizontally. Cold light whistled, and the knight on the left couldn''t evade in time. The axe passed through his waist, directly severing him in half. In that instant, two more spears thrust forward; one missed, but the other pierced through the giant axe warrior''s ribs, deeply penetrating. The remaining soldiers quickly retreated, descending on the cloud ladders. The ladders were immediately dropped, and the giant axe warrior, with a roar, even swung the giant axe and leaped down from the city wall! "Ah!" Garrett exclaimed in shock. The knights fled in disarray, and the giant axe warrior pursued them like a tiger among sheep. There were more than a few hundred ordinary soldiers below the city, but no one could stop him for a moment. The giant axe, brushing against death, leaving a trail of blood in the crowd, headed straight for their formation! In this brief chase and escape, the ordinary soldiers below the city had fallen in all directions. Only when several knights stepped forward from the main formation and intercepted the giant axe warrior did the onslaught stop. The ordinary soldiers formed a circle from a distance, spears like a forest, shields like a wall, but no one dared to approach. "This is the power of a knight," Elder Elwin Wilkinson patted Garrett on the shoulder, saying meaningfully: "A Level 5 knight, after a qualitative change in their body, can at least resist the siege of three Level 4 warriors and kill one of them. Or, in a siege by 5 to 10 Level 4 warriors, they can break through without injury. Higher-ranking knights are even more powerful, and only knights of the same rank can deal with them. Otherwise, magic and divine arts must be used." "Elder Heath!" Garrett turned around and quickly saluted. Elder Heath stopped him with a wave of his hand: "Young Garrett, what do you think?" "Well..." Garrett hesitated. Before he could give an answer, Elder Heath raised the corners of his eyes, smiling meaningfully: "Don''t be in a hurry to reply. Listen to my arrangement first. First, you''ll be transferred to the county main camp, lead a team, and be responsible for healing knight attendants." Knight attendants are not like knights; some come from noble backgrounds, while others are commoners. Whether they receive treatment after being injured mostly depends on the mood of the priestor how much money they offer. In the past few days, quite a few knight attendants who received news sought him out. Garrett felt a little intrigued. Elder Heath immediately continued: "If there are a large number of knights injured all at once, and they can''t handle it, try to lend a hand as much as possible. Is that okay?" That''s definitely not a problem! Garrett nodded immediately. As a doctor, an emergency department doctor, how could he ignore a life in danger? "Then, if ordinary soldiers are injured, they will also be brought to you. As long as you can spare the time, you can treat them however you like. The personnel assigned to you will follow your orders. As long as their remaining spells are not less than one-fifth, you can instruct them to treat ordinary soldiers, and they will have to obey." That''s great. He can continue to treat ordinary soldiers and have some extra help. The more Garrett listened, the brighter his eyes became . Elder Heath, sensing his thoughts, delivered a decisive blow: "In addition, you''ll be given two bottles of healing potions for light injuries, ten bottles of holy water, and a bottle of junior energy elixir every day. How about it?" "Deal!" Garrett blurted out. Almost simultaneously, cheers erupted on the battlefield, and the flags belonging to the opponents on the city wall slowly floated down. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 134 Chapter 134 Newark City fell. Count Norman''s coalition forces removed the first obstacle and advanced into the city in a grand manner. After two days of rest, part of the wounded soldiers were left in the city, while the others were sent back to the county capital of Newster to continue the journey. As a result, Garrett Nordmark finally escaped the busy life of checking on patients every evening and morning, changing their medicines, and coming back to update medical records. At the same time, he lost his wounded soldiers. He lost the postoperative tracking, observation, recording of recovery progress, and the clinical information source organization. Ah, it always feels like he missed at least three or five research papers. Garrett slept soundly for a day. On the second day, he set out with the main healers. Two large tents (including the one brought over by High Priest Hilde when he challenged Garrett, which he never took back), a small tent for lodging, two horse-drawn carts filled with supplies, attracting many glances along the way. Garrett, however, paid no attention. He sat on the swaying cart the carriage was packed full and he couldn''t fit inside holding a hard leather notebook, engrossed in writing and drawing. Several times, if it weren''t for the barbarian next to him pulling him, he might have fallen off the cart on the spot. After nearly an hour of this, someone couldn''t take it anymore. High Priest Hilde jumped down from his own cart and ran to Garrett, inviting him warmly, "Come, come, come on my carriage!" Garrett glanced in the direction he pointed. Not far away was an elegant four-wheeled carriage, at least a head taller than his own. The door was in the middle of the carriage unlike his own cart, where one had to climb in from the yoke through the glass on the carriage window, one could clearly see two rows of spacious seats. On the small table in the middle of the seats, there were tea, snacks, and fruits, everything one could imagine. As for the various decorations and emblems on the body and roof of the carriage, and the two pure white horses in front of the carriage, it was clear and straightforward: I have money, I''m super wealthy, I not only have money but also have status... Uh... This is not just a BMW; it''s probably a Rolls-Royce, right? Garrett looked down at his shoes covered in mud then looked at the velvet interior of the carriage, hesitating for a moment. High Priest Hilde had already reached out to pull him: "Come on, come on! I have a lot of questions to ask you!" Since that''s the case, sitting over there wouldn''t be a big deal. Garrett calmly followed High Priest Hilde onto the carriage. Once seated, numerous questions were thrown at him: "How do you decide who to save first?" The four people sat around the table, continuing the lecture. As the class continued until the sunset, they set up camp. Suddenly, Thomas fumbled in his arms, took out a cloth pocket, and handed it to Garrett. "Teacher asked me to give this to you!" What is this? Garrett curiously untied the bag and poured it out. A beautiful green light entered his eyes, warm and gentle, vibrant, but it was a hexagonal prism about half a palm long and as thick as a thumb. Hard, smooth, translucent at first glance, it looked like crystal or jade, but on closer inspection, there were clear and delicate wood grains inside. "Oh! Wood Heart!" High Priest Hilde blurted out. Only then did Garrett remember what was in the bag this was the core formed when a well-grown old tree, at the end of its life, condensed its vitality in the center of the trunk, forming a small piece of jade-like core. The chance of forming a wood heart was very small. Often, it took hundreds of old trees to find one, making it an excellent material for nurturing plants, storing related divine arts of the Radiant Church, or even directly replenishing life force. Elder Heath also had one, the size of a fingernail, and the quality was much worse than this one. "This is too precious." Garrett''s fingers pressed on the cloth bag, about to push it back. Thomas stared at the wood heart with a slightly naive expression, but still pushed it forward: "Ah, this is from Teacher to you!" Garrett hesitated. Thomas held his hand and wouldn''t let him move: "Elder Heath has given us several welcome gifts before! Whether it''s Senior Brother or me, we''ve all received them! Now it''s your turn!" Adam also placed his hand on top. He was older than Thomas and was already a level two priest, adhering to the fine tradition of the Natural Church, practicing both physical and divine arts. With his press, Garrett couldn''t push it back at all, so he had to thank and accept it. High Priest Hilde observed the entire scene from the side, secretly pondering: A welcome gift is indeed a welcome gift. However, the gift is so heavy; I ''m afraid there''s a tuition fee involved speaking of which, considering Garrett''s previous display of skills, a wood heart as a tuition fee seems reasonable. Treasures have value; knowledge is priceless. Ah, in that case, what should he use to pay tuition? Too light seems inappropriate, and too valuable seems abrupt; others may not accept it. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 135 Chapter 135 High Priest Hilde immersed himself in deep thought. It wasn''t until dinner was over, and everyone had returned to their tents to rest, that he found a sapphire ring and sneakily handed it to Garrett Nordmark. "What''s this?" Garrett stared at him, without hesitation, pushing the ring back. "Hey, big brother! Why are you giving me a ring?" "It''s a Water Creation Spell ring, three uses per day." High Priest Hilde felt he had a reasonable explanation, taking a step forward and explaining to Garrett in a sly manner, "I noticed that every time you heal someone, you have to wash your hands, which is quite troublesome. With this ring, at least you''ll save some trouble when working every day." "Rest assured, take it, it''s mine, not the family''s or the temple''s!" Garrett: "..."New novel chapters are published at novelhall.com He could somewhat understand Hilde''s logic, but more than that, he was just amused. Looking up, High Priest Hilde was still eagerly looking at him, like a dog waiting for its owner to feed it. Garrett grabbed the ring and threw it at him without hesitation. "Which eye of yours saw me wearing a ring to wash my hands? Huh? Which eye?! What is the principle of asepsis? What about the seven-step handwashing method I taught you before? Go write it a hundred times! If you can''t finish it, don''t come back tomorrow!" "I don''t need your tuition! It''s not like I don''t pay tuition; my lectures have discounts! On the contrary, students who forget important principles after being taught, I don''t like to teach them!" High Priest Hilde ran away, holding his head, but seeing the gleam in Garrett''s eyes, he couldn''t help but laugh. The next day after dinner, he sneakily approached Garrett again, smiling: "Garrett, do you need bandages here? Cotton? Want some strong liquor?" Garrett''s eyes lit up. With the army hastily mobilizing, he packed all the supplies from the hospital and even swept through the market, but it still wasn''t enough. Over the past few days, half of his inventory had been depleted, and he was wondering where to replenish it. "Do you have them? That''s great!" "Hehehe... I grabbed a batch from my grandpa. Come with me, let''s get the stuff back!" Garrett: "..." Oh, this guy is the grandson of Count Norman... rich nobles are really wealthy. Garrett accepted the batch of supplies. Anyway, they would be used for the allied forces. The march continued as usual, and the lectures continued. When it came to CPR, after listing the key points of the procedure, Garrett admonished: "Don''t just try it casually. CPR techniques need to be practiced beforehand. If you haven''t practiced, your actions and frequency will be wrong. It''s not only a waste of effort but may also fail to save the person." "How do we practice then?" "Garrett, can you use these corpses?" Garrett followed his pointing finger. In the middle of the empty space in the tent, three soldiers stood in a row, each with a corpse at their feet... Seeing this at midnight, if Garrett hadn''t been an emergency room doctor in his previous life and now in a military camp, he would have been startled. But now, aside from silently complaining about Hilde''s unreliable actions and the fact that corpses were brought in without prior notice, Garrett even had the leisure to squat down and carefully observe the bodies. The heads and torsos were intact, with no obvious damage, especially the chest hadn''t collapsed. As for other parts, they didn''t need much consideration, as the dummies used for practice in his past life were basically half a body. As for the color of the corpse clothes... "They''re not our soldiers, right?" "Definitely not!" High Priest Hilde slapped his chest loudly, "I had them brought in!" Uh... when you say brought in, do you mean picking them up or killing them on the spot? Garrett silently glanced at Hilde. The thing is, those people are already dead, and the bodies are already here. Just letting someone drag them out and bury them seems unnecessary... "Alright, it seems like we can use these." Garrett extended a finger and pressed on the chest of a corpse, "Let''s practice like this for now. Bring them all over, I''ll demonstrate first, and then you can proceed with the actual practice. And next time you want to bring in corpses, at least discuss it with me first!" "No problem!" High Priest Hilde jumped up. CPR practical training began. Garrett first explained the basic concepts to the teachers, bowed to the corpses, then knelt on the side of one and personally began to demonstrate: "Pay attention to the key points of the procedure. First, check if the patient has a heartbeat, breath, and consciousness. Open the airway. When pressing, the base of the right palm should be tightly against the center of the patient''s chest, and the left hand should be stacked on top. Arms straight, using the force of the upper body to press down..." He demonstrated once, then let High Priest Hilde, Adam, and Thomas each face a corpse and start the practice. Garrett stood on the side, constantly correcting: "Hilde, your arm isn''t straight... Adam, when pressing down and relaxing, don''t let your palm leave the patient''s chest... Thomas, you''re pressing too shallow, not enough force... Forget it, you''re still young, and your strength is insufficient. Don''t learn chest compressions for now; come help with the rescue breaths..." The light of the Illumination Spell shone brightly on the tent wall, outlining the rising and falling silhouettes of three people. Suddenly, the tent curtain was lifted: "Hilde, they said you''re hereAh ah ah ah ah!!!!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 136 Chapter 136 The sharp cry of a young girl pierced through the night. Healers were awakened one after another, some not even bothering to put on clothes before rushing out of their tents: "What''s happening? What''s happening?!" "Corpsecorpses!" The priestess screamed with her eyes closed. As a healer who had been on the battlefield, she shouldn''t have been so startled by a corpse. However, the scene before her was too shocking, catching her completely unprepared. High Priest Hilde, the young genius she had admired and pursued for a long time, was half-leaning over a corpse. The light from the Illumination Spell shone from the side, casting his handsome face in a half-light, half-shadow, with a slightly distorted expression. As if that wasn''t frightening enough, both his hands were pressed together on the corpse, moving up and down, up and down... Not to mention that there were two people lying on another corpse nearby. One was pressing the chest of the corpse, adopting the same posture as High Priest Hilde, moving up and down; the other, even more frighteningly, knelt at the head of the corpse, almost face to face with the lifeless body... Double the visual impact, double the horror. Garrett looked at High Priest Hilde, raised his chin, and signaled, "Deal with your mess yourself." High Priest Hilde gave him a wry smile, climbed up, and tentatively tried to comfort: "Caroline, you" "Don''t come near me, ahhhh!" The piercing scream was too intense. In the priest area, people were waking up one after another:Updated from "What''s happening? What''s happening? Corpses? Someone died?!" A group of priests rushed over, peeking and looking. Almost at the same moment, in the nearby mage camp, there was a sudden explosion. A tent exploded into pieces, and fragments flew in the air, catching fire in mid-air. Under the tent, an elderly voice angrily shouted: "Who is it! Who''s screaming in the middle of the night! Made me shake, and all my potions exploded!" Uh... Garrett sweated profusely. The scream just now was a bit too loud, no wonder the alchemist''s hands were shaking. But, sir, what kind of potions are you making, nitroglycerin? However, the chain reaction did not stop there. With the explosion in the mage camp, cries of alarm echoed in the surrounding military camps: "Enemy attack!" "Enemy attack!" "You?" Count Norman frowned slightly. He glanced around, and the nobles who were disturbed in the middle of the night had gloomy faces, the angry old alchemist, and the stern-faced high priest of the Temple of Springs. Elder Heath of the Quenched River Temple looked at Garrett with concern and warmth, seemingly protective. Well, it''s an accident anyway. Just handle it casually, give everyone an outlet. Count Norman thought this way, cleared his throat, and said: "Since you''re willing to take responsibility, you..." Before he got to the main point, a sarcastic voice suddenly sounded from the crowd: "What''s wrong with practicing on corpses? Making a big fuss! So melodramatic! Scaring everyone to death, yelling around, causing trouble for others! Little Garrett, if you''re upset, come to our side. Black Crow Swamp has plenty of corpses for you to play with! Don''t mind those priests!" A necromancer walked proudly, with a thin face made of skin and bones, looking around arrogantly. Garrett smiled bitterly, "Mage Lin..." Count Norman''s face darkened. Not far away, the high priest of the Quenched River Temple, who was also the overall commander of all the healers this time, had a gloomy face and cleared his throat: "You" "Little Garrett, how about you change your camp first?" Elder Heath Elder spoke with a gentle and pleasant tone, preempting the high priest: "Tomorrow, a team is heading north towards Grim Bay. Follow them and see if there''s anything you can help with." This was equivalent to sending him to a secondary camp. He couldn''t stay in the main camp, enjoying good food and drink, and treating two patients whenever he wanted. Instead, he had to follow a team, march quickly, and possibly face battles. The atmosphere immediately eased a bit. The angry old alchemist, the nobles with dark faces, all relaxed. Only Lin raised his eyebrows: "But" "Thanks, Elder. I''ll go tomorrow." Garrett bowed slightly. High Priest Hilde, looking at him with guilt on his face, and Mage Lin, who had passed through the crowd, grabbed Garrett''s arm: "It''s not your fault, but you have to bear the responsibility! Come, come, come to my place! I''ll pick some protective items for you!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 137 Chapter 137 The necromancer, without saying a word, dragged Garrett Nordmark away, complaining incessantly along the way. The complaints only ceased when they entered the necromancer''s tent. He pulled out a leather chest from beside the bed and dumped its contents onto the table. "These are all my spoils of war! Come on, take a look and see if there''s anything you can use. Just take it!" In the candlelight, various rings, necklaces, and amulets sparkled, making one wonder if he had raided a jewelry store. Garrett opened his mouth in astonishment. He glanced at Linde Ferrell, then at the pile of items on the table, and back at Linde. How many people have you killed? It''s been less than a month since the war started, and you seem to have been on a killing spree instead of being a scout! "Can''t decide? Or don''t recognize them?" Seeing Garrett''s surprised expression, Linde took the initiative to introduce: "This ring should have a ''Cold Resistance'' enchantment, quite useful. I already have one; you can take this one. I''m not sure about this amulet, but judging by the magic circuits on it, it seems to be an offensive divine spell. You can give it a try. This necklace carries the power of light, which I can''t use, but you probably can..." Garrett couldn''t refuse fast enough. He was about to randomly pick something, even if just to be courteous. However, when his gaze swept over the pile of items, his heart skipped a beat. "Wait! What''s this?" Linde followed his pointing finger and saw a bottle of inconspicuous dark purple powder, faintly shimmering in the candlelight, revealing a scaly metallic sheen. Linde nonchalantly explained: "Purple Scale Stone, an alchemical material. I don''t know how it ended up herethis thing is not very useful, and if left unattended, it turns into a lump of black ash. Interested? Take it if you want." "I''ll take half." Garrett cradled it like a treasure, examining it from all angles. The color, shape, and sheenall were familiar to him, from middle school to college. When he saw this thing, his intuition shouted four words: "Potassium Permanganate! Potassium Permanganate!" This substance is not stable in nature; it easily decomposes, and no one knows which deity synthesized it. If it really is potassium permanganate, it would solve a significant problem for him. Garrett asked Linde for a brown bottle, carefully poured half of it in, sealed the bottle, and handed it back. Linde didn''t take it, so Garrett insisted, shoving it into his hands: "This stuff is useful! If it''s what I think it is, it will be incredibly valuable! Hey, come with me. Once I confirm it, I''ll tell you how to use it!" Linde followed him outside, weaving through winding paths, back to Garrett''s residence. After clearing the table, Garrett dragged out an alchemy box. When he turned around, he saw Linde sitting there bored, so he handed him a stack of papers:New novel chapters are published at novelhall.com "These are my recent research findings. You can read these first. Oh, and this is a microscope; play with it while I conduct experiments. I''ll call you when I have results!" Linde was caught off guard, receiving a pile of articles with titles he had never seen before. Without delving into them, he shouted: Three! Two! One! Fire Spark Spell! Ignite! A crackling sound of ignition. The faint, originally capable of igniting only paper and dry leaves, Fire Spark Spell burst out much brighter on the muddy ground in the center of the tent! Even the necromancer was startled by this. Linde lifted his head from the paper, looked at Garrett, and used his gaze to inquire what had happened. Garrett came over with a happy smile: "I improved a spell! Let me tell you about it! Oh, and read the article ''Demonstration of the Essence of Combustion through Heated Mercury.'' Quickly, read it! After you finish, I''ll tell you how the magic works!" Reading articles, observing experiments, and then studying Garrett''s drawn spell model chart, Linde tried hard to remember and meditate. The spell model wasn''t difficult for Linde the mage, but understanding the article, grasping the principle of combustion, and then reaching the train of thought for a new spellthis was quite challenging. Garrett conducted experiments and explanations tirelessly, almost drying up his saliva, and Linde finally started to understand a bit. Over an hour later, two mages were carried away by barbarians, one in each hand, sneaking out of the military camp like the wind, heading far outside the camp to test their magic. Fire Spark Spell! Incredibly bright sparks. Burning Hand! A bright white, intensely powerful cone-shaped flame. Flame Sphere Spell! The burning fireball flew far away, exploding in the sky with the power equal to a higher-level Fireball Spell! Linde, the mage, stared at the fireball, dumbfounded. When he could finally speak, every syllable of his speech trembled: "Garrett, do you... do you know what you''ve given me?!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 138 Chapter 138 The next morning, Garrett Nordmark joined the special forces and headed north at full speed. He entrusted his tent, supplies, and medical equipment to Elder Hiss, carrying only a large backpack for convenience on the journey. The backpack was filled with food, water, clarified alum for purifying water, and a substantial amount of gauze bandages and medicines. In addition, Garrett had a small pouch securely fastened around his waist. Inside the pouch were supplies for him as a healer: - Ten bottles of minor healing potions - Five bottles of moderate healing potions - Two bottles of severe healing potions - Two bottles of antidote - Two vials of energy potions promised by Elder Hiss In a creative move, Garrett also stuffed a bunch of things into the pouch: - Ten small oxygen cylinders, each the size of a little finger, sealed with cork and wax. - Ten small test tubes, each containing 1/5 of potassium permanganate. With these items, he essentially carried 20 powerful spells. Garrett touched his pouch, feeling reassured. Of course, there were also the mana pearls given by Master Lorenz, the wooden charm from Elder Hiss, the amulet from the bald Bishop that could activate a shield once a day, and a variety of magical items provided by Mage Linde, including offensive and defensive ones. If it weren''t for Garrett''s intervention, the necromancer would have unloaded his entire magical arsenal on him. Garrett, despite appearing overly cautious, was well-prepared. The special forces he joined consisted of only 21 peopleoriginally designated for 20, but Garrett brought along his follower, expanding the count by one. There were two level-five members, three level-four, and five level-three. Garrett''s strength ranked at the bottom in this group. If he hadn''t been previously injured and required healing, he wouldn''t have qualified for the mission. ...Of course, Garrett''s follower, the barbarian Bernard, was a level-seven warrior. Averaging it out, they were about level four. Whether this averaging was appropriate was another matter. The boisterous laughter continued. Garrett planned his answer, relying on the boost from both magic and divine arts. After a moment of thought, he asked, "Why are we climbing a mountain if we''re supposed to follow the river?" "This river is quite tricky." Captain Barnes picked up a piece of firewood, stomped out sparks, and drew on the ground to show Garrett: "From the mouth of the river inward, dozens of miles are all cliffs. Only after passing through can we find a flat area to dock. Climbing the mountain and looking down is the most convenient we can attack, but they can''t reach us!" "The question is, can we attack?" Garrett wondered. Looking at the river not far away, the Dov River was already quite wide here, with a surface area of possibly hundreds of meters. Anchored ships on the opposite side could easily carry hundreds of people. If this was further downstream, how big would the ships need to be? "We can definitely attack!" Captain Barnes laughed heartily, pointing to the opposite side: "Little priest, are you not a local? With just this ship, it can at most reach Som Port. Further down the river, although it''s not narrow, it''s full of rocks and mountains, and big ships can''t pass. We''re just checking if there''s a small team; if there is, we''ll take care of them on the fly!" It seemed the chance of a battle wasn''t very high. Garrett relaxed, picturing the terrain in his mind. He gazed at the full moon in the sky for a while, finished his routine meditation, and walked around the campfire before sinking into a deep sleep. The next day, they rose early and traveled for most of the day, finally reaching the cliffs at the mouth of the river in the evening. The group abandoned their horses and began ascending the mountain. Captain Barnes tied up the horses, leaped up the slope at an angle of at least 30 degrees. The level-four mage chanted a few lines, a light wind surrounded him, making him agile. With a leap, he almost caught up with the archers in front. The other warriors were also racing, each one vying to be first. On the slope without a ready-made road, they sprinted with the momentum of a hundred-meter dash. Garrett lagged behind alone. He looked up: climbing was possible, but with his abilities, he could only crawl up using hands and feet, step by step. Just as he was thinking this, suddenly, his waist tightened, his body lightened, and the ground beneath his feet retreated. Bernard, the barbarian, had picked him up and was sprinting. The level-seven warrior surged upward, as fast as a galloping horse, and soon surpassed the front of the team. Reaching the mountaintop, Garrett, looking down, took a sharp breath: Who said big ships couldn''t navigate here? Between the canyons, the river was filled with numerous masts and sails. Dozens of masts were visible at a glance. Each mast proudly displayed the same flag: a raised arm holding a dazzling golden thunderbolt, ready to strike down at any moment. Under the setting sun, the golden thunderbolts seemed as if they could strike the earth at any time. "Radiant Lord!" Beside him, Captain Barnes gritted his teeth, joints creaking. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 139 Chapter 139 "Why are there so many ships?" "Yeah! Why so many large ships?" Before long, all members of the special forces climbed to the top of the mountain, discussing animatedly. Captain Barnes lay on the cliff, staring intently at the sails below, his eyes almost bloodshot. Below was a complete fleet, large and small, with at least twenty ships. The two leading large ships had four masts, with two tall ones in the middle and one each in the front and back, tilted in opposite directions. The ship was massive, with bow and stern towers towering high above the river, resembling a castle. Just these two large ships were already astonishing, and judging by their size, they could transport at least 500 soldiers or even more if the journey was short. In addition to these two ships, there were six or seven three-mast ships in the fleet, some swift and nimble, as if specialized in chasing, and others square and sturdy, clearly intended for transporting people and cargo. Even the dozen or so two-mast small boats, when combined, had a considerable transport capacity. "There must be ten thousand people..." "Why would they come here... wrong turn? Or do they not know how deep this river is?" "Such large ships won''t reach the upstream port!" Soldiers gathered at the top of the cliff, discussing anxiously, faces reddened by the cold wind. Garrett furrowed his brow, trying to recall the geographical records from the mage tower. Unfortunately, those records were quite briefjust a map with a few lines representing roads and circles for cities. Forget about terrain and topography; even the scale was uncertain. Relying on those maps to figure out why the Fleet of the Radiant Lord had come here was like dreaming. It was better to trust his own eyes. Garrett looked down from a high vantage point, overlooking the river mouth. To the left, in the upstream direction of the Dov River, the river was not particularly wide, perhaps a few hundred meters. However, looking to the right, the towering cliffs suddenly expanded on both sides, forming a trumpet-shaped bay. Garrett strained his eyes but could only vaguely see the coastline in the twilight, like two arms embracing the sea. The width between the arcs should be no less than 10 kilometers. A sense of unease crept over Garrett. At the same time, the mage who had been contemplating the bay with him turned abruptly. The movement was so sudden that even with his hat tightly wrapped around to block the sea breeze, it flew off. "No, they didn''t make a wrong turn! The Fleet of the Radiant Lord is taking this route; they intend to flank us from behind our main camp!" "How is that possible?" Captain Barnes exclaimed. Beside him, York, a level five shield warrior, took a step forward, and with a nervous mood, snapped a rock underfoot: "What a joke! With such large ships, they can''t break through!" The two highest-ranked warriors questioned simultaneously. In the twilight, the mages shook their heads repeatedly, pointing to the far coast, where the newly risen full moon hung: "Spring tide! It''s a spring tide! I''ve read about it. At the mouth of the Dov River, during a full moon, the spring tide can surge dozens of miles in one go, significantly raising the water level! Riding the tide, they can rush through this gorge in one go, all the way to the flat land!" Spring tide! Garrett suddenly felt a chill. He finally remembered what this bay meantthe trumpet-shaped bay, narrowing upstream, and the full moon he saw before going to sleep last nightSpring Tide! Then, Garrett watched in horror as the prisoners were tied up, blindfolded, and one by one driven onto the plank. "They are..." "Prisoners captured by the Radiant Lord''s Church." A cold voice answered by his ear, and Garrett turned to see a level four mage standing next to him. The mage who had tightly wrapped his hat while sitting by the fire last night now faced the sea breeze without flinching, his posture straight: "Or you can say, heretics. If they catch you, me, or our loved ones, it would be the same." The prisoners were dragged onto the plank one by one. Sailors gathered on both sides of the plank, scolding and beating with sticks, whipping them, urging them to stagger forward. Trembling, swaying, forwardfalling. The cries and pleas were unbearable. However, the soldiers mechanically moved forward to drag people. One fell, then another. Those who couldn''t walk or climb onto the plank were thrown directly into the sea from the ship''s side. The prisoners on the deck were cleared one by one, leaving only the man in the neat robe, holding the girl, half-kneeling in the center of the circle. Although all prisoners, the man seemed to receive preferential treatment. No one pulled him, no one approached to tie him up. Only the person in the red robe said something loudly, and the robed prisoner turned to look at him. Suddenly, he hugged the little girl tightly, gently placed her down, turned to face the bow, took a step, then turned again, rubbing the girl''s hair, and bent down to kiss her on the cheek. Then, the man walked forward with large strides, stepping onto the plank at the bow. When he reached the ship''s side, he calmly turned his hands behind his back, letting the sailors tie his wrists and blindfold him. In the sea breeze, the man raised his chest, step by step, walking to the end of the plank. Into the void. Falling. The sea breeze howled. White seagulls circled back and forth at the bow, calling out long and loud, their voices heart-wrenching. The soldiers on the ship stood like mud carvings and wooden sculptures, silently watching the robed prisoner fall, without any reaction. Only the little girl, released by them, cried and shouted, stumbling around the deck for a while, until finally, she climbed onto the plank. On the cliff, a long, silent silence, as if death had fallen. Waiting for them to go back and inform the main camp, waiting for the main camp to come over, back and forth, more than three to five days. During these three to five days, the land under their feet might be turned into something unimaginable by the Radiant Lord''s Church. "Can we stop them?" Captain Barnes suddenly asked. The shield warrior didn''t speak, the stealthy figure didn''t speak, the mage pulled down his hat, his gaze sweeping over the ships below, as if engraving that fleet into his heart, then decisively turning around. "We can try." "We can give it a shot." Garrett and the mage spoke at the same time. In the twilight, the two spellcasters'' eyes met, seeing the determination in each other''s eyes. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 140 Chapter 140 "Such a large fleet, we can''t take them head-on." "Right, we''re short-handed; we have to be clever about it." "Block the ship. These mountains for dozens of miles will keep them from climbing up." "There are ships upstream. Sink a few in the channel; it should at least block the larger ones." "We need to be quick. The nearest port is still several dozen miles away." "No problem. It''s ebbing tide now, and the next high tide is at midnight. They probably won''t risk night navigation. In that case, they''ll have to wait until tomorrow afternoon to set sail we have time." In the howling cold wind, two mages ran side by side, exchanging words. To be precise, the only one running on his own two legs was Daniel the special forces mage; Garrett, as usual, was being carried by a barbarian... The warriors also ran with them. Starting with Captain Barnes, they all focused, fearing to miss a single word. Suddenly, the captain shouted: "Loewi." "Huh?" The young archer turned his head. Captain Barnes, while running, took off his short knife and handed it to him: "Go back to the main camp and report the situation! Whether we can stop them or not, news of the fleet must reach Count Nordmark!" "But..." "Hurry!" Captain Barnes was firm. Loewi shrugged and clenched the knife, then turned and descended the mountain. At the foot of the mountain, he mounted his horse, urging it towards the main camp. The rest of the group rode along the mountain ridge, taking turns to climb to the mountain top to scout. As the sun set, the mountain road under their feet gradually became unclear. Garrett and Daniel had to take turns casting Light Dance spells to illuminate the path for the team. When the first spell was cast, Daniel was surprised: "You''re a mage? Then why be a priest? Which church accepts that?" "Uh..." Garrett was used to such questioning and ignored it, only answering the last question: "The Church of the Natural Spirits..." "Oh, them." Daniel had been following the scout team all along and hadn''t heard Garrett''s gossip. But as soon as he heard the words ''Church of the Natural Spirits,'' he immediately understood: Of course, it might also be because Garrett added that if the ship couldn''t be blown up, they could use brute force to sink the shipboard. With a level seven warrior and two level five warriors on the scene, plus three level four warriors, with a fierce pounding, it might, probably, perhaps, still be possible to sink it. With the help of the infiltrator, they reached the bottom of the canyon, sneaking onto the docked cargo ship. Garrett, still feeling pity, suggested not to harm the crew, so Daniel the mage took the lead, using a Sleep Wind to put everyone on the ship to sleep. Working together, they tied them up, gagged them, and brought them to the shore. Then, the barbarian Bernard exerted his brute strength, pulled up the ship anchor, and went downstream. "Spread the flour in the cargo hold! Spread it evenly!" Captain Barnes, accompanied by his personal attendantthe dual-wielding warriorcontrolled the ship, while Garrett, with two other warriors, tampered with the cargo hold. Of course, Garrett didn''t do any manual labor; he just kept urging: "Quick! Move faster! We don''t have much time! Try to spread as much flour as possible! No need to ignite; just use Light Dance!" "Is it ready? We''re here!" The cargo ship went downstream for a dozen miles, not requiring much time. Captain Barnes estimated that after passing this bend, they could directly see the Radiant Church fleet. They didn''t dare to go further, dropping the anchor about five or six miles away. "Almost done! You guys retreat!" Garrett answered loudly. The sound of footsteps on the deck echoed in a series of thuds as everyone retreated. When Garrett heard that everyone had evacuated, he turned to Daniel the mage: "Let''s do it together! Use Wind Creation to blow up the flour as much as possible! Three! Two! One!" The two mages stood side by side at the cargo hold entrance, chanting spells. A strong wind howled out. Changing wind strength was a first-level spell, and Garrett''s use of it was average, but Daniel the mage could sweep a large area with one spell. When flour dust fluttered throughout the cargo hold, Garrett returned to the deck, pointing upwards. The light orbs of the Light Dance spell rotated around him Soon, he saw torches swinging on the top of the cliff, first in one direction and then in the other. Excellent, everyone successfully evacuated and retreated to the mountaintop! "Alright! Let ''s retreat too!" Garrett exclaimed joyfully. He handed Daniel the mage to Bernard, letting the barbarian carry the mage up the cliff, and then returned with a steel shield from the cliff to stand beside him. The two stood outside the cargo hold; Bernard crouched slightly, Garrett used both hands and feet to hang onto his back. The barbarian faced away from the cargo hold, one arm bent backward, shielding his back with the steel shield. Garrett tried to minimize his surface area behind the shield, with one hand around the barbarian''s neck, trying to turn his head to look backward, and the other hand reaching out beyond the steel shield. When the flour exploded later, the shockwave would be formidable, and although Bernard ran fast, having a shield cover was still better... All defense work completed. Garrett concentrated for a moment, aimed at the cargo hold''s interior from a distance, and launched his modified Burning Hand. "Three, two, one!" Boom!!! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 141 Chapter 141 Hello everyone, I want to start by apologizing for not providing updates over the past few days. I''ve been sick. Explosions reverberated through the canyon, the deafening echoes bouncing off the winding cliffs and spreading far and wide. Inside the cabin, Garrett Nordmark remained oblivious to the cacophony outside. The only sensation he experienced was the thunderous explosion. Boom! A resounding noise. Behind Garrett, the barbarian tightened his grip on the steel shield, pushing him forward and creating pressure on his chest. Meanwhile, propelled by the force, Bernard soared forward. The powerful warrior, towering over two meters tall, felt the rush of air nearly lifting him off his feet. "Tsk tsk tsk... good thing I was prepared..." Garrett silently celebrated. Had he been careless, relying solely on his shield or allowing Bernard to pull him along, he might have found himself vomiting blood by now. Hanging onto Bernard''s back, Garrett rushed out of the cabin. As he stepped onto the deck, the cargo ship was already swaying and beginning to sink. The barbarian decided to abandon rowing. Instead, he seized a small boat nearby and flung it with all his strength. Leaping onto the boat, he stomped fiercely, jumping directly to the edge of the cliff, heading for the mountaintop. Upon reaching the mountaintop, a bright light ball ascended from the direction of the Radiant Lord''s fleet, casting its glow across the surroundings. "They''ve found us!" "Run!" "Traces of rope climbing! This kind of cliff requires a rope to climb; someone in the team is definitely below level 5!" "Hull planks at the bottom of the ship shattered, not deliberate sabotage! Not much oil on the water surface, not set on fire! Whoever sank the ship either used alchemical tools or magic! There''s a mage in the team!" "No dead bodies in the water! The ship was intentionally brought here to block our path..." More clues surfaced, and the situation became increasingly clear. Without waiting for all the subordinates to return, the captain issued the second command: "Chase! Follow along the ridge, pursue quickly! Inform the rear, there are heretics maliciously sinking ships, obstructing the Holy Fleet. We are searching for the enemy''s location, and we need magical assistance!" The messages from the Inquisitorial Knights quickly reached Bishop Hoke. At first, Bishop Hoke could maintain a poker face, sitting at his walnut desk, slowly drinking tea. The wide sleeves hung straight down, and the gold threads on the sleeves shimmered in the candlelight without a ripple. However, when he heard, "The big ship can''t pass, clearing the channel will take at least three days," he finally lost his composure, smashing another teacup: "Damn heretics! Intensify the search. Who''s leading the team? Benjamin? Inform him, make sure to capture those heretics and burn them at the stake! Burn them! Hmm, do they need guidance on tracking the enemy? Go and summon Master Asa, have him cast the Grand Illumination Spell!" The knights of the Radiant Lord continued their search for the enemy''s traces, while the special squad that successfully sank the cargo ship continued their mad dash. Bernard didn''t let Garrett down; he carried him forward without letting him touch the ground. The mage Daniel cast a levitation spell on himself, leaping up, grabbing the edge of the steel shield, and hanging next to him like a kite. The group didn''t dare to light torches as they rushed to the foot of the mountain, fleeing eastward along the cliff. This was previously agreed upon: heading south meant going back to the main camp, a straightforward path where they could be easily caught. The only option was to go east, utilizing the cover of the mountain, hoping the pursuers wouldn''t find them! They rushed two or three miles without stopping. Just as the mountain wall began to twist, and they were about to enter a recessed area, a bright light suddenly rose behind them! Garrett looked back in horror. Far, far away, a figure in white robes rose into the air, holding a spherical magical object in their hands, radiating countless beams of light. The person looked down, started praying, and though the voice seemed soft, it calmly reached Garrett''s ears: "My Lord, you are the origin of all things, the creator of the world, the only divine. You are supreme, your gaze sees everything, all evil cannot hide..." After a long prayer, the glowing sphere suddenly burst into dazzling light, illuminating several miles. The brilliant white light turned the surroundings as bright as daylight for Garrett. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 142 Chapter 142 As the prayers echoed, Garrett Nordmark''s entire body shivered. Who was that person flying in the sky? What kind of person could fly like that? An advanced spellcaster? A high-ranking priest? Even teachers couldn''t fly! The person soaring in mid-air, the voice of prayer spreading for miles, how strong were they? Level ten? Eleven? Or even higher? Or perhaps, did they use some magical item to assist them? If that person was coming after them "Bernard, do you know their level?" Garrett whispered. Though far away, he was afraid the other person might hear, instinctively lowering his voice. Bernard shook his head in a low, muffled voice: "I don''t know. We''ll find out when we face them." Too late to fight! Garrett touched his pouch and then the mana pearl around his neck, yet he felt no sense of security. God, Buddha, Nature, please don''t let them be discovered! Fear attracts what you fear. The prayers ended, and the sphere in the person''s hand suddenly radiated a brilliant light, illuminating everything within ten miles. Garrett and his group, initially concealed in the darkness, were now completely exposed by this bright light. "To the east!" The voice of the praying person echoed once again, a gentle and clear tone, but the words sent shivers down Garrett''s spine: "Sly heretics, enemies of the Holy Fleet, clinging to the mountain wall, fleeing to the east!" The white light on the sphere went from scattering to condensing, forming a dazzling light beam that firmly locked onto Garrett and his companions. The light spots on the ground were the size of houses, visible even to the pursuing team several miles away, revealing the direction of the enemy. Garrett felt a chill all over. Reflexively, he shouted, "To the right! Run along the mountain wall! We''ll be safe if we turn inside the mountain wall!" Such powerful divine magic, it can''t move arbitrarily! If that light sphere could float outward continuously, keeping the light beam above us, I would acknowledge defeat! Garrett thought fiercely. Without him reminding, the team had already turned, running along the mountainside, striving to escape to the east. Suddenly, a scream rang out as the fifth-level shield warrior, York, tumbled to the ground with his horse! "York!" Captain Barnes exclaimed. The shield warrior rolled a few times, struggling to get up, and immediately checked his mountjust one glance made him grimace, "Captain, the horse won''t make it!"Thi/s chapter is updated by These mounts had suffered tonight. No proper food, no rest, dozens of miles of back-and-forth in the dead of night, and now, after a short rest, they had to carry their owners again, running for their lives. Fortunately, the mountainous terrain finally started to curve inward, and the sphere hanging high in the air indeed couldn''t move. The sound of hooves gradually faded into the darkness, and Garrett finally breathed a sigh of relief: This is the first time I''ve truly felt that the shelter of darkness can be so comforting. God bless, may the people behind also slow down! He looked around, trying to find favorable terrain, preparing to set up an ambush. Well, the mountain path ahead is quite narrow; I could probably stretch a few tripwires. Further ahead, there''s a bend; we could dig some pits behind it, if there''s enough time. Oh, if only there were a cliff, we could directly trap them... Garrett picked and chose, constantly brainstorming, but none of the terrains satisfied him. Before he could make up his mind, among the pursuers behind, a uniform roar erupted: "For the glory of the Radiant Lord!" In the midst of the roar, the black-armored knights unsheathed their large swords, advancing uniformly. Garrett happened to turn his head to look, only to see the bright white light bursting out from the tips of their swords, illuminating the entire mountain hollow! "#$%^!" Garrett swallowed a curse, urgently closing his eyes, tears streaming down from the irritation. How does it even come with its own illumination? With the light, many cunning tricks would no longer work! Luckily, Bernard was carrying him on his back. If Garrett were running on his own, a moment of eye irritation might have caused him to stumble! Yet, the pursuers had more than just illumination. While Garrett jostled on the barbarian''s back, he suddenly heard a twang. Immediately after, Bernard lunged forward, almost falling to the ground. Arrows whizzed by, and the dual-blade warrior beside Captain Barnes let out a heart-wrenching cry, shouting: "They have strong bows! Powerful bows!" "Don''t shoot him!" Someone shouted from behind to stop them. Just as Garrett breathed a sigh of relief, that somewhat sinister voice continued: "The heretic priest in the front! The mage! Stop! The Radiant Lord is a tolerant and benevolent god. As long as you are willing to convert, I, Gordon Menewa, in the name of the Tribunal, guarantee your safety!" I believe you as much as I believe in ghosts! Suppressing the urge to turn around and curse loudly, Garrett clenched the Corpse Explosion ring tightly. He poked Bernard, signaling the barbarian to carry him to Captain Barnes, whispering: "After we pass the bend up ahead, kill two horses!" "Block them in front?" Bernard asked. "Yes!" Garrett raised his fist, showing the ring to the captain. "Given by the necromancer!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 143 Chapter 143 Gordon Menewa brimmed with excitement. Leading an elite judiciary squad of ten, including five knights, two at the sixth level, and himself, a ninth-level knight On the opposing side, though numbering 20, only three reached knightly stature, with the mightiest barbarian at the seventh level. More crucially, within the pagan group were two spellcasters! Merits! Merits served to him on a silver platter! The judiciary highly prized pagan spellcasters. If he captured both alive, whether coercing conversion or binding them to the pyre, the merits could secure his promotion, aided by the judiciary, to the coveted tenth level! The leap from ninth to tenth was monumental. Crossing it would elevate him to a grand knight, significantly boosting his combat prowess and church standing. The more Gordon ruminated, the more his heart kindled. Urging the team to quicken, the substantial merits neared his grasp, yet the pagans ahead suddenly veered, vanishing behind the mountain bend. "Mellen! Fechi! Pick up the pace!" Gordon urged the front runners. The situation ahead blurred, and if not closely pursued, those pagansespecially the spellcastersmight slip away, shattering his merits and promotion dreams! Yet, Mellen in the lead abruptly pulled his horse''s reins, halting it. Fechi, caught off guard, swiftly halted his mount, narrowly avoiding a collision. The horses neighed incessantly, circling in place. Were it not for the cliff on one side and a gentle slope on the other, the two knights and their steeds might have tumbled. "Why the halt!" Gordon fumed. Yet, Mellen, undeterred by his anger, not only refrained from advancing but dismounted, proceeding on foot. "Captain, up ahead... it''s blocked!" "Then clear it! All of you, move up!" Gordon answered without hesitation. Mellen, Fechi, and the two knight squires in the front advanced to clear the road. Mellen casually hung his greatsword on the saddle, muttering, "Block the road by killing these horses? Ridiculous, as if they can''t be moved..." Horse corpses? Horse corpses! Gordon shuddered, every hair on his body standing on end. Instinct trumped reason, and the knight captain bellowed: "You take them back, take good care!" Only four killed? Garrett glanced back at the barbarians with regret. Corpse explosion couldn''t alter the outcome. Soon, the judiciary knights, fierce, caught up. Garrett''s team fell, soldiers without horses running. Finally, Blake, youngest and lowest-level, tumbled, holding an ankle. "Captain!" The boy''s voice hinted at tears. He struggled, trying to shake off Captain Barnes''s hand: "Don''t worry about me! Run, run quickly!" Twisted ankle? Ruptured Achilles? Fracture? Garrett wanted to heal but was carried by Bernard, running forward, unreachable. Urgent, pursuers with bows. Barbarians no longer carried him on their backs but in front, broad backs shielding him. Garrett couldn''t break free, so he threw a potion: "Healing potion! Use it!" The fallen disappeared. Soon, Captain Barnes caught up, eyes red, running with head down. Later, a distant scream came from the mountain road. "...We can''t go on like this." Captain Barnes resolved. He stopped, took off his bow, lovingly stroked it: "We stop! Let''s fight them!" "Fight!" Shield warrior York responded first. Falling from his horse, he''d wanted this, but the captain stopped him. Hearing Captain Barnes, he turned, erecting his steel shield: "I''ll be at the front! Barnes, you go behind mego up!" Warriors silently formed a formation. Killing five horses, they piled them at the mountain bend, forming cover. York in front, two low-level shield warriors behind horse corpses, shields raised. Captain Barnes and another archer climbed higher. Remaining warriors with spears and knives formed a small killing formation behind the shields. Daniel the mage abstained. He stood aside, looking at comrades in life and death, face flushed: "My magic''s almost used up... give me a knife..." --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 144 Chapter 144 Daniel''s spells were rapidly dwindling, depleted by the relentless pursuit and the sleepless night of running. At this point, a mage without spells was practically powerless, and the judiciary officials were closing in, tightening their grip on the fleeing group. A fully-equipped fourth-level mage differed greatly from one who had exhausted all spells. While the latter could be easily defeated by a level 1 warrior, the former posed a formidable challenge, even against a group of knights in formation. "Go quickly!" Captain Barnes wasted no time and forcefully pushed Daniel away. He then turned to Garrett, torn by hesitation. According to protocol, spellcasters had the right to evacuate first when situations became dire. Garrett should leave, but the question of whether the barbarian could join the formation lingered. Although the barbarian was the team''s powerhouse, enhancing their overall strength, the customary practice dictated that followers were only responsible for their protectees. If Garrett chose to leave, the barbarian had no obligation to stay. Captain Barnes pondered, wavering. Garrett, however, turned to Daniel, the mage: "Yes, you go quickly! While walking, cast an illusion spell, make it seem like we''re still escaping, catch them off guard!" Daniel bit his lip, turned his horse, and with the thundering sound of hooves, created the illusion of a group of people on the road, echoing in the distance. Meanwhile, Garrett had already opened his pouch, distributing healing potions to everyone. "Take it. I might not be able to attend to you later; remember to drink it yourselves!" "Garrett, you go too!" Captain Barnes finally made a decision. The young priest should not die hererisking great danger to confront the Radiant Church, such a valuable young priest should not meet his end in this predicament. The judiciary''s pursuit team was formidable. Even if the barbarian escorted the young priest away, survival chances were slim. However, if Garrett stayed, even that slim chance might evaporate. "Go quickly! Let Bernard take you!" Captain Barnes shouted, urging Garrett to leave. However, Garrett hesitated, taking two steps back and looking at the barbarian with a pleading expression: "Bernard, can you... hold them off?" "The warriors of the North don''t abandon their comrades!" Bernard replied loudly, raising his bone club and striding forward. With his imposing stature and long legs, Bernard covered the distance of two steps in one. He joined the formation, standing shoulder to shoulder with two shield warriors. The barbarian, gripping the bone club with both hands, slightly bowed, pointing it forward. Then, he turned to Garrett: "You''re good! Bernard will follow you all the way!" "Good!" On both sides, the shield warriors, led by York, staggered and fell backward. "Again!" Bernard roared, his eyes turning red, muscles bulging one after another. He tore off the beast skin on his shoulder, gripping the bone club with both hands, and took a step forward. On the opposite side, the dismounted knight, wielding a sword in both hands, charged forward: "Come again!" The light was blinding. Garrett vaguely saw a radiant glow rising from the barbarian''s bone club. He raised his head and howled, like some ancient giant beast; while the leader of the radiant knights on the opposite side had an angelic phantom above his head, swinging a long sword just like the knight Another colossal explosion! The knight''s sword collided with the bone club. The glow of the giant beast disappeared in a flash, and Bernard sprayed blood all over, flying backward, crashing into the mountain wall. Cracks spread across the massive bone club, shockwaves sweeping around, and the surrounding shield warriors fell in a radial pattern, shields haphazardly covering themselves Even Garrett, lifted off the ground, rolled several times in a row. In the terrified eyes of everyone, the knight who had fought with the barbarian staggered but stood steady, lifting the sword forward. "Surrender." The man ignored the chaos on the ground, steadily advancing. He lowered his face mask, the icy sword and the cold gaze both pointed at Garrett: "Young priest, you can''t escape now. Surrender, swear allegiance to the Radiant Lord, and in the name of the judiciary, I, Gordon Menewa, promise you won''t die!" Gordon took step by step forward. The young priest''s robe had only one leaf, and at the tip of the oak staff in his hand, there was only one leaf fluttering a level one priest couldn''t display much. Even if given one hand, he could be easily dealt with "Don''t hurt himcough, cough, cough, don''t hurt him" The barbarian roared, struggling, using the bone club to laboriously climb up. Standing up, spitting blood, falling down, spitting blood, standing up againGordon glanced indifferently and turned his head. Then, he saw the young priest climb up in a sorry state from the ground, his left hand reaching into his pouch, his right palm pushing forward flatly, making a somewhat familiar and somewhat unfamiliar gesture. "#@%" A blazing white torrent of flames surged forward. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 145 Chapter 145 Pure white flames spewed forward in a 10-meter range, forming a 60-degree cone, centered around Garrett Nordmark''s outstretched right palm. The eruption to impact took just a moment, not even a full second. As Gordon Knight approached, he showed no reaction, allowing his face to be bathed in the scorching white flames. The 1st-level priest of the god of nature, a low-level opponent in the eyes of a 9th-level knight like Gordon, seemed like a joke. Gordon, confident in his superiority, made no effort to guard against the oncoming attack. Then, the flames surgedbright, dark. In an instant, Gordon Knight lost his sight. He couldn''t see the small priest rolling on the ground, the enemy drawing a bow and shooting, or even an arrow flying past him towards his comrade. He saw nothing, felt nothing. From Garrett''s perspective, the knight across from him froze in the white fire, facial features disappearing, even the surface of the skull revealing black holes. The faceplate, helmet, and armor on the front burst into bright sparks, metal beginning to burn. "This person is doomed," Garrett thought. Crouching on the ground, he rolled to the side, reaching into his pouch with his left hand to grip the second tube of oxygen. The enemy, hit by the high-temperature flames head-on, suffered third-degree burns, with skin layers charred into the muscles and bones. Eyes, ears, nosedestroyed. Even if the brain didn''t char, cerebral edema leading to shock would quickly occur. Observing the burning armor, Garrett speculated on the charred throat, trachea, carotid artery, and more. Suffocation and death in minutes. "This is the first person I''ve killed with my own hands," Garrett thought silently. The detachment he felt, as if watching everything through a screen, was a stark contrast to the reality of the moment. On the mountain path, silence ensued. The judges'' knights, the squires, the special forces soldiers, and the barbarian Bernard froze in their movements, dumbfou "Little Garrett!" "Your Excellency Priest!" Seventeen or eighteen voices erupted from the group of nineteen present. Captain Barnes and Bernard rushed to help him, almost tearing Garrett in half. Reacting quickly, they avoided the embarrassing situation. Garrett fell back to the ground, lacking the strength to protest. Exclamations erupted again, making his dizziness worse. Cold sweat oozed out in waves. "I''m fine... I''m just hungry... give me a bottle of Level 10 candy..." A moment of silence followed. No gentle nurse wiping his sweat, no familiar glucose solution flowing into his mouth. Instead, a large, hard, tough thing was forcefully stuffed into his mouth. Garrett chewed, and his teeth almost got stuck. "Mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm... I wanted glucose! Not malt sugar!" "I told you he can''t!" Bernard thundered in his ear. "Why sugar! What he needs is meat! Eat meat!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 146 Chapter 146 "What? Menewa is dead? Four dead, two injured in the pursuit team?!" Bishop Hoke in the red robe was shocked and angry. His thin face turned from blue to white, then white to blue again. On his sharp, bald head, it seemed like steam was about to burst out Hoke couldn''t help but be astonished and furious. Although he led a massive army, it didn''t mean he could command all ten thousand of them freely. In fact, among these ten thousand troops, there were several factions with different backgrounds and motives: The Holy Knights of the Holy See, the Black Cavaliers of the Tribunal, the armies of the Galorin Kingdom and the Rhine Kingdom, the private armies of local lords along the way... Each had their own thoughts, each had their own backers. The royal army always aimed to preserve its strength; Among the local lords, there were always a few young men orbiting around the Radiant Lady; The ascetic monks paid no attention to anything but the glory of God; The Tribunal would occasionally grab someone and execute them... As the commander of this army, he could handle the army according to the strategy predetermined by the Holy See, but dealing with things that were not particularly publiclike capturing some heretics to execute, searching for the heretics who sank the ship and blocked the river, saving his face as the commander... For him, the Menewa team was a rare and highly effective weapon. Moreover, Gordon Menewa himself was a 9th-level knight, just one step away from becoming a grand knight. If he couldn''t retrieve the situation, it would be like getting slapped in the face. "The dignity of the Radiant Lord cannot be profaned! Whoever harms the Holy Knights of the Holy See must pay with blood!" In just a moment, Hoke made up his mind, stood up with dignity, and his red robe fluttered: "Master Talanto, please come over! Knight Faelmor, please come over! AndDeputy Referee Lusen, please come over!" Master Talanto was the first to arrive. He was the one who prayed in the sky last night. In the cold weather, he still had bare feet, wearing a rough linen white robe with no hem and a thorny crown on his head. Lowering his head, he twirled a string of wooden beads, seemingly indifferent to everything. Only when he saw the charred body of Gordon Menewa did he stop twirling the beads for a moment, and a hint of anger flashed in his eyes: "Heretic?!" "Brother Menewa was indeed killed by heretics." Bishop Hoke, in the red robe, bowed respectfully. "Master, please discern what kind of evil magic he died under." Master Talanto lowered his head to look. A knight attendant who had escaped was standing beside him, muttering continuously, describing the tragic situation of the captain. Master Talanto seemed oblivious, focusing on the examination, even reaching down to touch the twisted edge of the armor. Soon, the sound of armor clanking echoed as Knight Faelmor and Deputy Referee Lusen arrived together. Knight Faelmor, entering the room, immediately said: "..." Hoke instinctively felt a bit uneasy. Deputy Referee Lusen stared at him steadily, his eyeballs not turning for a long time, reflecting the figure of Bishop Hoke in the reddened pupils. Facing each other alone, Lusen''s voice became colder, as if a vocal cord had been buried in the soil for twenty years and was unearthed without being oiled: "Exorcism Compass. Give it to me... I want to use it to detect evil fluctuations and find those heretics." ... This is my private thing! It was hard to kill a wizard and snatch it! The bishop''s heart twitched. However, in the face of Deputy Referee Lusen''s icy gaze and considering the consequences of enmity and losing face, he reluctantly pulled the corners of his mouth: "You can borrow it for three days... 7th-level or higher mages should be easy to find." "Thirty days!" "Three days are enough, right?" "Two months!" "Alright, thirty days then!" Damn, this compass is what I use to hunt mages after landing! This is like splitting it in half! Lusen nodded silently, took the compass, and left. He returned to his own ship, activated the compass after twenty squads of Tribunal Black Cavaliers landed to search, and looked closely when he reached the place where Gordon died... "7th-level mage... none. 6th-level... none. 5th-level... still none. 4th-level... they''ve run twenty miles away! Cowardly devil! Chase after them!" Hooves thundered, and they rolled away. Garrett and others huddled in the mountain hollow:... Who are they chasing? Us? Did they go in the wrong direction? --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 147 Chapter 147 The recent pursuit by the tribunal, despite being in the wrong direction, had brought significant trouble to Garrett Nordmark and his companions.Folloow current novE?ls on nov/3lb((in).(co/m) Why? Because of their sheer numbers. Deputy Chief Judge Lusen, despite underestimating the strength of Garrett''s group, spared no effort in deploying manpower. Twenty squads, 200 men, mounted on fast horses, spread out like a wide net. Garrett and his team had been running through the mountains for two days, attempting to slip to the edge of the mountain path several times to find a way back to the main camp. However, they always encountered cavalry spreading out like a net, blocking the outer perimeter of the mountain area and every exit. They were tightening the circle inward. "It''s impossible, we can''t get out," the stealthy one, Linde Ferrell, hissed as he slid down a grassy slope and entered a cave. "They''re getting closer and closer... Hurry up, retreat inside!" The warriors got up in a disorganized manner, grabbing spears, hoisting large swords, and carrying shields. Garrett, on the other hand, was being carried by a follower. The shield warrior, York, anxiously looked at the entrance of the cave and then turned his expectant gaze toward the captain. "This won''t work! We only have one day''s worth of rations left. If we can''t break through, we''ll be trapped here! We need to come up with a plan!" "A plan..." Captain Barnes furrowed his brow even tighter than before. In just one day, his face, covered in red stubble, had become disheveled, with a series of blisters forming at the corners of his mouth. He hesitated as he looked at the surrounding soldiers, then at Garrett, and finally at a few injured soldiers. "There''s one way, but it''s too risky..." "What way?" several voices asked simultaneously. Captain Barnes grimaced and then decisively spoke: "Cross the river!" They chose to cross the river in the middle of the night, just as the moon was approaching its zenith. At this time, the rising tide of the Dov River was about to end, and the ebb tide had not yet begun. The fleet of the Radiant Lord could hardly move upstream along the river at this time. With the power of the rising tide offsetting the current, they wouldn''t be pushed too far downstream. In the deep winter, the river water was ice-cold. Garrett undressed, stuffed his clothes into his bag, and cast a Bubble spell to envelop himself. Then, taking a deep breath, he activated the Cold Resistance Heat Resistance magic ring given by Linde. Finally, he lunged forward, grabbing onto a tree trunk tightly. Bernard clutched the other end of the tree trunk with both hands and lowly exclaimed, "Hold on tight!" With a splash, they, along with the tree trunk, entered the water. The river water felt slightly cool, like the refreshing sensation of swimming on a summer afternoon. Garrett knew it was the effect of magical protection. Cold Resistance Heat Resistance allowed him to feel comfortable in extreme cold glaciers and scorching deserts. Almost immediately, a chorus of gasps and teeth chattering sounded around him. How cold must it be for those without magical protection? Could they endure it? The warriors without magical protection, the ones who had just healed superficial wounds, could they endure it? "Run!" Bernard was the first to jump up, grabbing Garrett and leaving. Garrett turned back and urgently shouted: "Put out the fire! Put out the fire!" The group rushed frantically into the darkness. In the chaos, Garrett glanced back and saw a warrior standing tall on the mountaintop, putting all his strength into throwing a shield. Another person leaped into the air, stepping on the shield, instantly crossing half of the river! A master! Such a formidable master! Although he couldn''t fly through the air yet and probably hadn''t reached level ten, with this level of skill, he could catch up to the knight, Bernard, who was heavily injured! Garrett shuddered. With such a master in pursuit, the special forces couldn''t take care of each other. Everyone had to run for their lives, and whether they escaped or not depended on individual luck. A journey of escape, a journey of battle. The next morning, in the faint light of dawn, Garrett was finally cornered on the mountaintop. On his left and right, only Bernard, the barbarian, and Captain Barnes, who had lost an arm, remained by his side. Ahead, a small team of black-clad knights formed a formation, steadily approaching. Two held shields, two wielded spears, and one brandished a heavy sword. On the helmets of the leading two, there was a row of golden stars shimmering brightly. One level eight, four level fives. There were also shouts of people running uphill, and some were desperately crossing the river on the opposite bank... "Little Garrett, I''m sorry." With things having come to this point, Captain Barnes gazed at the river water from a distance, smiling bitterly. "If I had known it would come to this, when blocking the river, I should have let you go first." "Without me, how would you have blown up the ship?" Garrett smiled back. He put down his backpack, laid the oak staff horizontally at his feet, and once again gripped a tube of pure oxygen. "Let''s fight first! With just these few, I don''t believe we can''t handle them!" I still have seven tubes of pure oxygen in my bag! And ten tubes of potassium permanganate! Five opponents in total, burning one is one down, defeating three is breaking even, defeating four is a profit! Even if not, I can time travel again! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 148 Chapter 148 With a flat palm push, white flames spewed forth. The fierce flames surged recklessly. In front of the flames, two black-armored knights simultaneously lifted their shields and stepped forward. The kite shields, half the height of a person, emitted a white light, directly charging towards the flames!Thi/s chapter is updated by The defensive divine magic of the Radiant Lord''s priesthood was indeed unique. Garrett Nordmark''s improved version of the Burning Hand had a minimum temperature of at least 1500 degrees, enough to ignite steel However, as the shields closed in on each other, the white light on the shields not only firmly resisted the flames but also expanded to the sides, up, and down. Behind the shields, the knights with face-concealing helmets and boots on the ground remained untouched by the flames! Of course, after withstanding this attack, the white light on the shields flickered twice and extinguished. Yet, the knight holding the shield remained unharmed, continuing to exert force and advancing within five meters of Garrett! "Charge!" behind the shield warrior, the swordsman with a large sword shouted loudly. "Dragon Breath Spell requires chanting time" The shield warrior continued charging. Two men with spears rushed from behind. Captain Barnes, with only his left arm, tightened his waist knife, while Bernard gripped a bone club with both hands, slightly bent at the waist At this moment, Garrett, with a forward-facing right palm, once again unleashed pure white flames. Dragon Breath Spell? What Dragon Breath Spell? This is my Burning Hand! A mere level one spell, with pure oxygen, I can almost cast it instantly! Pure white flames swept again. This time, the unsuspecting two shield warriors could only raise their steel shields to block their faces. "Ah" Two miserable screams. The kite shields, half the height of a person, covered their faces but not their legs. Where the white flames passed, shin guards and iron boots instantly ignited Not to mention the two legs inside the iron armor, the white flames passed, burning them black and exposing the bones. The two shield warriors could still move forward, relying entirely on inertia. Bernard stepped forward, roared loudly, and with his bone club swept them away from the cliff! Almost simultaneously, Garrett briskly followed, pushing out the Burning Hand for the third time. The two ghostly soul knights, wielding spears, who were attacking from behind the shield warriors, were in a panic. One subconsciously rolled to the ground, while the other dodged to the right, attempting to avoid the conical spread of the white flames. However, Garrett had studied this magic for a long time. At this moment, he pressed his palm slightly downward, and the scorching white flames engulfed the knight rolling on the ground. Then, with a swing to the side, the flames engulfed the second spear-wielding knight. The last black-clad knight, wielding a heavy sword, turned pale and fled. The opponents suddenly charged. The white flames from Garrett''s palm spewed out. The first shot! Ineffective! The second shot! The white light on the shield wavered slightly but remained ineffective! The third shot! The fourth shot! The fifth shot!!! Garrett''s vision went black. With his mental power, he could only cast a level one spell five times a day, and there had to be some interval. Squeezing them out almost instantly drained his entire spirit However, the knights on the opposite side, only extinguished the white light, and their shields and armor were unharmed! They had already come over... Three steps away, Bernard''s bone club was already raised... The sixth shot! The ring finger and pinky finger reached into the waist pouch, grabbing the mana pearl given by the old mage. A flash of light, and white flames roared. Garrett fell backward, looking up at the sky. Three steps away, the intense white light illuminated the terrified faces of the knights. "God says, whoever worships me, I will protect him." Suddenly, a prayer echoed in the sky. Not fast, leisurely, calm, but as soon as the first word was uttered, a white light lit up on the shield, just resisting the white flames of the Burning Hand! The knights continued to charge. Bernard roared, raised the bone club high, and swung it down with a wind noise Boom!!! A semi-transparent sphere descended, perfectly covering Garrett and the other two. The bone club deeply penetrated the sphere, and the charging shield warriors were bounced back. "Lusen, you''re getting more backward as you live, actually bullying a level one kid?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 149 Chapter 149 A Level 1 kid?The source of this content no/v(el)bi((n)) Are they talking about me? Garrett tilted his head, trying hard to look up, but the angle was so steep that he couldn''t see anything. He decided to just lie down on the ground, completely stretching himself out, limbs extendedah, much better. Then he saw it. Behind his head in the void, a magical airshipor should we call it a shuttle? Since it was quite small compared to the legendary Zeppelinhovered. In any case, it was the first flying contraption Garrett had seen since crossing into this world. A short distance from the airship''s hatch, three mages stood casually, seemingly his saviors. The one in the lead stood in the void, robes fluttering. The person on the left seemed to be standing on something, flashing intermittently, and Garrett couldn''t quite see. As for the person on the right, they were comfortably seated on a flying horse, which occasionally snorted. Oh, a flying horse! Garrett''s attention was immediately drawn to it. The horse was entirely snowy white, with smooth fur devoid of any discoloration, and only the gently shimmering wings had a rainbow glow. It stood peacefully in midair, looking serene and elegant, incredibly inviting to touch. Garrett''s eyes were practically glued to the sight. Meanwhile, on the opposite side, Vice Referee Lusen seemed to be facing a formidable enemy. He gestured, and five warriors flew into the air, forming a formation around him again: "Karel! Why are you here?!" "Why can''t I come?" The mage at the forefront took a step forward. His movements seemed casual, as if there were transparent steps under his feet, allowing him to ascend effortlessly. In the morning light, his golden robe billowed in the wind, like a small sun hanging in midair. With each step forward, Lusen took a step back. Two steps forward, Lusen retreated two steps. By the third step, Lusen changed direction and fled to the east. Bright feathered wings left a long trail of flames, and soon, they disappeared from sight. "So, how did you end up here?" Master Karel, leaning against the porthole, asked again. "You''re from Hartland City... shouldn''t you be in the camp on the opposite side?" Garrett could only recount his experiences of the past few days. Master Karel clapped his hands and laughed: "I wondered why the ship suddenly sank, making us wait for several days. It turns out it was your doing! But, you have courage, and you did it beautifully!" Garrett slowly opened his mouth wide. After racking his brains, racing all night to blow up a ship, block the river, and then being chased in the mountains for days, nearly losing his lifeonly to hear from the Grand Mage of the Magic Council, "making us wait for several days"? So, even if he didn''t blow up the ship, there were people specifically watching this fleet? Master Karel laughed heartily but didn''t elaborate. The airship descended along the river, heading west at a leisurely pace. Before long, Garrett saw the battlefield on the ground With the Duofu River as the boundary, on the east bank, Count Norman''s coalition had crossed half the river and was entangled in a fierce battle with the Midland County''s army; on the west bank, half of the forces had yet to cross the river, and the Radiant Lord''s fleet had already sailed upstream, abandoned the ships, landed, and charged! Garrett leaned on the porthole, watching in cold sweat. They desperately blew up the ship, blocked the river, and then sent someone to inform the main camp, fearing precisely this scenario. The army, halfway through crossing the river, had their rear cut off by another fresh force It was easy to imagine how shaken the morale of the army, cut off in the middle of the river, would be. Among the troops below were his comrades, fellow soldiers, the warriors he had treated in these days, and the priests he had studied medicine with! Garrett tightly gripped the porthole, wanting to ask Master Karel for help, but he understood that in the face of such a large-scale battle, his influence was indeed too light. The airship didn''t approach the battlefield; it circled from a distance, heading north. Before long, another army appeared on the distant horizon. Rows were neat, banners fluttering. The deep blue hexagram flag soared high, leading in front of each formationit was the army of the Magic Council! "Do you see it clearly? We''ve been waiting for several days, preparing to cut off their retreat." Master Karel finally stood up. He walked towards the ship''s door, placing his palm on the edge and suddenly turned around with a smile: "I remember now, you''re the kid who developed the new usage of ''Magic Detection.'' I''ve read your paperthe Magic Council''s training program. Why don''t you join us? After this battle, come with me!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 150 Chapter 150 This chapter is missing , we are fix soon ! Thi/s chapter is updated by Chapter 151 Chapter 151 This chapter is missing , we are fix soon ! Updated from Chapter 152 Chapter 152 "Did the teacher really ask us to research bats?" "I dont want to, theyre so dirty..." "Are you stupid? Ive seen the evaluation of that echo magic: groundbreaking, but limited by the creators power, theres a lot of room for improvement. Theres no easier magic to score points with! And its an apprentice-level magic, perfect for our research!" "After dinner, lets go buy bats!" "Count me in! Well go together!" The young boys and girls walked out in groups, discussing the research topics left by the great mage. Garrett trailed behind, hearing that about half of the seventy or eighty people planned to get bats, causing him to break into a cold sweat. After the class on sound-related magic, the great mage assigned a task to everyone: improve the echo detection magic or explore their own unique magic by referencing the ideas from bat flight experiments. A word was spoken, and lamentations arose. The training courses schedule was flexible, with one major class per day, leaving the rest of the time for self-study, experiments, and research. Ten days for each of the eight schools, with two days off, and on the eleventh day, it started all over again. A monthly quiz assessed mental strength growth and magic learning progress. A quarterly exam evaluated students magic research results. Although not all the post-class assignments had to be completed, anyone who had conducted research knew: Having a mentor point out the direction for your topic in research is invaluable! Especially in a direction with a low entry threshold, rich ideas, and relevance to current hot topics! The students eagerly rushed towards the opportunity. Garrett also wanted to initiate research related to ultrasound, but as he searched and inquired along the way, when he reached the magical materials center in the academy, the salesperson regretfully informed him: "Sorry, bats are out of stock." "Not even one?" Garrett was shocked. His classmates were really good at clearing out inventory... But perhaps bats were a niche magical material, and the center didnt have much in stock? He thanked the clerk and went out to inquire. Their training course was at the Bridge Magic Academy, right at the foot of the Magic Council headquarters. It was a bustling area. Garrett walked less than five hundred meters after leaving the school gate and found a small shop specializing in magical materials. When he entered, someone was inquiring about the price of bats: "Bats? 5 gold coins for a live one, 1 gold coin for a dead one. Big or small, same price." "5 gold coins?" Garrett was shocked. He did have some savings gifts received during the hospital opening, allowances received after the war, and the teachers secret fund before coming to the Magic Council. It added up to over a hundred gold coins. It seemed like a considerable amount, but if used to buy bats, it would disappear in an instant. "In these few days... how many bats have been sold in the market?!" Garrett had a growing sense of unease. Glancing around the shop, seeing no sign of the owner, he extended a finger and silently pushed a silver coin across the counter. The clerk glanced at him, quietly took the coin, and continued to shake his head. "Hard to say. Our store is average, maybe two or three hundred. Just on this street, at least three stores are larger than ours. As for the academy, council headquarters, and places like that..." He paused, tilted his head in thought, then made a sucking sound, clicking his tongue. "Hard to say." Garretts ominous feeling intensified. One store, two or three hundred bats; four stores, over a thousand. Add in the academy, the Magic Council, and the like, and it might double... How many people were messing around with bats? With so many mages, how many innovative ways would there be to experiment with bats?! This thing was a walking virus! In his past life, he had read about bats carrying over 4,100 types of viruses, including over 500 coronaviruses! Was Ebola not terrifying enough when it killed people? Was the power of SARS insufficient? Or did Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) lack presence? Even the less-known Marburg virus, Nipah virus, Hendra virus, Hantavirusone after another, they were not easy to deal with... It was fine when things were calm, but now, with dozens or even hundreds of mages all rushing to study bats, without latex gloves, without protective masks, without protective eyewear, without positive-pressure protective suits, without a P4 laboratory capable of effectively isolating the virus... No experience, no protection, and they still wanted to study live subjects. If even one of them got infected, by some stroke of bad luck, it could spread person to person, and the epidemic could sweep through the council headquarters! Garrett took a deep breath, then exhaled deeply. The excitement of wanting to study ultrasound from the lecture had completely faded, replaced entirely by a sense of unease. How could he stop this bat research trend and eliminate the potential risk of an epidemic? --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 153 Chapter 153 How can we eliminate the risk of infectious diseases? Garrett Nordmark spread out his paper and quill on his desk. The Magic Council had treated them well, allocating a dedicated dormitory at the Bridge Academy, located below the headquarters mountain, for the visiting scholars. Despite arriving late, Garrett managed to secure a private room with a bathroom. The room was equipped with a bed, bookshelf, wardrobe, and various furnishings. Though smaller than the suites in the Mage Tower, it was sufficient for Garretts needs. With tranquility, Garrett began writing his thesis. The quill glided across the pristine paper, not as convenient as a ballpoint pen but still serviceable in this era. Garrett, having experienced the challenges of transcribing books onto low-quality thick paper, found the current writing conditions satisfactory: "Research on the Possibility and Prevention of Diseases Caused by Close Contact with Bats" Keywords: Bats, Diseases, Contagion, Virus Host Garrett paused his pen. Bats carry over 4100 types of viruses, making them a source of many diseases that occasionally erupt. However, without high-powered microscopes, proving this point was a daunting challenge. Well, this was indeed a serious challenge. Putting down his quill, Garrett rested his chin on his hand, absentmindedly tracing his jaw with his thumb. He pondered on the fact that his expertise was in clinical medicine, not research. Even if those researchers were given a scenario where they lacked resources and couldnt afford bats, ten out of ten would be infuriated. Garrett glanced around the room. Various tools were at his disposal alcohol lamps, flasks, crucibles, test tubes a complete set of simple alchemical equipment lay neatly arranged. Two large bottles of high-concentration alcohol sat nearby, looking harmless. The microscope was still in its box, yet to be unpacked. Surgical instruments were in another box, tightly wrapped and unopened, unsterilized. During his deployment on the battlefield, he had adopted a moving-house approach, packing almost half a hospital. Fortunately, that proved useful; otherwise, would the Magic Councils airship have taken a detour to fetch his luggage? Garrett was confident it wouldnt. However, these alchemical devices surely wouldnt assist him in conducting experiments. Garrett mentally crossed out the possibility, thinking of the P4 laboratories he had seen in the news, and comparing it to the alchemical equipment before him, which couldnt even match a high school chemistry lab. Garrett began to search another small box. Aen Stone, Healing Potions all useless. Confirming that all his current magical equipment was of no help, Garrett expressionlessly pulled out a letter from his teacher. After some consideration, he retrieved his paper on bacteria and dysentery, magically duplicated it, tucked it into his waist pouch, and briskly walked out of the academy. "Bernard... Bernard!" The academys single rooms were only sufficient for Garrett himself. Of course, a barbarian could sleep on the floor, but Garrett didnt want him to feel cramped or add another over two-meter tall giant into the limited space. So, for the time being, the barbarian was accommodated in an inn. Garrett planned to explore and find a house to rent when he had time after class. However, for now... "Bernard, accompany me to Oakridge. Lets seek help from the teachers friend!" "Fire works this way, and so does life! This patient is struggling to breathe; ordinary air isnt enough for him. He needs to inhale this pure gas!" Is that so? The servants of the god of nature remained skeptical. The room fell silent, with only the patients rapid breaths and the occasional sounds of the bellows-like wind machine. Elder Wood suddenly reached out: "Child, let me see that tube in your hand." Garrett quickly handed over the new test tube. Elder Wood held the smooth walls of the tube, examining it from all angles, but couldnt make sense of it. Finally, he had to ask Garrett: "Child, is the gas in this tube what you call pure and capable of sustaining human vitality?" "Yes!" "Using it will help the patient?" "It helps, but its scarce! We need a lot of this gas... its best to have a mask covering the patients face or insert a tube directly into their lungs." Ventilators, oxygen pipes, or at least an oxygen tank; what use is this small test tube? Elder Wood frowned in contemplation. Holding the tiny test tube in his left hand, he suddenly raised his right hand, pointing the oak staffs tip towards the patient: "Lets give it a try then." The tip of the staff, adorned with green leaves, gently swayed, and a translucent bubble materialized out of thin air, enclosing the patients head. It was the bubble technique Garrett had learned. A level 1 mage or a level 1 priest could use it. The seasoned priest effortlessly employed the spell. "I pray: Fill the bubble with the same gas as in this glass tube, sustaining human vitality, allowing the patient to effortlessly inhale..." Garrett was dumbfounded. No potassium permanganate heating, no high-pressure separationdirectly using divine magic to gather pure oxygen? Sir, are you sure what youve gathered is truly pure oxygen? Is there no contamination, like carbon monoxide? What is the underlying principle here? Regardless, this peculiar divine magic indeed had an effect. The bubble techniqueor rather, the bubble serving as an oxygen maskgradually stabilized the patients complexion, and the bluish tint on their lips began to recede. Oxygen inhalation, or whatever it was, was truly effective! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 154 Chapter 154 With the support of pure oxygen (?), the tug-of-war between healing spells and the ailment finally broke the deadlock. Elder Wood maintained the pure oxygen (?) bubble spell, while the level 5 priest beside him continuously chanted healing spells, successfully suppressing the patient¡¯s symptoms. After finishing the treatment and sending away the patient, Elder Wood looked at Garrett Nordmark with eyes that had suddenly risen by 60 degrees Celsius. If it was around 40 degrees before, like comfortably warm water, with the impression of "Oh, a disciple from a faraway place," after Garrett demonstrated his skills, it instantly skyrocketed to 100 degrees Celsius, bubbling and on the verge of boiling. Elder Wood was inherently mild-mannered. This amiable old man stared at the glass tube in his hand, his eyes eager to fly out of their sockets, itching to examine the gas inside the tube with his fingertips. However, after several glances, he averted his gaze and handed the glass tube back: "Thank you! Hmm, you are Garrett Nordmark, Elwin¡¯s disciple, right?" Garrett quickly handed over the letter. Elder Wood scrutinized it page by page, both surprised and amused: "Acting as both a priest and a mage? Delaying the Magic Council¡¯s training to combat the plague? Even going to the battlefield with it?¡ªNot bad, not bad. Elwin has taken in a good apprentice." His gaze towards Garrett became even more affectionate: "Your teacher has been a good friend of mine for many years. He asked me to continue teaching you divine magic. From now on, you¡¯ll be like being by your teacher¡¯s side while you¡¯re with me. If you have any doubts or need assistance, just ask." "I do have something to ask for the Elder¡¯s help." Garrett seized this opportunity, eager to continue: "Today in the academy, my teacher assigned a research project..." He narrated his experiences today in detail. Elder Wood initially listened with a smiling face, but as Garrett expressed his speculations and concerns, his expression turned serious. When Garrett finished sharing his guesses and worries, Elder Wood frowned, glanced at the door, and the kind smile vanished from his chubby face: "What you say makes sense. Recently, I¡¯ve treated several patients who went into the mountains to catch bats. I¡¯ll write a letter now to remind acquaintances in the council." "Writing a letter from the Elder would be great." Garrett sighed in relief: "But I think we still need to prove the connection between these diseases and bats, or at least demonstrate a high likelihood of getting sick when in close contact with bats. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid convincing those mages will be difficult. They might think that adventurers falling ill has other causes." "Hmmm..." Elder Wood pondered. He unconsciously twirled his beard as he contemplated. The black and white intertwined beard curled around his index finger, getting tighter and tighter. Seeing this, Garrett was worried that the beard might be plucked off directly. Fortunately, Elder Wood was accustomed to this movement. After circling clockwise seven or eight times, just as the beard reached its limit, he began to twist counterclockwise. After several rounds back and forth, he finally looked up and asked Garrett directly: "What¡¯s your plan?" "I have some plans, but I can¡¯t do it alone; I need help." Garrett had already formulated a plan before setting out, refining and expanding it several times on the way. Now, he presented it smoothly without stumbling. As he spoke, he couldn¡¯t help but marvel silently¡ªif only he had this eloquence when applying for research projects back in the day, maybe he would have pursued a career in research: "My plan is divided into two parts. First, research the current patients. Elder, please contact nearby healers to investigate their cases. If we can find a batch of patients among those who recently had close contact with bats, and their symptoms are similar, we can preliminarily conclude that bats can cause illness. Especially for adventurers who go into the mountains to catch bats, the shopkeepers and staff who sell bats, and mages studying bats, if they all have similar cases, the evidence becomes more apparent." Elder Wood nodded gently. He released his twisted beard and blew on his fingers¡ªindeed, a white strand of beard fell off. The old man regretfully looked at his fingertip, then raised his head, presenting a steady and reliable expression: "That makes sense. You don¡¯t know the local healers; I¡¯ll contact them. And the second part?" "Well, I also need some means to isolate people from bats. Since I know they are dangerous, it¡¯s not good if I get infected myself. It would be best if they can¡¯t bite me or spit on me. If an animal sneezes, I won¡¯t inhale anything..." Garrett replied nervously. In reality, he wanted to set up a P4 laboratory, or at the very least, a monkey version. For example, a negative pressure airtight chamber with an interlocking airlock, an exhaust pump, filtration, and burning the gases from the red zone. Without natural gas, he could consider hard burning, like Garrett¡¯s modified Burning Hand... But the rented house definitely couldn¡¯t handle such modifications. Even if he could afford a new house, the remodeling would be a massive project. Forget it, maybe he could ask if there were isolation suits available. "You¡¯ve thought it through." Elder Wood praised. He frowned in thought for a moment, "What you said makes sense. Wait a moment, I¡¯ll go get..." He turned and went inside. After a while, he came back with a pile of dusty clothes, handing them to Garrett, "Try these on, see if they fit?" Garrett examined each item. A black, thick hat with a broad brim that could almost cover his eyes. Thick gloves that felt like he wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything once he put them on. Clear glass eyeglasses, the quality of the glass was questionable, with some bubbles and cracks. A heavy, black coat with a rough texture, possibly canvas, with a slightly reflective surface¡ªalmost like it was coated in wax. Garrett had a bad feeling. As he opened the coat, the essence of this outfit was revealed, confirming his suspicions: a bird beak mask. A long silver bird beak, not used for many years, oxidized to a dark color. Garrett tried to stretch it between his thumb and forefinger, finding it shorter than he expected. It had some straps around the edges, seemingly used to secure it on the head. Garrett picked it up and looked inside; the mask was filled with something that had completely decayed into residue, making it impossible to discern its original components. If his knowledge from his previous life was accurate, there might have been herbs like mint leaves and rose petals inside, and if lucky, some spices like cloves, camphor, benzoin, and dragon¡¯s blood... You might as well give me activated charcoal! Although it¡¯s cheap and odorless, it¡¯s more reliable than these spices! Garrett felt like crying. Elder Wood continued speaking, "This is used to deal with the most severe plagues. Initially, I thought it wouldn¡¯t be necessary. If you think you need it, you can take it and try it out." I... I want latex gloves! I want protective clothing! I want N95 masks! Face shields! Safety goggles! Sorry, I¡¯ll never complain again about how stuffy the protective suits the hospital provides are. Every time I take them off, they¡¯re soaked... Tears streamed down Garrett¡¯s face. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 155 Chapter 155 Garrett Nordmark finally returned to the academy, clad in his bird-beaked coat. Well, ancient wisdom had its merits. At least Garrett lacked the skill to craft medical-grade protective masks. It wasn¡¯t something he could patch up with needle and thread. Just take a look at the melt-blown fabric; even China Petrochemical Corporation had to roll up its sleeves and urgently deploy production lines. The sixteen-layer gauze mask, also known as the Wu Liande mask, wasn¡¯t something Garrett dared to rely on. Sure, it worked against bacteria, like that time with Mr. Wu Liande. But against viruses? Well, everyone had seen the bloody lesson. Later on? Later on was, "Back in the day, we were poor and had only gauze masks. Now that we¡¯re rich, we¡¯ve also gained more knowledge ¨C enter the N95 mask!" Garrett also considered magical means. He cast a Bubble Spell, encapsulating his forehead. Theoretically, this could isolate the exchange of air between inside and outside, allowing the recipient to breathe only the air inside the bubble. In other words, if lucky, it could be used to block droplets. Then came the experimental phase. Bernard lifted a cup of water laced with ink and took a big sip. Then, he took a deep breath, unleashing his full lung capacity at Garrett. "Pfft!" Garrett Nordmark blinked his eyes, revealing two clear whites. His face, however, was now covered in ink spots, a complete mess. Alright, he couldn¡¯t withstand the water spray, and naturally, he couldn¡¯t resist sneezing. The Bubble Spell was the most reliable defense magic Garrett had come up with. So, the conclusion was that Garrett had to choose between the bird-beaked suit and the gas mask. However, after assessing his crafting abilities and consulting Bernard, he voluntarily gave up the latter. The gas mask, also known as the pig¡¯s nose, was a simple enough craft. It had a mask body, a filtering canister, and needed to fit the face tightly. Involving skills in leatherworking, blacksmithing, and various other miscellaneous crafts, Garrett couldn¡¯t handle it. So, in the end, Garrett mournfully brought back the ancestors of the complete set of medical protective equipment. Then, he changed his clothes, grabbed his wallet, and hit the streets to find a place for experiments, also a place for the barbarian to stay. No choice there; the Magic Council provided accommodation for trainees, but followers didn¡¯t get such treatment. In fact, even if someone dared to ask, the council could retort: "Why should a Level 1 Mage take on a follower?" "Oh, relying on family?" "One gold coin per month, excluding meals. You can keep small animals in the house, but you must clean up properly. If I catch a whiff of any unpleasant odors, both you and the animals will be out immediately!" Garrett nodded vigorously. The courtyard was sufficient for residents and small animals; large experimental animals could be accommodated elsewhere. He tentatively asked, "Can I build a few sheds outside the back door?" "Whatever you want!" "Deal!" Three days later, Wood Elder¡¯s disciple, Level Four priest Matthew, arrived at the small house with a group of pigs and sheep. Garrett slowly opened his mouth. "How much... do these cost?" he asked tremblingly. Matthew shrugged nonchalantly. "What money? These are borrowed. Just return them when the time comes. We¡¯re responsible for providing feed, feeding on behalf of the owner, and in case of death, we compensate¡ª the church will handle it, they¡¯re not afraid of not getting paid." He muttered a few words while holding the oak staff, and a ring of shrubs sprouted up behind the house, enclosing all the pigs and sheep. Then, he began unloading things from the carriage: a cage of rabbits, another cage of rabbits, yet another cage of rabbits... a cage of bats, a second cage of bats... "Are you going to tell me that these rabbits are borrowed too?" "Of course not!" Matthew looked at him strangely. "Servants of the God of Nature, borrowing a few rabbits? Just catch them in the woods. Oh, there¡¯s also a cage of white ferrets here; you mentioned last time that white ferrets are the best, so we brought a few. Couldn¡¯t get any monkeys, sorry about that." Garrett carefully observed; the cages for the animals were all made of vines, intricately woven, showing no signs of any chopping or tying. No need to ask, these were conjured by divine magic, and it probably didn¡¯t cost a single penny. "Then... the bats...?" "The teacher personally caught them!" Garrett: "..." I thought I was good at getting something for nothing, turns out there¡¯s someone even more skilled than me. Brother Matthew, with so many experimental animals, you didn¡¯t spend a penny, did you? --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 156 Chapter 156 For the past half month, aside from attending regular classes, Garrett Nordmark plunged into animal experiments. He and Matthew, each wearing a set of bird-beak protective suits. As for Bernard, he had to make do with a bubble spell and gauze mask, assisting with lifting and carrying tasks. Barbarian¡¯s constitution is +2? Or is it Toughness +2? Anyway, Garrett felt that the diseases he could catch would, at most, make Bernard sneeze a little... In any case, the safety of the experimenters was temporarily assured. Garrett carefully designed the process and, with the help of Priest Matthew, began the animal experiment: placing each healthy animal in a separate cage, paying attention to the placement and airflow to prevent cross-contamination between cages (Priest Matthew kindly conjured vines and wove cages with grass and leaves, calling up the earth to form walls and separate the cages); One-third of the experimental animals, each cage containing a bat, to observe if the experimental animals living with bats would be infected; One-third of the experimental animals treated differently: adding bat urine, bat feces, bat saliva, or dust collected from bats to the feed and water, or using a cotton swab dipped in bat oral secretions to wipe the nostrils of the experimental animals; The remaining one-third were kept in normal cages as a control group. Feeding every day, observing the animals¡¯ conditions, and writing daily records... Garrett was truly grateful to Priest Matthew. He could build cages, raise earth walls, catch sheep, pigs, rabbits, and bats accurately, and never make a mistake in adding food and water, nor did he find cleaning the animal cages too dirty. Without his help, this animal experiment would truly be impossible to carry out in a day: Garrett himself tried to catch a rabbit once, reaching into the cage to feel for about a minute but couldn¡¯t catch it. The end result was the rabbit kicking his hand on the back. If he hadn¡¯t pulled his hand back quickly, he suspected his fingers might have been broken. Not to mention the lightning-fast white ferret, the mountain-goat-like sheep, and the hundred-kilogram black pig... Garrett just glanced at them and abandoned the idea of doing it himself. He stood beside and directed Priest Matthew, "Catch this rabbit! Turn it over! Measure its temperature! Stick the thermometer in! - Hey, don¡¯t put it in its mouth. I only have one thermometer; don¡¯t let it chew on it! Mercury is poisonous!" "...Then where should I put it?" Garrett stared at Priest Matthew¡¯s eyes under the bird-beak mask, lips tightly closed, resolutely silent. Garrett answered without hesitation, and Priest Matthew, piece by piece, memorized these seemingly mysterious knowledge. Even if he didn¡¯t know what it could be used for, the fact that someone was generously sharing knowledge made it worth his effort to help with the work. "Why do we need an equal number of males and females? We looked for boars and rams for a long time..." Especially boars. Many young boars were killed and eaten, and it wasn¡¯t so easy to borrow a breeding boar, it was almost tear-inducing. In the end, they had to catch a group of wild boars in the woods... "Because the probability of illness in male and female individuals may not be the same..." Ah, poverty... Garrett looked around the animal pens, correcting himself, the animal laboratory, and shed a sympathetic tear for himself. According to the orthodox experimental design method, this number of experimental animals would need to be doubled at least, but... He could barely afford it. Even if he could afford it, there were not enough hands to take care of them. Even if there were enough hands, there weren¡¯t so many people to measure the temperature of each animal one by one... Ah, no wonder those who develop new drugs are big companies. When his status rises in the future, he must ask the Magic Council for a research group specifically to help him raise experimental animals... Garrett added another reason to strive for an upgrade. Holding a notebook, Priest Matthew measured the animal¡¯s temperature once, and he recorded it next to him: "Wild rabbit No. 12, temperature 39... Hmm, 39.2 degrees, normal appetite, normal spirit, normal defecation, no abnormal secretions in the eyes, nose, or mouth, good health... Why do I have to measure if I already told you this rabbit is normal?" "We still have to measure!¡ªBesides, how can you guarantee it¡¯s definitely normal?!" "I can communicate with it! Servants of the God of Nature can do that¡ªNo, you can¡¯t?!" "Um..." Garrett, who is seriously partial to science, didn¡¯t know anything else about the skills of a Nature God¡¯s priest... besides healing arts. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 157 Chapter 157 In fact, Garrett Nordmark completely understood the feelings of Priest Matthew. If he were in charge, he wouldn¡¯t want to measure the body temperature of so many animals either; one at a time was more than enough. After all, it was too much trouble. Wearing a black bird beak suit, a large black hat, and round glasses, every measurement required removing gloves, washing hands, and disinfecting the thermometer¡ª Luckily, it was winter. If it were summer, wearing such an outfit and working hard, Garrett could only imagine succumbing to heatstroke on the spot. Garrett did want to help, but firstly, his combat power was insufficient, and secondly, there was only one thermometer in total. Garrett could only watch nervously from the side, repeatedly cautioning: "Be careful! Don¡¯t break it!" "Be careful! Don¡¯t let the mercury spill! It could poison the animals!" "I know, I haven¡¯t finished disinfecting yet... It has to be done slowly; directly heating the glass tube will cause it to explode. You go wash your hands first..." "Do I really have to wash my hands every time?" After being asked to wash his hands for the 35th time, Priest Matthew finally couldn¡¯t bear it: "Measure once, wash once! Look at my hands, the skin is all wrinkled; another wash, and it¡¯ll crack!" Garrett sadly looked at him, pointing to the nearby box. Priest Matthew¡¯s anger immediately subsided a bit: In the box were the sausage skin gloves Garrett had prepared in advance¡ª12345 pairs in total, all messy and thrown in there. All for him to use; measure one animal, discard one pair, then measure another, and discard another pair. Garrett¡¯s preparation could be described as extremely thorough; looking at this quantity, it seemed like he had scavenged every sausage skin he could find... "Can¡¯t they be reused?" "No. Unless you want to experiment with cross-infection between animals, the test results won¡¯t be accurate." Garrett heartlessly rejected Priest Matthew. Changing gloves and washing hands were nothing; after all, in their emergency surgery, they had to wash their hands once for each patient, then wash again for the next patient... Mage Harvey sneezed and casually picked up a red pen, ticking off that conclusion, and couldn¡¯t be bothered to write any comments. The third one, the fourth one... After reading about thirteen or fourteen papers in one go, Mage Harvey¡¯s eyes were blurred, feeling like he didn¡¯t recognize the words "bat" anymore. He casually threw away one more and grabbed the next paper: "Research on a Disease Caused by Close Contact with Bats" What... what? Researching a disease? Treating diseases is the work of healers, so why did you come to the magical council¡¯s training class? Or is it that there¡¯s a necromancer among this term¡¯s students? I don¡¯t remember there being one? Mage Harvey¡¯s instinct was to throw the paper away. However, with a glance, he happened to see the abstract below: Recently, among adventurers capturing bats, some patients with similar symptoms have appeared. We conducted a comprehensive investigation of people in contact with bats and simultaneously performed animal experiments, confirming that bats may carry some unknown toxin, causing diseases in both animals and humans. The characteristics of this disease include: fever, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, and sore throat, followed by dizziness, drowsiness, and confusion... Mage Harvey shuddered. He suddenly remembered that he had a slight fever and a bit of a sore throat a few days ago. At that time, he thought it was just a cold... If it was related to researching bats, then how many mages were affected? And how many mages would suffer serious consequences? He carefully read on. Many of the research methods in this paper were unfamiliar to him, including a bunch of specifications for animal experiments. However, Mage Harvey could at least tell: The person who wrote this paper put a lot of thought into designing this experiment, making it as detailed and accurate as possible, eliminating all possible interferences. "In conclusion, we can draw a preliminary conclusion: saliva, excrement, inhalation through the nasal cavity, or contamination during the eating process of bats in close contact may pose a pathogenic risk. Therefore, it is recommended to wear masks when researching bats, and after the experiment, be sure to wash hands and face... Don¡¯t let bat products come into contact with food..." The more Mage Harvey read, the more serious his expression became. Finally, with Garrett¡¯s thesis in hand, he knocked on the teacher¡¯s door. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 158 Chapter 158 The magic council¡¯s training session started in mid-July and temporarily concluded on December 21st ¨C the start of the New Year break. From the 22nd, the students could joyfully indulge in eating, drinking, and playing around the Magic Council headquarters. They would return after the New Year to continue the second half of their courses. Naturally, December 21st became the day for the training class to receive their grades. "Amanda Teder, C+." "Ah..." a red-haired girl sighed in disappointment as she walked up to the podium to receive her grade and paper from the assistant. She had been a bit reckless during this period, and after five months, her mental strength had only grown by 30%, not even reaching level two. The highest scores on her two papers were only B-. Although saddened, the grade wasn¡¯t entirely unexpected. "Kristin Price, B-." A blond boy walked up to collect his documents. As he glanced over the paper, his eyebrows immediately furrowed. How could this be! The paper on "Different Parts of Bats as Spellcasting Materials and their Impact on Echo Magic" only received a B-! He thought he could get an A! Trouble was brewing; this New Year wasn¡¯t going to be pleasant... "Corinne Franz, B+." Names were called out one by one, and students approached the podium to collect their papers, wearing gloomy expressions as they left. The grading for this training class was quite strict. With a class of seventy to eighty people, only three received an A-, six or seven got a B+, while the rest were in the B range or below. The group of youngsters, carrying the titles of "genius" and "elite," looked at each other with displeasure. Several students who received C- were relieved, patting their chests in gratitude: "Thank goodness, it was close to getting a D. Getting a D would mean interrupting studies and being sent home." The assistant was impartial, going down the list one by one, finally reaching the last one: "Garrett Nordmark, uh..." What? Nothing? Why wouldn¡¯t there be? A slight commotion filled the classroom. The assistant took off his glasses, wiped them, put them back on, and looked again. At the end of the form, next to Garrett¡¯s name, there still wasn¡¯t a score. Instead, there was a line of small text: "Paper score pending." The assistant loudly announced it. Garrett went up to receive his grade, and on the way, the students whispered and discussed: "Isn¡¯t that strange? Nothing for him?" 2-level magic... Borrowing time is 10 days, and if damaged, compensation is required. Garrett: !!! Feeling like he missed a billion, no, missed several thousand gold coins... Garrett tilted his neck slightly, frozen in front of the price list for a long time, turned around, lowered his head, and walked away dragging his feet. Ah, so many magics in front of him, but he could only look, not learn... The mage tower in Hartland City listed only the names of half of the 0-level magics, one-third of 1-level magics, and surely much less for 2-level magics. To learn others, either exchange privately among mages or spend money to buy from the magic council. Who is responsible for grading his paper... Why did everyone else¡¯s scores come out, but his didn¡¯t... This New Year break, he could have learned several new magics... "Garrett Nordmark?" A voice suddenly rang at the door. Garrett turned his head, turned around, and along with his classmates, looked towards the entrance. A level-five mage in a red robe hurriedly came in, holding a piece of paper, scanning the crowd: "Who is Garrett Nordmark? - Is it you? Come with me!" "What?" "The Archmage wants to see you!" The surroundings suddenly fell silent. In the astonished gazes of his classmates, Garrett was lifted out of the library by the mage, thrown onto a black horse. The black horse, from its size to the saddle and even its gaze, looked exceptionally standard, clearly a product of the [Summon Mount] spell. The mage in the red robe shook the reins, and the two horses ran through the academy, crossing the street. The higher they went, the closer to the foothills they got. In no time, they stopped in front of a long building with an arched roof. Garrett looked at the roof in confusion. The style seemed so familiar ; it felt like a train station... Did they advance in the tech tree and invent trains here? When did that happen? Even physical occupations use carriages, and mages prefer summoning mounts... Then, Garrett really saw the train... or something resembling a train. The length was not impressive, shorter than the high-speed trains from his past life, even the regular trains. The carriages were narrower too. However, they were genuinely sliding on the tracks, clanging gradually as they ascended along the mountainside. "Where are we going?" Garrett asked curiously. The mage in the red robe responded matter-of-factly: "We¡¯re going to the Magic Tower above! - The Archmage is busy, would he come down to see you?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 159 Chapter 159 Garrett Nordmark had been at the headquarters of the Magic Council for over a month, and this was his first opportunity to climb the mountain and witness the core group of mage towers. The small train clanked along the tracks, ascending steadily. As the train gained height, the outside light gradually dimmed. Moisture began to cover the glass windows. Garrett reached out to wipe the mist away and looked outside. The train had entered into a thick fog, reducing visibility to less than 20 meters. Climbing further, rain started to fall, creating dots on the windows that quickly formed into streaks. "I didn¡¯t bring an umbrella!" Garrett pleaded for help from the red-robed mage. High-level mages might have magical protection, like Master Karel, who effortlessly walked in the rain with water parting around him. However, Garrett, being only a 1st-level mage, didn¡¯t possess such abilities. "Don¡¯t worry; you won¡¯t get wet," chuckled the red-robed mage, Harvey. Garrett felt a bit relieved, thinking the rain might stop once they reached the mountaintop. The rain did stop, but... A fierce snowstorm ensued. Before the train even stopped, howling winds carried snowflakes, pounding the windows. The glass rattled, and the train carriage itself seemed to sway suspiciously. Garrett: "..." How strong is this wind? Seven levels? Eight levels? Maybe it¡¯s even beyond nine levels? At this point, I¡¯m not worried about getting wet; I¡¯m concerned about being able to walk! The red-robed mage opposite him remained silent, still smiling. The train ascended a little, reaching a plateau. After advancing another thirty meters, the carriage suddenly quieted down, the wind slowed, and the snowstorm disappeared, as if entering another world. "Welcome to Igor Peak." Harvey Mage had been enjoying Garrett¡¯s astonished expression all along. Finally, as the train came to a stop, he smiled and pointed forward: "What you see is the defense system of the Mage Tower group, Igor Lock. Igor Peak experiences thunderstorms and blizzards all winter, so the lock is usually activated. It not only regulates the climate but also actively absorbs power from the storms." This... is a large active meteorological defense system? And it absorbs energy actively? Even advanced technology in my previous life couldn¡¯t achieve this! "Garrett Nordmark? Your paper mentions limited experimental conditions, making the results uncertain. So, what conditions do you need to ensure accuracy?" "Animal types, quantity, caretakers, experimental environment, equipment," Garrett fluently replied. "For the experiment, there should be at least mice, rabbits, pigs, sheep, horses, and, if possible, add pigeons and dogs. It¡¯s even better to have monkeys. Seek healthy adult specimens, an equal number of males and females, according to a configuration of 100 multiplied by the number of bat species. Bats should be at least 3 to 5 species... Personnel... Housing... Experimental equipment..." I¡¯ve been wanting to ask for a lot! When I sought help from Elder Wood, the experimental conditions were cut and cut again until it couldn¡¯t be cut anymore. It¡¯s like the Southwest Union University building, going from three floors to two, from two floors to a single-story building, from brick walls to adobe walls, from blue tiles to thatched roofs... "If you¡¯re given all these conditions, can you produce the same results?" Master Zephyr patiently asked. "No. I can only say that the more complete the experimental conditions, the greater the probability of obtaining results," Garrett replied without hesitation. "But with your proposed conditions, the consumption would be significant," Master Zephyr said with a hint of a smile. "If you can¡¯t guarantee results, why would the Magic Council agree to a redo?" "I¡¯ve done my best," Garrett answered without hesitation. "I¡¯ve issued the warning, submitted the paper. Whether to spend money on it, whether to repeat the experiment ¨C aren¡¯t these decisions for the Magic Council to make? If the patient refuses to pay, refuses to undergo examinations, we can¡¯t force them, can we?" "Consider this assignment; you just need to give me a score, and I have no issues with anything else," he said frankly. Master Zephyr¡¯s smile deepened: "Then I¡¯ll consider it as your agreement!" Before Garrett could respond, he grabbed a pen, scribbled two lines on the paper, and handed it to Harvey: "Organize the experimental conditions Garrett needs, make an assessment, and apply urgently to the Magic Council. Once approved, let him lead and conduct the experiment again." Garrett: "...Hey!" What did I agree to? I didn¡¯t agree to anything! If you want to repeat the experiment, do it yourselves! I have a lot of things to research, a lot of magic to learn, meditation to do, and upgrades to achieve! Archmages are cunning! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 160 Chapter 160 Garrett Nordmark agreed to repeat the experiment as the host. There was no choice; the Magic Council had been too generous. His grades from last semester were straight A+, allowing him to exchange for two level-1 spells, three level-0 spells, and a 20-day library borrowing privilege. Considering that hosting the repeated experiment would consume time, these exchange rights could be exercised on any day of the next semester. After the repeated experiment, all materials, experimental animals, and equipment would belong to Garrett. If he could prove that bats could indeed spread diseases, the laboratory with many design requirements could also be his. The paper he had written before was recommended to be published in the "Ordinary Mage Monthly." Of course, if Garrett was willing to wait, the results of the subsequent repeated experiments could be combined, and directly recommended to "Arcane" or "Magic." Naturally, rewards related to publishing papers would not be lacking.Visit for updates After the training session, Garrett was allowed to stay at the Bridge Magic Academy for an additional three months, freely reading the library¡¯s books (excluding magic that required money or contribution points). "Teacher really values you." Magician Harvey ran errands with the note from the teacher, sighing to Garrett as he ran, "Independent hosting of a project... I only got this privilege after reaching level 5 this year. There are only two people in my group, much fewer than you!" Garrett gave him a gentle smile. "Thank you very much for your concern, Magician Harvey." He said softly and quickly, "Forgive my boldness, but could you join my research group? We can share the first authorship; you know, this experiment requires quite a few people, and I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to handle it alone." The red-robed magician hesitated for a moment. He shook his head, "No need. This experiment is not in my research direction. If it¡¯s convenient, I can send an apprentice to work under your team? You decide on the authorship, three co-authors are also acceptable." Garrett got the chance to use the resources of the Magic Council for another repeated experiment. Throughout the New Year holiday, from December 21st to January 10th of the following year, he was completely immersed in the experiment: While others were shopping, he was drawing the design of the P4 laboratory. While others were celebrating the New Year, he was herding rabbits, weasels, pigs, sheep, and horses into the laboratory with a group of priests from the Nature Cult. While others were studying new magic scrolls, he was measuring the body temperature of rabbits with a thermometer in one hand and a rabbit in the other. While others were in the academy library, he had a pile of experiment records on his left and a pile of medical records from Elder Wood on his right, writing a paper with great effort, almost sticking his tongue out... On January 11th, the training session resumed. Garrett¡¯s seat was empty, with no sign of him. On January 12th, Garrett still did not appear. On January 13th, Garrett continued to be absent. However, his disappearance did not attract much attention. Garrett was busy with his own research, attending classes and leaving promptly after, never going to the library with classmates, let alone joining group research projects. He didn¡¯t speak during class, left immediately after, and during breaks... oh, the teachers in the training session taught without breaks... For a long time, most of the students in the training session had mixed feelings about him, oscillating between "Do we have someone like that in our class?" and "Oh, the one who was absent for three months last semester." Oh, and now there was one more thing to add: "The one who had no grades last semester..." Of course, he wasn¡¯t the only one absent. Regarding students skipping class, some teachers turned a blind eye, some only scolded the children of familiar families, and some were extremely strict, unable to tolerate anyone skipping class for no reason. On January 15th, the Death Mage Edgar stood on the podium, his face cold, looking at the assistant holding a book, calling the roll one by one: "Amanda Teder." "I know you took ten days off." Mage Edgar¡¯s thin face was cold, without any warmth. "I also know that you broke through to level 2 yesterday and celebrated with a group of people by drinking ¡ª Don¡¯t deny it; I saw you outside the bar! So what if you broke through to level 2? You are all elite individuals selected from various counties. The training session has been going on for half a year, and the Grand Mages of various schools have taken turns lecturing for half a year. Isn¡¯t it natural for you to break through a level? For such a trivial matter, you went out to drink! And even brought a group of people along! And dared to skip class! If this level of achievement satisfies you, you shouldn¡¯t have come to the training session; give your spot to someone more promising!" Mage Edgar looked at the skinny, seemingly skeletal figure with an astonishing lung capacity, scolding continuously for five minutes without stopping. Beside the Death Mage, a dark gold skeleton held a thick stack of paper, making a rattling sound with its upper and lower jaws, whether it was mocking or scolding along. Anthony couldn¡¯t lift his head under the scolding. Behind him, the group of boys and girls who had gone out to celebrate had all lowered their heads. Some had quietly moved to the side of the wall, standing close to it. Mage Edgar scolded with a burst of satisfaction and was about to start the class when another person ran to the door: "Your Excellency Archmage, very sorry! I¡¯m late¡ª" "Who are you again?" Mage Edgar had already picked up the red pen, looking at the attendance list, ready to mark an X next to the newcomer¡¯s name. The person bowed deeply: "Garrett Nordmark. Very sorry!" The Archmage¡¯s pen paused. He looked up at Garrett, from the flattened hair on his forehead (pressed by the surgical cap), to the faded mage robe (result of daily washing spells), and down to the mud on his boots. The more he looked, the more amiable his expression became. Finally, he waved his hand, pointing towards the inside of the classroom: "Be careful not to be late next time. Come in and listen to the class!" "Why is he allowed to come in and listen?" Behind Anthony, a younger boy objected defiantly. Anthony immediately nudged him with an elbow. The boy winced in pain, still looking disgruntled. In front and behind, the late boys and girls who were punished to stand outside all looked at Garrett, some bumping into each other intentionally. Garrett walked through the peculiar gazes and quickly approached his seat. Just as he reached his seat, he heard someone whisper behind him: "All late, aren¡¯t they..." Garrett sat down in his seat. Before he could even spread out his stationery, a large pile of papers fluttered like falling flowers, accurately landing on each person¡¯s desk. Garrett lowered his head to look, and at this moment, Archmage Edgar¡¯s hoarse voice sounded: "Today, we will discuss a newly released paper. In the field of Death Magic, focusing on plagues, it was just approved by the review committee and will be published in the upcoming issue of ¡¯Arcane.¡¯ The author: Garrett Nordmark." --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 161 Chapter 161 Silence engulfed the room.ViisiT for the best novel reading experience Inside and outside the classroom, not a single word was spoken. Other than the heavy and hurried breaths, the only sound was the scraping of chairs on the floor. Garrett¡¯s seat was at the back, and at this moment, almost all the students turned to look at him. The dozen or so boys and girls standing by the door, serving their punishment, stretched their necks, supporting each other¡¯s shoulders, and craned their heads to look at the back of the classroom. "Review... review meeting?" Behind Anthony, a brown-haired boy trembled and poked him in the back. "Anthony, do any of your elders attend review meetings?" "My father¡¯s teacher is..." Anthony¡¯s voice also sounded shaky. His father was a level 9 mage, and to outsiders, he was quite prestigious. However, aside from his father, there were a dozen disciples of the Archmage. Thinking of relying solely on connections to submit his paper to the review meeting... Forget about it. It¡¯s impossible even to show it to the Archmage. You see, the Archmages in the review meeting are appointed by various schools and large research groups, strong at levels 13 or 14, and many are direct disciples of legendary mages. Lower-level mages don¡¯t have such privileges, and mages above level 15, as well as legendary mages who find it troublesome, rarely bother with the review meeting. And what does the review meeting do? It reviews the Magic Council¡¯s budget for the year, approves or rejects pending laws, deals with major unexpected events, and so on... What qualifications does a paper have to be sent to them for review? What paper would they collectively evaluate? Not to mention that it was just approved by the review meeting yesterday and confirmed to be published in "Arcane" today... What is "Arcane" anyway? The top two journals of the Magic Council, one called "Magic," and the other, "Arcane." Representing the most advanced research results of the Magic Council. Those who publish in them are generally mages above level 15, or at least levels 13 or 14, high-level mages about to reach the upgrade threshold. Every mage tower subscribes, and every magic practitioner with self-respect reads them regularly, of course, whether they understand it or not. Garrett even remembers seeing neatly stacked copies of "Arcane" and "Magic" in the War God¡¯s Temple. In Garrett¡¯s concept, these two journals are roughly equivalent to the top three journals in the natural sciences in his previous life: "Cell," "Nature," and "Science." In the medical field, you would add "The Lancet" and "The New England Journal of Medicine." In the earlier years, publishing in one of these journals before the age of 30 was almost equivalent to securing a position as an academician. Uh... used to it. Garrett smiled embarrassedly, opened the cover of the paper: "This paper starts with cases of diseases appearing in bat catchers, sellers, and researchers. Through animal experiments, it demonstrates the fact that contact with bats may transmit diseases, as well as the symptoms, transmission routes, and preventive measures of the disease. ...The design idea of the animal experiment... The experiment shows that this new type of disease is indeed caused by the infection from bats... ...According to the current cases, the incubation period of the disease is 4-14 days, and the main transmission route is droplet transmission, with also cases of infection through consuming food contaminated with bat secretions. ...Among the collected cases, 90% of the patients are ordinary people, 8% are mage apprentices and low-level warriors, and 2% are first-level mages. No signs of infection were found in mages and warriors of the second level and above. No evidence of human-to-human transmission has been found. Preliminary conclusions can be drawn that as the level of extraordinary beings increases, their life force becomes stronger, effectively reducing the likelihood of getting sick..." He explained the entire paper¡¯s ideas and logic as succinctly as possible. Once finished, his mouth was dry and tongue parched. With Archmage Edgar watching and the students below not daring to make noise, Garrett felt relieved. However, as soon as he finished, three or five hands went up: "Why experiment on animals?" Uh... Garrett froze. Should I say "because human experiments are not allowed," or should I say "because the magnification of the microscope is not high enough to separate the virus"? Neither seems quite right... Garrett sweated profusely during this class. Even though there were many things he couldn¡¯t and didn¡¯t want to talk about, the paper¡¯s ideas, logical flow, and the formidable aura of "Arcane" conquered all the students. Even when the class ended, no one was willing to leave. They stared eagerly at Garrett, as if they were planning to let him revise their papers... Luckily, Archmage Edgar chased everyone away. As the students left, one after another, the classroom quieted down, and the decibel level dropped from over 80 to below 40. Garrett rubbed his buzzing ears, barely having time to rejoice when the Archmage looked into his eyes and pulled out a dry smile: "No wonder Linde recommended you several times. Your research ideas and topic direction really match well with the necromancy school. Would you be willing to join the Black Crow Swamp?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 162 Chapter 162 Death magic again? Black Crow Swamp again? Garrett Nordmark sighed. I should have become a necromancer long ago. When I met Linde, I joined without hesitation! Why go through all the trouble, trying to get into the Mage Tower with recommendation letters, attending lectures as an observer? He put on a smile, used every persuasive word, and finally managed to dampen Master Edgar¡¯s enthusiasm. The necromancer expressed regret: "Ah, that Linde, he¡¯s not good at handling things. It would have been better if he had brought you in at that time. Garrett, when the necromancy school has similar topics in the future, could I invite you to join the research together?" "Your invitation is my honor." Garrett agreed without much thought. Projects, topics, and funding ¨C everything would come with it. As for unsuitable projects... "Oh, by the way, Master Linde is your..." "He¡¯s my disciple," Master Edgar smiled. When he talked about the disciple he valued, a hint of warmth appeared on his thin face: "After the recent battle, I received a letter from him, praising you a lot. Unfortunately, he¡¯s still traveling outside. When he returns to headquarters, he will definitely come to see you. By the way, after this training, will you stay at headquarters? Any direction in mind? If you¡¯re looking for a job, you can also consider our school..." "Master, rest assured, I will definitely consider it..." Can you stop trying to recruit me all the time? Garrett hadn¡¯t really thought about employment yet. There were still six months left in the training, and after that, he could stay three more months at the Bridge Magic Academy. Future matters could be considered later. For now, he had a pile of research topics waiting for him... Of course, he didn¡¯t focus solely on experiments. In the previous month, facing the potential plague, he had to push the research progress hard. Now that the paper was published, it was time to use the superior conditions of the training camp to broaden his reading and develop comprehensively. Garrett adjusted his schedule. Attend classes in the morning, read books in the academy library in the afternoon, conduct experiments in the evening. Routine meditation before sleep to enhance mental strength, communicating with plants the next morning with an oak wand in hand... Oh, the last one had made no progress so far. Garrett doubted his aptitude in divine magic; besides relying on medical knowledge for healing, other divine magic seemed out of reach. No matter, if it¡¯s not meant to be. Garrett pushed aside distractions, focused all his thoughts, and began battling with his initial goal: Ultrasound! I¡¯m coming! The steps for developing ultrasound magic were simple: Learn, Disassemble, Improve. "By the way, Bernard, can you take care of these remaining pigs, sheep, and rabbits alone?" "Of course! It¡¯s such a small matter! In our village, who doesn¡¯t know how to raise livestock!" The barbarian was eager to get started. Garrett extended his arm, tapped his shoulder with his fingertips: "Then it¡¯s up to you! When you want to eat meat, just kill a few. If you want to eat something better, sell a few and have a feast!" Thank goodness, the barbarian¡¯s future food supply was finally settled! Now, with dozens of pigs and sheep and two cages of rabbits, even if the barbarian ate to his heart¡¯s content, it would be enough for a year or two! Being in the training camp for a month, Garrett¡¯s wallet was almost empty T_T "By the way, start with the sheep. Leave the pigs and rabbits to me¡ª" "Got it!" "Give me a rabbit! Carry it to the laboratory!" "Coming!" Garrett took out a black bat from the material cabinet. After the experiments were over, all the bats were slaughtered, dried in lime, and soaked one by one in alcohol. Garrett felt it was still not clean enough; he wore gloves before picking it up, walked to the rabbit cage, and pointed to the rabbit: "3, 2, 1! Echo magic, start!" Successful release... In the meditative vision, ripples trembled like water, revealing the outlines of the rabbit, rabbit cage, and walls. As for the rabbit¡¯s internal organs, sorry, didn¡¯t see that. Uh... Well, that¡¯s why he still needed to research. But... with this few bats, would it be enough for him to experiment? --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 163 Chapter 163 Garrett Nordmark remained calm, first recalling the principles of ultrasound. To be honest, ultrasound examinations were the domain of the imaging department. As a former emergency doctor from another life, he only needed to remember which symptoms warranted an ultrasound, and which situations required what kind of examination. As for the examination results? They were all written on the report; even the images on it didn¡¯t require his personal identification. If he could see well, great; if not, it wasn¡¯t a big problem. As for the principles of ultrasound? He vaguely remembered reading about it in "Medical Imaging," but if it weren¡¯t for the memory enhancement during his transmigration, he might not recall what the book actually said. Hmm... Garrett slowly flipped through the pages of "Medical Imaging" in his mind. Luckily, the first chapter had the information he needed. Ultrasound utilizes 1 to 10 megahertz ultrasound waves, propagating through human tissues. When passing through different organs and tissues, including layers of normal and pathological tissues, each interface reflects and/or scatters the waves to varying degrees due to the different acoustic impedance on both sides. The echoes or scattering formed by these reflections, along with attenuation information from the ultrasound passing through different tissues, are received, amplified, and processed. On the screen, they are displayed as images or waveforms, creating a sonogram. Garrett recalled the echo magic. The step of displaying images or waveforms on the screen was directly accomplished by the meditative environment of a mage: it was as if the mage temporarily gained "eyes" like a bat, directly "seeing" the shapes depicted by the echoes. Thankfully, meditation could handle the process of "seeing." Otherwise, in this medieval-like technological environment, he had no idea where to find a display screen, let alone a computer. Next up was the matter of "emitting ultrasound waves." Oh yes, he needed to find a coupling agent. During previous ultrasound examinations, they had to apply a coupling agent to the patient¡¯s skin and press the ultrasound probe against it. Without this, excluding the air around the ultrasound probe, medical-grade high-frequency ultrasound waves couldn¡¯t transmit into the human body. "Bernard! Come shave the rabbit!" Garrett shouted loudly. The barbarian ran over, and Garrett handed him the task, while he went to look for an alternative to the coupling agent.T0pp novel updates at novelhall.com Water... No, it¡¯s not viscous enough; it would flow off instantly. Alcohol... No, it¡¯s not suitable. It has a similar viscosity to water and irritates the skin. Aloe vera gel... Sticky, with flow, seemed plausible. The problem was, it was winter, and where could he find aloe vera gel? What about glycerin? Garrett surveyed his laboratory and sighed. In the considerable time since he transmigrated, he had been busy with this and that, and he hadn¡¯t gotten around to making glycerin. This has to be made quickly! Garrett silently added a note to his experimental plan and continued searching. Glycerin was out of stock, how about soybean oil? Olive oil? Rose oil? Wait, why did I have rose oil in my box? "Garrett! The rabbit¡¯s fur is shaved!" Garrett¡¯s face twisted and twisted again. Fortunately, most of these oils were not purchased by him; some were spoils of war, some were obtained in the name of experimental materials from the Magic Council, and some were left here by mages who came to help. Once the experiments were done, they all became his. If he had to buy and use them now, Garrett would immediately go bankrupt. After a round of experiments, sweet almond oil seemed to have the best effect. However, he could only vaguely "see" the rabbit¡¯s bones. Garrett sighed: He had no way to improve the coupling agent on this technological path anymore. Otherwise... Increase the intensity of ultrasound waves? Adjust the spell model! Increase output power! Uh-oh, the rabbit is vomiting blood... Garrett was bewildered. He stopped releasing the magic, and Bernard let go of his hands. The grass rabbit lay under the cage, its legs kicking weakly, trying to get up but lacking strength. Blood oozed from its mouth in waves. Garrett stared at it for a while, and the rabbit¡¯s head tilted to the side, breathless. Dead? Did the excessive power of ultrasound waves kill the rabbit? Is it the fault of the ultrasound? When in doubt, dissect and see. Garrett lifted the dead rabbit onto the operating table, rubbed his hands together, and started cutting. Bernard followed along, handing him knives and scissors, watching Garrett cut fur and bones with clinking sounds. Suddenly, he asked: "So, tonight... are we having roasted rabbit?" Garrett: "..." So? What so? So, am I doing ultrasound experiments to prepare a rabbit for you to eat? Wait until I figure out the cause of death before we think about eating! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 164 Chapter 164 Dissection. Dissection. The gleam of the knife. Chest opened, abdomen dissected, neck and head dissected. Observing the organs, observing the blood vessels, retinas, subcutaneous tissues¡ª In times of unknown causes of death, the surgical knife is a torch illuminating the fog in the darkness. Garrett Nordmark is fully focused on dissecting and investigating. The rabbit¡¯s lungs, organs, blood vessels, all covered in scattered bleeding. Extensive bleeding with no adhesions, inflammation, or other organic lesions. No sharp wounds, which essentially indicates... ultrasound magic. "Hmm, Bernard... Bernard?" Garrett puts down the surgical knife, ready to call the barbarian over to stew or roast this rabbit, whatever suits. As he turns around, the barbarian is holding another rabbit, looking at him with eager anticipation. The new rabbit¡¯s abdomen is shaved clean, revealing a slight pink color, contrasting with the surrounding black fur. Held in Bernard¡¯s hands, it kicks its legs vigorously, appearing lively as if it hadn¡¯t succumbed to heatstroke. Oh... Garrett sweats. One rabbit is not enough for you to eat! I didn¡¯t plan on having rabbit legs for dinner! "Bernard, let¡¯s not eat this rabbit for now... no, let¡¯s not experiment either. I need to think about... what went wrong with this experiment. I need to think for a while..." After Garrett finishes his routine meditation at home, he molds another bone with his mental power, only eight more to complete the set. He then directs his focus back to ultrasound magic. He contemplates, meditates, and muses... Hmm, after thinking it over repeatedly, he still can¡¯t pinpoint where the problem lies. Helpless, he concentrates and goes through the description of ultrasound in "Medical Imaging": "Ultrasound utilizes 1 to 10 megahertz ultrasound waves to propagate in human tissues... um..." 1 to 10 megahertz? That¡¯s 1,000,000 hertz to 10,000,000 hertz? What frequency do bats emit ultrasound at? Oops, can¡¯t remember... However, during this contemplation, Garrett remembers something: The higher the frequency of ultrasound, the lower its tissue penetration ability, but the higher its resolution for nearby objects. Lower frequencies penetrate tissues more effectively but have poorer resolution for nearby objects. So when he released echo magic earlier, he could "see" through the rabbit to the rabbit cage, table, and floor below but couldn¡¯t "see" the rabbit¡¯s internal structure. Is it because the ultrasound frequency was too low? How can he increase the ultrasound frequency? And this month¡¯s salary will also be discounted. Not only this month, but the next, the next next month, and maybe even the next next next month, it might be cut in half... "Um..." The instigator of the drastic price drop on bats feels a bit guilty and a bit pleased. He blinks, getting closer: "Is your shop¡¯s bat variety complete? If it is, I¡¯ll buy them here instead of going elsewhere!" "We have a complete collection!" The young clerk jumps up. "We have over ten varieties! Even if they¡¯re not complete, I can go to other shops to restock! Mr. Mage, you just sit here; I¡¯ll go gather them all for you! How many of each do you want?" 5 copper coins each, 20 varieties, that¡¯s one gold coin. Garrett pinches his wallet, pulling out half of his gold coins and pushing them onto the counter: "See how many varieties you can gather. If you get 20, I¡¯ll buy 5 of each. Buy more of the one I need when you find it." "Alright! Mr. Mage, rest assured¡ªotherwise, do you want to leave your address? I can deliver them to your doorstep." In the late afternoon, when the sky darkens, Garrett receives a basket full of bats. Various sizes, neatly categorized, around forty to fifty varieties. All dead, each wrapped in a grass bag with a note attached, indicating the name of each bat. Considering that in his previous life, there were only over 900 species of bats worldwide, Garrett suspects he has collected bats from all over the country. ...Wallet bleeding heavily. Enduring the heartache, Garrett takes out half of the gold coins from his wallet, pays the young clerk, and sends him away. Turning around, facing this big basket of creepy-looking creatures, he sighs deeply: "...Ah!" How long do I have to experiment? I have a limited number of spells every day! Although experimenting with various materials is necessary for research¡ªlike when Edison invented the light bulb, he tried nearly 1600 filament materials¡ª but he had a team underneath him! What about me? I rely on myself entirely! I need an assistant! Assistant! "Garrett, don¡¯t rush, let¡¯s try slowly," his only assistant, the barbarian Bernard, consoles him, looking understanding: "After all, I can¡¯t eat ten rabbits in a day..." --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 165 Chapter 165 Garrett Nordmark carefully tested forty to fifty different bats one by one. The fur-winged bat... the frequency is not high enough. Mountain bat, still not high enough. Tail-hugging bat, the frequency is still a bit off. Little chrysanthemum-headed bat... this one has a really low frequency! Just lazing around? Garrett continued experimenting with each type. This time, he didnt increase the intensity of the ultrasound, saving energy but requiring more mental focus. Fortunately, echo magic was still at the apprentice level, allowing him to use it around twenty to thirty times a day. The next day, he found the bat that met the requirements. Short-eared blood-sucking bat... Garrett finally showed a pleased expression. The bat in his hand turned into ashes silently, and in his meditative view, the liver, gallbladder, kidneys of the rabbit... one by one, took shape through the feedback of ultrasound. The gallbladder outline was clear, the edges of the liver were sharp, and even the vascular structure inside the liver was outlined in a simple manner in his meditative view. I see it! I see it! Garrett clenched his fist and waved it with force. It had been over half a year since he left those convenient testing methods behind, and now, after X-rays, he had managed to create a diagnostic tool using his own power! Although the images he saw now were quite primitive, lacking instruments to receive signals, automatically calculate, and convert into images, with no M-mode ultrasound, spectral Doppler, or color ultrasound, and the images in his meditative view were different from the ultrasound images he had seen in his previous life... But these were all things that could be overcome! Taking the first step, and from now on, he could move forward step by step! Just... As he clenched his left fist, ashes dripped through his fingers. Garrett looked at the remnants of the blood-sucking bat in his hand with a troubled expression. This short-eared blood-sucking bat was a bit too large, even with its wings folded, he couldnt grip it with one hand. Moreover, it was just too ugly, with a pair of long fangs that made it look intimidating. Imagining holding this large and ugly blood-sucking bat in one hand while smiling reassuringly at a patient during an examination... Garrett imagined it himself and felt that if he were the patient, he would desperately jump off the examination table and run away. Lets think of another solution! At least, remove the unnecessary parts and make it smaller? Garrett picked up the next bat. Scissors, scalpel, he divided the bat into different parts for further experimentation. The experimental record book on the desk gained new entries line by line. In the second experiment, using only the head, the ultrasound frequency increased slightly. Good news! As they walked in, crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, glowing not from candles but from silver rods that emitted a constant lighting spell. The tablecloths had various embroidered patterns, with silver-bordered white porcelain plates, transparent glass cups, bottles of salt and pepper, each one shining brightly. Anthony led the way, curiously looking at his invited guest. A first-level mage who could publish papers in "Arcane" was undoubtedly someone worth attracting, but he still wanted to test the others value. Hmm, I heard that this guy is from a small rural area... However, the others reaction was somewhat unexpected. The barbarian had been looking around from the moment they entered, picking up a silver plate and flipping through it curiously, even wanting to pinch and test its authenticity. Garrett, on the other hand, just glanced casually, showing no surprise, as if these things were commonplace. So, behind Garrett, theres a grand mage? Anthony speculated and became even more enthusiastic. When the waiter brought the menu, he personally handed it to Garrett and opened it, warmly recommending: "The signature dish here is foie gras..." Foie gras, huh. Garrett remained calm. Its fatty and greasy, with no special qualities other than a pool of oil when bitten into. He didnt particularly like it... for Western cuisine, ox tongue and codfish were more to his taste. However, since it was recommended, he ordered a serving. Not long after, the dishes arrived. The oily foie gras lay on toasted bread, topped with a lemon slice. Garrett casually cut a piece and tasted it without saying anything. The two mages next to him were dissatisfied: "Boss, this foie gras isnt fatty enough!" The boss hurried over. Even the head chef with a tall white hat came out with a smiling face: "Esteemed guests, this goose was personally picked by me and is the fattest in this batch. If youre not satisfied, you can personally pick one, and Ill make another one for you. I wont charge a penny more than this one if the goose is fatter!" "Deal!" The first complaining mage stood up immediately. Anthony glanced at him, hesitated, but still stood up. One after another, the mages at the table stood up, and Bernard was still busy chewing, only stopping when Garrett pulled the lamb leg from his hand. The group followed the boss downstairs and circled a few times to reach the backyard goose pen. The mage who had initially claimed, "Ill pick one myself," took a look inside and immediately froze: Each one was fluffy, quacking, and almost equally large. Which one was fatter? All of them looked equally fat! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 166 Chapter 166 Garrett Nordmark looked at the goose cages with difficulty. He was the youngest among the group, having just turned 15 after the New Year. Despite his small stature and short arms, the geese in front of him were not small at all. A whole wall, both upper and lower rows, contained a total of ten cages, each holding two or three geese. There were white, gray, and brown ones, flapping their wings, raising their heads, and loudly honking at him. "Which one should I choose?"Geet latest novel chapters on novelbj/n(.)c/om This time, Corrine, who had just reached the second level, asked him with a mischievous smile. Garrett, full of resentment, gave him a glare. "Who among us, growing up together, doesn¡¯t know each other? I won¡¯t choose. Can¡¯t you do it yourself?" "We¡¯re all mages. Who has ever raised geese by hand? Who needs to pick when the geese at home need to be eaten? If you want goose liver, just go outside. Otherwise, instruct the cook at home, and you¡¯ll have it that night." "Garrett, hurry up!" Anthony chimed in, clapping his hands. The head chef had already gone back to work, and although the restaurant owner smiled and had a round belly, there was no sign of intervening. Garrett gritted his teeth, looking around. "Did any of you bring processed leather?" "Come on, Garrett. We¡¯re just catching a goose. Do you need mage armor for this?" The young mages burst into laughter. Processed leather was the material for mage armor, something they were all familiar with. However, did catching a goose require such a setup? Garrett blushed, realizing he had to compromise. He cast a shield spell on himself. With the invisible shield in front of him, he approached a goose cage, opened the latch, and pulled the cage door slightly. "Honk, honk, honk!" Immediately, a large goose stuck its head out. With its snow-white long neck extending and retracting, and an orange beak, it grabbed Garrett¡¯s hand with a honk. The shield spell acted like a shield hanging in front of him, protecting the front but not the sides. The goose moved too quickly, and Garrett couldn¡¯t react in time. "Hoo!" Garrett felt tears welling up. With a peck and a twist, the goose left a bruise on his hand. The white goose continued honking threateningly, flapping its wings. As it honked, dozens of geese in the cage joined in cheering, feathers flying everywhere, making a deafening noise. Even the chickens and ducks on the other walls started squawking in response. Garrett couldn¡¯t retract his hand in time. If it weren¡¯t for the barbarian stepping forward and grabbing the goose by the neck near its head, he might have gotten bitten again. Grinning from behind, Garrett thought, apart from him, everyone else should be eliminated. "Phew... thank you, thank you!" Garrett escaped from the goose¡¯s beak, repeatedly thanking both him and Garrett. The young mages, with a hint of envy, looked at the barbarian¡¯s sturdy arms and requested Garrett: The more Garrett looked, the faster he became. With a slight smile on his lips, he enjoyed the process. Unlike rabbits, which had all been treated with healing spells for magical experiments, and were all healthy, these geese had been deliberately fattened, each carrying a large fatty liver. The first and second ones were not proficient, and it took a long time to find the location of the goose liver, and he wasn¡¯t familiar with what a fatty liver looked like under magical ultrasound. Starting from the third one, he could easily tell whether the goose liver was abnormally enlarged... Hmm, this goose liver is too small, definitely not fat. This one, the irregular distribution of the liver is slightly hyperechoic, just focal fatty liver, unevenly fattened, probably not delicious. This one... oh, the liver parenchyma echoes diffusely and intensively, with a clear attenuation of the far-field echoes! Diffuse fatty liver! The fattest one he had seen so far, let me see its blood vessels, whether they are twisted or compressed... Well, the blood vessel morphology is normal, just a decrease in clarity, indicating it¡¯s not a liver tumor, just a fatty liver! Garrett observed with great delight. Taking advantage of the opportunity to choose a fat goose, he examined fatty livers of different degrees, all in one go. How fortunate! How satisfying! If he didn¡¯t seize this opportunity, he wouldn¡¯t know how many patients he¡¯d have to examine to gather enough cases to see so many fatty livers! Garrett was ecstatic. Anthony stood on the side, seeing his genuine joy, couldn¡¯t help but nudge Corrine, who was treating them today: "Hey, why is he so happy?" "I don¡¯t know... maybe he likes eating goose liver? Is he happy to find a fat enough goose?" "It doesn¡¯t seem like it... just now when the goose liver came up, I didn¡¯t see him particularly interested..." "Maybe that goose liver wasn¡¯t fat enough?" "That makes sense... when the goose liver comes up later, put it in front of him first!" The two second-level mages whispered. Garrett thoroughly examined all the white geese, re-evaluating the fatter ones. He picked out two whose liver volumes were the largest, and under B-mode ultrasound, they showed the lowest echoes, indicating diffuse fatty livers: "These two! The fattest goose liver!" Twenty minutes later, Garrett looked at the pan of pan-fried goose liver in front of him, twice as oily as the previous one, and couldn¡¯t help but doubt his life... --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 167 Chapter 167 After the lively event and the delightful feast, the atmosphere among the mages became more animated as they chatted. Seated around the table were five young men and one woman, six young mages in total. Garrett Nordmark and Bernard sat with them, enjoying their meal and conversation. While the mages engaged in lively talk, Bernard, on the side, happily devoured the remnants of the two golden roast geese selected by Garrett, specifically the remains after extracting the goose liver - crunch, crunch, he relished every bite. Envious glances shifted from the barbarian to Garrett. Most of these individuals hailed from noble families, and though they hadn¡¯t fully grasped Garrett¡¯s recent display, they understood one thing: this was a type of magic they had never seen before. To create a new spell as a Level 1 mage indicated limitless potential for Garrett¡¯s future. Ignoring the focused gazes, Garrett smiled faintly, choosing to remain silent. If it were Elder Elwin or Elder Wood, or even Priest Matthew, he might have shared this extraordinary ultrasound magic. But for these mages, what use would sharing it serve? Pretending not to notice the admiration from the crowd, Garrett continued to smile. After a moment of quiet, Anthony, the highest-ranked mage present, cleared his throat, raising his glass. "Firstly, let¡¯s congratulate Corin on successfully advancing to Level 2." Garrett raised a glass of water, while the others each held a cup of red wine. Bernard, on the other hand, lifted a large beer mug, and they exchanged nods before taking sips. Corin smiled, nodding to the group, and Anthony raised his glass again. "Next, congratulations to Garrett for the successful publication of his paper in ¡¯Arcane.¡¯" Another round of toasts ensued. Garrett accepted the congratulations with a smile, seemingly oblivious to his water-drinking amidst the wine-drinking crowd. Then, Anthony raised his glass once more. "Let¡¯s also wish everyone success in publishing their papers, achieving good results, and completing the training program." "That¡¯s too difficult..." "Publishing a paper is not that easy..." Lamentations filled the air. Anthony¡¯s fork and knife trembled on his plate, creating an unpleasant noise. Corin, with his wine glass near his lips, accidentally spilled some liquid as he sighed. Miles slumped onto the table. "Ah..." It was the same in his previous life, whether as a doctor or researching medicine, either working in a public hospital or entering a university. Go directly to a private one after leaving school? Congratulations, you¡¯ll be cut off from academic development for a lifetime. And this world emphasizes academic development even more. The higher the mage level, the higher the status. If you can¡¯t advance in level, your strength and status remain stagnant. Want to level up? The broadest and smoothest path is to join a magical organization, like a mage tower at headquarters or a magic academy, and continue researching magic... "So how do I find research work?" Garrett poured wine for his fellow mages, sincerely seeking advice. The table fell silent for a moment, then five or six people spoke up simultaneously. "Garrett, you should be fine..." "But it¡¯s better to have a few more papers... Well, you already have one in ¡¯Arcane,¡¯ so you should be fine. But having more would certainly be better." "Right, you should submit your papers to the Magic Council, gain academic points and an academic rating. With this, it¡¯s easier to find work at the headquarters, especially in teaching and research positions." "Act quickly; the training program and magic academy both graduate at the end of June. Usually, organizations start recruiting around March or April. It¡¯s already February now..." Understood, the recruitment season for recent graduates is about to begin. During this time, there are many job openings and favorable conditions. Finding a job after the recruitment season would be challenging. However, does the Magic Council¡¯s recruitment season start in March or April? In the previous life, the autumn recruitment for recent graduates usually kicked off around July of the previous year... So, is it because the population is scarce, resulting in fewer mages in this world? Tonight, I¡¯ll go back and write my paper! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 168 Chapter 168 "Role of Ultrasound in Medical Diagnosis" Though he initially planned to write it as soon as he returned home, Garrett Nordmark spent a few extra days conducting experiments, ensuring the data was complete before putting pen to paper. Just as he drafted a title, he quickly crossed it out: Too casual, too many words from my past life. People in this world have no idea what B-ultrasound is... He blacked out the line above, started a new one, and swiftly wrote under the light. The training camp provided decent accommodation for students. Although the room wasn¡¯t spacious, the desk had a magical lamp instead of a dim, flickering oil lamp. The light was snow-white, with a brightness equivalent to a 25-watt daylight bulb, evenly and stably illuminating the space¡ªperhaps a bit too bright. Garrett, in recent days, contemplated whether to add a light yellow shade to it... Dipping his quill in ink, he waved the pen. The graceful and smooth strokes fell onto the paper, organizing thoughts and shaping the magic that first appeared in this world: "A New Application of Echo Magic and Its Role in Exploring the Internal Organs of the Human Body" Keywords: Sound waves, Range and Clarity, Exploration, Medical In the process of studying echo magic, we observed something interesting: the effectiveness of sound waves emitted by different bat species in exploring the surrounding environment varies. For example, under the same magical energy consumption, using common brown bats as the casting material, when exploring the internal organs of a rabbit, the echo in the meditative field can clearly feedback the outline of the rabbit cage, table, and the room within 10 square meters. However, the depiction of the rabbit¡¯s internal organs is not clear. With woolly wing bats, the exploration range narrows to the rabbit cage, table, and the ground, but the feedback on the rabbit¡¯s internal organs is slightly clearer than the former. As for the small chrysanthemum head bat, the exploration range extends to the entire room, about 50 square meters, but the depiction of the rabbit¡¯s internal organs is extremely blurry. (See the comparison chart below for display range and rabbit internal organ depiction) Given these experimental results, we can tentatively conclude that the stronger the penetrating power of sound waves, the broader the exploration range, but the lower the clarity of the display. Conversely, weaker penetrating power leads to a smaller exploration range but clearer depiction of details of the target. For this, we conducted experiments with 47 bat species found in the market (bat list in Appendix One). We found that using the brain of the short-eared blood-sucking bat as the experimental material can most clearly explore the internal organs of the human body. The spell model for this magic is... 3. Explore the human body extensively, accumulate magical image feedback landscapes of normal human bodies for later investigators to compare and identify abnormal conditions. 4. Explore the organ conditions of extraordinary individuals, study the physical and magical aspects of extraordinary fluctuations, and whether they will interfere with the exploration effects of this magic..." Main text, abstract, references. Garrett put down the final period, raised his arms, stretched lazily: Thank goodness it¡¯s finally done... Although images of B-ultrasound magic scans in normal individuals still need accumulation, this magic has finally been developed... What time is it?! I haven¡¯t done tonight¡¯s meditation yet! Garrett quickly rolled onto the bed. Half a month ago, he completed the last bone of the "self" in the meditation core. However, those bones seemed unrelated, showing no resonance between them. Pulling one had no effect on nearby ones; they didn¡¯t budge or collapse. It made Garrett suspect that the pile of bones he spent months constructing was taken from different owners altogether. Garrett tried to connect them. After several attempts, he felt his mental strength had reached its limit. Adding a ligament or a piece of muscle was impossible, no matter how much he endured the headache. But today was different. Just as he entered meditation, a gentle and abundant force came from nowhere, gently tapping the "self" wave after wave. In the skeletal framework standing in the void, an invisible force circulated. Garrett had a thought. The light figure constructed by the bones took a step, scapulae and clavicles turned, lifting the humerus upward, then driving the ulna and radius to a higher angle until they were parallel to the shoulders. Wrist and hand bones moved together, and finally, finger bones tightened inward, then spread outward, repeatedly. They resonated gently. In the void, 206 bones vibrated, the fluctuation seemed silent yet resonant, oscillating back and forth. The unexpectedly tender force, from the skeletal structure composed of mental strength, transmitted wave after wave to the real bones in the body. Washing, soothing, solid ifying, overflowing outward, filling muscles and blood vessels¡ª Garrett suddenly opened his eyes. That genuinely tangible force was still flowing in his body, breathing becoming more rapid, heart beating vigorously. He raised his right hand, held it in front of his eyes, silently chanting the spell for a healing technique. A warm white light blossomed at his fingertips. On the desk, the oak wand leaned, its head producing a second fresh green leaf, quietly budding. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 169 Chapter 169 Upgraded again? Is it the priest¡¯s level that¡¯s upgraded again? Garrett Nordmark glanced wearily at the oak staff, no longer surprised. If the priest¡¯s level is upgraded first, then let it be. Anyway, when the priest¡¯s level is raised, the mental strength limit will also increase. As for the mage level and such... Garrett made an effort, his face turning red from the strain, but the meditative environment remained undisturbed. Garrett wasn¡¯t in a hurry; encountering some opportunity again, he would probably level up. After all, he didn¡¯t believe it would take a year or more. He jumped off the bed, reaching out to grasp the oak staff. Two leaves adorned the staff¡¯s head, one on the left and one on the right. The one on the right was a deep green, slightly rigid to the touch. The one on the left, however, was a fresh, light jade green, seemingly translucent under the bright desk lamp. ...Growing like this, it practically shouted "Level Two" on the front and "Newly Upgraded" on the back. Garrett was sweating profusely. Could we not have our levels written on our faces? Even if they are, does it have to be so obvious? The oak staff remained still in Garrett¡¯s hand, the leaves not swaying at all, as if it had nothing to do with the sudden appearance of the leaves just now. Garrett shook it a couple of times, fiddled with it, but the wooden staff remained motionless, as if saying, "I¡¯m just a piece of wood; don¡¯t bother me..." And communicating with plants? Sorry, after Garrett leveled up to Priest Level 1, he was busy all over the place, one thing after another. He didn¡¯t have time to stay by the teacher¡¯s side and understand this skill... Now, with the staff in his hand playing dead, Garrett, apart from poking and shaking it, had no other way. He couldn¡¯t even bite into it, right? And he couldn¡¯t bite it anyway! Garrett silently threw the staff back to the desk and lay down to sleep. However, writing was fun, organizing the crematorium, Garrett spent nearly ten days to complete the paper ¡ª Copying dozens of charts several times, copying magic had its limitations and couldn¡¯t be used for drawing. Drawing, drawing, and drawing again, eyes were getting tired, and hands were getting sore... Fortunately, making multiple copies was useful. This time submitting the paper, the assistant of the training class already had a deep impression of him, quietly guiding him: "The article you submitted to me is considered homework, and the chances of being recorded by the council are not high. It was lucky last time that Archmage Qifar was willing to help you submit it, but it¡¯s best not to gamble on that probability. "You can¡¯t touch them..." A soft laughter sounded in front. Garrett raised his head and saw a girl in a deep blue long dress smiling at him. When she noticed him looking over, she gently bent her knees in a bow, with a sweet and playful smile: "Respected mage, I am Angelina, the receptionist of the council. May I ask what business you are here for?" "I¡¯m here to submit new magic and a paper." "To submit magic, go to the right, the fourth office. Your Excellency Mage, don¡¯t you have your own badge yet? During the waiting time for the paper feedback, you can go to the adjacent Mage Management Department to register. With a badge, receiving research points and transferring contribution points will be more convenient." Garrett thanked her with a smile, followed the guidance, and entered the corridor. Most of the offices in the review area were closed, but the fourth one had its door wide open, and there was a continuous shimmering light inside. Garrett politely knocked on the door, and a mechanical voice answered flatly: "Please come in." Garrett stepped inside. The office wasn¡¯t large, only about thirteen or fourteen square meters, with half a person not visible inside. Garrett was still looking for the staff when the mechanical voice from the central table began: "To submit magic, press 1; to check paper feedback, press 2; to receive paper rewards, press 3; to replay, press 4; for customer service, press 0..." Uh... Uh... I feel like I went to the wrong place, no, I went to the wrong world altogether, right? Garrett silently muttered in his mind and, on the desktop crystal keyboard ¡ª the layout of which also resembled the numeric keypad from his previous life ¡ª pressed 1. In an instant, the second round of mechanical sound started: "For submitting only the paper, press 1; for submitting the paper and magic scroll, press 2; for submitting the paper and magic items, press 3; for submitting magic of level 5 and above, press 4; for replay, press 5; for customer service..." Garrett hurriedly pressed 1. The desktop cover slid open to both sides, and a box about a foot square rose, the mechanical voice continued flatly: "Please put the paper into the teleportation magic array¡ª" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 170 Chapter 170 The teleportation box closed slowly, alternating between light and darkness. Within the black outer walls adorned with silver threads, a radiant glow swiftly circulated, flickering like breath. Upon reopening, a pure white sheet lay inside the box, half the size of an A4 paper. It bore the title of the thesis, abstract, keywords, Garrett Nordmark¡¯s name, and a series of alphanumeric codes. The mechanical voice unemotionally announced: "Please keep your receipt. After 24 hours, use the receipt to check the feedback on your thesis." Having not seen the box move just now, Garrett wondered if his thesis had been... sent away? Sent to whom? Who was responsible for accurate distribution? Who would be the judge? Garrett stared fixedly at the teleportation box, wanting to scrutinize it into revealing answers. However, the box remained motionless, devoid of human service in the room, with only the mechanical voice repeating: "Please keep your receipt. After 24 hours, use the receipt to check the feedback on your thesis." Garrett: "..." Silently, he retrieved the paper and left the room. Behind him, the teleportation box descended, and the cover slid back into place. The mechanical voice bid farewell without any sentiment, "Welcome again..." ...Didn¡¯t quite feel the welcome, but thanks. Turning towards the adjacent area for mage management, following the receptionist¡¯s advice, Garrett proceeded to register and acquire a mage badge. Upon entering, he paused for a moment, almost thinking he had entered the wrong place. The overall style of the mage management area was much sturdier than the magic review area. The ceiling had straight lines, and the walls, from the ceiling to the window frames and below, were covered in square blocks of sky-blue. The seats in the hall were not sofas but rather rows of hard single chairs, creating a neat grid. Even the reception personnel in the hall were not young ladies in long skirts with sweet smiles. Instead, they were young men in crisp shirts, fitted vests, and neatly tailored trousers. The one guiding Garrett in his affairs did not glance sideways but briskly walked, creating a breeze: "Here for registration and mage badge? Follow me!" The mage management area was divided into four sections: identity verification, household registration management, job introduction, and educational benefits. At the identity verification window, a mage was conducting business, and Garrett sat in the waiting area. Immediately, another mage approached: "Here for certification? Where are you from?" "For other details, you can write on other paper. For example, where you studied magic before, what tasks you¡¯ve completed, or what property you own. Here at headquarters, you can entrust the Magic Council for management, making it convenient for future disputes." Oh? Does that mean I can register my hospital and estate together? Can I also entrust the magic tower to manage the estate? Fantastic, finally some wealth! Garrett¡¯s lips curled slightly, and he began to write. The clerk didn¡¯t wait for him to finish; when the form was filled, he took it and walked it over, placing it on a large translucent crystal. With a "drip," a blue light descended from above, scanning across the paper line by line. Not bothering to watch, Garrett slipped to the next window and spoke to a female clerk, teasing her until she blushed, offering him a lipstick-painted cheek to be playfully patted. Having completed the form, Garrett rested his chin on his arm, peering inside. After a while, a flip board opened above the crystal, and with a "ding," a badge dropped onto the form. The clerk, oblivious, picked up the form and badge, swaying back towards Garrett and slapped them in front of him: "Impress your spiritual power onto it!" Garrett glanced at him but remained silent, following the instruction to imprint his spiritual power. The clerk embedded the badge into a magical array on the edge of the table, pressed something, and the lines on the magical array suddenly brightened, connecting with the light flowing on the table, floor, and even the walls. In silence, a copper star in the center of the pitch-black badge lit up. "Level 1 Mage." The clerk glanced indifferently, bent down, and pulled out another sheet of paper from under the desk: "This mage badge will record your personal information and the imprinted spiritual power. Relevant notes and usage instructions are on this paper. Go back and read it carefully. Remember to come here for re-recording if your magical level changes or you can do it at the mage tower in the county." "Okay, thank you." Garrett reached out to take it. "What about the badge?" "Wait a moment! What¡¯s the hurry!" The clerk finally let go of his water cup but glared at Garrett. "We also need to record your arcane research level! ¡ªReally, wasting time. What arcane level can a Level 1 mage have? Probably not even half a point..." The last sentence was spoken in an extremely low voice, eyes fixed on the desktop, as if talking to himself. As he spoke, the pace slowed, and the voice became lower¡ª On the edge of the pitch-black badge, a circular ring slowly but firmly appeared. Under the lonesome copper star¡¯s reflection, that silver ring became more radiant. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 171 Chapter 171 "A first-tier mage?" "What? First-tier?" "You¡¯re just certified and already first-tier?" The middle-aged clerk exclaimed, causing a commotion as several people crowded around the counter to get a better look. Outside the counter wasn¡¯t any better, with a buzz of whispers surrounding Garrett Nordmark. The brown-haired mage he had just been chatting with craned his neck, trying to see the badge: "First-tier..." He himself was a second-level mage. From apprentice to second level, it took a full five years, with seven or eight papers published, but only three approved by the Mage Association¡ª one of which was a collaborative effort where his mentor graciously added his name to secure a passing grade. Three papers, along with their contributions to magical advancement, amounted to seven research points. Three points shy of the ten required for first-tier. And as for those three research points, who knows how many more years of study it would take to earn them? One year? Two years? After leaving the magic school, adventuring, taking on missions, exploring the wilderness, investigating forests... These jobs could bring in over 100 gold coins annually, enough to live a comfortable life. But for research? Dropping 100 gold coins would barely make a ripple. And without research, there were no research points. Without research points, there was no... mage rank. And here was this youngster who had just arrived at the council headquarters, hadn¡¯t even received his mage badge yet, and already had over ten points. "How... how did you get so many points?" he stammered. Garrett himself had no idea and looked up at the clerk: "Where can I check the records for points earned?" "The magic assessment area, at the Office of Paper Submission." The clerk, still in shock, reflexively replied. Garrett leaned on the table, stretched out his arm to grab the badge, and then turned to leave. The crowd squeezed around him until they were stopped by the security personnel at the entrance to the management area, gradually dispersing and turning back to listen to the clerk calling numbers. Garrett hastened into the magic assessment area, rushing into the office that had been empty before. The keyboard on the desk dutifully announced: "To submit a paper, press 1. To check paper feedback, press 2..." Garrett decisively pressed 2. The keyboard beeped, and a tablet popped up: "Please place your mage badge into the magic circle, or enter the query number." Having a badge was certainly convenient. Garrett looked at the long string of alphanumeric characters, at least ten digits in length, wiped his sweat silently, and placed the newly acquired but still cool magic badge on the tablet. The tablet hummed as countless silver threads intertwined and surged towards the depths of the crystal. After a moment, the mechanical voice sounded again: "To check the latest paper feedback, press 1. To check the feedback for the last ten papers, press 2. To check the total points earned, press 3..." Seems like I¡¯ve only submitted three papers since I arrived here. Following the principle of maximizing benefits, Garrett pressed 2 without hesitation. The mechanical voice said "Please wait" and fell silent. About a minute later, there was a light "ding," and a transmission box rose from the table, opening up. Inside the box lay a piece of paper. Pure white and smooth, A4 size. Garrett reached out and took it, and at first glance, he saw the records of the three papers submitted so far: The X-ray paper rewarded two research points and three contribution points. The paper on the pathogenicity of bats yielded the most, with a whopping eight research points and thirty contribution points. While the B-ultrasound paper only garnered two research points and three contribution points, putting it on par with the X-ray paper. Huh... so few? After all, it¡¯s a paper worthy of being published in "Arcane"! Garrett felt somewhat aggrieved. He continued reading, and the evaluation given by the reviewers for the bat pathogenicity paper made him somewhat bemused: The research approach to the transmission of the plague is innovative and instructive. Undertaking this project voluntarily, without any assignment, demonstrates sincere concern and dedication to the Mage Council, deserving commendation... Alright... so it¡¯s like a morality award? Garrett calmed down a bit and continued reading: "A New Application of Echo Magic and Its Role in Exploring Internal Organs of the Human Body" An improvement on echo magic. There was no breakthrough in the construction of the spell model, but there was a pioneering expansion in its application. It¡¯s rated only at the apprentice level, but it requires a specific type of bat as a spellcasting material. The material isn¡¯t expensive, but it¡¯s difficult to obtain in large quantities. The mid-level priests exercised their experimental skills and learned new experimental methods; The church distributed a large number of experimental animals, and after selling them, became considerably wealthy; Garrett gained a first-author paper in "Arcane"... Afterwards, Elder Wood patted Garrett on the shoulder, expressing his satisfaction: if there¡¯s anything else to research next time, feel free to come to him. Garrett decisively went to seek help from the big shot. The second time he set out, he didn¡¯t need to ask anyone along the way. Oak Ridge was particularly easy to find: Depart from Nevis City to the northeast, follow the river all the way, then turn right at the large lake several miles away. Continue along the river for about seven or eight miles, then head into the mountains along the first major tributary to the north, and Oak Ridge is beyond two mountain peaks. As long as you¡¯re not directionally challenged, getting lost is unlikely... Garrett galloped along the riverbank, his summoned magical mount running fast and steady, even though he was a complete riding novice, he wasn¡¯t afraid of falling off the horse. The barbarian beside him carried a large bundle and leaped like a bird on the large rocks along the riverbank, running even faster than him. As they ran, suddenly the sound of hooves behind them intensified, and a horse much faster than the magical mount came racing closer and closer. Garrett froze in the middle of the road, unsure whether to veer left or right. Just as he hesitated, the bright white horse, accompanied by a gust of wind, had already dashed past him from his right side, blowing his hair and coat tails. Garrett couldn¡¯t help muttering: "Overtake from the left..." However, the rule of overtaking from the left side wasn¡¯t established in this world. As Garrett complained, he turned his head and glanced around, and his eyes lit up: The knight on horseback wore black, with a long sword at his waist and knee-high riding boots tightly hugging the horse¡¯s belly, making his waist look slender, his legs long, and his appearance neat and clean. The knight wrapped a young girl in a large red cloak, holding her in his arms, trying to make her sit comfortably in front of the saddle with only her legs controlling the horse. Leaning forward, he fled¡ª "Stop!" "Don¡¯t go!" "Let Iris go!" Far in the distance behind them, a loud roar rolled over. Garrett turned his head, looked back, and looked up in the direction of the sound, only to see a huge dark cloud spreading from the sky, with an old mage standing on it, holding a staff and continuously roaring. Garrett raised an eyebrow, then looked forward again: Oh? This is... a couple eloping, caught by the girl¡¯s father? That knight looks pretty good, with a good physique and excellent riding skills¡ªindicating decent combat ability¡ªand he seems genuinely concerned about the girl. The girl leaned softly against him, her face buried in his shoulder, showing complete dependence... Why bother? Why bother? Chasing them for thousands of miles, what¡¯s the point? That¡¯s what Garrett thought, but he didn¡¯t intend to say a word to intervene. The person in black holding the girl is probably a knight, and although flying spells can be learned at level five, flying this high and fast probably requires a seventh or eighth level, or even a tenth level or higher, grand mage. With his small stature, just taking a look at the roadside would probably get him involved...it¡¯s better to stay out of it. The aftermath of their battle could easily crush him. Garrett even slowed down a bit. The sound of hooves approached, rushing forward, and the dark cloud passed over him, soon disappearing from his sight. However, as he continued forward and walked along the river, turning right, after half an hour, he saw the old mage and the knight both landing on the ground, facing each other from a distance. The old mage held a staff, standing high on the rocky shore, with a row of semi-transparent light shields rotating clockwise around him, firmly protecting him; the knight held a sword in one hand, and with the other hand behind him supporting the girl, he looked up, aiming at the old mage. On the mountain road by the riverbank, stood a thick ice wall, completely blocking the road. This...you guys can quarrel, but don¡¯t block my way! Garrett sighed helplessly, pulling on the reins from a distance, looking forward. The old mage and the knight stood tens of meters apart, none of them approaching, just arguing from a distance: "Hand Iris over to me!" "No way!" "I¡¯m her father! Even if she does something like this, you still want to protect her?!" "Iris is a good girl! Not what you think! With me here, you can¡¯t take her back!" The voice from the rocky shore was old and angry, while the voice from below was clear and confident¡ªGarrett listened to a few sentences, couldn¡¯t help rubbing his eyes, and looked at the black-clad knight again: Misjudged, the knight turned out to be a girl... A female knight. Tall in stature, even a bit taller than Garrett, short hair neat, with a strong and slender figure. Garrett, standing behind, couldn¡¯t see her face, but just this heroic posture had already left a deep impression on him. In the standoff, the old mage¡¯s staff flicked, and the female knight involuntarily leaned sideways. Just as Garrett thought she was about to fall, the female knight had already pushed off the ground, leaving a deep imprint of half a boot on the muddy ground, taking a step forward, still firmly blocking the girl in front of her: "Don¡¯t touch her!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 172 Chapter 172 Garrett Nordmark stayed back, listening to the constant bickering and accusations ahead. After a while, he finally understood what was going on: The old mage returned home after several months to find his daughter¡ª the girl named Iris¡ª pregnant, and he was furious, intending to punish her. Iris sought help from her friends, and upon receiving the news, the female knight rushed out with her own companions. Garrett hadn¡¯t yet figured out the identity of the female knight, where she intended to take her friend, or what her future plans were. Up ahead, the ground trembled as both sides went through a series of confrontations, arguments, and quarrels before finally resorting to action. Garrett urged his mount to hide behind a massive boulder and peered out. The old mage raised his staff, casting a pale blue light that fell upon the ground, shaping the thick ice wall into a massive ice giant through softening, melting, raising, and molding... In the end, it transformed into a three-meter-tall ice giant, staggering forward step by step. Hmm... Would this thing also punch from afar and exhale icy breath, freezing whoever it touched? Garrett couldn¡¯t help but imagine water elementals from his gaming experience. However, it was clear the combat prowess of the ice giant was incomparable¡ª as soon as it appeared, the female knight tensed up, leaning slightly forward with her athletic body, ready to spring into action like a female leopard. She carried the girl backward, positioning her securely in a crevice, wrapping her in a cloak, then drew her sword to face the ice giant. With a silent stroke, her longsword, emitting a faint golden arc, silently sliced into the ice giant¡¯s right fist. With a sidestep, a massive chunk of ice fell to the ground. Impressive... Garrett whispered in awe. The female knight was not content with such an attack. Rolling forward, she darted beneath the ice giant, leaped up, and swung her sword. A faint golden sword aura shot from the tip of her blade, slashing horizontally and vertically, causing the right leg and right arm of the three-meter-tall ice giant to shatter. Finally, with a thunderous crash, the ice giant fell to the ground. The female knight jumped onto the ice giant and raised her sword to strike. But before she could land a blow, the girl curled up in the crevice suddenly screamed: "Selina! Move away!!!" A vast expanse of ice mist rose. The ice giant rolled on the spot, and its right arm, right leg, and fist automatically reattached with pieces of broken ice. The female knight vigorously wielded her longsword but was forced to retreat repeatedly. The light of her sword dimmed, almost disappearing. Finally, she managed to retreat past Iris, turned sideways, and leaped backward while carrying her friend. However, even this small delay was enough for the opponent to exploit. The ice giant forcefully clashed its fists together, causing a large explosion of ice mist to burst forth and rapidly spread. Just as the female knight lifted Iris, the ground beneath her feet had turned completely white, transformed into ice. Her boots slipped, and she fell backward. Above, the enraged ice giant raised both fists high, ready to strike simultaneously. "Ah¡ª!" Iris screamed. From above on the cliff, the old mage¡¯s cries rang out: "Stop! Stop it!!!" However, the ice giant showed no signs of hesitation. The female knight remained silent, struggling to raise her sword, blood spraying onto the blade. The flames on the sword ignited once again, this time turning into a faint golden hue mixed with crimson, trembling slightly as it blocked the massive ice fists descending at high speed. "Stop him!" Five or six steps away, Garrett forcefully shoved Bernard. The barbarian charged out, lifting his bone club and thrusting it upward towards the ice giant¡¯s fists. With a thunderous roar, the club and the ice fist clashed, evenly matched, frozen in midair. However, the ice mist had already enveloped Bernard¡¯s legs, and with a grinding sound, the barbarian¡¯s feet, calves, and knees were all frozen to the ground. The ice giant slowly lowered its head, its eyes burning with blue light, focusing on Bernard, and once again raised its fists¡ª Garrett rushed forward, standing in front of the barbarian, shielding the fallen female knight. His left hand delved into his waist pouch, his right palm stretched flat, thrusting upward and forward rapidly. A blazing white fire suddenly erupted. "Get away!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 173 Chapter 173 "Get back!" A 60-degree conical fan, capable of spewing high-temperature flames up to 10 meters away, erupted within a compressed range of two to three meters. Ice against fire, a direct confrontation, purely a contest of energy. The pervasive ice mist was swept away in an instant, and the white flames relentlessly struck the ice giant. The body made of solid ice was instantly shaved off a layer. A vast expanse of white mist rose up, followed by the pitter-patter of ice water dripping down like rain, accumulating into a small puddle between the ice giant¡¯s feet. The ice giant froze in place. The voice of the old mage resounded again: "Back off! Back off!" Sprays of water splashed. The ice giant staggered backward, one step, two steps, three steps, finally sitting down on the ground, solidifying into an unconscious lump of ice. The old mage flew down from the rocky outcrop. One hand gripping his staff, the other holding his robe, tiptoeing to avoid the icy ground, he hopped over like a fat duck. Seeing his daughter unharmed, although the female knight sat down on the ground, she didn¡¯t seem to be in any trouble. He slouched, his entire body collapsing downwards, shrinking by ten centimeters on the spot: "Thank goodness, thank goodness..." After he finished exhaling, he turned to Garrett, his face filled with gratitude: "Thank you so much! This ice elemental suddenly went out of control. If you hadn¡¯t intervened, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to send it back in time. You..." He glanced up at Bernard, tilting his head back at a 45-degree angle, only to see the tip of the large bone club: "What should I call you? You and your followers, are you alright?" The barbarian grinned foolishly, retracting his club and stepping back behind Garrett. Garrett naturally waved his hand, taking on the role of mediator for both of them: "I¡¯m fine. With the master¡¯s control, even if we hadn¡¯t helped, it should have been possible to retrieve the ice elemental in time. At most, the young lady would have been a little frightened¡ªMiss, are you alright?" "Humph! That stubborn girl!" The old mage glared at his daughter, then started puffing his beard and glaring again. The female knight hugged her friend, taking two steps back, her face full of caution. When their gazes met, they immediately started a new round of argument. Garrett stood nearby, listened to a few sentences, felt like his head was about to explode, and couldn¡¯t help but intervene: "Master, Miss Knight, may I say a word?" "What do you want to say?" The old mage¡¯s expression softened slightly. Garrett bowed lightly: "Master, even if you¡¯re angry, you must still care for your daughter. In this situation, no matter how you decide to handle it, it¡¯s always better to have a higher-level healer intervene. I happen to be visiting Elder Wood of the Cult of the Nature God. If the master has the time, could you bring the young lady along for a visit?" "I¡¯m not pregnant! I haven¡¯t even touched a man¡¯s hand!" Iris burst into tears. The old mage roared, "Who are you trying to fool! Your belly is so big, you can¡¯t even eat, and you still want to vomit! Are you waiting for the bastard to be born before admitting your shameful deed!" "Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry," Elder Wood smiled reassuringly. "Tolga, don¡¯t worry, young lady, don¡¯t cry for now. Sit tight and let me use divine magic to take a look..." He waved off the others, clasping the oak staff in his hands, murmuring a prayer. A moist glow emanated from the green leaves on the staff, enveloping the girl. Iris, who had been sobbing uncontrollably, calmed down shortly after being enveloped in the green light, lowering her head with a tear about to drop but not falling. Huh? Does this divine magic have the function of soothing emotions? Garrett was amazed and couldn¡¯t help but take a step forward. He saw Elder Wood with half-closed eyes, a demeanor he was quite familiar with, obviously observing something in his mind¡¯s eye. He circled left and right, then squatted down to carefully feel for a while, finally exhaling with certainty: "She¡¯s not pregnant." "Not pregnant?" The old mage eyed the elder suspiciously. "Elder Wood, don¡¯t just spare my feelings. With her belly this big..." "I truly didn¡¯t sense any signs of life from the child." Elder Wood shook his head firmly. The old mage looked incredulous, grabbing the elder¡¯s wrist: "Really?¡ªDon¡¯t deceive me! A few days ago, I had priests come over, and they said they could sense signs of life in the womb!" "They indeed can, but it¡¯s chaotic and unrelated to the child!" Elder Wood countered unequivocally. The old mage became even more uneasy: "Don¡¯t lie to me!¡ªIt¡¯s still manageable now; it¡¯ll be even more troublesome later if we don¡¯t get rid of it!" "There really is no sign of the child¡¯s life breath!¡ªIf you don¡¯t believe it, feel it yourself!" Elder Wood couldn¡¯t produce solid evidence, so he could only respond in this manner. The old mage shook his head even more vigorously: "I¡¯m a mage! Life breath, that kind of thing, you priests can feel, but I can¡¯t!" Two old men totaling about 150 years old, one refusing to believe, the other insisting on his position but unable to provide evidence, pulling and tugging, arguing incessantly. Garrett stood by watching for a while, seeing the girl¡¯s teary eyes, one hand pressing her abdomen, bending over several times as if nauseated, couldn¡¯t help but step forward: "Elder, Master, could I... use magic to take a look at the young lady¡¯s condition?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 174 Chapter 174 "Using magic?" "Magic can do that?" The two elders turned simultaneously. Master Tolga, tugging at his beard, gave Garrett Nordmark a thorough once-over with a fresh perspective before turning to Elder Wood and asking, "Old Wood, your student?" "My friend¡¯s student, here to study at the council headquarters, asked me to look after him a bit." Elder Wood explained, then turned to Garrett. "Are you sure? Magic can really do this?" "It should be able to." Garrett Nordmark stepped forward slowly, explaining to Elder Wood and Master Tolga, "It¡¯s a new magic I just improved, and the paper has been approved. Let¡¯s see if we can determine whether there¡¯s a pregnancy or not." With that, he rummaged through his backpack, found the paper, and handed it over. Master Tolga eagerly snatched it, scanning through it rapidly. As he read, his pace slowed, his left hand twirling his beard from his layered chin to the nearly all-white tip, then releasing, moving up, and repeating... Garrett Nordmark waited patiently, feeling no impatience whatsoever. Dealing with patients¡¯ relatives, or the patients themselves, was much more drawn-out than this. Pre-op instructions, repeating them once, twice if they didn¡¯t understand, making them think, calling relatives, pulling out the phone to Google right then and there... Compared to that, having someone read a paper on-site and trying to understand what an ultrasound was, these patients¡¯ relatives were simply adorable. "Hmm... It seems to make sense." After a while, the old mage finally flipped to the last page of the paper, satisfied, stroking his beard. "Let me try! Old Wood, pass me the oil¡ª" "I should do it first!" Garrett Nordmark exclaimed with a wry smile, hastily intervening. "Let me finish, I¡¯ll tell you what areas to pay attention to, then you can take another look¡ª" After calming the patient¡¯s relative, Garrett turned to reassure the patient. Iris was teary-eyed, one hand clutching the female knight while the other reached for Garrett¡¯s sleeve. "I really am not pregnant... please, give me proof, I haven¡¯t done anything wrong... I haven¡¯t been with any man... sniff..." "Don¡¯t worry, as long as you¡¯re not actually pregnant, this magic will definitely prove it." Garrett tried to comfort her as gently as possible. Although he said this, he had no certainty in his heart. A young female patient, abdominal swelling, denying any sexual history... how credible was that? Who knows. For women of childbearing age, any abdominal pain, bloating, or acute abdominal symptoms should not be taken lightly. Send them all for an HCG test! Otherwise, you might think it¡¯s appendicitis, confidently make an incision, and it turns out to be an ectopic pregnancy... Stupid, isn¡¯t it? Immediately call the obstetrician to the rescue, then, if you¡¯re lucky, get scolded by the chief physician, if you¡¯re not, torn apart, your credentials lost... Of course, this is a different world, without HCG to rely on. Garrett could only be on edge, murmuring "Please don¡¯t be ectopic... Please don¡¯t be a molar pregnancy..." while coaxing the patient inside. Amidst all the busyness, he still had to keep a smiling face for Elder Wood: "Elder, is there any sister available right now? Please ask her to come and accompany me. It¡¯s not very convenient for me to examine a girl alone..." "Freya went to Duylin Land, she won¡¯t be back until tomorrow. Annie has gone home." Elder Wood hesitated, glancing at the old mage and then at the female knight. "How about asking this young lady to accompany you?" "I have no problem." Seraina immediately responded. She reached back and patted her companion¡¯s arm. "Don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯m here with you!" Well... I don¡¯t have a problem either. A male doctor examining a female patient, with no female nurse, and the patient¡¯s relative accompanying is fine... If I can¡¯t help, I can¡¯t help. I¡¯ll just provide proof and be grateful... The belly seemed to be about five or six months pregnant. Garrett was extra cautious, holding his breath, searching diligently from top to bottom. Pelvic area, middle abdomen, upper abdomen, he even thought about the possibility of ectopic pregnancy, and finally confirmed that there was none¡ªthere was no fetus even as small as three months. There was no choice, there were no facilities here to do an HCG test, so he had to be extra careful himself. After searching carefully once again, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and confidently concluded, "Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not a pregnancy." "Really?!" "Let me see¡ª" "I want to see too!" The two old men crowded forward quickly. Garrett had just shouted, "I¡¯m not done with the examination yet," but he was already squeezed to the side, almost falling down. Master Tolga eagerly grabbed a bat brain, saying, "How do I see? Just send out ultrasound waves inside?" Garrett could only step aside helplessly. Well, let them take a look. This was the advantage of magic¡ªmagic that any mage could learn and verify on their own. He nervously reminded them from the side: "That¡¯s right, move your finger forward a bit, then down a bit, right here! Activate the magic, and you¡¯ll see that there¡¯s no baby in her belly¡ªsurely you won¡¯t mistake what a baby looks like! Oh, and use a bit less magic! Just enough to see clearly, too much magical fluctuation could damage the intestines!" "Emmmm..." Master Tolga picked up a bat brain, then another one, his fingers moving back and forth, looking several times. Finally, he let out a long sigh, raised his right hand, wiped the sweat from his forehead: "It¡¯s really not..." The glycerin on his fingers wiped onto his forehead, which was already covered in sweat, immediately sparkling and colorful. Garrett dared not laugh either, turning his head to watch the old mage out of the corner of his eye, seeing him look towards Elder Wood with anticipation written all over his face: "Old Wood, you were right. The girl isn¡¯t pregnant, she¡¯s sick¡ªso what illness is this? How should it be treated? You¡¯ve watched her grow up, you must make sure to cure her!" Hey, hey, your daughter isn¡¯t pregnant, I just proved it to you! If you have any questions, you should ask me! Oh well, with a chief physician and an attending physician here, or even just a gray-haired attending physician and a young associate chief physician, the patient, the patient¡¯s family, would definitely run to the senior doctor... --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 175 Chapter 175 What¡¯s the girl¡¯s illness? The old mage lay in bed, the girl¡¯s eyes were filled with anticipation as she looked at Elder Wood. On the side, the female knight, Seraina, stood with her sword drawn, her emerald eyes flickering slightly as she glanced between Elder Wood and Garrett. Eventually, her gaze lingered more on Garrett. Garrett glanced at her, and Seraina nodded slightly to him, her eyes twinkling with amusement. Then, she gestured towards the girl on the bed, silently mouthing a question. Her eyes seemed to plead: What¡¯s her illness? Do you know? Garrett hesitated for a moment, then looked at Elder Wood and discreetly moved a step closer to the female knight with his right foot. Before his left foot could catch up, Elder Wood turned back with a smile, looking at Garrett. "Garrett, what do you think?" "I..." Garrett began, about to give an answer. But as the words reached his lips, he paused. "I have some guesses, but I need to examine her to be sure." "In that case, go ahead," Elder Wood said with a smile, raising his hand. Garrett immediately jumped up. "Just wait, I¡¯ll go get pen and paper!" Medical history! Physical examination! Documenting symptoms! He sat down in front of the girl with a thick notebook, flipping it open. The pages were densely filled with notes up to halfway through. He flipped to the latest page and smiled at the girl on the bed. "Miss, may I ask for your surname?" "Meinlan," the girl replied, her face lowered, pulling the blanket tighter around her, her ears turning red. Garrett coughed and continued writing, asking further: "Your age?" "17." "What seems to be the problem?" "My... my stomach is getting bigger..." "For how long?" "..." "How long has your stomach been growing?" "About three, three to four months..." "Was it this big from the beginning?" "Of course not!" "Does your stomach hurt?" "A little..." "Is it constant pain or does it come and go?" "It comes and goes..." "Have you experienced bloating?" "A bit..." "Do you feel nauseous? How¡¯s your bowel movement? Is it daily? How much? Any flatulence?" "Why... why are you asking everything!" The girl¡¯s ears turned red as she turned away, ignoring him. Garrett sighed and raised his head, gesturing towards Elder Wood, continuing to write swiftly: Garrett exerted effort to manage his expression, keeping his demeanor serious yet gentle and approachable. He lifted the fleece blanket covering the girl¡¯s abdomen, carefully observing and measuring her waist circumference before instructing, "Miss, sit up slowly for me to take a look. Slowly, sit up straight. Good¡ªnow lie down." "Why are you making her sit and lie down?" Elder Wood asked from behind. Garrett simply handed him the paper and pen, saying, "Elder, could you please help me record this? Note: Abdomen is uniformly distended, presenting a globular shape, with no significant changes in shape observed with changes in body position." Elder Wood furrowed his brows as he wrote slowly. With just a brief sentence, there were two words he wasn¡¯t quite familiar with, so he had to carefully consider how to write them. Garrett¡¯s explanation quickly followed, "By sitting up and lying down, if the bulging in the abdomen doesn¡¯t change shape significantly, it indicates that the bulge is hard, not soft, and especially not fluid¡ªif it were fluid, it would flow to the sides when lying down, forming a puddle. Now, exhale, inhale, exhale again, inhale again¡ªnote that the distension doesn¡¯t shift with respiration. This indicates that it¡¯s not due to organs or masses beneath the diaphragm." With each action he instructed the patient to perform, he provided an explanation, causing Iris¡¯s face to alternate between pale and flushed. The female knight stood by, gently patting her friend¡¯s shoulder, whispering, "So much to consider¡ª" "Indeed, there¡¯s a lot to consider," Garrett replied with a faint smile. Abdominal distension, medically termed as abdominal bloating, can be classified into generalized and localized distension. Just with generalized distension, there are three possible causes: ascites (fluid in the abdomen), abdominal distension due to gas, and large masses. And among ascites alone, there are three major categories and fifteen subcategories, totaling at least seventy to eighty etiologies. Even after determining the most likely cause, it would require a plethora of ancillary examinations. Before ordering these tests, a physician¡¯s physical examination must provide the initial direction. "Abdominal wall veins not dilated, skin over the abdomen normal." Excellent, the possibility of intestinal obstruction just decreased a bit more! Likelihood of surgery¡ý¡ý "Are you done with the examination?" The old mage asked somewhat impatiently. Garrett took a deep breath. "Almost. Elder, come and see¡ªaround her belly button¡ªare there elongated protuberances? It¡¯s particularly clear when she bends over from the side. Okay, gently tap it¡ª" After the gentle taps, the elongated protrusions on the snow-white, prominently swollen belly kept wriggling up and down. Some moved forward, some backward, in different directions. Iris moaned softly, "It hurts¡ª" "It¡¯ll be over soon, just bear with it," Garrett reassured her softly. The old mage exclaimed behind him, "What is this?!" "This is her intestines¡ªor rather, this is what¡¯s blocking her intestines, causing her abdomen to swell like this." Garrett explained confidently. He turned to Elder Wood and gestured with his hands, "Note, multi-layered trapezoidal intestinal shape and intestinal peristalsis¡ªElder, do you have a long hollow tube? I need to listen to bowel sounds!" Damn it, he forgot to bring the stethoscope again¡ª "I¡¯ll have someone fetch it," Elder Wood put down his pen and got up to leave. Master Tolga grabbed his arm, "Why bother with all that trouble? I¡¯ll do it!" He extended his hands, and with a pull in the air, a straight, hollow, semi-transparent cylindrical tube appeared in the air. Garrett exclaimed, "Ah!" Magic trick! This was created using magic! How did he not think of this before! Sure, he couldn¡¯t make a stethoscope, but he could create a tube! Magic tricks were apprentice-level magic, and he could perform dozens of them a day, with almost negligible consumption! He thanked Tolga and took the stethoscope, pressing it against his ear. Placing one end on Iris¡¯s abdomen, his expression immediately turned serious as he adjusted his breathing and listened intently. His left hand, free, curled and uncurled its fingers, counting silently: "Note, during abdominal pain, accompanied by high-pitched bowel sounds, resembling metallic sounds... Bowel sounds occur more than ten times per minute, and are louder, indicating hyperactive bowel sounds." With the examination reaching this point, the symptoms were essentially confirmed. Garrett still didn¡¯t dare to be careless. From the liver and spleen downwards, he carefully palpated again to ensure there were no other abnormalities before washing his hands. The old mage followed alongside, eagerly inquiring, "So, it¡¯s an intestinal obstruction, right? Just give her some laxatives, and it should clear up, right?" "It¡¯s not that simple..." Garrett looked at him wordlessly. Mechanical intestinal obstruction had been confirmed, but where was the obstruction? Was it a complete intestinal obstruction or a partial one? Simple or strangulated? Was there torsion? Intussusception? Perforation? Moreover, intestinal obstruction wasn¡¯t necessarily caused by constipation; giving laxatives might not work... What if it¡¯s a foreign body? Gallstones? Tumor? Laxatives wouldn¡¯t help in those cases either! He reached out to Elder Wood, "Elder, your oak staff, may I borrow it?" "Going to use Detection Magic again?" Elder Wood handed over the oak staff with a smile, then moved behind Garrett, releasing the spell and entering a meditative state. Soon, he furrowed his brows, looking puzzled, "What are you looking at?" The old mage frowned even harder than Elder Wood. Garrett shrugged: Surely they couldn¡¯t understand, not knowing human anatomy, having not studied medical imaging. Even a novice doctor would need a year or two and to have seen hundreds or thousands of images to understand! He turned the pages, sketching what he saw in the meditative vision. Starting with a supine film, then having Iris stand up, activating Detection Magic again, and sketching an upright film. Leveraging the foundation accumulated from years of drawing diagrams to explain to patients, body contours, bones, organs, intestines, etc., quickly appeared on the paper. The advantage of magic was that what you saw was what you got. A healer could handle everything from examination to treatment on their own, without having the patient queue up for an X-ray. The downside was that once the magic ended, the images in the meditative vision disappeared immediately, and aside from drawing them on the spot, there was no way to preserve the images¡ª Ah, in the future, when conditions allowed, he would have to set up an X-ray machine! After completing two X-ray films¡ªlet¡¯s call them X-rays for now¡ªand a ultrasound image, Garrett spread out the three images, explaining to the patient and her family: "Look here, this is the supine film, showing the intestines¡ªisn¡¯t it thicker than the adjacent area? That¡¯s where the intestines are blocked. Here, and here, areas with different brightness, are due to small bowel distension. Now, look at the upright film, rings arranged like a ladder, forming a fluid-gas interface..." "Here, there are some clustered shadows, the clusters are quite large, exceeding..." Garrett gestured with his hand, "a diameter of 10 centimeters. Combined with what the elder mentioned earlier about sensing many chaotic life forces, I believe¡ª" The two elders looked at the images, puzzled. Elder Wood was still trying to discern, memorize, and recite, while Master Tolga had one hand on him and the other on Garrett, steam almost coming out of his head in agitation: "How should we treat it then!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 176 Chapter 176 Since the consultation began, Garrett Nordmark had been pondering incessantly on how to treat the condition. Through questioning, physical examination, auscultation, and two magical scans of X-rays and ultrasonography, the diagnosis had become clear: mechanical intestinal obstruction caused by roundworms, incomplete but chronic¡ªhad it been acute, the young lady wouldn¡¯t have lasted this long. Normally, such cases fell under gastroenterology; even in the emergency department, it would be handled by internal medicine. Only when complications like strangulation, perforation, or necrosis arose, one would be rushed to the surgical emergency department. But why hadn¡¯t they acted sooner? Nevertheless, in this alternate world, there were no IV fluids, no tubes, no medicines. Garrett Nordmark assessed the severity of the intestinal obstruction in his mind, analyzing possible outcomes and complications, then turned to Elder Wood: "Elder, what approach would you take?" "I... am uncertain." Elder Wood frowned, pondering for a while before shaking his head. The cause of the young lady¡¯s abdominal distension lay in something sinister within her belly¡ªthe chaotic life signals Garrett had noted earlier. If it were up to him, he¡¯d employ divine magic alongside medication to eradicate these threats, then ease her pain, provide warmth, and massage her abdomen to aid expulsion. But with her belly so distended... After a moment¡¯s thought, he continued shaking his head: "It¡¯s highly probable she¡¯ll suffer severe abdominal pain like the previous patient and may not survive." Iris Meinlan grew paler as she listened. Gone was the flush from Garrett¡¯s touch, replaced by sheer dread. Clutching the sleeve of the female knight¡¯s garment, she shook her head desperately: "Sister, I don¡¯t want to die¡ªI don¡¯t want to die, waaah..." Seraina whispered soothingly as she held her. The old mage glanced at his daughter, then at Elder Wood, troubled and uncertain, pinning his hopes on Garrett: "What¡¯s your plan?" "If it were me¡ª" Garrett already had a plan formulated. After hearing Elder Wood¡¯s strategy, he made some local adjustments. Opening his notebook, he quickly sketched an anatomical diagram of the abdomen and began to explain: Heart issues like arrhythmias, heart attacks, failure, sudden cardiac arrest... After filling the paper, Master Tolga¡¯s face darkened upon receiving it: "So... many risks?" He shook the form, almost wanting to stick it to Garrett¡¯s face: "All this from opening her abdomen?" "It implies these are possible outcomes." Garrett patiently explained, as he had done countless times in his past life: "Read it carefully, ask if you have any questions. If you understand and accept, sign here. No signature, no surgery, but rest assured, I¡¯ll assist Elder Wood in preliminary treatment." The old mage gripped the form tightly, his fingers digging in. He glanced around, at his daughter¡¯s pale face, then Elder Wood¡¯s furrowed brow, and finally sighed: "Let¡¯s treat her first! Signing can wait until abdominal surgery is necessary!" "Alright, I¡¯m in." Elder Wood rose with his oak staff, turning to Garrett: "You mentioned... gastric and intestinal decompression. How¡¯s that done?" Garrett gave an awkward smile. In his previous life, it was simply inserting a gastric tube and suctioning. But in this world, no such devices existed. "That... Elder, Master Tolga, we might need your divine magic and magic to help with that..." ---------------NewW novels updates at novelhall.com Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 177 Chapter 177 "Grow a hollow vine, as thin as half of a pinky finger," commanded Elder Wood. "Do you have fine metal wires? The kind as thin as hair?¡ªMaster Tolga, you can actually shape silver coins on the spot, that¡¯s impressive! Alright, very well, wrap the silver wires around the vine to mark the position, then cast [Detect Magic] again!" Elder Wood sat opposite the young girl, with Garrett standing behind him, giving continuous directions. He couldn¡¯t help but congratulate himself inwardly: Elder Wood agreed to using a vine for gastric insertion without hesitation. It seemed that the teacher had boasted about it after the last bronchoscopy, and Elder Wood must have secretly practiced. However, commands were still necessary. A gastroscopy involved different procedures from a bronchoscopy, and Garrett kept guiding without pause: "Miss, please lie on the pillow, with your head tilted up and chin against your chest, don¡¯t move! Put another pillow behind her, very good! ¡ªElder, temporarily numb her throat with divine magic, insert the vine from the nostrils, let it grow into the mouth, then follow the throat into the esophagus!" Iris, the patient, felt fear and instinctively struggled as the instructions echoed in her ears. The female knight pressed down on her friend¡¯s shoulder with one hand and tried to stabilize her head with the other, lifting her face to gaze at Garrett, her emerald eyes filled with both doubt and plea. Garrett sighed inwardly, stepping forward to calm the patient: "Miss, don¡¯t be afraid. Didn¡¯t we just explain? This vine is very thin, much thinner than your throat. As long as you don¡¯t move, you won¡¯t be scratched. Be obedient, lie still..." After several calming attempts, Iris finally relaxed her tense body. Garrett leaned over to her, smiling slightly: "Here, open your mouth, say ¡¯ahh¡¯ with me¡ª" "Ahh¡ª" Iris opened her mouth, and seizing the opportunity, Elder Wood swiftly inserted the vine into the patient¡¯s nostril, winding it down into the stomach. Garrett monitored the position of the silver wire in his meditative vision, seeing that the end had reached near the xiphoid process. He quickly shouted, "Alright alright! Stop!" Guiding the gastric tube under X-ray¡ªwhat a luxury... Garrett sighed deeply. In the past, everyone relied on blind insertions, but now, with [Magic Detection], the process felt much more convenient. Taking the vine, Garrett held it close to the girl¡¯s face with one hand, firmly grasping it. With the other hand, he handed it to the old mage: "Master Tolga, please drive the wind element to suck out the air from the vine, not too fast. After sucking it out, the contents in the stomach will rush out. Please continue to guide these liquids until I say." "No problem. Leave it to me!" Elder Wood took it over casually. Garrett smiled to himself: Just negative pressure suction, without a suction device or a 50ml syringe, and without the priests of the Temple of the Spring Goddess, I still managed! Methods are all thought up by people... Hmph... The vine made a hissing sound as Garrett felt the invisible whirlwind sucking air. Then, drop by drop, transparent, slightly viscous liquid was drawn out. Grabbing a cup to catch it, Garrett observed carefully. First, stomach contents, and soon, fermenting intestinal contents appeared. The foul smell hit them, Seraina covered her nose and stepped aside: "What are you staring at so intently?" "Thank goodness, there¡¯s no bleeding." Garrett stared at the cup without lifting his head. As for finding worms in the food residue, he didn¡¯t mention it to avoid grossing people out. The female knight hesitated for a moment, sighing softly: "You¡¯ve worked hard." "Mm, mm." Garrett responded vaguely. He kept checking the volume in the cup, the speed and state of the stomach contents flowing out, suddenly calling out, "Stop!" The amount drawn out was almost enough, and the tube below the stomach was starting to clog¡ªit was time to stop! Gastric decompression completed, enema completed. All preparations were done, but Elder Wood hesitated, holding the pills in his hand: "This medicine... can only kill about sixty to seventy percent of those life energies at most; with divine art, maybe ninety percent. Garrett, do you have any other ideas?" Ideas? In this otherworld, where can I find metronidazole, albendazole, or mebendazole for you? As for rattan and magnolia vine, I have nowhere to find them either! I remember the recipe for wumei pills, but as for atractylodes, coptis, aconite, and ginseng, am I expecting a cross-temporal pharmacy, or am I expecting to be able to order on Taobao?? Garrett desperately searched his mind for articles. Oral vegetable oil, that¡¯s lubricating; oral honey ginger, the insecticidal effect is probably not as good as Elder Wood¡¯s pills; rhubarb decoction? Dinggui powder? Wake up, there¡¯s no traditional Chinese medicine here... Why should I, an emergency surgeon, bother with the thoughts of a gastroenterologist... Even in the past life, conservative treatment was done by internal medicine! Garrett lamented, lamented, lamented again. Lamented to the extreme, he actually had a flash of inspiration, took out the remaining potassium permanganate from his waist pouch: "Elder, that thing we used last time¡ªto gather the same gas as in the test tube, inject it into the bubble spell, can you use that divine art once more?" "No problem!" Elder Wood readily agreed. "I¡¯ve already simplified that divine art; it only requires fifth-level. Ah, you¡¯ll soon reach fifth-level, I¡¯ll teach you!" This and that... A faraway water can¡¯t quench a nearby thirst, but fortunately, someone on-site can use it. Garrett raised a finger: "This time, I want not just the bubble spell, but to inject it into bubbles, send it into the stomach through the vine, preferably into the intestines. Can you do it?" "This..." Elder Wood hesitated. "Sending it into the intestines is probably fine, it¡¯s just letting it grow on its own. I can¡¯t control the shrinking of the bubbles..." Can¡¯t do it? I can¡¯t do it either, although I know the bubble spell, my magical control isn¡¯t up to this level. However, it doesn¡¯t matter, grab a balloon¡ªoh, the emergency department calls it a balloon, it¡¯s actually an oxygen bag, any substitute will do. Fish bladder, pig bladder, filled with oxygen and wrapped around the vine, just squeeze it! Garrett had already started looking around for alternatives left and right. The old mage calmly interjected: "I can do it." Oh, someone volunteered as a laborer! Garrett clapped his hands: "Great! You two try to cooperate first, use the bubble spell and the vine to inflate the basin with air¡ªI¡¯ll be right back! Elder, do you have alchemical equipment here?" "What is this gas? May I try it?" "I only have this one tube. The materials I brought were insufficient, so I only managed to produce this single tube." Garrett shrugged. The elderly mage hesitated for a moment, torn between "not prying into others¡¯ magic" and the life of his daughter, ultimately choosing his daughter. He rummaged in his robe sleeves and extracted a small silver bell, placing it on the table and nudging it toward Garrett: "My apologies¡ªwhat material is it?" Potassium permanganate. Oh no, what¡¯s it called here... Linde Ferrell mentioned it once... Ah, yes! "Purple Scale Stone!" His eyes lit up with delight, as if recalling something long forgotten, and a smile crept up at the corner of his mouth. The elderly mage immediately glanced at Elder Wood, who shook his head, "None." Left with no other options, Master Tolga sighed and, seeing Garrett disregard the silver bell on the table, opted to pick it up himself and thrust it into Garrett¡¯s hands: "Then let¡¯s employ your method! I¡¯m placing my trust in you!" The two elderly men and the young man once again united their efforts. Elder Wood handled the vine and summoned the gas, while Master Tolga controlled the bubbles, allowing them to contract slowly. Garrett stood by, shouting: "Slow down! Don¡¯t allow the bubbles to shrink too quickly! If they shrink too fast, it could rupture the intestines. Slower!" 500ml of oxygen¡ªthough not pure oxygen, it was air with a high oxygen concentration¡ªgradually entered the intestines. Theoretically, oxygen can be administered at a rate of 5L/min, but this was a vine, not an endoscope, and the interior of the intestines couldn¡¯t be observed. Garrett feared that if the vine¡¯s exit wasn¡¯t properly positioned, it might spray onto the intestinal wall, causing perforation... If they had to perform intestinal surgery to repair it, it would be troublesome, with myriad complications and sequelae. Sigh, better to err on the side of caution. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to have a bit more oxygen lingering in the gastrointestinal tract. Even if the intestinal wall absorbed some oxygen, it would only be a minuscule amount. Wu wu wu, when will they develop a magical or divine art for endoscopic procedures... Adding another item to his wish list, Garrett watched as, at his behest, the elderly mage slowly administered the oxygen. In less than ten seconds, the pained expression on Iris¡¯s face visibly eased. "I don¡¯t hurt anymore..." "Stay lying down! Stay lying down!!!" Garrett hurriedly intervened, ensuring she remained prone. Don¡¯t dislodge the gastric tube! After the oxygen had been administered, the gastric tube was removed¡ªor rather, it retracted on its own. After approximately fifteen minutes, Elder Wood activated his divine magic and once more probed Iris¡¯s life force. Under the divine light, he exclaimed, "Almost all of them are dead! Young Garrett, the efficacy of this gas of yours far surpasses pills!¡ªHer stomach also appears somewhat flattened now, not as distended as before..." Of course. Garrett clapped his hands with a relaxed demeanor, as if shaking off the dust of unnecessary worries: Administering oxygen through the gastrointestinal tract for parasite expulsion has been corroborated by numerous cases and research papers. Particularly in cases of biliary ascariasis, when patients are in agonizing pain, administering a few seconds of oxygen through an endoscope¡ªoh, the effect, it¡¯s immediate! The pain ceases right then and there, prompting an immediate ultrasound examination. The roundworms are already deceased! As for the reduced stomach distention... When the adult worms perish, they no longer cluster together. As they disperse, the stomach naturally appears flatter. "The treatment is highly effective! Next, we¡¯ll flush out the deceased worms, and the ailment will be cured!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 178 Chapter 178 The first step was done¡ªexterminate the intestinal worms. Now for the rest: apply heat, massage the abdomen, ensure warmth, and stimulate intestinal movement. Next up? Drink the medicine~~~ This trilogy was the remedy for combating those pesky worms. With the symptoms temporarily subdued, Garrett darted into the kitchen, ready to brew the potion. He ignited the flame, stoked the stove, and set a bowl of bean oil to heat. Once the oil reached a rolling boil, he crouched at the table, meticulously adding the magical ingredients one by one: "Ice Beam~~~ Ice Beam~~~ Ice Beam~~~" "What are you up to?" "Ice¡ªoops!" Distracted, Garrett¡¯s Ice Beam spell veered off course. Like ice water hitting a hot skillet, the boiling bean oil erupted into a bubble, causing an instant explosion... "Oops!" Garrett recoiled. With no time to use the table as a shield, he hastily cast a defensive spell, apologizing for his magic not being instant yet. No other shields were available¡ªnot even a pot lid... In a pinch, he summoned a Mage Hand, trying to flatten the mess before him, crossing his arms to shield his face¡ª "Ahh..." A soft sigh behind him. Silently, a translucent light formed an unyielding force field. Drop by drop, the hot oil receded and returned to the pot, while a pair of hands steadied Garrett, preventing him from falling backward. Smooth and neutral in temperature, lacking any wrists to speak of¡ªif someone slower to react were here, they might¡¯ve jumped up, shouting: "A ghost!" But Garrett remained composed. A Mage Hand wasn¡¯t so rare; it wasn¡¯t worth his surprise. He straightened up calmly, turned, and bowed slightly to the figure behind: "Master, I¡¯m brewing medicine for Miss." "Is that so?" The old mage was curious. If Garrett were busy in the alchemy room, the old mage might¡¯ve believed him more. But here he was, in the kitchen with just a stove, a pot of bean oil, and two onions on the chopping board. The kitchen knife wasn¡¯t in sight¡ªdid Garrett intend to cry while cutting onions? "Is this your medicine?" "Yes!" Garrett explained confidently: "Ah, it¡¯s just the fear of needing the restroom right after drinking oil," Garrett Nordmark sighed, shaking his head. He pulled up a chair and settled in front of the bed. With a mischievous grin, he even snatched Elder Wood¡¯s oak cane, propping it casually against the bed. "Don¡¯t fret, it won¡¯t hit you that fast. At least not until around dinner time. I¡¯ll hang around for a bit. And if your stomach really starts acting up, you¡¯ve got to give me the heads-up, alright?" As the bean oil simmered, Garrett idly sifted through his mental archives for pertinent research. He recalled studies suggesting that in cases of intestinal obstruction, consuming a concoction of onion oil typically triggers gas and bowel movements within 6 hours, with a notable expulsion of worms within 12 hours. So, the urgency to use the restroom after oil ingestion? Not as immediate as one might think. Iris blushed furiously at his words, promptly burying herself under a thin blanket. The female knight shot a glance at her balled-up friend, then at the unperturbed old mage nearby, and couldn¡¯t help but sigh: "If it¡¯s not going to happen right away, why insist on sticking around? Iris will just get embarrassed!" ...I don¡¯t particularly fancy being here either. I¡¯d rather be out practicing divine magic, writing papers, or at the very least, meditating. But with such a severe case of intestinal obstruction, anything could happen until recovery. Garrett paused for a moment, then conjured a soft tube in the air with a wave of his hand, purposefully obstructing it with an object. "Look here, the human intestines are like this long tube. Now, with the tube blocked¡ª" He gestured downward, causing a bulge in the simulated tube, explaining to the female knight, as well as to the old mage and Elder Wood: "After taking the medicine, the intestines may have the strength to expel everything smoothly, or things might accumulate too much in a particular section. If the intestines lack the strength to push, it could lead to more accumulation or even a rupture. I¡¯m staying here just in case. If her stomach starts hurting badly, I can quickly assess the situation and determine if treatment is necessary." Narrowing of the intestine, intestinal twisting, intestinal perforation¡ªX-ray images can diagnose all of these. Garrett remained vigilant, with the oak cane positioned behind the patient, ready to employ magic at the first sign of trouble. Ah, besides these risks, intestinal ischemia is also a concern. Unfortunately, detecting intestinal ischemia requires a CT scan, which Garrett couldn¡¯t conjure up with his current abilities. Life¡¯s a tough cookie. Once you have one thing, you immediately want something better... And then there¡¯s dehydration, acid-base imbalance, and so forth. He just couldn¡¯t shake off the need to keep watch. "Can you really discern all that?" Elder Wood inquired, approaching after catching snippets of the conversation. He cast a serious glance at the patient on the bed, then at Garrett: "Using your... detection magic?" "Indeed, Elder," Garrett replied, turning around. "Let me sketch it out for you¡ªwhat to look for, what I can perceive in my meditation. Later, you can compare it with the sketches¡ªthough it¡¯s best to avoid any surprises..." He spent the entire afternoon crafting diagrams of intestinal obstruction, narrowing, twisting, perforation, X-ray images, and B-ultrasound images, along with corresponding anatomical diagrams, elaborating on them for Elder Wood. The old mage exited after hearing only a couple of sentences, while Salina stayed until the second drawing before stifling a gasp and exiting the room, hand over mouth. Only poor Elder Wood remained, at his age, having to grasp and memorize these images one by one, his eyes nearly resembling mosquito coils... Garrett continued his explanations until after dinner. Then, a series of gurgling noises emanated from beneath the blanket. Iris¡¯s cheeks fluctuated from pale to flushed and back again, her body trembling. Garrett sprang to his feet, beckoning the female knight inside: "It¡¯s about time. I¡¯ll leave the next steps to you! If you encounter any issues, don¡¯t hesitate to call me!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 179 Chapter 179 "...Intestinal obstruction caused by roundworms. Performed gastric decompression, administered a 500ml warm saline enema. Injected approximately 500ml of oxygen through the gastric tube." (Garrett circled this term with some guilt.) "The patient¡¯s pain immediately eased. After 15 minutes of observation with divine magic, it was confirmed that the roundworms were mostly dead. Thirty minutes later, administered 200ml of soybean oil, mixed with approximately 200g of onion juice, orally. Continued close observation. Anal gas and stool passage observed after 5.5 hours." Garrett made the final note on the medical record, straightened his back, and stretched lazily. Finally, this patient was taken care of! Overall, this went quite smoothly, without any surprises. He didn¡¯t even need to use the informed consent form for surgery¡ªof course, from a doctor¡¯s perspective, it¡¯s best not to. Not only that, he also gained a little something extra... Oh right, what is that bell for exactly? Garrett rummaged through his waist pouch and pulled out the bell given by the old wizard. He examined it up and down: A silver bell in the shape of a clock, about three centimeters tall and 2.5 centimeters in diameter, with a bell clapper hanging in the middle. Garrett shook it in his hand, but the clapper seemed to be cast inside the bell, not moving at all, not making a sound. Hmm... it seems it¡¯s not used like this... Garrett brought it closer for inspection again. There were fine patterns engraved on the bell, and upon closer examination, he saw a line of magical text written in cursive. He carefully deciphered it, unintentionally reading it out loud: "All that has passed, is but... is but... is but..." He couldn¡¯t read the last word for the life of him. Footsteps approached lightly from behind, and an elderly voice hinted: "Illusion." "All that has passed, is but an illusion!" Garrett immediately repeated. The bell rang, smoke emanated from the opening of the bell, the lower half still inside, while the upper half condensed into a humanoid figure, shouting from the edge: Requires coins... Requires coins... Garrett¡¯s legs went weak, nearly stumbling. Coins? How many coins remained in his pocket now? Would it be enough to sustain this creature for a few days? And would the cost of having it craft microscopes and needles outweigh simply purchasing them at the market? I¡¯ll rename it "Coins" later! Garrett thought mischievously as he carefully returned the little creature to its bell, briskly making his way back to his room. Salina had already emerged from the innermost chamber, her face flushed and pants slightly damp. Spotting Garrett, she stepped aside, offering a quick, "She¡¯s much better now... Thank you." "It¡¯s nothing, just doing my duty as a healer," Garrett replied with a smile, nodding at the female knight as they passed each other. "I¡¯ll check on her¡ªoh, and the items she found, are they still here? Not discarded?" Silence lingered for a moment before Garrett turned back, noticing the female knight¡¯s flushed cheeks and avoiding gaze. Shrugging, he gestured to himself and continued on his way¡ªwhether the parasites in this world were roundworms or not, as a doctor, he needed to see them for himself. "Not yet. I¡¯ll take you there," the female knight finally spoke as they reached the main door of the longhouse. Though she still refused to meet Garrett¡¯s eyes, she hastened her pace, leading him through a series of twists and turns until they reached a wooden barrel tucked into a corner. "Here... what are you looking at!" Without hesitation, Garrett scooped up some water with a ladle, pouring it into the barrel. With a black pottery plate in one hand and a wooden stick in the other, he stirred the contents until white worms surfaced. Carefully selecting a few, he placed them on the plate for observation. They bore a striking resemblance to the roundworms he had encountered in his previous life: long, slender, with striated surfaces and curled tails. Despite his past aversion to dissecting and studying, Garrett was now completely engrossed in his work, recognizing the stark difference between working for oneself and working for others. After washing his hands meticulously, he returned to check on Iris, noting the significant reduction in her swollen abdomen. Utilizing X-ray magic, he confirmed the absence of intestinal twisting or perforation, breathing a sigh of relief. "Give her a cup of sugar-salt water, and half an hour later, she can eat something soft. After meals, administer another cup of onion oil. She¡¯ll need to expel the worms several more times tonight." "Several more times..." both girls groaned in unison. Garrett nodded sympathetically, preparing to offer further reassurance when a sudden change in expression overtook him, prompting him to dash off¡ªthis time, mirroring Iris¡¯s earlier urgency, clutching his stomach in distress, entirely indistinguishable from the patient he had just attended to. --------------- for new novels Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 180 Chapter 180 Garrett hurried into the room, his head lowered as if a magical beast were at his heels. The female knight called out to him from behind, but Garrett ignored her, his pace quickening. Master Tolga¡¯s concerned inquiry fell on deaf ears as Garrett nodded hastily without breaking his stride. Elder Wood¡¯s chuckle followed him, "Garrett, you haven¡¯t returned the wooden staff yet..." "Bernard, guard the door for me! Keep everyone out!" Garrett dashed into a guest room, the same one he had occupied before, and slammed the door behind him. The two elders exchanged a puzzled glance, ready to jest at Garrett¡¯s urgency, but their amusement turned to concern as they felt the energy shift in the air. "This is..." Elder Wood shot up from his seat, darting into Iris¡¯s room to reclaim the oak staff. With a swift motion, he snatched it back as though reclaiming a stolen treasure before hurrying back. Not far from the guest room¡¯s entrance, Master Tolga stood frozen, his face drained of color. "What powerful fluctuations...?" Instinctively, he moved to investigate, but halted as the barbarian positioned his bone club defensively. Elder Wood¡¯s irritation mingled with amusement as he pulled the old mage back and gestured with his staff. A tendril of green grass broke through the soil at the door, swaying toward the interior of the guest room. "...A potent elemental vortex." Elder Wood¡¯s expression grew grave. Within the room, he sensed not a person but a swirling miniature tornado, drawing in surrounding forces. He extended his hand, feeling the invisible elemental wind coursing through his fingers, and watched as the hairs on his hand stood on end. The elemental energies flowed freely into the guest room... For a higher-level spellcaster, such disturbance might be insignificant. But Garrett, only a second-level priest and first-level mage, with the leaf on his oak staff still tender green¡ªhow could he generate such intense fluctuations during his advancement? Could he control them? Control wasn¡¯t even a consideration for Garrett. He seated himself on the bed, assuming an unorthodox meditation posture, and closed his eyes. In his mind¡¯s eye, earth, water, fire, wind, and various elements shimmered into existence one by one. Translucent figures stood in the void, silently awaiting his command as forces from all directions poured in, filling his being. However, during a recent training session, the teacher introduced a new method for spell model creation: mathematics! Triangles, circles, curves¡ªall mathematical concepts! And if you couldn¡¯t grasp math, you had no business aspiring to be a mage! So, about that sine curve... Garrett recalled the formula y=Asin(¦Øx+¦Õ)+k. Adjusting the amplitude and angular frequency values, he eagerly observed the changes... His meditation vision widened as something new emerged¡ªa concept he¡¯d never encountered before. Waves¡ªundulating, vibrating, transmitting through the void and reflecting back from unknown origins... They were waves! Longitudinal, transverse, electromagnetic, mechanical¡ªwaves of all kinds materialized in his meditation vision for the first time! The feedback surged from the meditation world. The spell model for echo magic, ultrasound magic, a seemingly insignificant gadget that earned merely two research points at the Magic Council, materialized and shimmered brightly in Garrett¡¯s meditation environment. As he filled the spell model, the elements pouring into the meditation realm dissipated outward, increasing the concentration within the "shell" by at least ten percent. Satisfied, Garrett opened his eyes. "Yes! No more need to carry around bats!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 181 Chapter 181 After the fluctuation in elemental levels subsided, Garrett Nordmark still hadn¡¯t emerged. Constructing new magic within his meditation core, he toyed around like a child with a new toy: "Peak and valley heights need to go up a bit more! Just a bit higher! Hmm, the output power isn¡¯t enough, the intensity of the ultrasound can¡¯t go any higher... Let¡¯s lower it a bit! Lower, lower... No, the casting accuracy isn¡¯t enough, can¡¯t control it at this level..." Then it was the wave frequency! Increase, increase, increase... Good, feedback accuracy improved, detection distance shortened. It¡¯s really convenient to imprint spell models in the meditation core, one can even manually adjust the frequency! Let¡¯s lower the frequency a bit more... Lower, lower, lower... "Squeak¡ª" A very faint, sharp whistle. Uh-oh, the frequency dropped too much, into the range audible to human ears... Garrett sweated profusely. He dared not lower the frequency further into the infrasound range, so he could only remember a few sets of the best data, planning to find a way to measure exactly how many megahertz it was later. Outside the room, Elder Wood and Master Tolga exchanged glances: "What is this kid doing?" "I don¡¯t know... tinkering with his new magic? Probably..." Regardless, the vital signs inside the guest room remained stable, life force vigorous. The crisis had passed, there shouldn¡¯t be any trouble. Elder Wood shrugged and finally pulled Master Tolga away, each returning to their respective rooms to attend to their own matters. The barbarian remained, clutching his big club, with a loyal and resolute expression, guarding the door, exuding an aura of "one man guarding the pass, ten thousand unable to pass." For physical professions, pulling an all-nighter was fine. But for spellcasters, it was a different story. Mages needed to meditate, priests needed to pray; these were daily tasks that required eight hours of sleep to ensure that spells for the next day would function properly... In the guest room, Garrett finished tinkering with the ultrasound frequency and began experimenting with other ideas. Can ultrasound be focused into a beam? Can it be emitted from multiple directions simultaneously, making it easier to determine specific conditions in a particular area? Can it instantly generate high heat, selectively melting certain things? If that¡¯s possible, then Sea Boats and the like would be feasible... Can it... One spell cast, then another, and another. It wasn¡¯t until he had exhausted all the magic power he had left for the day that Garrett yawned and opened his eyes with satisfaction. His gaze fell on the small table beside the bed, and he immediately widened his eyes in shock, letting out a loud scream: Garrett nodded repeatedly, "Definitely!¡ªI¡¯ll take a look first, and after seeing it, I¡¯ll paint it for them to memorize, and then they can look at it themselves..." When studying medicine, this was how they learned: first, physiology and embryology were taught to understand what a normal person looked like, then gradually moved on to pathology and disease, explaining how things changed when someone was sick. This was also the case for dissections; they always started with normal conditions, then made you remember one, two, or even dozens of abnormalities... Of course, whether the person they saw in anatomy class was normal or abnormal, well... it depended on fate... The more Garrett calculated, the more worried he became. Even for himself, he had to see dozens of healthy people first¡ªmen, women, young adults, elderly, children¡ªto find some commonalities to draw. Then, with Elder Wood and his group of dozens of priests, if they wanted everyone to be familiar with ultrasounds... It would take at least a thousand people! In his previous life, this wouldn¡¯t have been an issue at all. At any major hospital¡¯s database, you could easily pull up a bunch of images. If that wasn¡¯t enough, you could spend a few days at a physical examination center; a day¡¯s worth of traffic there would be enough. But here? In this place where the concept of "physical examination" didn¡¯t even exist? Going around grabbing people on the streets, telling them: lie down , lift up your clothes, let me paint a layer of oil on your belly, and use magic to take a look? Just imagining it made Garrett feel utterly miserable. "Emmmm..." Elder Wood pondered with his head down. "The priests in the church can easily find a few patients in the villages and farms. But trying to pull hundreds of normal people to use magic to examine? Men might be fine, but women..." Women would be difficult... Like Miss Iris this time, if it wasn¡¯t for him and Tolga knowing each other for many years, and having a female companion with her, Garrett doubted he could have treated her. "I¡¯ll figure this out." Suddenly, a clear voice sounded from behind the tree, and Lady Knight Seraina stepped out, politely nodding to Elder Wood, self-recommending: "Elder Wood, Lord Nordmark. ¡ªIf you need it, you can come to my territory. I¡¯ll gather soldiers, castle servants, and farmers; gathering thousands of people will be easy. If any diseases are found, would you kindly treat them? The cost of releasing divine magic will be borne by my household!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 182 Chapter 182 House call check-up? Group check-up at work? Garrett chuckled. His hospital had done this kind of thing before, either for large special units like retirement homes, or by venturing into rural areas to spread warmth. But who would¡¯ve thought he¡¯d get to try it again in another world¡ªwhat tests were needed? What equipment should be prepared? Oh right, what¡¯s the identity of this female knight? She¡¯s casually talking about "my castle," "my territory"¡ªshe owns land herself? That¡¯s even more impressive than having a mine! Elder Wood had a twinkle in his eye as he observed Garrett¡¯s surprised expression and the upright, sword-bearing figure of the female knight. With a slight squint of his old eyes, he chuckled, "What, you don¡¯t know who she is? This is Count Inverness¡¯s eldest daughter, Baroness Loxi. She owns land from Greenfield Forest to Morrison. By the way, which castle are we going to?" The last question was directed at Salina. Without hesitation, the female knight replied, "Augustus Castle. It¡¯s larger and more convenient to reach by water. Elder, when do you plan to come? Send a message, and I¡¯ll have a boat sent to pick you up." "..." "..." Just yesterday, Garrett felt like he had become a rich man with the establishment of a biological laboratory in Nevis City, so he quietly refrained from speaking. It sounded like she owned more than one castle; she could take her pick... Elder Wood, however, seemed quite familiar with the baroness. Hearing her words, he remained unfazed. He simply smiled and said, "Salina, you¡¯re being quite generous!" Indeed, it was true generosity. Spellcasting came with a cost. Priests at the Temple of the Spring Goddess, for instance, charged fees based on their healing abilities. Level-one divine magic cost 50 gold coins, level-two 500 gold coins, and so on. For strangers, payment preceded the spell, for acquaintances, payment followed the casting, and for special relationships, payments could be arranged monthly or quarterly, with discounts¡ª Of course, the degree of familiarity depended on one¡¯s noble status, donations to the temple over the years, and family ties to the temple. VIP discounts were well understood; it¡¯s just a matter of fleecing the sheep. The Nature God¡¯s Church often waived treatment fees for the poor. If Elder Wood took members of the church with him and proactively checked villages one by one, they probably wouldn¡¯t collect a single coin and might even have to subsidize the trip. But now, Salina offered to cover the treatment costs, practically handing money to the church... Even with discounts, this was no small amount. So generous? The old man glanced at Garrett and then at Salina, unable to suppress a smile. However, the female knight replied boldly, "Master Tolga intercepted us on our way yesterday, summoning an ice elemental. If he hadn¡¯t intervened, I would have been seriously injured at least." With a smile directed at Garrett, she added, "Yesterday was hectic, and I didn¡¯t have a chance to thank you. And thank you for what happened with Iris." So this was her way of thanking him? She couldn¡¯t just give money directly, so she used treatment fees as a way to reciprocate? Well, I wouldn¡¯t mind receiving money directly; that¡¯s exactly what I need now! Uh... but this treatment fee could benefit the public, which is actually quite good... Garrett returned her smile, acknowledging her gratitude. Elder Wood nodded, "That settles it then. Once I¡¯ve learned this spell and taught others, I¡¯ll let you know. Little Garrett, I finished reading your paper from yesterday; there are a few points I didn¡¯t quite understand. Can you explain them to me?" "...The essence of divine spells lies in strong prayers," he sighed, starting from the most basic part to explain the nature of divine spells to Garrett. "Convey the strongest, purest desire to the gods, pray for their response, and accomplish what ordinary people cannot. The priests of the Spring Goddess Temple believe in their goddess, the War God Temple believes in the War God, and we believe in the omnipresent power of nature. ¡ªPlants, animals, even hills, rivers, and plains are all part of nature, so as long as we believe in nature, they will respond to our call." That¡¯s it. I¡¯ve never believed in nature; I¡¯ve always believed in saving lives, in the duty of preserving life. Garrett dared not speak; the old man stroked the swaying wild grass, then bent down, pressing his fingers on the ground, his gaze burning as he looked at him: "I ask you, what is nature to you?" "...Ecological balance?" Garrett barely managed to swallow back those words. Elder Wood¡¯s expression turned satisfied: "You dare not answer? That¡¯s right. Nature is great, it¡¯s noble, worthy of you to spend your life feeling and revering it. Now tell me, why do you want to learn to grow plants?" "For..." Garrett¡¯s gaze wandered. He saw the small bag around Elder Wood¡¯s waist, then his fingers, and then the grass blades at his fingertips: "For when I need a pipe, I can grow one?" "..." Elder Wood almost passed out. What in the world is a pipe! When a servant of the Nature God grows plants, it¡¯s either to assist in battle, to hinder enemies, or to harvest¡ªflowers, herbs, fruits, and so on. What is a pipe? Do you need so many pipes for your healing spells? He simply grabbed a handful of grass seeds, thought for a moment, and threw back most of them, leaving only a small handful for Garrett: "Then try it! Pray according to your needs!" Grow in thin air? Aren¡¯t they supposed to be buried in the soil, relying on the power of the earth to grow? Garrett was stunned for a moment, then reached out and picked up the grass seeds, pinching them between his thumb and forefinger. With closed eyes, he silently imagined: "I need a pipe... a pipe... soft material, smooth surface, non-irritating, 12F specification... 400mm long... shape..." He focused his mind on visualizing. His fingertips moved lightly, and a green, hollow vine swayed in the wind. Elder Wood stared in astonishment. "Why does this pipe you made have a ball at one end?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 183 Chapter 183 Garrett was very satisfied with his research direction. In the field of medicine, there were countless applications for various tubes: nasal feeding tubes, gastric tubes, endotracheal tubes, gastroscopes, bronchoscopes; urinary catheters, rectal tubes, gastroscopes, colonoscopes; internally inserted devices like drainage tubes for various wound healing periods, or drainage tubes after thoracocentesis or laparocentesis... Then there were infusion catheters, hemodialysis catheters, imaging catheters, and interventional therapy catheters... In the past, Garrett didn¡¯t have silicone or latex, nor did he have medical-grade plastics, so he couldn¡¯t produce various types of tubes. But now, with the skill of plant birthing in his hands, he could create them himself! In his mind, the "usable" part of the healing skill tree lit up brightly... Although he still couldn¡¯t handle things like infusions, mainly because he couldn¡¯t produce enough pure and sterile liquids, he was now adept at tasks like inserting an endotracheal tube for suffocating patients or placing a nasogastric tube for unconscious patients. These things no longer posed a challenge for him! Garrett¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement as he smiled happily at Elder Wood. Elder Wood looked at him bewilderedly. "...What exactly did you birth?" He then looked down at the vine. If Garrett had only produced a hollow tube, he wouldn¡¯t have been so surprised, as he had done it himself a couple of times before. Once it was inserted into the stomach, and the other time directly into the intestines, both times proving to be significantly effective, especially the second time. However, what Garrett held in his hands, what was it exactly? It was evenly thick, about half the size of a thumbnail in diameter. The end he held was forked, with the two ends after the fork particularly swollen, similar in length and thickness to a pinky finger. Near the other end, there was a bulge resembling a round ball, and further forward, the tip wasn¡¯t open but instead sealed into a smooth, droplet shape. Near the end, about the length of a fingernail, there were two symmetrically placed small holes, shaped like rice grains, allowing one side to be seen through the other effortlessly. Elder Wood pondered but couldn¡¯t figure out what it was. Turning to Garrett, who was now holding the tube near his mouth, pinching one end of the forked "Y" shape and blowing into the other branch with force... As he blew, the somewhat deflated round ball gradually inflated until "pop", it burst... "Burst..." "How old are you, still playing with balloons?" Elder Wood wiped his sweat. Garrett lowered his arm in frustration, pursing his lips. He had initially intended to make a simple single-lumen urinary catheter, but as he worked, he wanted to challenge his control and ended up creating a double-lumen single-balloon urinary catheter. "Elder..." Garrett¡¯s face went pale. He opened one drawer, didn¡¯t recognize anything; opened another, still didn¡¯t recognize anything; finally, the third drawer had something he recognized, it should be an acorn, very prominent in the animated movie "Ice Age"; the fourth drawer, he didn¡¯t recognize anything again... "I¡¯m a clinical medical major! Not a botany major!" With such a big cabinet, with 56 drawers arranged in all directions, conservatively estimating several hundred compartments, each compartment had a different type of seed... "Elder... Which seed is which? Why aren¡¯t there any labels?" "No need for labels! Ask it yourself! If you can communicate with it, then you can use it. If you can¡¯t communicate, then taking it won¡¯t be of any use to you!" Garrett: "... Can¡¯t communicate..." If communication wasn¡¯t possible, then he would have to try each one by one. Garrett looked eagerly at Elder Wood, who gestured for him to help himself. Help himself? Each birthing attempt consumed the energy of a second-level spell, trying five times a day, that¡¯s roughly... over a hundred days to finish trying them all? One hundred days it is! Garrett felt determined. He called the barbarian over to bring a backpack, not polite at all, grabbing ten from this compartment, eight from that one. In compartments with more seeds, he grabbed a handful... "You¡¯re using this bag to carry things?" Master Tolga suddenly walked in. He glanced at Garrett¡¯s backpack, his face full of unspeakable words: half a person tall, made of leather and coarse cloth, with a wide belt attached below. Because it was often laid down on the ground, it looked a bit dirty. In any case, ordinary adventurers, warriors, and rangers could still carry such things, but for a mage to carry it... It just ruined the image. "Uh, usually, I don¡¯t carry this thing..." This backpack was designed by Garrett himself, modeled after a mountaineering backpack structure. When traveling short distances, the barbarian would carry it, but if it was a long journey and the barbarian needed to carry a large pack, Garrett could also carry it himself: "Usually, I use this waist bag..." "Such a small waist bag, how much can it hold?" Master Tolga raised his eyebrows again. Before Garrett could argue, he waved his sleeves and casually tossed over a small cloth bag: "Dimensional bag. It¡¯s yours now." --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 184 Chapter 184 Dimensional Bag? Garrett Nordmark was taken aback. The small cloth bag was already swirling in the wind, wobbling its way over to him. He hastily caught it and attempted to hand it back, "I can¡¯t possibly accept this¡ª" "Just take it!" Elder Wood intervened, raising a hand to stop him. "You healed his daughter, isn¡¯t that worth a dimensional bag?" With the elder¡¯s insistence, Garrett could only accept it reluctantly. He looked down at the dimensional bag in his hand, a small pouch that was light and inconspicuous at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it seemed to be made of a material that was neither silk nor linen, neither cloth nor leather, with a silent silver-gray glow. He weighed it in his hand and felt a bit stunned: Was the treatment fee really this expensive? An ultrasound, an X-ray, a few treatments, without surgery... Back in his previous life¡¯s hospital, no matter how expensive, it would probably be settled within a thousand RMB... And considering it was a joint effort of three people casting spells, he should only be entitled to one-third of the fee... But this dimensional bag was valuable. When Garrett first arrived in Nevis, he inquired about the price at the magic item store, and even the smallest one with a capacity of 30 cubic feet would cost 2500 gold coins! At that time, it was twenty times all the liquid funds he had! A thousand, no, 300 RMB... 2500 gold coins... "This dimensional bag is for my short trips; it¡¯s not suitable for carrying much. It can hold about 70 cubic feet, 500 pounds of items," the old mage¡¯s voice drifted leisurely. "Remember not to exceed this size or weight, and don¡¯t let it be pierced by sharp objects. Otherwise, the dimensional bag will be damaged, and the contents inside will be lost and cannot be retrieved." Garrett quickly expressed his gratitude. Seventy cubic feet? Five hundred pounds? Perfect! His surgical instruments, his alchemical equipment, his common medicines, he could carry them all with him at any time! No more worrying about encountering injuries without proper tools! Sense of security +1, +1, +10086... Garrett looked up, full of gratitude, at Master Tolga. The dimensional bag given by the Master was one level higher than the basic one, with a market price of a whopping 5000 gold coins. Garrett had inquired before; with the income of a level 2 mage at the headquarters of the Magic Council, it would probably take three to five years of saving, without spending anything, to afford it... Oh right, would his box fit into such a small bag? Curiously, Garrett pulled open the mouth of the bag. The 5-centimeter-wide small bag, when pulled by his hands, quickly spread out to the sides. Ten centimeters, twenty centimeters, thirty centimeters... A foot, two feet... However, after contemplating for a moment, Garrett still shook his head. He straightened his robe and bowed deeply, "Thank you very much for your appreciation. However, I am personally more interested in the manipulative and enchantment factions." Da Vinci robots, mechanical hands, although these things were quite good, they were not what he urgently needed. What he really needed were many spells from the manipulation and enchantment factions¡ªFor example, if he could push "Freezing Ray" to an advanced level, he could directly liquefy air and produce large amounts of oxygen! And there were electrocardiograms! Magnetic resonance imaging! These things couldn¡¯t be achieved by the manipulation and enchantment factions alone, would they rely on the transformation faction? "What¡¯s good about those two factions?" Master Tolga frowned. "One only knows how to blast away with fireballs, and the other spends all day memorizing spells until they get headaches. Kid, come to our transformation faction; we have lots of interesting things!" Garrett smiled but remained silent. The old mage stared at him for a long time, then sighed deeply. "Alright, alright, suit yourself. Young people always like powerful magic¡ªbesides, the enchantment faction also has healing spells, which are more suitable for you. Hey, kid, if you ever change your mind, come find me anytime! Remember, the 15th floor of the Transmutation Tower!" "Thank you for your appreciation." Garrett thanked again. Elder Wood had been watching the whole scene from the side. When the old mage left, Garrett started collecting seeds again, and with a wave of his hand, he said, "Take them!" With a clatter, all the drawers opened simultaneously, and hundreds of seeds formed a long dragon, sweeping out. Garrett hurriedly opened the mouth of the dimensional bag, and Elder Wood controlled the seeds to enter the dimensional bag while solemnly saying: "This training camp of the Magic Council offers a great opportunity. Originally, I didn¡¯t intend to bother you. But since you¡¯re collecting information, I have a solution here¡ª" There¡¯s a guild outpost in the city, with priests stationed there year-round to treat the surrounding residents. I¡¯ll write a letter, and you can take a table there. Just go sit there every other day. By the way, teach this spell to the priests stationed there?" "Great!" Garrett was overjoyed. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 185 Chapter 185 Garrett sat on the ground floor of the clinic, leaning against the wall at the table, absentmindedly toying with a small bag of seeds. A patient burst in... not for him. Another patient rushed in... still not for him. The third patient... simply stomped upstairs. The scene, akin to the bustling of a newly opened clinic, mirrored exactly that. Adding to the ambiance, a faint fishy smell permeated the entire two-story building¡ªnot quite the hospital-grade environment. Yes, the Radiant Church¡¯s clinic, nestled on the outskirts of Nevis City near the docks. Wedged between the cargo and fishing docks, it found its place. As for the passenger dock, it lay at the far end of the cargo dock, at least a couple of miles away from the clinic. Although situated on the city¡¯s edge, Nevis City being nestled at the head of a bay shaped like a "U," the clinic wasn¡¯t too far from the Bridge Mage Academy. After classes, Garrett could make the half-hour walk from the school gate, making it an ideal job for a young lad¡ªclose to home and with a bit of spare change. Thus, even with no patients at the moment, Garrett remained unperturbed. His gaze drifted out the window, while his hands silently manipulated a seed¡ªgrow, grow, sprout a hollow stem for me! Ah, the seed sprouted into a sturdy, dark-brown wooden stem. Perhaps suitable for a suction tube but definitely not for intravenous use... Garrett gently shook off the wooden stem, discarded it into a glass petri dish on his right. After finishing the notes, he sealed the unused seeds and the remnants of the wooden stem into a separate pouch, stashing it back into his dimensional bag. He then retrieved a new seed, focusing his attention to continue cultivating. "Reverend, I... I fell and hurt my leg... it¡¯s really painful..." A patient had arrived. Garrett looked up to see a fifteen or sixteen-year-old magic apprentice, hobbling up the stairs with a backpack slung over his shoulder. His robe was covered in dirt, even embedded with bits of gravel at the bottom. Dust covered his face and hands. He glanced around, seeing other priests attending to patients, and reluctantly made his way towards Garrett. "Take a seat across from the table," Garrett responded adeptly. He opened his ledger to a blank page. "Name? Age? Occupation? What seems to be the problem?" "I¡¯m Stephen Donny, a wizard apprentice... 16 years old... I tripped and sprained my foot..." "Sit down." Garrett quickly recorded the details, then walked over, crouching down to examine the injury. Pressing, kneading, rotating, and using Detection Magic, he concluded: "Ankle sprain, some muscle and ligament strain, no bone damage. Apply cold compress at home today, switch to hot compress tomorrow at this time, rest for a few days, and you¡¯ll be fine." With groans and grunts, a chubby man climbed up the steps at the entrance. He stood just over five feet tall but certainly had a waistline well over three feet. Leaning on a cane, clutching his abdomen, he laboriously ascended step by step, the hard oak cane bending under his weight. The man wore a shiny velvet vest, halfway between yellow and brown, the silver buttons on his belly about to pop off, yet he struggled to keep them fastened. His upper half looked dignified, but below, he wore only a loose pair of shorts, barefoot, his swollen big toes red and shiny. Upon entering, he made a beeline for Reverend Matthew: "Reverend, every time I come to you for treatment, it never gets better..." "Oh, you¡¯ve had another attack." Reverend Matthew seemed quite familiar with him. Peering over, he immediately smiled, "Alleviate Pain, Level 2 divine magic. If I do it, I can relieve your pain for 10 hours. Or Disease Removal, Level 3 divine magic. Your choice~~~" "I..." The chubby man sat down at the table, one hand tightly clutching his stomach, his right foot dangling, never touching the ground. The other hand cherished a coin pouch, squeezing it until the dirty imprints overlapped, pondering for a while before tremblingly getting up: "Reverend, I, I need to relieve myself first..." "Sure, please go ahead." Reverend Matthew called for an apprentice to assist, helping the man inside. The door closed, but there was no sound of water for a long while. Instead, the man¡¯s voice rang out: "Reverend, it¡¯s no good... it¡¯s getting more painful... I can¡¯t pee... can you give me something to alleviate the pain!" Flashes of white light. The Pain Alleviation divine spell was cast. The man¡¯s wailing paused momentarily, then resumed: "It¡¯s no use... my big toe isn¡¯t hurting anymore, but I still can¡¯t pee... Reverend, is your magic not working?" With a snort, he left the restroom, swinging his cane, still hobbling slightly. Garrett glanced at his toes, then at his swollen abdomen, immediately stood up, blocking his path: "Sir, please wait a moment. Let me take a look at you. Your situation might not be solved just with pain relief..." --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 186 Chapter 186 "You?" The chubby man squinted his eyes. His round, chubby face already overflowed to the sides, almost sagging down¡ªif it were on a blue cat, it would be quite plump¡ªsquinting, his eyes narrowed even further, with two gleams shooting out from between his eyelids: "Are you capable?" He scrutinized Garrett up and down. In terms of age, the young lad¡¯s physique hadn¡¯t yet reached the robustness of an adult man, his face still tender, appearing to be around fifteen or sixteen; In terms of rank, the green leaves embroidered on his priest robe were only two, not as impressive as Reverend Matthew who had already ascended five levels; In terms of accent, Garrett¡¯s speech carried a somewhat rough texture, not as gentle and refined as those from this region, clearly sounding like an outsider... His skeptical expression was too obvious. Before Reverend Matthew could speak up to vouch for Garrett, the chubby man snorted, turning to look at him: "Oh, Reverend, every time I¡¯m in pain, I come to you folks, and every time you charge me a hefty sum¡ªyet no matter how you treat me, it never gets better. I always end up in pain after a few days, you know?" Reverend Matthew¡¯s face darkened. Of course, there were many reasons why the treatment wasn¡¯t effective, such as this stubborn fat man¡¯s reluctance to spend money. Unable to hold back, he retorted: "Previously, you refused to use divine magic and only wanted to take medicine, of course, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to recover!" "You mean you can¡¯t treat me without divine magic?" The chubby man widened his eyes forcefully. Reverend Matthew felt somewhat annoyed, while by his side, Garrett couldn¡¯t help but chuckle softly. This pattern was all too familiar. "If you don¡¯t run tests, you won¡¯t treat the illness?" "If you don¡¯t take X-rays, you won¡¯t treat the illness?" "If you don¡¯t... you won¡¯t treat the illness?" On average, each doctor hears these kinds of remarks at least ten times a day, with the entire emergency department tallying a few hundred times, which could be considered a low estimate. Sometimes, they even need to poke fun at their colleagues in the adjacent departments: "In the past, skilled old Chinese doctors could diagnose and cure just by observing, smelling, asking, and touching... you guys..." At moments like this, the doctors in the Western medicine department could only smile bitterly at their Chinese medicine counterparts, who were ridiculed by patients for running a battery of tests. It¡¯s not that without tests, treatment wouldn¡¯t happen; it¡¯s just that with tests, treatment could be more accurate. For example, this gentleman in front of us, without a few test orders, I wouldn¡¯t know how high your uric acid is, whether there are crystalline deposits in your joints, or if you have hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, arteriosclerosis, coronary heart disease, and other common complications... However, merely identifying symptoms was still possible. Garrett smiled as he stepped forward: Wait, what¡¯s the lethal dose of colchicine again? Can the amount of colchicine contained in one bulb or one gram of bulb be effective? Will it poison someone? This stuff has no antidote! All we can do is support treatment, purify the blood, and wait for the body to recover on its own! Garrett had no confidence at all in whether the detoxification techniques from this otherworld would be of any use... Garrett¡¯s mind raced, searching for information, articles, and bits and pieces he had seen in his previous life. He had seen a few cases of colchicine poisoning, but he didn¡¯t need to personally intervene¡ªthat was the job of the emergency internal medicine department; he needed to recall how many active ingredients were in colchicine. But that chubby guy kept pulling his arm forcefully, bellowing loudly: "Reverend... Save me... I¡¯m about to burst!" "Um um um um, lie down and don¡¯t move." Garrett signaled Bernard to hold him down and casually pulled the curtains around the bed. "Bend your legs! Bend them! Pull down your pants a bit, let me feel... not so much!" Tsk, this guy with the big belly, as swollen as that woman with the distended abdomen a few days ago. With such thick abdominal wall fat, it was impossible to see what was going on clearly, only to feel... Wow, the bladder is so swollen! As soon as his hand touched it, Garrett nodded inwardly, basically confirming it. He remained calm, following the diagnostic process, first touching, then shifting, then pressing down. It felt like a water bag, immovable when shifted; with a slight pressure from his palm, the chubby man began to howl: "It¡¯s so swollen! It¡¯s killing me!" "Can¡¯t urinate?" "Yes! Yes!¡ªIt hurts!" "When did the pain start?" "Today! Today!¡ªThis morning!" Alright, urinary retention, urethral stones. Hmm... Considering the gout attack, it¡¯s more likely that a bladder stone got stuck¡ªor perhaps the urethral stone that was already there just got a bit bigger. As for the type of stone it is... "Turn to the side, let me use divine magic to take a look..." X-ray spell, activate! Tsk, can¡¯t see anything. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 187 Chapter 187 X-rays? No, perhaps it¡¯s a detection magic similar to X-rays. Can¡¯t see the stones? Garrett shrugged, it was expected. Stones are originally divided into X-ray positive and X-ray negative. The former can¡¯t be seen through X-rays¡ªthus visible under X-rays¡ªwhile the latter is the opposite. For example, uric acid stones common in gout are invisible under X-rays. Thankfully, I¡¯ve developed a new ultrasound magic. Garrett calmly instructed the chubby patient to lie flat on his back and fetched glycerin. Then... "Whoa, don¡¯t touch me!" "Shut up! Do you think I want to touch you? Put your hands down!" Garrett reprimanded with a sweaty forehead. Ah, colleagues from the imaging department are really not easy... Truly not easy at all. Dealing with disobedient patients day after day, how many times do you have to encounter them? And you still have to treat them with a smile, otherwise, if they complain, if the medical department finds out, they¡¯ll deduct money on the spot¡ªtry shouting "shut up, do you think I want to touch you?" at a patient? Try it, and your wallet will suffer. The chubby guy was violently suppressed by the barbarian, pinned down on the bed, unable to move. Garrett sighed, drew diagrams on a wooden board by the bed using magic tricks, and explained softly: "You can¡¯t urinate, and there¡¯s a preliminary suspicion that something is stuck here¡ª" he changed colors, added a bold dot, "we need to see where it¡¯s stuck and how big the object is. I have to use divine magic to see clearly. Do you really want me to open you up without looking directly?" "Open... Open... Open?!" The chubby guy shuddered all over, completely softened: "Reverend, reverend... you can¡¯t open it! This is my manhood! Can¡¯t we just use divine magic? Don¡¯t use a knife!" "If you keep moving around, making it impossible for me to see anything clearly, I¡¯ll have to use a knife... Don¡¯t worry, with divine magic, I¡¯ll definitely put you back together the same way." Garrett sighed. The chubby guy lay down at lightning speed, trembling. Alright, just moved like that, and the ultrasound image that had just become clear disappeared again, and he had to cast the spell again. Fortunately, it was a spell engraved in the meditative core, so he didn¡¯t need spell materials, otherwise, he would have to ask him for bat money... Garrett carefully scanned centimeter by centimeter. Tsk, the bladder is so full, over 1000ml, right? At this level, there¡¯s probably hydronephrosis... Cough, as expected. After finishing urination, he¡¯ll take another look later, if there¡¯s no problem after urination, it¡¯s fine, but if there¡¯s still hydronephrosis after urination, the kidney needs to be treated... Uric acid stones in the kidney? But they¡¯re small, he¡¯ll remind him to drink more water later... His voice hoarse, with such a fat belly and such a solid chest, he actually produced a low-quality version of dolphin sounds. If Bernard hadn¡¯t pressed him down hard, he would have rolled off the examination bed, clinging to Reverend Matthew¡¯s thigh. Garrett sighed, still patiently persuading: "It really won¡¯t work like this... There will be real problems..." "I¡¯ll take responsibility if there are!" "Then I won¡¯t help you move the stone!" Knowing that the treatment plan was not feasible but insisting on implementing it, this violates my principles of treatment! "Then..." The chubby guy hesitated for a moment. "I¡¯ll find Reverend Matthew!" Garrett turned his head. Reverend Matthew looked a bit embarrassed, but still nodded slightly, indicating that he could treat him. Garrett shrugged and gestured to the chubby guy: "I¡¯ve told you the risks!" "I know!" Garrett nodded, turned and left. Some stubborn patients in the emergency department every year, they insist on leaving without being discharged, refusing examinations. Anyway, hypotensive syncope won¡¯t be particularly serious, and hematuria... a treatment spell will pull them back... He drew back the curtain and walked to his seat. He hadn¡¯t taken a few steps when there was a commotion behind him, it turned out the stone in the chubby guy¡¯s body had been moved and flew out. There was the sound of rushing water in the bathroom, Garrett stood still and thought for a moment, and in the end, he softened and waved to Bernard: "You go check the bathroom. If he faints, lift him up so he doesn¡¯t get hurt." "Okay!" Bernard grunted in agreement. He was tall and had long legs, one step equaled two of Garrett¡¯s, rushing over like a Gundam. He had only been at the bathroom door for half a minute when the water inside stopped, followed by a thud... After a moment, Bernard carried out a chubby guy who was unconscious. From his pants to the lower half of his velvet vest, he was dripping wet, constantly dripping water. It was obvious that he had fallen to the ground completely. If Bernard had gone in a second later, he might have ended up with a concussion. Not listening to the doctor¡¯s advice, hardship is before your eyes. See, he fell down, didn¡¯t he? Garrett spread his hands. Reverend Matthew¡¯s face was flushed, he poked Garrett: "Sorry, I¡¯ll listen to you next time..." --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 188 Chapter 188 "No more drinking from now on. No strong liquor, especially no beer. If you really crave it, limit yourself to a small glass of wine per day." After the chubby guy¡¯s blood pressure returned to normal and he slowly woke up, he dared not question Garrett Nordmark¡¯s words anymore. Garrett went on to list instructions one by one, and the chubby guy nodded along obediently, the folds of fat on his belly bunching up: "Yes, yes." "Avoid seafood. Cut down on oysters, clams, and all shellfish." "What... but we live by the sea, we can¡¯t eat seafood... Alright, alright, yes, yes." "Reduce your intake of beef and lamb." "Then... what can I eat, Reverend?" "Chicken, duck, pork are all fine. But no foie gras! Actually, avoid all animal organs!" The chubby guy frowned and rubbed his belly. Garrett sternly warned him, "Your illness is caused by your diet! Even if I remove the ailment for you today, if you continue overeating and drinking, harmful substances will continue to accumulate in your body, and you¡¯ll still suffer! Have you seen the stones in your stomach? Later on, your kidneys, bladder, everywhere will be filled with stones, and going to the bathroom will be as painful as being sliced with a knife!" The chubby guy¡¯s face trembled with concern, not from the pain, but from the thought of wasting money: So far today, despite spending a lot of money, it was still bearable. A spell to alleviate pain, a level two divine magic, two magic detections, a level zero divine magic, a mage hand, a level zero divine magic, a spell to heal minor injuries, another level zero divine magic (Garrett decided to cast it to prevent urinary tract infections after removing the stones)¡ªall of it added up to less than a thousand gold coins. But removing the illness was a level three divine magic, which would cost several thousand gold coins just to start! He had shipped a boatload of goods from the mainland to Nevis, with calm seas and no losses, earning him just a few thousand gold coins! This one episode was a complete waste... And it wouldn¡¯t even cure him completely! He¡¯d have another attack after a few more days of indulgence! "So... how can I be completely cured?" Even if it took two, three, or even four! If he could get rid of the ailment with four spells, he would pay the money! With all these restrictions on what he could eat, life was becoming unbearable! Hmm... completely curing this kind of thing was impossible with modern medicine anyway. Garrett stroked his chin. Before he crossed over, the academic community didn¡¯t have a clear understanding of the causes and mechanisms of gout. As for treatment methods, they advocated for dietary control, reducing uric acid, anti-inflammatory measures, pain relief, and, if necessary, surgical removal of gout stones¡ª But as for a cure? The level six skill, Medical Art, was said to be able to eliminate all diseases and injuries, but it was unknown if it was effective. If not, they might have to try something like the Grand Wish Art... The chubby guy continued to stare at him expectantly. Garrett thought for a moment, then started making things up: "Shake it, mix it..." Garrett rubbed his forehead. Daffodil, brother, that stuff is poisonous! Just shaking and mixing it, what if there¡¯s a bit more or less somewhere? This isn¡¯t like making pancakes, where if the salt isn¡¯t evenly spread, you¡¯ll just get a salty bite. This could kill someone! And even if the daffodil powder was really mixed evenly, is the alkaloid content the same in different plants, different parts of the daffodil? It¡¯s impossible to imagine... What if, unluckily, you happen to encounter a part with a high content, or the powder wasn¡¯t mixed evenly, and you ingest a bead that¡¯s ten or twenty times the average dose? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Garrett pursed his lips. He could overlook it if he hadn¡¯t noticed before, but now that he had, there¡¯s no way he could ignore it. He looked up at the ceiling: "Reverend Matthew, is there daffodil powder in the alchemy room? Can I use it?" "You can! It¡¯s on the second floor. Go ahead if you want to use it!" "Alright!" Garrett dashed upstairs. He had searched through his memories before and actually found several papers measuring the alkaloid content of daffodil. Anyway, by dry weight, the average content was about 0.30%. So it¡¯s simple, I¡¯ll make it myself! Garrett rolled up his sleeves and got to work. One by one, setting up the balance, test tubes, square beakers... One gram of daffodil powder contains 0.3 milligrams of alkaloids. The adult dose is 0.5-1 milligram every 1-2 hours, not exceeding 6 milligrams per day. 6 divided by 0.3 equals 20, so... that¡¯s how I¡¯ll make the medicine! Measured out 20 grams of daffodil powder, divided it evenly into 5 portions, placed them in conical flasks, and added 100 milliliters of alcohol to each. Fixed them on the shaker and vigorously shook them for 15 minutes¡ªGarrett shook the shaker so hard that his hand was about to break, and he seriously doubted whether he had reached the shaking frequency. But who cares, that¡¯s it! Filtered, settled, then added evaporated alcohol to obtain crude daffodil alkaloid extract. Whatever strange things were in there, I won¡¯t worry about it. Anyway, dissolve the crude extract in a little water, weigh out 12 grams of starch, and mix with water. Knead and knead, knead into a dough, roll it into a long strip, cut it into 12 pieces, perfect! Each pill contains 0.5 milligrams, and this batch is the dose for one day. Maybe the content isn¡¯t perfectly uniform, but it¡¯s definitely more even than mixing the powder directly into the pills. Next time, if conditions allow, remember to measure the content. Hmm, how do you set up a UV spectrophotometer... Garrett pushed aside long-term goals, satisfactorily packed up the pills in a small bottle. He was about to find a rabbit or something to try them on when he heard someone shouting below: "Reverend, I¡¯ve brought a patient for you to see!" Oh no... Already? --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 189 Chapter 189 The situation at the clinic unfolded smoothly for Garrett Nordmark. Aside from the occasional visitors and the economically unprofitable cases, the chubby man truly brought Garrett a group of affluent patients. Well, they were more like his group of fellow sufferers. It was evident that dealing with this group of patients would bring Garrett a handsome share this month. His colleagues at the clinic were happy for him. However, Garrett was apprehensive, fearing that all his patients might have acute gout attacks. After all, without titration measurements or UV spectrophotometers, the colchicine tablets he dispensed might not be accurately dosed... Yet, what made Garrett both relieved and anxious was that the seven or eight middle-aged men brought by the chubby man were all, well, delicate cases. Garrett was fuming with anger during the consultations. Those old men were particularly fussy, unwilling to remove their clothes, unfasten their belts, or assume the required positions. And as for rectal examinations, if Garrett hadn¡¯t persuaded them with magic badges and accurately guessed their symptoms, they wouldn¡¯t have allowed anyone to touch them! Ugh, he had to wash his hands after every examination! And he was wasting his gloves and glycerin (when would paraffin oil ever come in handy)! And each person¡¯s condition was different! One had bladder stones, three had varying degrees of prostatic hyperplasia, one had a urethral polyp, and two had urethral tumors! Garrett felt like shouting at the chubby man: Did you think they were all the same illness just because they appeared similar! Garrett was exhausted. X-ray magic, ultrasound magic, catheterization, surgery, he used every means available. After finally settling these patients, it was nearing the end of February, and the recruitment activities of various mage towers and magic organizations were in full swing. The first event was a tour organized by the Magic Council at their headquarters, the Mage Tower atop the Igor Peak. Early in the morning, about sixty or seventy students from the training class formed a single-file line and began the ascent towards the summit of Igor Peak, overlooking the city of Nevis. There were no magical trains available, and summoning magical mounts was not allowed. Their only equipment consisted of a backpack for each person and a wooden stick each to serve as a walking staff... Garrett wrapped the top of his oak stick with a piece of cloth and calmly mingled among them, pretending that it wasn¡¯t a staff reserved for devotees of the God of Nature. The leading teacher explained to them, "A thousand years ago, the legendary mage Terrence and his friends, the great founders of the Magic Council, ascended the Igor Peak along this path. At that time, the clouds dispersed, and the sunlight illuminated their silhouettes, which were projected in the clouds surrounding Igor Peak. It was a vision they had never seen before. From that day on, Terrence and his friends built stone houses on the summit to observe and study these visions. Later, they built the first mage tower on the peak." In that critical moment, the knight in charge of their group leaped forward and grabbed the mage, pulling them inward. However, the knight himself staggered outward, but luckily, another knight quickly threw out a long rope, pulling him back from the cliff edge. The mage who narrowly escaped lay on the ground, face pale, hands slipping even when trying to support themselves. Thump, thump, their nose nearly flattened against the snow. "Get up! Otherwise, you¡¯ll freeze on the ground!" The leading mage barked. The rescued mage staggered to their feet, leaning on their walking stick, and re-entered the queue. After this incident, the mages became especially cautious, and there were no more exchanges or gossip along the way. As they continued, the rain turned into a drizzle, and unexpectedly, it started to hail. Climbing a mountain on a good day... Garrett grumbled inwardly as he pressed forward. Step by step, he trod through ice and snow, past shards of rock, through clouds and mist. Despite the magical protection, he felt his feet completely numb. Was it from the cold or from the pain of stepping on rocks? He couldn¡¯t tell at all. Just how tall is this mountain...? Mount Tai is over 1,500 meters high, and when he climbed it from Hongmen to the summit of Jade Emperor, it was almost evening. Is this mountain as tall as Mount Tai? He felt hungry again; it must be getting late... As he continued walking, suddenly, everything brightened before his eyes. Garrett abruptly looked up and saw the wind stop, the snow cease, and the clouds disperse ahead. Sunlight slanted from the direction of the bay, illuminating the mage tower standing on the summit. In the distance, at the foot of the mountain, a halo emerged from the surrounding clouds around the peak, shimmering with various colors, with a bright white light in the center. The light surrounded a figure, moving their hands and feet as if in sync with their shadow. Not far from the edge of the cliff, about fifty to sixty people raised their arms, waved, and craned their necks, staring at the figure with fascination. The mage who brought them up looked at the excited students, sighing deeply: "The halo has appeared... among these kids, there are bound to be extraordinary individuals..." Huh? There¡¯s a halo here too? Garrett let out a small "wow," feeling that this mountain climbing experience was worth every penny, as someone who had climbed both Emei Mountain and Wutai Mountain without witnessing such a phenomenon. Then, he joined in with the tourist group, gesturing and playing along, thoroughly enjoying himself. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 190 Chapter 190 The founder of the Magic Council, the legendary mage, His Excellency Terrence, saw his reflection in the halo of the clouds the first time he ascended Igor Peak. Under the blessing of this legend, those who could see the halo upon their first ascent were deemed to have great achievements, becoming a famous... legend of the Magic Council. However, it remained a legend mainly because His Excellency Terrence firmly denied any causal relationship, and the diviners of the prophecy school also expressed that it was merely a coincidence. They couldn¡¯t conclusively determine that extraordinary individuals would emerge among these climbers. Nevertheless, this didn¡¯t stop the mages from secretly enjoying the story, choosing to believe rather than doubt its existence. After all, Igor Peak was shrouded in rain clouds all year round, with at least 300 days of rain or snow out of 365. On the remaining days, when the clouds parted and the sun emerged to reflect the halo, and when the climber happened to be making their first ascent, the odds of such coincidences occurring were indeed slim... The students of the training camp admired the haloed figure at the cliff¡¯s edge for quite some time before the leading mage gathered them and led them towards the towers atop the peak. With limited time, they didn¡¯t visit each tower individually but merely gazed at them from the outside while the guiding assistant provided brief explanations. Nonetheless, the varied forms of the eight auxiliary towers still earned admiration from the students. After a brief pause, the group entered the central tower, ascending directly via an elevator. Though the elevator didn¡¯t seem large, accommodating about ten people, all sixty or seventy of them entered comfortably with ample space. Garrett, meanwhile, was scanning the space for magical runes, but before he could find any, the magical elevator ascended, eliciting exclamations of awe one after another. "Wow..." "It¡¯s so beautiful..." "The entire mountain range is beneath our feet..." "The clouds are coming! Are we walking through the clouds?" "Lightning! Look! There¡¯s lightning over there! Wow¡ªoh, it didn¡¯t strike me?!" "We¡¯re still going up! The clouds have actually moved below us... Golden and radiant, so beautiful..." The height of the central tower surpassed that of the surrounding eight towers, piercing straight into the clouds. With a slight bow of their heads, the students could see the sea of clouds rolling beneath them, swirling, coalescing, and occasionally revealing thin crevices. Sunlight gently bathed the clouds. All the snowstorms and icy rains below seemed as if they had never occurred. The students crowded together. Garrett took just one glance before stepping back, leaving the spot for other classmates to enjoy the spectacle, showing no reluctance. While the scenery before him was indeed impressive, it wasn¡¯t particularly extraordinary for him. Observation decks like these existed in any major city, offering panoramic views of the entire cityscape. As for cloudscapes, a window seat on an airplane sufficed, provided you remembered to apply sunscreen... In comparison, he was more curious about the magical technology of this world reaching such heights. If he could enter the core research institution of the council, perhaps CT scans and MRIs could be developed sooner? His expression remained calm, neither surprised nor excited, yet the leading mage couldn¡¯t help but glance at him a few times. On the fifteenth floor of the central tower, among the mages observing them through illusion arrays, someone pointed to his image and inquired: "Who is this student?" The questioner was a fifth-level mage. As soon as he spoke, lower-ranked mages swiftly searched and cross-referenced data, providing the answer: "Garrett Nordmark, first-level arcane adept, first-level mage¡ªoh, the data has just been updated, he¡¯s already second-level. From Newster County, Hartland City Mage Tower, undecided school of magic, undecided direct mentor." "From a small place?" A gentle male voice chimed in from the side. "He doesn¡¯t seem surprised at all, unlike someone." "He published a paper on ¡¯Arcana¡¯ last month, summoned by the adjudication committee, and came to the peak." Another mage chuckled ominously. "Moreover, this kid participated in the war, single-handedly killing a ninth-level knight, arriving here on Master Carlisle¡¯s airship." Implicit in his words was the assurance that with such experience and background, there shouldn¡¯t be any issues, even if there were, he wouldn¡¯t be sent to the battlefield. "Quite familiar?¡ªDo you want him in Black Crow Swamp?" "He¡¯s a natural necromancer! That paper on ¡¯Arcana¡¯ was about necromancy and plague magic!" "But I heard he¡¯s a healer?" A crisp female voice interjected, "I went to see the teacher the other day, and someone from the Enchantment school was interested in him..." "This is the core of the ¡¯Thunder¡¯s Horn,¡¯" the guiding assistant explained again: "The Tower of Heaven is inserted into the clouds, and lightning from the rain clouds continuously strikes the tower, which is then drawn into the tower as energy reserves. What you see is the process of using force fields to constrain lightning and convert it into energy..." What was this? A force field? What was the principle behind it? Garrett shivered with excitement, pushing forward recklessly. With a bang, he pressed his whole body against the transparent glass wall, his nose pressed tightly against it: Constraining lightning and converting it to electricity... what exactly was this? Electricity? Magnetism? Tokamak? Could controlled nuclear fusion be achieved at this level of magical power? If so, could nuclear fission also be achieved? What about nuclear magnetic resonance? MRI? Gamma knife? Right, there was also electricity! Electricity! With electricity, there could be electrocardiography! Various medical devices required electricity to function! He had to figure out a way to get this! Countless thoughts raced through Garrett¡¯s mind. As the group slowly flowed along the glass wall, Garrett pressed against it, inching forward step by step. After passing half the hall, the leading assistant couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and raised their voice: "Garrett Nordmark!" "Ah... uh?" "Are you using your nose to wipe the glass?" Garrett blushed. Turning to look, he indeed saw a long streak on the glass wall, a bit blurry and greasy¡ªit was indeed from his nose. Such things were common in museums when a new exhibition opened, and everyone used their faces to wipe the glass. But here, he was the only one doing it, which was too conspicuous... It was too late to clean it now. Garrett awkwardly took two steps back and fell to the back of the line. As they continued forward, he couldn¡¯t help but glance back longingly at the force field: How could he get his hands on it? On the fifteenth floor of the Tower of Heaven, the mages were busy once again. In the starry dome above, there were few mages who showed obvious interest and inclination. However, in the Thunder¡¯s Horn hall of the elemental school, at least half of the students were stepping back and forth, wishing they could live there. The mages of the Thunder¡¯s Horn were busy recognizing and memorizing people, flipping through materials to determine priority: "The one with the blond hair¡ªthe first to break through to level 2, right? Yes, Anthony Valentine¡ªshows obvious interest. Focus on him." "The redhead girl also seems to like the elemental school? Let me see... one C+, one B-? Forget it, it probably won¡¯t be her turn." "Who is that walking against the glass wall? Adjust the direction of the secret eyes! Oh... Garrett Nordmark again. Alright, focus on him too. His paper on ¡¯Arcana¡¯ is enough to prioritize him. Uh, wait, that paper on ¡¯Arcana¡¯ is from the necromancy faction..." After leaving the Thunder¡¯s Horn hall, the group returned to the elevator and descended once more. The decor of the floor they entered this time changed again: within the deep black walls, ripples constantly rolled, with stars appearing and disappearing intermittently. At first glance, it almost made people doubt whether the walls of the Tower of Heaven had turned transparent¡ª "Secret eyes." The assistant stepped aside to allow the students to observe 360 degrees unhindered, while also providing guidance: "The enchantment school is responsible for maintaining the Igor Lock. What you see here is part of the surveillance hall, with countless secret eyes connected together. Through the enchantment provided by the illusion school, people can directly observe the external scenery¡ªMr. Nordmark, what are you doing again!" Secret eyes! This is what I want too! Garrett pressed against the glass for the second time. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 191 Chapter 191 Secret Eye. A 3rd-level spell. Creates an invisible magic sensor that transmits visual information. It can move and traverse spaces no smaller than a 1-inch diameter hole or gap (Garrett strongly suspects it¡¯s because the Secret Eye itself has a 1-inch diameter). To the mages who created it or to those who maintain the enchantments, this spell is a very useful reconnaissance magic during risky journeys and a handy surveillance tool in everyday life. But to Garrett, the Secret Eye only means one thing: Endoscopy! Endoscopy!!! Esophagoscopy! Gastroscopy! Colonoscopy! Bronchoscopy! Laparoscopy! Although figuring out how to send the Secret Eye into the body requires additional consideration, designing light sources and sampling cutters, and so on, it must be resized significantly¡ªwhether it¡¯s the esophagus or the trachea, their diameters are much smaller than 1 inch. Not to mention laparoscopy; the inner diameter of trocars is usually around 5.5mm, 10.5mm, or 12.5mm. If the Secret Eye isn¡¯t reduced to a 1-centimeter diameter, it won¡¯t fit anywhere. But having a ready-made spell and a direction for modification is still better than brainstorming alone! Garrett lay on the glass window, staring fixedly at the nearest light curtain, trying hard to understand how the Secret Eye presented its images: How far can it see? What¡¯s its range? Does the image distort? Does the color get distorted? If possible, it¡¯s best to put it in a dark environment to see at what brightness level it can display images, whether it needs additional light sources... He almost pressed his eyeballs against the wall. Mage Anthony couldn¡¯t bear it and grabbed him: "What are you looking at here?... The Secret Eye? The Secret Eye is a divination school spell. What¡¯s the point of lingering in the Lock Hall?" "Ah...? Ah?" Garrett was dragged away dejectedly. Divination school? He¡¯s never been particularly interested in the divination school. With so many basic spells, he only learned Detection Magic, Reading Magic, and Linguistics... If he wants to learn the Secret Eye, he doesn¡¯t know if his knowledge base is sufficient. This thing must be acquired! "Oh, by the way, this is also a third-level spell..." What? So you also need to be at level five to carry a portable operating room with you? Garrett counted on his fingers. He arrived through the portal in early April last year, became a mage apprentice in mid-April, reached level one mage in mid-June, taking two months; reached level two mage in February this year, taking eight months. According to this speed, if everything goes smoothly, he might reach level three next year, and then three more years to reach level five? Feels so slow... With this much time, you could graduate from a five-year clinical medicine program... His mood suddenly dropped. In the Tower of Heaven¡¯s 15th floor, a magician watching him flashed a glance, quickly jotting down a note: "Garrett Nordmark... not interested in the curse school? He seems more interested in the Secret Eye..." Schools pick mages, and mages pick schools. Especially these seedlings sent from small rural areas to training camps, showing great potential but haven¡¯t been scooped up by anyone yet. This visit to the Tower of Heaven, each school tried their best to showcase their features, all in order to attract outstanding young mages, to make them willingly join their school... The visiting group descended. The bewitchment school, Garrett showed no expression, breezing through the entire tour; the illusion school, continued breezing through; the protection school, slightly interested but not too excited; the transformation school... "What spells are more interesting? Petrify? Giant Transformation? Malicious Transformation? Ahhhh Master Meinlan assigned me a task..." Garrett glanced, then continued breezing through. What¡¯s the point of turning someone into a frog? Where would you find a princess to kiss them? Oh, right, it¡¯s said that the newly crowned king is a queen, and currently unmarried, so there are no princesses in the country, only a prince from the mainland can be brought over... The Tower of Heaven¡¯s elevator continued descending, below the clouds, to the ground, finally deeply into the rock strata. The indicator light for minus twenty floors lit up, and the leading assistant cast a Minor Illusion on himself, raising his voice: "Please put on your temporary badges and stay close to the group... Next is the area of Black Crow Swamp, please don¡¯t stray, be wary of negative energy damage..." The elevator door opened, stepping into the corridor, the queue ahead suddenly stalled. Garrett squeezed up to see, on both sides of the eerie glass walls, there were long rows of bodies, humans, orcs, dwarves, all sorts of strange mutants... some intact, some dissected halfway, some with organs in jars, and some reduced to skeletons... A staggering sight, welcoming them along the way. Garrett¡¯s eyes lit up again as he leaned against the glass wall. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 192 Chapter 192 As you stroll through the Tower of Heaven¡¯s exhibition, mages behind magical arrays eye you. After the Magic Council¡¯s day trip concludes, trainees ride the small train down the mountain. As the latest records from the observation room, along with the trainees¡¯ data, are sent up, chaos erupts in the Tower of Heaven. Archmages compare stacks of meticulously reviewed data, slam tables adorned with grids of checkmarks and crosses, toss quills, and hurl ink bottles. If it weren¡¯t for the anti-magic array in the meeting room, they might have even thrown fireballs and nauseating rainbow bursts at each other on the spot. All these promising talents! In such a vast country, with only one selected from each county, they¡¯re truly the cream of the crop! After being taught together for so long, receiving lessons from archmages above level 10 and having their papers personally graded by mages who are the backbone of the council if they are above level 5, everything from research directions, paper topics, exchanged magical studies, to records of the training camp is meticulously noted. The academy¡¯s leaders silently evaluate their learning abilities, imagination, creativity, self-control, temperament, and character. Now that graduation season has finally arrived, they can¡¯t afford to miss the chance to recruit the best talents! "Kristin... seventeen years old, three papers, one B-, two Bs. Two of the papers are in the direction of curses, perfect for us, the ¡¯Weavers of Curses¡¯." "Corinne Franz... eighteen years old, advanced to a level two mage last month. One A-, one B+, one B. Three papers: one in the protective arts, one in curses, and one in transmutation. She has exchanged three first-level spells: minor deflection field, spiritual armor, and summoning spell materials. We, the ¡¯Shield of Fortitude,¡¯ are interested in her because of her focus on the protective arts." "Don¡¯t be so hasty! We¡¯re interested in her too. Otherwise, shall we offer Livia to you?" "Victor Muller... eighteen years old, just advanced to a level two mage last week. One A-, one B+. We, the ¡¯Thundering Horns,¡¯ are interested in him!" "Hey, hold on! His A- paper is in illusion magic, which should rightfully belong to us, the ¡¯Gates of Illusion¡¯! Thundering Horns, you can¡¯t just snatch anyone you fancy!" "But his mentor is from the school of elemental manipulation!" "What mentor? Since when does being the head mage of the Tower count as being a mentor?" Bam, clang, crash. Ink splatters, and scraps of paper fill the air. In a corner of the long table, a female mage from the charm school whispers to her friend: "These two are equally appealing to both our families... one for you, one for me?" "Wait for me to do a divination first!" The divination mage begins removing her jewelry: two pairs of pearl earrings, followed by a crystal necklace, then a turquoise bracelet... a piece of aquamarine ring, an opal ring, a tiger¡¯s eye ring... The charm mage gazes in awe: "Why do you have more trinkets than I do?" "Divination school? Forget it." The **Weavers of Curses** duty mage sneered, "Your divination school relies too much on innate talent, not just any ordinary mental aptitude, but those ethereal, nonsensical types. Those with talent advance rapidly, but those without struggle to even pass level five in their lifetime. Dragging him into the **Divination school**, are you sure you¡¯re not wasting a good seed?" The female mage choked. Ascending is indeed always a pain for the **Divination school**¡ªnot only is it difficult, but peeking into the river of time is also particularly prone to harming one¡¯s body and shortening one¡¯s lifespan. Seeing her spirit dampen, the **Curses school** archmage tapped the table, leisurely continuing, "Furthermore, that child is a healer. If he¡¯s into healing, he wouldn¡¯t go to the medical branch of our **Curses school**, would he? He¡¯d go to the Black Crow Swamp?" "What¡¯s wrong with the Black Crow Swamp!" The **Necromancer** slammed the table, "That child is a natural necromancer! Have you seen him treat patients? He never casts Healing Spells with his eyes closed. Each time, he¡¯s like, ¡¯Where¡¯s the illness? Let¡¯s open it up and take a look, if it¡¯s treatable, treat it; if not, cut it off!¡¯ With this kind of treatment, what can your medical branch teach him? What can you teach him!" "But he¡¯s interested in our **Curses school**!" "He¡¯s also interested in the **Necromancy faction**! Just now, underground, I bet if we opened the glass wall, he¡¯d dissect corpses all night in there! What can your **Curses school** give him? Here, at least there¡¯s an abundance of corpses, let him dissect as many as he likes!" "If we¡¯re talking about interests, I think his interest in the **School of Elemental Manipulation** is the greatest." The **Thundering Horns** archmage interjected slowly, after watching the spectacle for a while. "Shut up!" "Shut up!" The mages from the Black Crow Swamp and the Weavers of Curses spoke in unison, turning to him. The **Thundering Horns** archmage¡¯s eyes narrowed, rising from his seat, glaring angrily at both. **Elemental Mages** generally have strong individual combat abilities. Fighting two against one isn¡¯t something to be feared at all¡ªespecially since the **Necromancy faction**, besides fearing holy light, also fears the specialization of Elemental Mages in thunder and fire... The air crackled, almost sparking, even with a high-caliber anti-magic field pressing down on it. "...let¡¯s stop quarreling." The **Shield of Fortitude**, the archmage of the protective arts, a white-haired old man with a round face, smiled cheerfully. As the host of this meeting, he calmly intervened after watching the drama unfold, "Indeed, such talent is rare, and nobody wants to let go, I understand that. How about this, let¡¯s report the situation and let the gentlemen from the review committee decide?" "..." "..." "And, nobody is allowed to negotiate with him first!" "Agreed! No sneaking away!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 193 Chapter 193 The meeting dispersed without much enthusiasm. The grand mages each returned to their own quarters. Armed with prepared documents, they sought out their respective mentors, senior colleagues, and mages interested in taking on apprentices. The Mage Council¡¯s assessment meetings occurred every ten days unless there was an emergency, and the next one was scheduled for early March, giving almost ten days¡¯ time. After all, the mages at levels 13 and 14 were either busy researching magic or striving to break through to level 15. Summoning them together every ten days was already quite disruptive to their work. If the meetings became any more frequent, it was likely that these gentlemen of the assessment meetings would prefer to stay far away from the Mage Council headquarters to rid themselves of this burden. Within these ten days, invitations (or rather, recruitment messages) from various schools and magic organizations continuously arrived in the hands of the trainees. "Corinne Franz? Are you willing to join the ¡¯Unity in Diversity¡¯ organization? If so, please sign here and report to Master Lawrence¡¯s research team on the eleventh floor of the Transmutation Mage Tower on the mountaintop at three o¡¯clock tomorrow afternoon." "That¡¯s fantastic!... uh, I mean, I¡¯m willing!" "Anthony Valentine? Thunderhorn is interested in recruiting you. If you¡¯re also interested, take this badge and go to the twenty-third floor of the Conjuration Mage Tower on the mountaintop at two o¡¯clock tomorrow afternoon to find Archmage Edgar." "Miss Catherine? Lady Laura Baselford of the Illusion Gate is interested in taking you as her disciple." Each invitation, each offer, triggered waves of cheers and envy among the trainees. Garrett looked around and noticed that almost all of the students who received invitations were among the top students in the class, ranked from best to worst. So far, he had received eleven offers, eight of which had already advanced to level two mages, and the remaining three had at least one A- in their previous assessments. Whether ranked by level or by performance, they were the most outstanding group in the training class. Huh? Then why doesn¡¯t anyone want me? I¡¯m already a level two mage! I got an A+ in one of my assessments! I even published a paper on "Arcane"! On the first day, Garrett remained calm despite receiving three offers. On the second day, two more came, and Garrett shrugged it off, continuing his work at the infirmary after class. On the third day... the fourth day... It was evident that the vacancies in the eight auxiliary towers on the mountaintop had already been filled. The next round of recruitment was being conducted by the Bridge Magic Academy, Whetton Magic Academy, Chaos Magic Academy, and mage towers belonging to mages above level ten in the vicinity of Nevis City... "An analysis on the sterilization effects of various basic magic and divine arts, compared with high-temperature and high-pressure sterilization, and the necessity of sterile principles in different scenarios in the operating room." "Several records of observing cork, onions, meat, and blood using a homemade microscope." "Records of observing the Bacillus dysenteriae using a homemade microscope." "Demonstrating the nature of combustion using heated mercury." "Isolation and treatment during a large-scale outbreak of dysentery." "The production of a simple thermometer and the role of temperature measurement in healthcare." "Considerations on assessing injuries and distinguishing treatments in battlefield medical care under the premise of limited healing power"... Should he throw them all out? Or just a few? Garrett rubbed his chin in thought. Well, he might as well throw them all out. Keeping them in his hands wouldn¡¯t hatch anything... No, he couldn¡¯t save them for the next round to help with his promotion. Anyway, that little magic creature named "Gold Coin" had recently helped him make a second microscope, so he wouldn¡¯t be left with just words and no physical items, inexplicably rejected by others... Garrett stepped into the White Tower once again. Once again, it was the Magic Audit Center, the flower elves leading the way, the beautiful young ladies smiling at him, and once again, in the specialized office for submitting magic, the flat mechanical voice repeated over and over: "To submit magic, please press 1; to inquire about feedback on papers, please press 2; to receive paper rewards, please press 3; to replay, please press 4; for human assistance, please press 0..." "1! 1! 111111!" Garrett pressed the keys until his hand felt like it would break. In the room, the automatic feedback device repeated incessantly: "Please place the paper into the teleportation magic array¡ª" "Excuse me! Sir inside! Do you need help? Is the paper teleportation platform broken?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 194 Chapter 194 The teleportation array shimmered incessantly. One by one, papers materialized from the teleportation chest, descending into the sorting center on the 10th floor of the Tower of Heaven. The delivery mouth of the sorting center was smooth and inclined slightly downward, allowing the papers to slide smoothly into the array below. Above the array, a blue light illuminated, casting directly onto the cover of the papers, highlighting the area where the keywords were written. "Keywords: Necromancy, Invocation, Orcs, transfer to Necromancy faction." Outside the array, a three-foot diameter disc rotated three-eighths of a circle, halting precisely. The array tilted slightly, pouring the central paper into the teleportation chest directly ahead. With a flash of light, it vanished. "Keywords: New Plant, Toxicity, transfer to Divination faction." The disc continued its clockwise rotation. After five-eighths of a circle, a teleport chest labeled "Divination" came to a stop, retrieving the paper. Any new items were automatically categorized into the Divination faction for identification, adding to the resources of their appraisal techniques. "Keywords: Thermometer, Manufacturing, Body Temperature? Transfer to Alchemy faction..." With a soft thud, Garrett¡¯s paper titled "On the Production of Simple Thermometers and Their Role in Medical Temperature Measurement" slid forward, dropping into the teleport chest of the Alchemy faction. The teleportation magic activated, and in the next moment, it appeared atop Igor Peak, on the 11th floor annex of the Alchemy faction, lifted by invisible arms. "A new paper? No magical enhancements..." Another array hummed to life. Lines of text, drawings, appeared on blank papers, duplicating the incoming paper into two copies. Invisible hands retrieved the papers, placing them into separate chests, pulling open the drawer on the side of the alchemical puppet, and stuffing them inside. "Direct transfer to Mr. Aslan, Mr. Sloan." "Yes, directly to Mr. Aslan, Mr. Sloan~~~" The alchemical puppet sweetly responded. Its wheels turned beneath it, squeaking as it drifted out of the room. Through the corridor, into the elevator, arriving at the corresponding floor, it retrieved the paper and placed it in the inbox of the duty magician. That¡¯s how Garrett¡¯s papers were distributed one by one. Two papers related to healing went to the Necromancy faction, focusing on medical practices. Two papers related to microscopy were sent to the Divination faction, while the one demonstrating the containment of dysentery, like other papers spreading epidemics, was teleported to the Necromancy faction. "Edgar! Remember that Garrett you mentioned last time? He submitted papers to us!" Negative 12th floor of the pyramid¡ªyes, beneath the Tower of Heaven¡¯s pyramid-shaped mage tower, there lay a symmetrical inverted pyramid. On the negative 12th floor, a crow with white specks on its wings flew in, landing outside the magical barrier, cawing loudly. "Papers submitted?" So, armed with these broken lenses and skewed platforms, he began laboriously reading the papers, writing evaluations cautiously... Ten days later, half of the trainees received job offers or invitations to visit certain mage towers or organizations. Meanwhile, Garrett remained empty-handed, receiving only sporadic feedback on some papers: "The invention of the thermometer occurred at least a hundred years ago. It is suggested that the author broaden the scope of his readings, or at least... visit more magic equipment shops?" ...Alright, small places, poor places, that¡¯s just how it is. Why doesn¡¯t the Magic Council set up an automatic paper query system, similar to something like Zhiwang? Garrett shrugged and continued reading the second reply: "The classification of battlefield injuries holds no magical originality for medical spells. It is advised that the author focus on magic and not be distracted by other fields." Is this scolding me for neglecting my duties, or advising me not to write filler papers? Anyway, another "not passed." With no research points or contribution points awarded, these two papers were as good as useless. The paper discussing the principles of sterility received a meager basic score and contribution point; the two on microscopes also received basic ratings... Garrett looked at the broken microscope in the box and the shattered lenses, speechless for a moment, but he understood why he received such evaluations. As for the one about dysentery... The evaluation was filled with enthusiasm: "This paper, using innovative research methods and solid evidence, demonstrates the transmission of dysentery, as well as ways to contain it. It holds significant reference value for the entire branch of epidemics... It is recommended to award 30 research points and 50 contribution points..." Who did this fall into the hands of? Or is the Black Crow Swamp trying to make a gesture of goodwill towards me? Garrett was speechless for a while. Paragraph after paragraph of evaluation filled nearly half a page, implicitly suggesting, "Come to us, research whatever epidemics you want..." Perhaps I should just join the Necromancy faction? Garrett hesitated. Anyway, joining the Necromancy faction would at least allow him to dissect corpses at will... With some reluctance, Garrett tightened his grip on the paper. He walked out of the White Tower, looked up at the direction of Igor Peak. Thick clouds covered most of the peak, and Garrett knew that within those clouds stood eight mage towers of various shapes, along with the towering Tower of Heaven in the center of the peak... Oh, why haven¡¯t they replied to my paper on the igneous substance yet? They wouldn¡¯t actually be repeating the experiment... By the way, when Lavasii did that experiment back then, it lasted for twelve days... "Boom!" A thunderous shock reverberated through the sky. Garrett¡¯s pupils contracted as he saw a massive hole blasted open in the thick clouds shrouding the tower. The clouds billowed and dissipated, revealing the towering spire of the Tower of Heaven. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 195 Chapter 195 Just like the necromantic faction, within the elemental mage faction, more than one archmage had their eyes on Garrett. There was Archmage Lorenz, the mentor of Garrett from Hartland City; Archmage Carlisle who pulled him from the battlefield and brought him to the council headquarters; Archmage Zeifal, specializing in sonic magic, who presented Garrett¡¯s thesis to the council; And then there was the one in the Tower of Heaven, even banging the table, keeping a close eye on Garrett¡¯s movements, afraid he might slip away, even if it was just for the sake of his own reputation. Naturally, once Garrett¡¯s thesis was submitted, this news landed on the desks of all these archmages. "The upgraded version of the Burning Hand? Is it the one I saw?" Archmage Carlisle¡¯s eyes gleamed. He indeed detected powerful magical fluctuations on the magic compass and later witnessed the white flames spewing into the sky. One after another, it even burned down the renowned Sanctuary Spell of the Radiant Church, leaving a profound impression on him. And back then, Garrett was just a level one apprentice mage; he couldn¡¯t have been mistaken! Unfortunately, the Magic Council guarded each mage¡¯s unique magic very strictly. An unfamiliar mage, a mere level one apprentice, creating a powerful magic spell on his own, even Archmage Carlisle, despite being a level 14 archmage, couldn¡¯t bring himself to deceive or coax the other party into handing over the magic. He could only hope that the other party would finish writing the thesis soon, submit the magic to the council, so he could go through the proper channels to exchange for it... "So, is this the white fire magic then? What about the attached magic? Has it not been approved yet?" Archmage Carlisle tapped the table. A small bird with a fan-shaped crest on its head and three or four black and white stripes on its wings fluttered over and landed in his palm. Archmage Carlisle turned the bird in a direction facing its mouth and cleared his throat before speaking: "Vincent, that upgraded version of the Burning Hand magic, the one Garrett Nordmark just submitted, if it¡¯s approved, let me know, I¡¯ll exchange for a copy." The bird spread its wings and flew out. It returned shortly, opening its mouth. From its sharp, slightly curved beak came another deep male voice: "A level one mage¡¯s magic, and you¡¯re urging me to approve it? Carlisle, you owe me a meal! Remember that bottle of wine you snagged last time! From the Melor Winery!" Archmage Carlisle chuckled and shook his head. Just half an hour later, a woodpecker flew towards the magic barrier outside. Its hard beak continuously pecked against the barrier, its head bobbing up and down, almost leaving a blur:Fiind updated novels at novelhall.com "Knock knock knock knock knock knock..." The pecking sounds intensified to about ten knocks per second. Archmage Carlisle rubbed his forehead and had to wave his hand to open the barrier. The woodpecker folded its wings and rushed in. Before it could steady itself, it eagerly opened its beak. The previously deep male voice now became sharp, and its speech rate doubled: "Carlisle! Where did you find this kid! He¡¯s boosted the Burning Hand from level one to level four with just a tweak! Level four! Is he your disciple? If not, I¡¯ll take him under my wing!" Alright, here comes another poacher... Is burning dependent on combustibles and that... that thing named O? If this is true, it completely overturns the foundation of the elemental mage faction¡¯s theories on combustion, on fire elements! And that apprentice named Garrett has already improved the Burning Hand spell according to this theory, personally verified by Vincent! What should he do? He studied the branches of wind and water elements, while his old friend excelled in fire elements! Once a theory he had believed in for years was proven false, it would be almost a fatal blow to him! Carlisle hesitated for a moment. Seeing that the glassware in the laboratory was ready, and the fire was lit, he had no choice but to make several copies of the thesis, tuck them into his robes, and head directly to the Tower of Heaven nearby: "Master! Master! There¡¯s an important thesis, please, you must take a look!" Ten days later, on the 378th floor of the Tower of Heaven, the laboratory of legendary mages stood in profound silence. Led by the legendary mage of the Elemental School, Master Decart, followed by Master Carlisle, a dozen mages stood closely packed, their eyes fixed on Vincent, who was conducting experiments. Mercury turned into red powder upon heating. The volume of air in the container decreased by one-fifth. The remaining gas couldn¡¯t support combustion nor sustain animal respiration. Upon further intense heating, the red powder decomposed into mercury and a gas, the volume of which precisely equaled the previously decreased volume. Inserting a dying stick into the newly decomposed gas, it immediately ignited fiercely, emitting a dazzling blaze. Using the newly decomposed gas as the spellcasting material, Vincent unleashed the enhanced Burning Hand spell, the power of White Fire nearly equivalent to a fourth-level Dragon¡¯s Breath spell... Every detail in the thesis was verified one by one. Vincent¡¯s complexion grew paler with each experiment. Trembling hands released the final spell, the White Light of the enhanced Burning Hand, leaving his lips as pale as paper. There were no more excuses, no more arguments; the essence of combustion, the essence of fire elements, indeed, was not elemental... He subconsciously closed his eyes. In an instant, the fire elements in his meditation environment erupted violently. "Vincent! Stop meditating!" Master Decart thundered. His voice rolled like thunder, and simultaneously, the magic array in the laboratory pressed down, severing all elements within a one-square-meter radius. Vincent¡¯s whole body shook, blood oozing from his nostrils and ears, collapsing weakly to the ground. Carlisle reflexively rushed to his aid, extending a supporting hand: "Master..." But Master Decart paid him no heed. With a flick of his robe, the legendary mage levitated, stepping towards the floor-to-ceiling window. His left hand, trembling violently behind him, while his right hand extended forward and upward, pushing straight out¡ª "Boom!!!" A deafening explosion shattered the dense clouds outside the Tower of Heaven. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 196 Chapter 196 The violent explosion startled the entire Tower of Heaven. The floor-to-ceiling windows shattered, and the magical barriers dissolved. As Master Decar¡¯s palm thrust out, the dense clouds shielding the Tower of Heaven dispersed, tearing apart at least a quarter of them. In the next moment, an angry female voice rose high amidst the dense clouds on the other side: "Decar! Why did you dismantle the enchantment lock?!" In response to the accusation, a figure soared into the air, facing Master Decar from a distance, suspended in mid-air. Inside the room, a group of mages glanced briefly before hurriedly bowing their heads: Standing in the void outside the window was a petite girl with delicate features like a doll. Adorned with a crown of leaf-shaped ornaments, three gems in her hair emitted countless silver rays, reflecting her silver-gray eyes even more brilliantly. Around her neck, wrists, and nails, numerous streams of colored light gently danced, harmonizing with the flowing light on the Tower of Heaven¡¯s structure. The girl¡¯s deep blue skirt billowed high, suspended in the air without any movement amidst the turbulent winds and clouds. Instead of jewels and embroidery, the skirt was adorned with countless faintly visible, continuously flickering runes, causing dizziness at a mere glance. "Lady Helena." Led by Carlisle, a group of mages who hadn¡¯t yet reached level 15, let alone touched the boundaries of legend, respectfully greeted the newcomer. Even Vincent, the archmage, who was lying weakly on the ground, managed to lower his head with the support of his friends: Although this girl appeared youthful, she had entered the realm of legend many years ago, and was the foremost expert of the school of magic, as well as the overseer of the Igor enchantment lock. If provoked, even legendary mages would stumble within the lock¡¯s confines. Hence, when she voiced her accusation, none of the lower-level mages present dared to utter a word. Only the legendary mage Decar flew out of the tower, wearing a rueful expression as he apologized to her: "Helena, I was just about to find you. Please, relay a message and gather all the legendary mages in Nevis¡ªwe¡¯re in trouble, Helena, big trouble." Helena glared at him. Seeing Decar¡¯s sincere expression and somewhat embarrassed demeanor, her anger gradually subsided. The silver-gray color in her eyes also faded away quietly, turning into a light purple, which deepened little by little: "Call everyone nearby? Aren¡¯t the rotating Tower of Heaven guards enough?" "Truly not enough." Seeing the silver glow fade from Helena¡¯s eyes, Master Decar also breathed a sigh of relief. Despite being a legendary mage himself, one level higher in mage rank than Helena, she was responsible for maintaining the entire enchantment lock¡ª If a real fight broke out, while he might not necessarily lose, ending up embarrassed was inevitable. He activated his telekinetic field, took two steps on the void, and once again sincerely apologized: "Sorry, Helena, it wasn¡¯t intentional to cause you trouble. We encountered an unexpected situation just now. If I hadn¡¯t vented that power, I would have been injured too." "Someone harmed you?" Helena furrowed her brows slightly as the color in her eyes faded once again. Decar quickly shook his head: On the contrary, if we associate elements with the ultimate concepts reached by current chemical analysis, then, everything that cannot be further decomposed by any means available to us now could be considered as an element to us." (See author¡¯s note) Silence enveloped the room. Elementalists, shapeshifters, enchanters, protectors¡ªevery mage of every school, or rather, every mage stepping into the world of magic, initially encountered the world of the four elements; later, the wind gave rise to thunder, and water gave rise to ice... However, what exactly is an element? What is the most primal, the eternal and unchanging, the foundational component of this world? Heavy breathing echoed in the elliptical conference room. Finally, Master Decar slammed the table and stood up: "What¡¯s so terrifying! If it¡¯s uncertain, then we experiment! We demonstrate! If wrong, then we overturn! When the theory of primal essence overturned the theory of fire spirits, and the theory of fire spirits overturned the theory of divine bestowment, haven¡¯t we gone through this before!" A spark jumped on his monocle. With a crackle, it leaped from the lens to the crystal lamp in the center of the conference room, then from the crystal lamp to the silver rods illuminating the walls. The stable lighting in the conference room suddenly flickered, resembling a haunted house. Helena cleared her throat, raised her hand, and directed the electricity into the walls, where it dispersed and disappeared. A legendary protector mage calmly remarked, "But this... the losses could be significant." The path of overturning existing theories was never easy. Conflicts with new theories and meditative environments could cause casualties, even legendary mages were not exempt from injury or death. Battles with the Radiant Church, relationships with allies, development of alternate dimensions, every aspect required adjustment. "That¡¯s why I called you all here." Decar replied boldly. "We need to arrange manpower for rotation, pay attention to sealing off information, and gradually reveal the successful parts of the verification¡ªotherwise, what are we here for? To rely on those little fellows in the review committee?" Legendary mages nodded in agreement. Helena suddenly closed the paper, tilted her chin up, and smirked: "Oh, by the way, what about that little fellow called Garrett? Leave him outside? Until he throws another paper and blows up a few heads?" All eyes instantly focused. The priest from the Illusion school was about to speak when Madame Endor interrupted. The old woman covered her lips with the bloodstained handkerchief, coughing so violently she couldn¡¯t raise her head: "We... cough cough... we..." The priest in white immediately stopped speaking, murmuring a spell as a gentle light rain fell upon the old woman. Madame Endor¡¯s expression gradually softened, but suddenly her vision darkened. The legendary mage from the Black Crow Swamp floated up directly, under his empty black robe, the red light flickered in his skull¡¯s eye sockets, the jawbones clacking together: "We..." "He belongs under our watch!" Decar interrupted loudly without hesitation. In his monocle, bright electrical sparks crackled, darting back and forth, almost shooting out of the frame: "His papers are sent directly to me. If he stirs up any trouble, we, the Thunder¡¯s Horn, will take care of it!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 197 Chapter 197 The legendary mages convened, their discussions veiled in obscurity. Proposing the subversive notions of the "Inflammation Theory" demanded meticulous dissemination: orchestrating scholarly papers, discreetly spreading whispers, and guiding mages through gradual comprehension to avoid sparking widespread controversy. This was a topic of deliberation. Strategizing how legendary mages could tactically retract, ensuring a seamless succession within their ranks to prevent destabilization of their headquarters, required thorough discussion. Simultaneously relinquishing territories while deploying smokescreens, ensuring the Radiant Church remained unsuspecting, and coordinating explanations and resolutions among allies were also subjects of debate. Even among the eight schools of magic and various mage organizations, coordination was imperative. For instance, the Thunderhorn faction reaping the benefits of nurturing a legendary seed shouldn¡¯t expect the Black Crow Swamp to weather the storms for them! Moreover, information must be sealed, and Garrett¡¯s thesis must be clandestinely concealed, down to his very name! External containment, internal suppression! Fortunate were these legendary mages, each having undergone multiple life energy transferences, their vigor abundant, allowing them to convene for a day and a night uninterrupted. Meditation? Sleep? Rarely did they meditate unless the heavens threatened to fall, and it was a rarity indeed for them to forgo sleep, unable to replenish magic naturally, relying on magical elixirs akin to mana potions... Moreover, Igor Peak was the kingdom¡¯s safest refuge. As long as the Igor¡¯s Veil remained operational, even if the Radiant Church launched a full-scale assault, the legendary mages could hold out until they were well-rested. Such a meeting format proved highly efficient. After a day and a night, the legendary mages, having shattered two tables and torn through stacks of manuscripts, the meeting room resembled a snow-covered landscape. Astonishingly, they had indeed finalized all agendas. Master Decar departed with great enthusiasm, summoning his disciples: "Carlisle, fetch that lad. Let him stay in the Tower of Heaven to study in peace until the dust settles." Carlisle obeyed. The magical airship he utilized was borrowed from the Magic Council for wartime use and was not his own possession. Thus, he descended from the mountain on a magical railcar. Arriving at the Bridge Academy of Magic, he inquired of the assistant: "Today is a day off! Garrett Nordmark...? Shall I accompany you to the library, or perhaps search the student dormitories?" The dormitories were empty. The library, however, was filled with students. Yet, after a thorough search, Garrett was nowhere to be found. Fortunately, some students from the training class were studying inside. Carlisle interrogated a few and managed to learn Garrett¡¯s whereabouts: "Garrett? Recently, he¡¯s been at the infirmary every afternoon..." Master Carlisle: "..." Why was he frequenting the infirmary daily? Was he considering a career change to priesthood? Isn¡¯t being a mage good enough? Can¡¯t the Magic Council support him financially?! As the crimson sun gradually descended, Carlisle braved the biting cold wind, racing against time, and finally arrived at Oakridge before nightfall. He inquired all along his journey, rushing to Elder Wood¡¯s residence, and with a wave of his hand, he cast a Voice Amplification spell upon himself: "Wood! Is Garrett Nordmark with you?" This single inquiry, even without the amplification spell, carried astonishing volume. Yet, the longhouse remained eerily silent, devoid of any response, not even a whisper of footsteps or breaths. After a while, an apprentice priest hurriedly rushed over from afar: "Master, hello! Elder Wood is out today. May I convey any message on his behalf?" "I¡¯m not looking for him!¡ªWhere is Garrett Nordmark?" "You should ask him! He and Elder went to the Augustus Castle together. It was arranged beforehand to conduct a comprehensive physical examination for everyone in the castle, along with promoting a divine spell..." Carlisle: "..." This was bad. Fortunately, he came to nab someone today, or else, he might have been led astray by the Naturalist Cult... He nodded absentmindedly, spurred the Phantom Stallion once more, and took to the skies. The Augustus Castle was extremely easy to find; departing from Nevis City to the northeast, flying along the river, lakes, and canals, one would reach the starting point of the Denis Lake. From high above, the castle twinkled with lights, bustling with activity. Carlisle cast two defensive spells upon himself and dove downward. He circled above the castle, amplifying his voice to the maximum, and thundered: "Where is Garrett Nordmark?!" His shout reverberated throughout the entire castle. In a small room beside the main hall downstairs, Garrett, with one hand covered in glycerin and the other clad in sheepskin gloves, raised his head in bewilderment. What¡¯s with all the yelling? I¡¯m just here for a check-up, as arranged over a month ago. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m running around randomly... If the Magic Council won¡¯t give me an offer, I still need to support myself! What¡¯s wrong with being a doctor... I still have data to collect and papers to publish... --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 198 Chapter 198 After a tumultuous journey, Master Kairel finally landed his Shadow Mare at the gates of the castle. The gates of the Augustus Castle swung open to welcome the esteemed guest. ¡ª Upon the tower of the castle, the three magic ballistas fell silent, no longer stealthily aiming upwards. The Augustus Castle was the inheritance left by Count Inverness¡¯s first wife to her daughter, also the largest castle in the Loxi Viscount¡¯s domain. Surrounded by water on three sides, it guarded the southwest end of Lake Nevis, squarely blocking the passage from Lake Nevis to Lake Loxi. Even those unfamiliar with military matters could see at a glance that this castle was a strategic location worth fighting over. Thick stone walls surrounded the castle, with a three-story rectangular building rising in the center. The outer walls were pure white, gleaming under the lights of the tower and turrets, adding to its solemnity with a touch of beauty. A long bridge stretched from the lakeshore straight to the castle, with twin towers guarding the castle gate at the end of the bridge, impregnable. At this moment, of course, the heavy gates were open. Viscount Loxi, with a long sword at her waist, stood smiling at the center of the gate. Elder Wood stood at her left, leaning on an oak staff and absentmindedly stroking his beard. To her right, Garrett, just pulled out of the infirmary, with disheveled hair and wet sleeves, wore a face that said, "I¡¯m innocent, I don¡¯t know anything..." Master Kairel, having rushed dozens of miles and missed his target three times, finally found his man. Seeing Garrett in such a state, a mixture of anger and amusement washed over him, but his anger dissipated as quickly as it came. With the anger gone, his elegant demeanor returned, and he approached the viscount with an apologetic smile. "I apologize for the urgency in finding you..." Entering the castle, taking seats, serving tea, exchanging pleasantries. Once the routine was smoothly completed, Garrett was handed over from Elder Wood to Master Kairel, and then tossed onto a flying carpet: "Follow me! Now!" Garrett: "..." I haven¡¯t finished my check-up, haven¡¯t finished my drawing, haven¡¯t finished teaching those priests... All these words were swallowed by him. Master Kairel, a 14th-level archmage, owed him a life-saving favor, and now he was rushing in the middle of the night to take him away ¡ª It was obvious that protesting at this point would be utterly foolish. He only asked one question: "Will Elder Wood and the others be alright?" Master Kairel glanced at him in surprise. Dim starlight, crescent moon like a hook, only a faint silver light emanated from the patterns on the flying carpet, allowing the two to see each other¡¯s expressions clearly during their conversation. After careful observation, Master Kairel saw that Garrett¡¯s worried expression seemed genuine and snorted lightly: "You¡¯re kind-hearted. ¡ª Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯ll be fine." So it¡¯s my problem now? "The Manipulation School?... It¡¯s really the Manipulation School?" he asked, his voice trembling. Seeing Kairel nod affirmatively, Garrett raised his hands high and couldn¡¯t help but bounce a little, "Yes!" My field! My high temperature and pressure! My electric power! My electrocardiogram! Formaldehyde, ether, acrylic finally have hope! Low-temperature oxygen separation also sees a glimmer of light! With luck, I might even be able to create nuclear magnetic resonance! "Sit down! ¡ª Be careful not to fall off!" Master Kairel urgently lowered the flying carpet. Garrett was excited beyond measure. If he wasn¡¯t on the carpet, he¡¯d want to jump up and spin around eighteen times. Master Kairel watched him get so excited he almost fell off the carpet, and with a wave of his hand, he opened a small gap in the windproof force field protecting the carpet, and a sharp cold wind blew in his face, choking Garrett on the spot: "Cough ¡ª Cough, cough, cough..." He lay on the edge of the carpet, grabbing the fluff on the carpet, tears streaming down his face from coughing. After a while, as the excitement gradually subsided, he remembered something else: "You can¡¯t keep me here! I need to earn money! I need to see patients! ¡ª If you don¡¯t let me treat people, I won¡¯t have money to do experiments!" "What experiments do you want to do?" Master Kairel rubbed his temples. Garrett said confidently: "The follow-up experiments for that paper on Ransor! I said, ¡¯Anything that can¡¯t be further decomposed by any means is an element to us,¡¯ and I need to prove it!" "Write down your paper, hypotheses, and experimental designs!" Master Kairel said without hesitation. "As long as it¡¯s written reasonably, the Horn of Thunder has plenty of funds, and you can apply for projects as you please! You don¡¯t need to figure out ways to make money yourself!" How many experiments can a mere level-two mage design? With the funds and manpower from his own disciples¡¯ projects, it¡¯s enough for this kid to get by! "You said it yourself!" Garrett secluded himself for ten days. Ten days later, Master Kairel held a thick stack of paper and experimental designs that made him want to turn back time and take back his words. ¡ª Only Garrett knew that he had thrown out everything related to middle school chemistry, high school chemistry, all relevant knowledge points suitable for proving the existence of elements, and experimental plans for determining the densities of the first 20 elements on the periodic table and the first 15 elements in the metal list. And also methods of chemical instrument operation, methods of measuring the weight and volume of gases, temperature measurement methods, titration analysis methods... I¡¯ve wanted to do this for so long! Damn, dealing with earth, water, fire, and wind is just too painful. I want to test blood potassium, blood sodium, blood oxygen, and whatever else, but first, I need to establish the concept of chemical elements! An opportunity to make the Magic Council do hard labor, such a rare opportunity, I must seize it! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 199 Chapter 199 If Garrett divided these things into the six years of middle and high school... No, even if considering only the chemistry book, taking out one year¡¯s worth slowly over 54 weeks, it wouldn¡¯t have caused such a huge shock. If Master Kairel, who wasn¡¯t even level 14 yet and was preparing to advance to level 15 as a grand mage, hadn¡¯t seen it himself, he wouldn¡¯t have realized that what Garrett presented was a complete and systematic set of theories capable of overturning the entire current magical world. Even more frighteningly, it came with experimental designs... If one were to slam this thick thing directly without any preparation, it¡¯s feared that the foundation of the entire Magic Council would crumble. So Master Kairel didn¡¯t say a word, picked up Garrett, and shoved him into the guest room in the Mage Tower. With a wave of his sleeve, a pile of magic books flew out, stacking up a low wall next to Garrett: "Stay here! I¡¯ll ask you if there¡¯s anything!" Garrett: "...Okay." He sat directly on the floor, flipping through and searching, pulling out a book titled "Spell Construction: From Rune Scrolls to Three-Dimensional Models," and began to concentrate on reading. Books! Hundreds of books! Borrowing them from the Grand Library in the White Tower would cost one gold coin per book per day! Now he could read them for free... Oh, it would be great if those mages could conduct experiments slowly while he finished reading all these books... Garrett dove headfirst into the pile of books. Master Kairel stood at the door of the guest room for a moment, watching Garrett sitting on the floor with his legs crossed, leaning against the bed, so engrossed in reading that he seemed about to disappear into the book, shook his head, then turned and left. He picked up the stack of thick materials and headed straight for the Tower of Heaven. Half a day later, the legendary mages stationed in the Tower of Heaven gathered again. "Decar, the little guy you pulled into the Thunder Horn, he¡¯s really something." Helena, who had failed to snatch him, remembered Garrett and felt a bit unhappy. She coldly waved her fingers, and the papers on the oval long table turned over on their own, flipping through page by page: "These things... does he want to overturn the entire Thunder Horn?" "Not just the Thunder Horn." The rotating mage of the Elemental School also expressed regret. These measurement methods, analysis methods, the formulas for acids, alkalis, salts, and their mutual changes, were simply tailor-made for them, the Elemental School! If their alchemists got hold of this book, they would worship it along with the person who brought it! The other day, they hesitated too much! They were late in snatching him! It¡¯s regrettable! Well, tomorrow, no, tonight, arrange for people to conduct experiments overnight! He leaned back, crossing his arms with an expression that seemed to say, "He¡¯s from the Thunder Horn, I¡¯m avoiding suspicion, I won¡¯t speak." The mage in the white robe of the Enchantment School smiled and took over the conversation: "As for the paper, let¡¯s focus on the magic itself. I¡¯ve verified the upgraded version of the Burning Hand spell, and it¡¯s excellent. With the strength of a level 1 mage, it can indeed unleash the power of Dragon¡¯s Breath, albeit with slightly expensive casting materials. These days, the price of Amethyst Scales has already increased fivefold..." There was laughter all around. Amethyst Scales were an alchemical product, not naturally occurring ore. Even though the Magic Council had carefully sealed off the information, informed individuals couldn¡¯t be stopped from rushing to buy them. After everyone had finished laughing, the mage in the white robe continued: "Considering factors such as the overall level of magic, the difficulty of casting, the availability of casting materials, and the spell¡¯s power, I suggest rewarding 100 research points and 500 contribution points." Everyone gasped in shock. This reward was truly generous. By comparison, Garrett¡¯s paper on X-ray magic, which had earned him a spot in the training program, had only been rewarded with 2 research points and 3 contribution points. More importantly, the reward figures for new spells set by the Magic Council generally determined the exchange prices for those spells: for example, if a spell was rewarded with 500 contribution points, its exchange price would be 50 contribution points. Within ten years, the contribution points earned by mages submitting spells to the Magic Council would be evenly split between the Council and the mage. After ten years, the mage¡¯s share of the split would decrease to thirty percent. Considering the popularity of the Burning Hand spell and the power of its upgraded version, it was likely that even mages of a lower level would be able to learn it. After all, the Burning Hand spell wasn¡¯t particularly rare. Everyone would tighten their belts and rush to exchange it. With this income alone, as a level 2 mage, Garrett would have enough to advance to level 5 without any financial worries. But was this price expensive? Not really. A level 1 mage working as a receptionist in the headquarters of the Magic Council would earn five contribution points in a month. Saving for a year, or even two, would easily accumulate enough... And from the perspective of the Magic Council, releasing such a spell that greatly enhanced the strength of its affiliated mages, they couldn¡¯t stop smiling at the prospect! Just imagine, a level 1 mage traveling in the wilderness encountering a squad of Radiant Church cavalry and casually casting an upgraded Burning Hand spell... Just imagining it made one feel ecstatic to the core. A win-win situation, no, a three-way win for Garrett, the Magic Council, and numerous mages¡ª --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 200 Chapter 200 Garrett Nordmark was completely unaware that his windfall was already on its way. He held the hidden books Master Kairel had given him, nestled in his guest room, engrossed in their contents. Had Master Kairel not left instructions for his students to drag him out for meals three times a day, Garrett might have starved himself in that room. Of course, if such a thing had actually occurred, the Magic Council wouldn¡¯t have suffered much overall. It would have merely been a significant loss for Thunder Horn and a gain for Black Crow Swamp. So, even for its own interests, Thunder Horn had to take care of its people. At the very least, they couldn¡¯t afford to have someone suddenly found dead in their room, necessitating a call to the Necromancy faction for help from beyond the grave... While Garrett was immersed in his reading, the meeting of legendary mages continued in the Tower of Heaven. After a moment¡¯s wait, the mages in white robes from the Evocation School, seeing no objections, summarized: "So be it. Following convention, the new magic shall be named ¡¯Nordmark¡¯s Burning Hand¡¯ and added to the Council¡¯s magical library. Shall it be made available for exchange? Is there a need for special recommendations?" "No need!" "No need!" Two voices simultaneously dissented. The two legendary mages exchanged a glance, and Master Decar, indicating the Transmutation School mage, gestured for him to speak first. The Transmutation Master chuckled wryly, his rough hand rubbing against his leather jacket before pinching his nose: "It¡¯s best not to release it immediately. Purple scale stones¡ªthose things aren¡¯t easy to come by for a while, and we can¡¯t produce too many of them." Master Decar chuckled along. Although he couldn¡¯t produce purple scale stones himself, just imagining a group of Transmutation mages sweating profusely, working overtime, and still unable to meet the demand, he couldn¡¯t help but smile. Nodding at the other mage, he turned to the white-robed mage: "Garrett Nordmark is only a level 2 mage." "Ah, understood." The white-robed mage nodded. He smoothly adjusted his wording: "Considering the excessive power and impact of this magic and the low level of its creator, as per tradition, its information will be kept confidential for now to protect the creator. Therefore, this magic shall be named¡ª¡¯Improved Burning Hand¡¯? ¡¯Burning Hand: Dragon¡¯s Breath¡¯?" "Your naming skills are still as poor as ever," Helena, beside the white-robed mage, commented coldly. "After going through all this trouble, can¡¯t you just call it ¡¯Dragon¡¯s Breath Hand¡¯?" Despite being criticized by the lady, the white-robed mage didn¡¯t seem to mind. He just chuckled, scratching his head. His long golden hair fell as he did so, coupled with his gentle smile, giving him the appearance of a friendly golden retriever wagging its tail while crouching down. Others were quite accustomed to their interaction. The elderly mage from the Abjuration School lowered his head to jot down the name ¡¯Dragon¡¯s Breath Hand¡¯ and the Council¡¯s reward plan before passing it to his right. A group of legendary mages stamped their magical seals one by one. With this agenda item concluded, they moved on to the next: "So... what about that thesis?" "The thesis..." Another moment of silence ensued. If the value of ¡¯Dragon¡¯s Breath Hand¡¯ was 100 points and 500 contribution points, then the thesis overturning the ¡¯Theory of Ignition¡¯ should be worth at least double. All present, even those not specialized in the Transmutation School, could see: Garrett Nordmark¡¯s thesis, combined with the spell model of ¡¯Dragon¡¯s Breath Hand,¡¯ had instructional significance for all fire magic. In other words, as long as in any magic¡ªfrom apprentice-level Spark to 3rd-tier Fireball, and up to 9th-tier Meteor Burst¡ªa position for the purple scale stone was incorporated into the spell structure, the power of the spell could be pushed to incredible heights. Cough, cough. Of course, it wasn¡¯t advisable to do so for 8th or 9th-tier spells rashly. Otherwise, it might lead to tragedies where the range reached 100 meters and the explosion radius extended to 200 meters, potentially killing not only enemies but also the mage themselves before the enemies... "This is a groundbreaking thesis," declared Decar, a prominent figure in the Transmutation School, clearing his throat to speak first. Lady Endor, her voice cold beneath her black veil, added, "Subversive." Yes, indeed, calling it subversive means it¡¯s subversive, but who told you to be a Divination mage? Decar nodded in acknowledgment. The white-robed mage from the Evocation School chimed in: "The ideas proposed in this thesis may be applicable to all fire magic." "But further verification is needed," interjected Helena, her tone icy, sounding both approving and explanatory. The white-robed mage smiled again at her: "Yes, the subsequent verification and research are quite complex. I¡¯ve already seen the next three months¡¯ worth of journals filled with papers on this topic. It¡¯s safe to say each paper will contribute a citation." He tapped his fingers on the paper before him, drawing a round of envy towards Garrett. Each citation for a paper meant one research point. If 100 papers approved by the council, even appearing in journals, were to include it in their references, Garrett would accrue 100 research points without lifting a finger¡ª So many points would be enough to elevate his arcane level from Level 1 to Level 3. More allowances, higher exchange permissions, and even greater project application rights would beckon to Garrett. Moreover, the instructive significance of this thesis applied to all fire magic. "The basic version..." Garrett¡¯s voice grew quieter as he spoke. To be honest, he had almost forgotten about changing his meditation method... From the beginning to now, Garrett had always used the basic meditation method that could be self-taught by audit students on the first floor of the mage tower. There were indeed better versions in the mage tower, but those were modifications to the meditation core, and Garrett felt that he was better off constructing his own based on medical reference books. After arriving at the headquarters of the Magic Council, Garrett did manage to find some time to explore the academy and the exchange center in the White Tower. There were three meditation methods available for free exchange in the academy, all requiring enrollment and student achievements, which Garrett lacked; the other four were for academy teachers, which Garrett wasn¡¯t; so he had to regretfully give up. As for the council¡¯s office, which was in the White Tower... Regardless of arcane level, specialization school, or affiliation with any magic organization, the cheapest one that was directly open for exchange cost 1000 contribution points. Yes, contribution points, not gold coins. Using contribution points to exchange for gold coins, the Magic Council offered a 1:1 exchange; using gold coins to exchange for contribution points, sorry, the Magic Council didn¡¯t allow it, and even on the black market, Garrett secretly inquired, a 2:1 exchange was impossible... Feeling his pouch, Garrett had less than 200 gold coins in total. Goodbye. "So, can I learn a new meditation method now? Will it be given to me for free? I¡¯m broke!" Seeing Garrett¡¯s eager eyes, Grand Mage Kairel felt like facepalming¡ªor giving him a brain slap. This is the benefit of joining a large organization! Do you understand now? Meditation methods, which could accelerate spiritual growth and improve efficiency in spiritual utilization, the very things that directly equated to core competitiveness, were held by various major schools and mage organizations. They didn¡¯t give them to anyone, not even the Magic Council¡ª Papers could be published for free, spell models could be open for exchange, but the most crucial meditation methods, the most critical and advanced magical rituals, NEVER! For low-level mages who worked their brains off to get in, they inevitably had to suck up to their mentors, strive to contribute to the organization, hope their mentors would favor them, and give them a decent meditation method. But for someone like Garrett, who was brought in by the big shots¡ª Who dares to withhold? Who dares?! From the mentors to Garrett himself, to the big shots of the Thunder Horn and even the other branches of the Transmutation School, what they were racking their brains over was how to quickly level him up and give him the power to protect himself... Grand Mage Kairel swept his palm. Scroll after scroll, two magic crystals, and a golden fur parchment covered in writing dropped down. He casually gestured towards the pile of items: "It¡¯s free! Since you¡¯ve joined the Thunder Horn, you¡¯ll definitely get a meditation method! Take your time to look through them and choose the one that suits you. If you don¡¯t understand, ask me!" "If you pick one, there are matching magic rituals and magic potions. Using several methods together will speed up your level advancement!" Garrett: "..." Unrolling the scrolls is easy, but the writing on the fur... I don¡¯t quite recognize it. Do I need to look up the dictionary later? And how do I read this magic crystal? Is it like the legendary jade slips, where you stick it to your forehead and the information is automatically infused... Oh, and there are potions too! "Um... which meditation method doesn¡¯t require potions?" "Don¡¯t you want to take medicine? Permanent potions to enhance mental strength, do you think they¡¯re easy to find?" Garrett eyed him warily, refusing to yield. Potions! Something to drink! This isn¡¯t the mass-produced energy potions or healing elixirs, already tried and tested with quality certification! Rare potions, who knows what ingredients they contain, where they come from! What¡¯s the pharmacology? What¡¯s the target? Is there any toxicity to the human body? What are the adverse reactions, any contraindications? What¡¯s the pharmacokinetics, how long does it take for the blood drug concentration to peak, how is it metabolized? Have there been animal experiments, have they passed clinical trials? Is there certification from the drug regulatory agency... no, is there certification from a specialized institution of the Magic Council? Has it expired? Is the quality reliable or not, will the person mixing the potions accidentally add 50% more of some ingredient? Without origin, without quality assurance, potions that aren¡¯t a last resort, I firmly refuse to drink! ---------------NewW novels updates at novelhall.com Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 201 Chapter 201 Garrett finally began studying those meditation techniques. Before that, Master Kairel grimly took away two scrolls and a crystal. As for the usage of the magic crystal, he did tell Garrett before leaving: simply delve his mental power into the crystal and then receive information. As for whether he could withstand such a massive flow of information and how much he could receive, well... it¡¯s up to fate. Anyway, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to try several times. Garrett: "..." He constantly felt like his blood vessels were about to burst at any minute. He should probably prepare some blood pressure medication or have a bottle of glucose nearby...Re?Ad lateSt chapters at novelhall.com Only He silently put down the crystal in his hand and prioritized looking at the scrolls. As expected, the meditation rules provided by the Thunder Horn for novice mages were concise and clear, written in universal magical script. After half a year of study, Garrett had already mastered this language, so reading it was effortless. However... this meditation technique called "Stargazing Meditation" emphasized using one¡¯s own mental power to stir the stars in the sky, find one¡¯s destined star, and use starlight to aid in one¡¯s cultivation. It was said that this kind of meditation was closely related to luck. With good luck, if the star resonated strongly with oneself, it could create a powerful mage. Garrett pondered for a moment how many light-years away the nearest stars were and felt that his mental power didn¡¯t have such high intensity. He silently put the scroll back... The meditation technique written on the inner side of that golden fur, however, was written in another ancient magical language unfamiliar to Garrett. After flipping through books for a long time and consulting Master Kairel, Garrett finally understood the principle of this meditation technique: - The fur was taken from a powerful ancient exotic beast and, after thousands of years, it still remained intact. Mages needed to sense the breath on the fur, synchronize their mental power with it, and finally, let their mental power transform into the exotic beast, gaining its ability to manipulate lightning and roam the void. Garrett: "...Isn¡¯t this more like regressing the more you advance? I¡¯m a human, why should I approach a wild beast? And, simulating an ancient exotic beast with a piece of fur, isn¡¯t it like a blind man touching an elephant, touching whatever part he touches?" If there were genetic engineering, it would be more reliable to clone a living creature from the fur first, then synchronize mental power with the living exotic beast. Helpless, Garrett could only touch the crystal and lie back on the bed. He couldn¡¯t produce glucose now, and even if he could, he wouldn¡¯t dare to use it on himself. That stuff was for intravenous injection, and without enough pure, sterile water and equipment to control the infusion rate, injecting it into his veins recklessly would be suicidal! Of course, if the mental shock was too great, and the blood vessels in his brain were about to burst, there was another approach: lowering blood pressure. He couldn¡¯t produce Western medicines like Metoprolol or Nitrendipine, and as for Chinese medicines... Panax notoginseng, cassia seed, Gastrodia, Eucommia bark... Forget it. The region wasn¡¯t right, and even if these medicinal materials were available, he wouldn¡¯t recognize them if they were placed in front of him. The one he wanted... the one he wanted... Garrett unconsciously drew circles with his fingers on the glass of the cabinet door. Circles upon circles, spiraling outward. He suddenly froze: Isn¡¯t this a spiral? At most, it¡¯s a conical spiral, at most, it¡¯s a conical tube! I can describe it with functions! Use mathematics, use mathematics to guide this curve, use mathematics to construct this model, and the meditation shell made in this way is the most reliable! Garrett almost crawled back to the table. He spread out the paper, picked up the pen, and then ... froze. What was the function of a conical spiral again? How should the parameters be set? Oh no, I forgot... He closed his eyes and concentrated. Thanks to the memory bestowed by crossing over, "Advanced Mathematics for Medical Use" appeared vividly in his mind, page by page. It was indeed studied and even scored well back then, but not used for so many years. Some of the formulas listed in the book seemed familiar, some looked... cough, face-blind already... No need to say more, let¡¯s review! Garrett rang the bell to summon the invisible servant who appeared silently. He showed a smile that was both embarrassed and a bit tragic: "Get me a piece of paper... uh, bring two bottles of ink, and as for pens, bring ten first?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 202 Chapter 202 Day one. "Has Garrett started meditating?" "No, he¡¯s still scribbling away..." Day two. "Has he started meditating yet?" "No, he¡¯s still writing..." Day three. "Is he meditating?" "No, he¡¯s asked for another sheet of paper..." Master Kairel the Great Mage stopped asking. Switching meditation techniques is a serious and significant matter. Many mages, before taking this step, try to adjust their mood and prepare themselves as much as possible. Some bathe, change clothes, and sleep for three days and three nights; some go fishing by the sea to relax; some go to indescribable places for indescribable activities... Back in the day, Master Kairel himself obtained a magical equipment from his mentor, traveled hundreds of miles, and killed the enemy who had insulted his sister. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Compared to that, locking oneself in a room to write and scribble for three days, using up two sheets of paper, was as normal as it could get. Master Kairel wasn¡¯t worried that Garrett was too negligent; he was only concerned that Garrett might be too tense and unable to find the right state of mind... Garrett hadn¡¯t even torn a piece of paper! Every sheet of paper was neatly arranged, stacked into a pile! Garrett didn¡¯t feel overly anxious. Seated at the table, he tirelessly transcribed¡ªor rather copied¡ªthe contents of "Advanced Mathematics for Medical Use." Discussions, formulas, charts, exercises... As he copied, memories of lectures, exercises, and insights from his university days flooded back. Unconsciously, Garrett had returned to the state he was in when he first took that course in his freshman year. It was the pinnacle of his mathematical prowess in his past life. With this peak state of mind, Garrett tirelessly tackled the new meditation technique he had acquired. In just one day, he calculated the curve of the meditation shell, and in another day, he calculated the positions of the filter discs and the ejection holes. Then, finally sated and refreshed, he applied for seclusion. "The meditation chamber? The Mage Tower has dedicated meditation chambers that provide mages with a safe, undisturbed environment rich in energy options and high energy density, making it more suitable for mage advancement. The primary meditation chamber is on the third floor, costs 100 contribution points per day, and is suitable for mages of levels 1-4; the intermediate meditation chamber is on the seventh floor, costs 1000 contribution points per day, and is suitable for mages of levels 5-9..." The low-level mage who was responsible for running errands in the Mage Tower, paused, looking meaningfully at Garrett. The implication was, you shouldn¡¯t need to use the advanced meditation chamber, right? Indeed, Garrett didn¡¯t need it. In fact, he was at that moment mentally calculating how many contribution points he had: - Three points for that X-ray article; thirty for the one on bat-borne diseases; three for the ultrasound article... - Those recent papers, one point each for the aseptic principle and the two on microscopy; fifty for the dysentery article; plus the subsidies from the Magic Council after registration, one point per month for a first-level mage, five per month for an arcane adept... Master Kairel had seen every mage above level ten, and they all needed the determination to stay up all night and forget to eat when necessary. But Garrett was only at level two, and yet he had this level of focus¡ªespecially since Garrett hadn¡¯t been practicing magic or conducting experiments; he had simply been immersed in writing and calculation... Now that he had the money, Garrett dismissed the idea of mooching off others and left. He swiped his magic badge to enter the meditation chamber, and as soon as he sat down, the crystal column on the wall lit up: "Respected mage, hello. Welcome to the meditation chamber. We recommend that you first measure your mental strength to facilitate the meditation process and understand your progress~~~" Huh? There¡¯s a mental strength test? "Is it free?" "Respected mage, the meditation chamber rental includes the mental strength assessment fee. Please feel free to use it." ...Spending 100 contribution points for this day was quite worth it. At the very least, Garrett hadn¡¯t seen this kind of testing feature anywhere else. However, Garrett didn¡¯t immediately activate this feature; instead, he asked cautiously: "Can others see my mental strength?" "The meditation chamber is managed by the Tower Spirit. Except for legendary mages of the Thunder Horn, others do not have permission to access it." Legendary mages... even if they wanted to, they could only order him around with their fingers, without revealing his data... Garrett felt relieved. Following the instructions from the crystal column, he concentrated his mind and vigorously attacked it. The surface of the crystal fluctuated from colorless and transparent to light red, from light crimson to peach, from peach to fiery red, pausing for a moment before turning into cinnabar red. Finally, a number froze in the center of the crystal: 65. Without explanation, without comparison. Garrett shrugged, noted down the number, and began his meditation. He had already prepared thoroughly beforehand, so now he simply followed the calculated function, focusing his mind and constructing a protective shell on the outer edge of the meditation environment. Origin coordinates, X-axis, Y-axis, Z-axis... Lines spiraled, stretched, built pipelines, and on the outer edge of the pipeline, one ring after another rose, the inner walls smooth, the outer walls filtering, holes ejecting impurities... The environment inside the meditation chamber was rich and quiet. He hadn¡¯t noticed upon entering, but as he began to meditate, Garrett sighed: These 100 contribution points were really well spent! Rich, in terms of the concentration of elements in the room, it was indeed higher than the outside environment. When his mental strength felt depleted, he could replenish it from the outside at any time; quiet, because the elements in the room weren¡¯t restless, they weren¡¯t even lively, so they wouldn¡¯t disturb or harm his mental strength. It was like sitting in an autumn orchard, always ready to replenish when thirsty or hungry, yet not afraid of fruits falling and hitting his head. Garrett meditated devoutly. The protective layer constructed by his mental strength continued to extend: a quarter circle, half circle, three-quarters circle, one circle... one and a half circles, two circles... the lines were smooth, the curvature uniform, the inner walls smooth spirals, constructing a protective layer around his meditation environment, like a perfect pearl shell, nurturing the flawless pearls within. When Garrett¡¯s mental strength reached its limit and he opened his eyes, the protective layer constructed by his mental strength had rotated around the core for three full circles. And upon retesting, the surface of the crystal had turned red to black, and the number that popped up on the crystal column had doubled from before changing the meditation technique: 138. "138?" On the top floor of the Mage Tower, Master Decar looked at the number displayed by the Tower Spirit, raising his eyebrows in surprise. "He¡¯s exceeded the advancement line by so much, why hasn¡¯t he become a level three mage yet?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 203 Chapter 203 The number displayed on the crystal column in the meditation chamber... It¡¯s not a precise measurement, like assigning a constant value, such as 1 for casting a 0-level spell, then incrementing it with each level. It¡¯s actually a rough average. For each tier, from mage levels 1-2, 3-4, and so forth, the estimated upper and lower limits of mental strength are divided into roughly 100 parts, serving as a guide for mages¡¯ advancement. In other words, a mental strength reading around 33-35 on the red tier signifies preparation for advancing from level 1 to level 2; around 100, one can prepare for the third level. Some meditation techniques, with exceptionally abundant accumulations, may suppress to around 110 or even 120 before moving into higher levels. ¡ªGarrett¡¯s previous test result was 65, which nearly meant that he had completed half of the progression from level 2 to level 3, an impressive rate considering he had only been a level 2 mage for a month or two. But 138? No sign of advancement yet?! Apart from Garrett¡¯s substantial accumulation and immense potential, Master Decar, observing the real-time number, had to face a stark reality: Garrett, my student, seems to have hit a leveling barrier at level 2. ...Plans had to be revised. Originally, Master Decar had planned for Garrett to reach level 3 by meditating, using potions, and studying in seclusion, at least mastering a plethora of second-tier spells. As a level 3 mage, one couldn¡¯t cast fireball spells or transform into a mobile turret, but their survival abilities would be significantly enhanced¡ª In terms of defense, spells like Mage Armor, Arrow Deflection, and Energy Resistance offered comprehensive protection; For offense, spells like Acid Arrow, Fireball, Lightning Shield, and Ice Fall allowed for robust attacks and defensive countermeasures; For control, spells like Fog Cloud, Web, and Trap Creation were invaluable, while for escape, Invisibility, Minor Illusion, and Mirror Image combined could easily facilitate evasion; And if all else failed, spells like Bull¡¯s Strength, Bear¡¯s Endurance, and Cat¡¯s Grace could bolster one¡¯s physical capabilities for direct confrontation. In short, placing Garrett in the vicinity of Nevis City would provide him with enough space for independent activity¡ªhe might not win every fight, but at least he could escape smoothly. However, now, despite his mental strength surpassing the advancement threshold, he still wasn¡¯t leveling up? Master Decar sighed: "Let him complete all the 0-level and 1-level spells first. Memorize the descriptions of common spells from levels 2 to 5. ¡ªUntil he learns them all, until he memorizes them all, he¡¯s not allowed to leave the Mage Tower!" Learn them all, and it might take three months, six months even? He wouldn¡¯t believe Garrett couldn¡¯t advance in six months! ...Yet Garrett wasn¡¯t advancing. Garrett: "Wait a minute, I¡¯m a mage, a healer! I don¡¯t know anything about smelting mithril!" I¡¯m a doctor! I¡¯m specialized in clinical medicine, not metallurgy or materials! Why am I being sent to the dwarves! My expertise doesn¡¯t match! "Don¡¯t know? You¡¯ll still go! Come back when you¡¯ve completed the task! Or come back when you¡¯ve advanced to level 3!" Master Kairel left with a wave of his robe. Not knowing? That¡¯s perfect, because not knowing will let you focus on leveling up! Was it easy to find such a task?! A level 2 squishy little mage, at the 4th circle of Arcanist level. Exploration tasks, combat tasks were too risky, and production tasks, like scribing scrolls or brewing potions, were really underutilizing his talents. The most suitable task was a research task, but such tasks were usually initiated and executed by the mage towers themselves, and recruiting outside assistance was rare, only a small amount released each year... And it had to be within the vicinity of Nevis City, right under their noses! And it had to provide him with enough novelty and experience! And it had to be doable for a low-level mage! Garrett: "......" Forget it, short of manpower, sweet tongue. Enjoyed the free training so far, now that a task has dropped, let¡¯s get to work. Besides, he hadn¡¯t seen dwarves yet! A new intelligent race! In large quantities! Get the paper ready, get the pen ready, and the badge of the Glorious Church of Radiance¡ªoh no, Linde¡¯s badge of Radiance, get it ready. Seize the opportunity, draw more anatomical diagrams! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 204 Chapter 204 "You carry the burden, I lead the horse..." Garrett hummed a tune as he walked along the mountain path. He rode a dwarf horse summoned by his Summon Mount spell, swaying through the lush grass. It was a dwarf horse because they were traversing a mountain path, and Garrett feared he might fall if he summoned a horse of normal height... He had been dragged into the mage tower in March and released in mid-July. The distant meadow had transformed from a faint green to a vibrant hue with golden highlights. In the distance, a blue lake reflected the sky, with wisps of white clouds silently drifting over the calm and clear surroundings. Bernard followed Garrett, carrying his large bone club, stumbling along. The bone club, pointed diagonally towards the sky, brushed aside the tall grass, sometimes surpassing Garrett¡¯s head in height. It wasn¡¯t that Garrett was mistreating his follower. It was just... with his magical abilities, none of the horses he could summon could bear Bernard¡¯s weight... It was truly a pity. Perhaps when he reached level 5, the shadowy steed he summoned could carry this barbarian. But according to the documents Garrett had read, the weight capacity of the shadowy steed was the caster¡¯s weight plus 10 pounds per caster level. No matter how Garrett looked at it, Bernard didn¡¯t seem to weigh just 50 pounds... He couldn¡¯t even lift that big bone club. The forge district Garrett was heading to lay on the north side of Igor Peak, nestled in the foothills of Clark Peak. In fact, one could see the gate of the forge district by just peeking down from the peak of Igor... If any unusual situation arose, the mages could activate their flight spells to descend from the peak for rescue, or simply teleport from the Tower of Heaven, which would take just a few minutes. Moreover, apart from a few human mages, most of the inhabitants of the forge district were dwarves, making it difficult for infiltrators to blend in. If not for this, Garrett wouldn¡¯t have been allowed to travel alone from the station at the foot of the mountain to the forge district. Master Kairel hadn¡¯t even sent anyone to accompany him, just advising Garrett before he left to prepare earplugs and a blindfold. Otherwise¡ª"How¡¯s your Sleep spell coming along? Can you use it on yourself?" Just from that remark, Garrett could imagine how noisy the forge district could get. In fact, as he followed the stream between Igor Peak and Clark Peak, ascending about five to six hundred meters, he already heard clanging, clanging, and rumbling sounds coming from ahead. They must be close. Garrett¡¯s spirits lifted. Following the sounds, he soon came across a cluster of ramshackle cabins, painted in various colors, blooming like flowers near the mountain stream. Drawing nearer, the scent of alcohol wafted towards him, and a stout, bearded dwarf shouted loudly: "*%@#&*..." It was dwarven. Garrett didn¡¯t understand. But smelting mithril? He didn¡¯t even know what mithril was, for crying out loud! "Um... could you show me first how mithril is made..." "No problem! Wait for me to arrange it, and I¡¯ll take you in immediately!" The level 5 mage sprang into action, tidying up the documents in his hands and retrieving a thin silver headband, which he handed to Garrett: "This is a headband enchanted with comprehend languages. It has no other function but to allow you to understand their speech. Every mage working here is lent one by the council, and it must be returned upon leaving. The forge district is very dangerous, so don¡¯t wander around." The first difficulty was thus resolved... Garrett took the headband gratefully and placed it on his head. The headband was a bit large, but after adjusting it, it fit snugly above his ears without pressing against his eyes. The sensation on his fingers was a bit greasy, who knew how many people had worn this headband before him, and whether the previous owners had cleaned it. Garrett silently resolved to wash it thoroughly with soap when he got back, then followed the level 5 mage out of the cabin and to the front of the tavern: "Old Hunter! This is a new mage from the council, take us to the mithril area to have a look!" The tavern was a cacophony of noise, with sounds of arm-wrestling, drinking, and off-key singing pouring out from the windows and doors. The level 5 mage had to shout three times before an old dwarf stumbled out, his face flushed, and shouted back at him: "Why are you yelling?! It¡¯s already off duty, if you want to go to the mithril area, come back tomorrow!" He tilted his head back and took a big gulp of beer. Rich foam spilled over from the edge of his beard, and he wiped it away with the back of his hand, spitting out a thick phlegm. At least he retained some manners and didn¡¯t spit directly at the mages¡¯ feet, but instead onto the steps of the tavern, sparkling and shining, black mixed with gray. Garrett¡¯s eyes narrowed. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 205 Chapter 205 Garrett immediately wanted to find a mask to wear. Forging, miners, spitting, dark gray viscous phlegm. These keywords put together immediately brought a word to Garrett¡¯s mind: Pneumoconiosis. Pneumoconiosis is a collective term for a group of occupational lung diseases caused by long-term inhalation and retention of various pathogenic production dusts in the lungs during occupational activities, mainly characterized by diffuse fibrosis of lung tissue. Pneumoconiosis itself is not terrible, but what¡¯s frightening is that it often comes with a series of complications: respiratory system infections, pneumothorax, pulmonary tuberculosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease... Imagine someone with pulmonary tuberculosis coughing and spitting in front of you; it¡¯s definitely necessary to wear a mask! Moreover, it seems that dwarves have much stronger constitutions than humans. To dwarves, it¡¯s just a minor ailment, but to humans, it could easily knock them down! I don¡¯t want to die of tuberculosis! I want to wear a mask! It would be best if it¡¯s an N95... Sorry, there isn¡¯t one. Despite his best efforts, Garrett had only prepared a batch of Wulian masks and bubble spells to cover his head. However, if he put on a mask as soon as someone spat at him, Garrett felt that he wouldn¡¯t be allowed into the mithril area. They would collectively ostracize him to death! Garrett quietly pulled back with the accompanying mage. When the old dwarf saw him like this, he grunted, muttered a few words in a low voice, too low for the comprehend languages headband to work, but from the expression on the dwarf¡¯s eyebrows and corners of his eyes, Garrett could probably guess that he was saying something like "weakling" or "coward". Garrett didn¡¯t get angry. If he got angry at this level of disdain, after more than a decade in the emergency department, he would have developed tension pneumothorax long ago. Instead, he crouched down a bit, looked the old dwarf in the eye, and earnestly advised: for new novels "Sir, if you feel uncomfortable in your throat, it¡¯s best not to drink alcohol." Alcohol increases the burden on the heart and lungs, irritates the gastrointestinal tract, and damages liver function. Whether it¡¯s pneumoconiosis, pulmonary tuberculosis, or simply a respiratory tract infection causing coughing and phlegm, it¡¯s best not to drink alcohol... The old dwarf paused. He instinctively wanted to say something, but seeing Garrett¡¯s serious and concerned expression, he swallowed his words. Turning back to the tavern, he shrugged his beard up and down, still muttering something. Garrett watched his stout figure disappear into the tavern, still drinking, and couldn¡¯t help but shrug his shoulders slightly, smiling bitterly. At this point, he realized that he should cast a healing spell on himself¡ªalthough he didn¡¯t know if it could prevent or treat tuberculosis infection, at least it was better than nothing. The level 5 mage next to him gave him a tug: "Hey, you offended him." "How?" Inside the forging area were not individual furnaces but a series of flowing magma pools. As Garrett walked a few steps closer, he saw bright red magma bubbling in the pools, bubbling and bubbling. A strong smell of sulfur hit him, and Garrett secretly regretted not wearing a gas mask... "Waste! The iron ingot hasn¡¯t softened yet!" Suddenly, a loud roar echoed in the room. The whole forging room buzzed, and Garrett was startled, almost stepping back. He saw a dwarf in front of a pool of fire, bowing his head, pushing the almost squeezed-out iron ingot forward again, and plunging it back into the magma. Garrett carefully observed that the dwarf being scolded had slightly smoother skin on his face and his beard wasn¡¯t as long, while the one scolding him had wrinkled skin and his beard, even braided, still hung down to his chest. Swinging a hammer the size of a beer mug, clanging and clanging, clanging and clanging, on the anvil, sparks flying. Why don¡¯t they shave their beards? With this method of pounding, aren¡¯t they afraid of accidentally burning their beards? Garrett didn¡¯t want to comment on the dwarves¡¯ labor protection level. He followed Mage Denfrees and walked inside, without any dwarves greeting him proactively, or even giving him a proper look. Wanting to pull someone over for an introduction or something, Garrett looked around and simply gave up on this idea. The further they went, the brighter the color of the magma in the pools, and when they reached the last forging room, even with the magic effect of resistance to cold and heat, Garrett felt suffocated. "This is where the mithril is smelted..." Mage Denfrees told him loudly. Even if he didn¡¯t speak loudly, the deafening sounds of clanging and banging all around made it almost impossible to hear oneself think. Garrett craned his neck to look inside, only to see a particularly grand pool of fire in the center of the room, about half a person tall and five to six meters in diameter. The edge of the pool was shining, with a row of magic symbols embedded in it. Three or four rows of steps were built around the edge of the pool, and a dwarf with a beard trailing to the ground was busy by the poolside. Several other dwarves were at least three meters away from him. This pool was particularly active, with magma spurting up from below, accompanied by steam. The color was bright, shining white, and occasionally, there was an explosion. Is this place safe? Can we go in? Garrett hesitated for a moment. Before he could decide, a middle-aged dwarf walked out of the room, with gray braids hanging down to his waist, blocking their way with a swagger: "You! You¡¯re not allowed in!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 206 Chapter 206 "Not allowed in?" Garrett Nordmark instinctively halted his steps.Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com Years ago, when they had collaborated with nearby large steel enterprises and visited steel mills, it was akin to being guided every step of the way, not daring to misstep. After all, hearing phrases like "the steel beneath is at 1650 degrees," "this vat weighs around 140 tons empty, holding 260 tons of molten iron," "if this pipe is mishandled once, the spray could kill someone"... It¡¯s not just about refraining from saying too much or walking too far, brothers. Even though this was just the dwarves¡¯ forging area and not some top-notch factory, the principle remained the same. Even if there were only three or five dwarves moving around inside, Garrett understood deeply that just because professionals could navigate it, didn¡¯t mean non-professionals could. What if something exploded? Molten lava spewing out at over a thousand degrees, several thousand degrees, relying on mage armor to withstand it? Garrett believed in his own luck... He immediately stood still outside the forge, seeing Mage Denfrees wanting to argue with the dwarves blocking the door, he reached out and tugged on the hem of his robes. Mage Denfrees grumpily stepped back, and the dwarves with braided beards raised their heads even higher, loudly stating: "Wait outside! It¡¯ll be over soon!" One of them brandished a hammer¡ªa size smaller than what Garrett saw from the outside, with a hammerhead just the size of a fist¡ªand vigorously struck the door twice. Simultaneously, distant knocking resounded from various forges. "Clang!... Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!" The first round of knocking filled the forge with the cacophony of hammering and shouts, deafening; As the second round of knocking commenced, the forges from the main entrance to the mithril area gradually quietened down; After the third round of knocking, apart from the hurried footsteps, the cave was left only with the howling wind and occasional crackling of molten lava. The dwarves filed out of the forges in groups. They tidied their robes with hands stained black with soot, dusting off the coal ash from their leather skirts, lining up neatly on the central passage. From the entrance closest to the mithril area to the gate near the mountain wall, row by row, they knelt down. As the tray was passed forward, it nearly poked Mage Denfrees¡¯ thigh. The fifth-level mage hurriedly caught the tray, his movements somewhat clumsy, shoulder to shoulder with the braided dwarf, walking into an adjacent room. Weighing, registering, signing on both sides to confirm the correctness, Mage Denfrees finally stored those metal bars, carefully sealing them in a bronze box. "You see, this is mithril." Watching the departing dwarves, Mage Denfrees shrugged helplessly: "We go through all this trouble every day, just for this tiny bit, barely enough to make a bracelet¡ªcan¡¯t even have thick arms. Last year, Master Mendro returned from the battlefield, wanting to repair his Staff of Radiance, took away 30 days¡¯ worth of mithril in one go, unbelievable!" Just as he said that, outside the room, there was a chaotic sound of footsteps again. Mage Denfrees immediately pushed the bronze box, stood up, bowed his head, and stood solemnly: "Master Talbert, you¡¯ve worked hard." No one responded to him. Garrett imitated his posture, bowing his head solemnly, discreetly looking outside¡ªluckily he bowed his head, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have seen a group of dwarves forming a circle, surrounding¡ªor rather, supporting¡ªan unusually elderly dwarf, slowly walking away. The old dwarf¡¯s hair was all white, his arms weakly resting on the shoulders of the braided dwarf, his head hanging low. The flickering firelight in the passage illuminated his wrinkled and shriveled skin, which looked as if it had no muscles underneath. Sweat dripped from his temples and the tips of his beard, leaving wet footprints with every step he took. Huh... the magic or sorcery used to create mithril... was it so tiring? When the teachers and the bald archbishop cast their spells, they never seemed to tire like this? Just as he was thinking this, the old dwarf suddenly raised his head, erupting into a fit of violent coughing. The coughing was heavy, with obvious phlegm, gasping for breath after each bout. Garrett instinctively stepped forward, wanting to ask a few questions or check up, only to see a group of dwarves behind him raising their hammers, staring intently at the old man, murmuring prayers... Garrett: !!! Let¡¯s talk things out, no need for violence! The hammers soon gleamed with white light. They struck the old man one by one. With this support, the old man¡¯s breathing gradually eased, even managing to walk without assistance. Garrett stood at the doorway, watching him leave, until Mage Denfrees whispered softly: "This master is 352 years old... he¡¯s the leader of these dwarves and a thirteenth-level senior priest. Only he can lead the dwarves in using divine magic to smelt mithril... if you want to try to increase mithril production, you can try to catch him at the tavern later..." --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 207 Chapter 207 Garrett struggled for a while but eventually entered the tavern with Mage Denfrees. Attempting to run into, ah no, trying to coincidentally encounter that dwarf master... He didn¡¯t drink alcohol. Neither in his previous life nor in this one. The senior surgeons from his previous life indeed loved drinking and were good at it, but this generation, starting from the guy who could stitch 12 mouse tails in one class, everyone abstained from alcohol. Especially him. As the deputy director of the emergency surgery department, he could be called back to perform surgery at any time, even conducting one or several major surgeries. A drink, if unlucky, could cost several lives. Now, those disciplines, habits, knowledge, and ways of thinking were the only connection between him and his previous life. But this time, even though Garrett couldn¡¯t drink, he wasn¡¯t afraid. He brought a secret weapon, held his head high, and entered the tavern. In his past life, if you were a department head, you better have subordinates who could drink; if you were a doctoral advisor, you better have students who could drink. And now, Garrett had followers who could drink... Garrett wasn¡¯t sure of Bernard¡¯s alcohol tolerance limit. But judging by his volume, the capacity of this barbarian¡¯s stomach should be twice that of a dwarf. So, even though Garrett couldn¡¯t drink, he confidently raised his voice: "Boss, bring out the drinks! Bring out the meat! Bring out the good stuff!" "Coming! Find a place to sit yourselves!" Garrett didn¡¯t need him to say, he would find a good spot himself. Inside the tavern, the smoke filled the air, and everywhere he looked, dwarves held pipes, puffing clouds of smoke, enveloping the entire tavern like a fire scene. Garrett glanced around from the doorway, decisively picked a seat by the window, and took a deep breath next to the window. How could they eat like this? I¡¯ve raised dozens of pigs, cows, sheep, and cages of rabbits in the animal lab, all for you to eat, haven¡¯t I? I even left you 50 gold coins! Could it be that you didn¡¯t eat them all but sold them to buy alcohol?! The two mages each ate half a forearm, drank two glasses of wine¡ªGarrett only drank water. Bernard happily devoured the remaining two and a half forearms, three large mugs of beer, almost all the side dishes, and sausages, burping contentedly before plunging into the center of the tavern:Updated chapters at novelhall.com wrestling? Count me in!" "Come, come!" Known and unknown dwarves gave him their seats. Among dwarves, being able to drink meant being friends, and being able to drink and eat large forearms meant being a hero, so Bernard, who could consume three times the normal amount, was definitely their brother. What? Bernard isn¡¯t a dwarf, he¡¯s twice the height of a dwarf? With a loud crash, the forearm of the dwarf opposite was solidly pressed onto the chopping board. Bernard immediately turned his head: "Leg of lamb!" The leg of lamb was delivered. Garrett took out two gold coins, loudly instructed the boss to roast it, add honey and spices. The dwarves around him also looked much more kindly at him: "To have such followers, you¡¯re not bad. Hey, don¡¯t huddle by the window, come over here?" He gestured with his hand. In the depths of the tavern, on a half-height earth platform, the elderly dwarf master sat high above, surrounded by a group of middle-aged dwarves, smiling as he watched the noisy scene below. Garrett couldn¡¯t be happier. He scooted closer to the platform and sat down beside the gray-bearded dwarf, chatting quietly. While chatting, he listened intently to the dwarves on the platform beside him, taking turns urging: "Master, you should rest more!" "Yes, Master, using divine magic five times a day is too tiring! It¡¯s okay to do it one less time!" "Master, your health hasn¡¯t been good lately, you shouldn¡¯t strain yourself so much..." "Master Talbert has never been well." Suddenly, the gray-bearded dwarf nudged him. Garrett turned to see his bronze-colored face, thick eyebrows and big eyes squeezed together in worry: "After using divine magic every day, he coughs for a long time, can¡¯t sleep all night for several days. Hey, I¡¯m telling you, Magic Council, can¡¯t you let him rest a bit more and not rush him so much?" ...If you don¡¯t want to cough, then don¡¯t smoke! Garrett glanced at the smoking pipe next to the old dwarf and then at the large glass of alcohol he was pouring down, feeling that exhaustion wasn¡¯t the main factor. Before he could reply, the old dwarf had exploded in anger, slamming his glass onto the table, splashing the liquid: "Stop nagging me, everyone! I can¡¯t even lift the hammer anymore, if you don¡¯t let me use divine magic, I¡¯ll die! I can still forge iron happily by Father God¡¯s side...cough, cough, cough..." He suddenly bent over, coughing violently. The dwarves around him rushed forward to help, supporting him and patting his back. The thuds were as heavy as smashing walls, one after another, making Garrett¡¯s heart pound in fear, unsure if it was the phlegm being patted out or the spine being broken first. After a while of pounding, the old dwarf¡¯s cough gradually subsided, but there was no sign of improvement. Suddenly, the crowd became chaotic, a panicked shout rang out: "Oh no, the teacher can¡¯t breathe!" Garrett leaped up. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 208 Chapter 208 More than just Garrett leaped into action. Beside the elderly dwarf, two younger dwarves, one on each side, also jumped up. They hastily laid the old man flat on a stool, then realized it was wrong and lifted him back onto the ground... Garrett: "..." No! Regardless of the reason for his breathing difficulties, whether it¡¯s heart and lung disease, blocked airways, or asthma, people shouldn¡¯t lie flat! Heart and lung disease patients should be propped up, those with blocked airways should be laid face down for back tapping, and there are different positions for other conditions. They shouldn¡¯t be lying flat! "Get him up! Help him up!" He shouted as he ran forward. It was chaotic all around, with no one paying him any attention, not even glancing his way. The old dwarf lay flat on the ground, one dwarf kneeling beside him in prayer, the other spinning around in circles, calling out: "Where¡¯s my hammer? Where¡¯s my hammer?!" Do they need a hammer now?! Garrett couldn¡¯t help but feel speechless. However, the dwarf on the left had already lifted his hammer, raised it high, and a white light shot out from the hammerhead, directly onto the old dwarf. The effect was immediate, and the painful expression on the old dwarf¡¯s face suddenly relaxed. Oh... the hammer is a divine equipment, alright. Garrett quickly glanced at the handle, which was spotted and smoked, looking like it was used for ironwork on a regular basis. Perhaps, for dwarves, this is indeed quite normal? Just like how a bald bishop goes into battle with a staff... The dwarf on the right also found his own hammer. With one dwarf kneeling beside the patient¡¯s head and the other beside his feet, they both began to pray. Beam after beam of white light continued to fall on the old dwarf. By now, the incident had alarmed the entire tavern. Drinking, arm wrestling, all activities came to a halt as every dwarf stood up from their stools. Nearly a hundred pairs of eyes stared fixedly at the platform, awaiting the outcome of the treatment, hoping for Elder Talbert to turn the situation around. Initially, the treatment by the two dwarf priests seemed effective, but after less than half a minute, it began to deteriorate. The time for relief gradually shortened, the patient¡¯s complexion grew worse, and the two dwarf priests exchanged worried glances, sweat dripping from their foreheads. One of them raised his voice: "Brothers, please help me in prayer¡ª" "Let me take a look at him!" Garrett interrupted. As soon as he sensed something was wrong, he rushed forward. However, being just a level-one warrior, and even more so after becoming a mage, his physical abilities were limited. Jumping over stools, weaving through tables, climbing onto the platform, it was a difficult journey, but he finally made it. Peering down, he saw the old dwarf¡¯s face changing color, his throat wheezing and wheezing like a bellows¡ª This is bad! This is airway obstruction! Garrett immediately dropped to his knees and reached out to start treatment. But before he could do anything, a short, steel-like arm blocked his way, almost pushing him over: "Who are you? Get away!" The bubble spell on his head shattered silently. A foul-smelling, sticky liquid surged into his mouth. The smell of tobacco, bad breath, and who knows what other foul odors mixed together and assaulted him. Garrett was on the brink of suffocation. His eyes stung, and tears flowed down immediately. But he couldn¡¯t slack off, let alone leave! He forcefully took a breath, then another, finally turning his head and spitting out a mouthful of thick phlegm. Before others could react, Garrett took a deep breath, leaned down, and repeated the process. One mouthful! Another mouthful! And another! Suck out all the phlegm! Clear the airway! Race against death! "F#@%&......" "&%@£¤......" It was chaotic all around, with people exclaiming, shouting, and seemingly someone yelling at him. Garrett ignored it all, focusing all his attention on saving the patient. He didn¡¯t know how many mouthfuls of phlegm he had sucked out, but suddenly, the resistance in his hand surged upwards again, and the patient began to struggle once more. "Ho... ho... ho..." Weak but desperate gasps for breath emanated from the old dwarf¡¯s decrepit body. There was still phlegm in the airway, but it was now clear, and the old dwarf began to breathe in fresh air with all his might, delivering oxygen to every cell through his lung¡¯s alveoli... The faint sound of his breathing was like music to Garrett¡¯s ears. He let go of his hands and collapsed backward, sitting on the ground, unable to help but smile. As he smiled, he turned his head to the side and half-lay on the ground, coughing and retching. Uncontrollable tears streamed down his face in no time. Several rough hands helped him up. Someone pressed him onto a wooden stump, someone handed him water, someone handed him a towel¡ªthe towel was as rough as canvas¡ªsomeone pounded his back with the force of a pile driver, shouting in his ear: "Good friend! Good brother!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 209 Chapter 209 Garrett coughed and spat, rinsed his mouth, wiped his face, and after a while, he regained his composure and hurried back to the old dwarf¡¯s side. Along the way, he didn¡¯t forget to grab a spoon to collect the phlegm, preparing to conduct bacterial culture experiments later. ¡ªThat phlegm went into his own mouth! Who knows what kind of bacteria is inside! Tubercle bacillus? Pneumococcus? Staphylococcus? Or perhaps chlamydia? Mycoplasma? Fungi? He didn¡¯t want to get infected! Garrett cast a healing spell on himself, thinking it over, then cast another healing spell. His concern for himself ended there: The old dwarf had clearly experienced hypoxia just now, and now he needed to confirm with his own eyes how he was recovering and whether further treatment was necessary. He rushed over, and Master Talbert had already been helped up and was sitting on a stool, sipping water with small sips. Two dwarf priests, one on each side, were accompanying him. Seeing Garrett rushing over, the priest who had been cast with "Understanding Language" immediately jumped up and made way for him: "Hey, thanks for earlier!" The old dwarf also slowly stood up, supporting himself on the table. Garrett hurriedly bent down to support him: "Master, shall we sit outside? If your breathing isn¡¯t smooth, it¡¯s best not to sit in here, it¡¯s smoky..." "No need, I¡¯m fine like this." The old dwarf smiled slowly. Garrett became anxious: "Master!!!" "Alright, alright, I¡¯ll listen to you." The old dwarf gently patted his hand. One, two times. Between his white beard and hair, his eyes curved slightly, that smile, just like when their mentor fell seriously ill and disciples begged for treatment. After two pats, the old dwarf let go of Garrett, leaning on the hands of the two disciples, walking outside. A large group of dwarves in the tavern followed, lifting tables, moving chairs, lighting torches, and settling the old man on the hillside outside. The refreshing mountain breeze blew in bursts, and the tired look on the old dwarf¡¯s face gradually relaxed. Garrett sat down in front of the old dwarf. Carefully observing, the old man¡¯s lips and fingernails were no longer purple, but his breathing was still rapid. The two dwarf priests looked eagerly on, and the one who had been cast with "Understanding Language" approached a bit, cautiously asking: "Priest sir, do you have any way to help the master? We¡¯ve done everything we can..." "Don¡¯t smoke, don¡¯t drink, breathe in fresh air more, don¡¯t sleep in poorly ventilated places at night." Garrett looked serious: "And take some expectorant medicine regularly to help cough up the phlegm. I¡¯m not good at medicine, I¡¯ll write a letter to Elder Wood, you take the letter and go to Oak Ridge to ask him for medicine. And also..." And also oxygen! For respiratory failure secondary to chronic lung disease, pulmonary fibrosis, etc., although oxygen therapy cannot cure the disease, it can effectively improve patient comfort and oxygenation! Garrett rummaged through his waist pouch, took out his precious little test tube, and the potassium permanganate in the test tube: "Use the gas inside as a spell material, gather the same type of gas together, put it in the Bubble Spell for people to breathe, this spell¡ªor divine spell¡ªwho can do it?" The two dwarf priests looked at each other. They looked at Garrett with blank faces, and Garrett looked at them with a blank face, like two students struggling with a question paper. Did I not explain clearly enough... When I told Elder Wood earlier, he understood it quickly, didn¡¯t he? "We can do this!" Both dwarf priests smiled. "Making this kind of thing is our specialty!" Garrett pushed the paper and pen decisively. The paper and pen are yours, great gods, please draw! A large group of dwarves started to work at the same time, cooperating. Garrett only took care of calculating the tidal volume, the speed of pushing and pulling the bellows each time, and the volume of gas supplied. He handed over the data and went straight to sleep. Early the next morning, he saw the strange-looking respirator¡ªor oxygen pump... At the front was a tightly fitting mask, according to Garrett¡¯s requirements, two one-way valves were specially made to facilitate the discharge of waste gas. Behind the mask was a rubber tube, which could be directly fixed to the patient¡¯s nostrils if the mask was removed. Behind the tube was a bellows with springs, a contraption similar to a water wheel kept turning beside it, pushing and pulling the bellows. And what drove the water wheel was a barrel with a water tap¡ª The barrel was filled with clear water, and the water level was maintained at the highest point to ensure constant flow velocity and constant impact force, so that the bellows could be pulled at a constant speed. Beside it was a taller and fatter barrel, connected to the former by a siphon tube, and a dwarf stood beside it, pouring water into the tall barrel... This... this is really something good... at least it¡¯s semi-automatic... Garrett¡¯s eyes gleamed, and he smiled at the dwarf priests. "Can you... make another one for me... I can use it to save other people..." He took out his purse. Before he could untie the purse string, his hand was firmly held down: "What are you giving money for! You¡¯re our good brother, making something, and you still want your money! Wait, we¡¯ll make it for you tonight!" Yes!!! Dwarf version of a respirator, obtained! In the future, as long as I reach level 5, learn that oxygen-enriching divine spell, or figure out how to get a liquid oxygen tank, I can give people oxygen! Garrett¡¯s hospital, a lifesaving weapon, has been obtained once again! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 210 Chapter 210 After successfully rescuing Master Talbert, Garrett found himself in a favorable position within the forge area. Dwarves nodded and smiled at him as he moved through, and even the dwarf who had blocked his way yesterday now readily stepped aside to let him through: "Come this way! Stick close to the wall, be careful, and you should probably pick up your shield... Oh, forget it, I¡¯ll carry it for you..." Garrett reached for the iron shield, exerting force, but it didn¡¯t budge. He tried again, and again, but still couldn¡¯t lift it. Before he could attempt a third time, the dwarf swiftly took it from him, hoisting it overhead with a single arm... Throughout the journey, Garrett stayed close behind the shield, neither too fast nor too slow. The shield, thick and rectangular, provided a sense of security as it blocked his side, appearing as formidable as a fortress wall. What? Shield Magic? Mage Armor? Those transparent things that vanish as soon as they¡¯re cast, offering no real sense of security? Garrett followed the dwarf, observing the raw appearance of the mithril mine, the crushed and washed ore powder, and the rough intermediate products that emerged from the refining process. As they walked, the dwarf explained each stage of production to Garrett: "Digging mithril ore is troublesome, but once you find a good vein, you can yield a fair amount of ore. Processing the ore powder isn¡¯t too difficult; it¡¯s just a matter of labor and hammering. But turning it into these finished pieces is a challenge. Without a good furnace, it¡¯s impossible to achieve. We only have this furnace here that¡¯s capable of it, and in the entire kingdom, there are only three..." Understood. The difficulty in refining lies in the temperature of combustion. In the future, he could recommend using coke, blast furnaces, oxygen blowing, and similar techniques. Garrett nodded in understanding, prompting the dwarf to continue: "This furnace, only Master Sien can operate it. Only he has the keenest eyes and knows when to retrieve the product..." So most people can¡¯t manage it and need a mechanical arm? And if they still need to control the flame temperature, perhaps a metal thermometer would be considered? "But even though retrieval isn¡¯t difficult, with luck, Master Sien can retrieve several pounds in a day. However, turning it into mithril is... is..." His eyes suddenly welled up. Squatting heavily, the sturdy man transformed from a square-shaped figure into a lumpy mass: "Except for high-level divine spells, nothing else works... only the master can manage it... you mages keep pressuring him, and he keeps pushing himself, even though he¡¯s already exhausted, he won¡¯t stop for a day..." "So the council sent me here." Garrett squatted down beside him, reducing their height difference significantly. He bent forward slightly, allowing him to meet the other¡¯s eyes: "The council sent me here to find alternative methods to increase production and ease the master¡¯s burden. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t rush the master... By the way, when you use divine magic to smelt mithril later, can I observe?" Consider that the white light in the magical dome is a high electric current! In the darkness, Garrett¡¯s eyes grew brighter. Early the next morning, Garrett returned to the mage towers on the peak with a thick stack of papers outlining his experiments in electrolyzing mithril. He sought out Archmage Kairel once again: "Master, I have several ideas regarding the smelting of mithril..." He handed over the paper, divided into sections with bookmarks. Each section contained text, diagrams, explanations, and large blank tables awaiting completion. As Kairel flipped through each page, his brow furrowed tighter: "Method one: Form mithril ore powder into thin rods, insert them into pure salt, heat until the salt melts, and apply electricity... The formula for the rods needs testing, the heating temperature needs testing, the electric current needs testing... It may need to be done in a vacuum, or in... what kind of gas? See the appendix for gas extraction methods..." "Method two: Fill a graphite crucible with quicklime, bury a steel mesh in the lime, and fill the mesh with mithril ore powder... Apply high heat and pass electricity through the molten lime salt... Temperature and electric current need testing..." "Method three: Press graphite powder and mithril ore powder into shape, insert them into molten salt, and electrolyze at a certain temperature..." Kairel¡¯s temple throbbed uncontrollably. Finally, he pushed the papers back to Garrett, fingers intertwined: "What about the temperature? The electric current? How do you make the rods? Electric in a vacuum, or in what... gas? Do you know the detailed methods?" "I don¡¯t know!" Garrett raised his head proudly, unyielding: "It¡¯s precisely because I don¡¯t know that I need to try! I have ideas and directions now, but no manpower or resources to conduct experiments. That¡¯s why¡ª I¡¯ve come to apply for a project from the council!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 211 Chapter 211 Garrett finished speaking in one breath, then leaned back in his chair with a sigh. Grand Magister Kairel looked at his calm demeanor with a throbbing headache, feeling the tension building from his eyebrows to his temples. When other junior mages came to him to apply for projects or seek assistance in applying to the council, they all wore expressions of anxious sincerity. But Garrett? His face seemed to say, "I did my best, take it or leave it." This was precisely why Garrett hadn¡¯t found the sealed materials or the blood pressure gauge. Otherwise, if he had picked up the gauge to measure, the Grand Magister¡¯s diastolic and systolic pressure would have probably shot up by at least 30 millimeters of mercury... The Grand Magister rubbed his temples. Leaning back, he interlocked his hands, thumbs twiddling back and forth. After a moment, he raised his chin, pointing at the papers in front of him. "You want to apply for a project? Then let me ask you, how many mages of what level does your project require?"Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com "I don¡¯t know. But, at least, several above level five." Wrestling with electricity, vacuum, or magic arrays, he couldn¡¯t handle any of it. In the Thunder Horn Hall, where mages constrained lightning¡¯s force, there were no mages below level five. It was likely the same for this project. "What facilities and materials does your project need from the Mage Tower?" "I don¡¯t know." I don¡¯t even know what facilities the Mage Tower has! I only caught a glimpse of the Thunder Horn Hall! "How long will the project last, and how much funding does it need?" "I...don¡¯t...know," Garrett shrugged. If it were a grant from the National Science Foundation or the like, he could slowly calculate what instruments, materials, and funding were needed. But here, he didn¡¯t even know how much compensation level five mages received for a day¡¯s work! How can you be so nonchalant about not knowing anything? The Grand Magister suppressed his urge to vent, swallowing back his myriad complaints. This situation wasn¡¯t Garrett¡¯s fault. In fact, to prevent such occurrences, the teacher had arranged to directly interface with Garrett, guiding and supporting him anytime, anywhere. Typically, mages in the council, if they could bring level five mages on missions, were at least level seven, even level nine or above. These were all challenges they would experience throughout their growth. Those few they hadn¡¯t encountered, they could consult their networks; there would never be a situation where they lacked something or didn¡¯t know something. But Garrett was an exception. His ideas didn¡¯t match his rate of advancement... But was it really Garrett¡¯s fault? Not to mention the unfinished paper in his hand, even the heap Garrett had tossed out before, with hundreds of mages, was now being tirelessly verified in the alchemy room... The Grand Magister took a breath, then another, trying to calm himself. He looked seriously at Garrett. "If you don¡¯t know any of these, and still want to continue this project, you have two options. First, estimate the required manpower, facilities, materials, invite mages; I can assist you with that. But you must submit the application report yourself and lead the entire project. Of course, the project¡¯s results will be entirely yours, and you¡¯ll be responsible for distributing all rewards..." Garrett vigorously shook his head! Are you kidding me? Ordering a group of mages above level five and directing them? Besides, even if they listened to him, when they started fiddling with force fields and such, he wouldn¡¯t even understand! Seeing Garrett¡¯s wide eyes and head shaking like a fan, the Grand Magister finally felt a bit relieved. He smiled faintly. "The second option is to collaborate with the Thunder Horn Hall. You propose the project and the ideas," he pointed at the papers in front of him. "The Thunder Horn Hall provides manpower and everything else. But in that case, you won¡¯t be able to claim all the project¡¯s results¡ª" "That¡¯s it!" Garrett interrupted eagerly. The Grand Magister was taken aback. "As for the split...!" "Whatever! Just count me out when it¡¯s done! Oh, and leave me a small set of equipment that I can operate myself, let me try electrolysis!" The Grand Magister: "..." Please, I wanted to talk about the distribution ratio! At most, I could give you 40%. Well, if you insist, we could negotiate for 50%... After all, so many people can¡¯t work for free... "Hold the heating temperature steady, increase the power output by 1%, start the fifth experiment!" "Mithril rod number three, start the second experiment!" Mages from the corresponding groups were responsible for the operations. Adjusting the burning arrays, adjusting the electric fields, changing mithril rods. Electric currents crackled, and the heat waves rolled in the force field rooms, making it impossible to step within ten paces. Garrett stood for three seconds, then slowly stepped back, backing up to the doorway, where he was stopped by Grand Magister Kairel: "Is this plan consistent with what you designed? Do you think anything needs to be changed?" "Um..." Sweat dripped from Garrett¡¯s forehead, unsure if it was the heat roasting him or if he was feeling nervous about the grand scene. He struggled to recall any bits of his limited knowledge of physics and chemistry, finally coming up with something: "The voltage might be too high..." Though he didn¡¯t remember what the voltage for metallurgy was, he vaguely recalled that the voltage had to be lower than the decomposition voltage of the molten salt, and that number was quite small, only two digits... The Grand Magister paid close attention to his words. Making a few marks in his notebook, he immediately called out: "Garrett! Lower the voltage! Lower it more!" "Hey, it¡¯s not about the current! It¡¯s the voltage! The voltage!" "Voltage? What¡¯s that? How do we measure it?" "We have voltmeters..." Garrett quietly swallowed his words back. Involving positive and negative charges, ions in compounds...he couldn¡¯t explain it in just a few words...The technology in this world hadn¡¯t even reached atoms, ions, and electrons yet! How can I explain? Or can I summon Alessandro Volta? Is that possible? If not, can I at least get a simple voltmeter for electricians? Garrett scratched his head, feeling helpless. He could only offer something else: "I...I only know how to reduce voltage..." He handed the notebook back to Grand Magister Kairel and drew a few simple current diagrams: "In series circuits, the current is the same everywhere in the loop, and the sum of the voltages across each load equals the total voltage... In parallel circuits, the voltage across each branch is the same, and the total current flowing through the main branch equals the sum of the branch currents... Or you could consider using a resistor for voltage drop... That¡¯s all I know!" He tossed the pen and paper aside, happily running off into the laboratory assigned to him. Power supplies, wires, carbon rods, everything was ready. Garrett opened his spatial bag, taking out beakers, flasks, sinks, and test tubes, setting them up, pouring distilled water, adding refined rock salt¡ª "Bubble, bubble, bubble..." Anode, cathode, bubbles continuously rose from the ends of the two carbon rods. In one of the glass tubes, yellow-green gas flowed into lime milk, and the milky liquid in the sink gradually clarified, visible to the naked eye. Garrett took a deep breath, filled with joy. The cold, refreshing, slightly stimulating smell rushed into his nose, spreading throughout his body and limbs, instantly filling him with a sense of security. Disinfectant! I finally made it! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 212 Chapter 212 Garrett was overjoyed. Disinfectant! Disinfectant! In clinical settings, there are various disinfection methods: alcohol, iodine, high temperature, high pressure, ultraviolet light... But the cheapest, most freely splashed around without a care, is disinfectant! In hospitals, in operating rooms, the smell of disinfectant permeates every day. Without this smell, performing surgery feels unsafe... It feels more unsafe than wearing less clothing. After all, during surgery, it¡¯s common for pants to fall down, and the circulating nurse might not always help you pick them up; it¡¯s absolutely impossible for the operating room to not be disinfected after a day¡¯s use! Garrett had long wanted to make disinfectant. However, he only knew that electrolyzing saline solution produces chlorine gas, which, when passed into lime water, produces disinfectant; but electrolyzing saline solution requires direct current, and the method of generating electricity, he only understood alternating current... How to convert alternating current to direct current? Sorry, I don¡¯t know. But now, thanks to the research task given by the Magic Council, Garrett finally had readily available electricity he could use openly and honestly! His plan to develop electrolysis had finally paid off! What¡¯s metallurgy? That stuff has nothing to do with him; disinfectant is what¡¯s urgently needed right now! Properly disinfecting the operating room and wards can save many lives! Garrett didn¡¯t know whether this stuff, crackling with sparks and contained by force fields, was considered direct current or alternating current. But since electrolyzing saline solution was successful, it probably was direct current. He worked tirelessly, making two large buckets of disinfectant, carrying the buckets until his arms went soft, then breathed a sigh of satisfaction: It should be enough for now! Making too much of this stuff isn¡¯t good; putting it in a spatial bag, who knows if it¡¯ll evaporate... Oh, it¡¯s best to also get some bleach! Last time there was a cholera outbreak in Hartland City, if there was bleach, things wouldn¡¯t have been so troublesome; just sprinkle some bleach and it¡¯d be fine! Garrett rolled up his sleeves and continued working. Making bleach wasn¡¯t particularly difficult; it was simply calcium hydroxide¡ªalso known as slaked lime, heated to produce quicklime, then mixed with a little water to form lime water, and vigorously passed chlorine gas into it. What¡¯s that? You say there might be too much chlorine gas and it could be poisonous? Just connect another tube and continue delivering it into the lime water, and another bucket of disinfectant is made... The laboratory in the Tower of Heaven, for the most part, didn¡¯t have windows leading to the outside of the tower, at least not Garrett¡¯s lab. He worked tirelessly all day, only feeling satisfied when he left with three large buckets of disinfectant and a big bottle of bleach, swaying as he went back to rest. And as soon as he left, Aurora Worton, a fifth-level mage, who had been slouching in the corner, immediately jumped up like she¡¯d been electrocuted and rushed to the experiment table. Aurora Worton was the youngest disciple of Grand Magister Kairel. To become a disciple of a 14th-level grand mage as a mere fifth-level mage, one can imagine his talent¡ªindeed, since entering, Aurora Worton had been smooth sailing, being called a genius youth by those around him, leaving his peers far behind. From studying on his own to becoming an apprentice, to advancing to a fifth-level mage, he had only spent five years, and he was only 20 years old this year. Along the way, he had never encountered any obstacles, even though he had been locked in the mage tower for five years, reading books and doing research, never venturing out for adventures, he had smoothly crossed the first major milestone. And in these five years, he had also published several good papers, improved several new spells, and was now a third-level arcane scholar. Among the young mage group of the same age, everyone praised him as the future grand mage, even the seed of legendary mage. This genius youth had just had some enlightenment recently and had plunged into the laboratory, intending to combine the "Ether Prison" and the "Ring of Electricity" to create a new spell. Busy halfway, he was suddenly dragged out of the laboratory by his teacher and made to be a bodyguard for a second-level mage... Aurora Worton: "??? Teacher, I don¡¯t want to go! I¡¯m only halfway through improving the spell!" "Go!" Grand Magister Kairel just waved his hand, and a transparent force field hand lifted him out of the laboratory: "Teacher won¡¯t harm you! Look, even though he¡¯s only a second-level mage in terms of rank, he¡¯s a third-level arcane scholar! Third level! And he¡¯s three years younger than you! Making good relations with someone like him will bring many benefits in the future!" Aurora Worton was thus thrown over. After arriving, he realized that his fellow disciples, the apprentices of his seniors, and the mages under his seniors, as long as they could spare the time and their spell levels were sufficient, were all locked in the three adjacent labs, experimenting to the point of life and death. Listening to his seniors, the experiments, which filled large sheets of paper, were all designed by the little mage he was guarding... Aurora Worton really wanted to go over. But it wasn¡¯t possible. He could only squat in room 6, monitoring Garrett, refreshing his mage armor and arrow protection every half hour, and refreshing the protection energy every 50 minutes. Apart from that, he was always ready to cast a force field hand to pull Garrett out of danger... However, the experiment went smoothly without any hiccups. All he heard from the next room were explosions and sparks, but in room 6, everything was calm, and none of the protective measures were used even once. From morning till night, he only saw the young mage busy, moving shelves, moving sinks, pouring water, pouring magical materials... He secretly identified those magical materials and found they were just salt and lime, completely ordinary. However, with these salt and lime, Garrett made something he had no idea what it was, something that the identification spell didn¡¯t give an answer to. Aurora Worton was curious. But since Garrett didn¡¯t speak to him, he didn¡¯t dare to ask, so he could only squat in the corner and watch with wide eyes. The experiment wasn¡¯t difficult, and Garrett¡¯s movements weren¡¯t particularly fast; it was the kind where you understand after seeing it once, become proficient after seeing it twice, and after seeing it three times, I¡¯m sure I can do better than him... A strong wind blew through. The wind manipulation spell cast by high-level mages was much stronger than Garrett¡¯s, and the powerful gusts stung as they swept past. Garrett dispelled the bubble spell and, relieved not to smell chlorine gas anymore, he let out a sigh, gently placing the patient down and continuing to command: "Get a high-level healer!" "Bring a new sink! Fill it with clean water, add a bit of soda ash, but just a bit! ¡ªStick the graphite rod back in, electrolyze it, and collect the gas coming off it! Hurry!" As he spoke, his eyes darted around, assessing Aurora Worton¡¯s condition. Severe coughing, pink frothy sputum, obvious cyanosis of the nail beds, signs of lung damage and hypoxia were apparent; conservatively estimating, it was a moderate chlorine gas poisoning. Hopefully, it wouldn¡¯t progress to pulmonary edema right away; if it did, my healing spells won¡¯t be enough to save him... Quickly, Garrett flipped Aurora Worton onto his back, tilting his head back to open his airway. Then, he shouted: "Can you hear me? Can you hear me? ¡ªGood! Open your mouth! Wider!" Aurora Worton struggled to open his mouth. Garrett swiftly cast a flash spell into it, inspecting with the aid of the light source ¡ª oh no, the throat was already swollen, and if it continued, the swelling would obstruct the airway in minutes. He hesitated for half a second between performing a tracheostomy and a cricothyrotomy, swiftly and deftly rummaging through his supplies. As he dug, he stared into Aurora Worton¡¯s eyes, speaking loudly. Speaking for the patient to hear, but also for the mages present to hear: "You¡¯re poisoned! The trachea here¡ª" Garrett extended his hand to gesture around the patient¡¯s throat: "It¡¯s already swollen. If it swells a bit more, you won¡¯t be able to breathe, and you¡¯ll suffocate! If you agree, I can make a small incision below your throat, insert a tube for you to breathe, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t cut any blood vessels, a minor healing spell will fix any damage later! If you don¡¯t agree, I¡¯ll use healing magic to keep you stable, but I¡¯m only a second-level priest, I don¡¯t know how long I can sustain it, and I don¡¯t know if a high-level healer can make it in time! If you agree to the incision, tell me, or nod!" Aurora Worton neither nodded nor shook his head. His fingers spasmed and trembled, desperately trying to grasp his own throat, but his lips moved soundlessly. Inside and outside the room, there was chaos¡ªsome were tidying the experiment table, some were rushing out for help, and others were gathering around Aurora Worton, their faces filled with concern. A tall, silver-haired mage stood out from the crowd and proclaimed loudly: "Cut him open!" "What?" "Cut him open! I¡¯m the master¡¯s senior disciple, I¡¯ll take responsibility!" Garrett glanced up. The silver-haired mage met his gaze and nodded solemnly. Garrett took a deep breath: "Don¡¯t be afraid, don¡¯t move! ¡ªCast a paralysis spell on him! Don¡¯t let him move!!!" The spell was cast. Aurora Worton stiffened in place, and Garrett lowered his head, clasping his hands together, holding a tiny seed in his palm, silently praying¡ª "Grow, tracheal tube! Grow for me¡ªnow!" Tender green tendrils swayed. Hollow, soft, smooth yet resilient vines snaked out from Garrett¡¯s palm. Then came the routine of an emergency room doctor, practiced and fluid: alcohol to disinfect the skin, sterile tools, incision, separation of the tissue in front of the trachea, a flash of the blade. The vine-made tracheal tube smoothly inserted! No more relying on chicken bones, thank the gods! "Is everything over there yet?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 213 Chapter 213 With the endotracheal tube in place, fresh air flowed into the airway, and the complexion of Aurora Worton immediately eased. His hands, which had been clawing at his throat, fell relaxed by his sides as a steady stream of air flowed through his airway. Garrett Nordmark helped him sit up, and surprisingly, he managed to remain seated while breathing. The most nerve-wracking and critical moment had passed. Garrett breathed a sigh of relief and began urging loudly, "Is the workstation ready?" Whether it was mild, moderate, or severe chlorine poisoning, oxygen therapy was crucial. However, Garrett didn¡¯t have pure oxygen on hand... As the saying goes, when you¡¯re desperate, you make do with what you have. Garrett could only wait anxiously here while directing the mages to electrolyze water on-site. Not only did he have to direct them, but he also had to instruct them on how to test it: "The gases produced by two graphite rods are different! Remember to check! One will ignite with a blue flame, while the other will cause the flame to suddenly increase when a wooden stick is inserted! I want the one that increases the flame! Collect a bottle of it and bring it to me quickly!" "How troublesome!" The silver-haired mage assigned to perform gas extraction waved his hand dismissively, and two identification spells flew over... "It¡¯s this one! The flame of ignition! Quickly collect a bottle and bring it over!" Garrett: "...So, it¡¯s been several months, and you still haven¡¯t given it a name?" But that wasn¡¯t a big deal. Whether it was called the flame of ignition or the breath of life, it didn¡¯t matter. As long as they quickly gave him a bottle of pure oxygen, they could call it whatever they liked. He reached around his waist and first pulled out a large stick¡ªa stethoscope in the form of a copper tube. Having a space bag would have been great; then he could carry all these necessary tools with him... emmmm, there was some wet rales in the lungs, fortunately not diffuse, and it wasn¡¯t considered severe chlorine poisoning. Even so, it was best to give him oxygen quickly! "Is it ready over there?" "Not yet! Only halfway through!" The speed of producing oxygen was quite annoying. But Garrett couldn¡¯t intervene too much, mainly because he didn¡¯t know if increasing the voltage or current would improve oxygen production efficiency or blow up the oxygen generator first. He could only rely on himself, work hard, and start with a healing spell on the patient¡¯s lungs. Seems like there was no response. Another one? ... Another one? He cast five "minor healings" in a row. The wet rales under the stethoscope finally lessened a bit, seeming to indicate a transition to dry rales. Garrett felt a slight dizziness and a throbbing sensation in his temples. He knew he had overused magic in a short period. He dared not release another healing spell, so he withdrew the stethoscope, rummaged through it, and then threw out a bunch of stuff. Dwarf version of a ventilator! Uh... let¡¯s skip the bucket for now, and the face mask too. Just use the air pump and rubber hose for now... The group of mages gathered around, stretching their necks to watch curiously but fearing to disturb Garrett¡¯s treatment, not daring to approach within two meters. Only one mage rushed over from the workstation:Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com "It¡¯s ready! Here¡¯s the first bottle! You use it first!" "Good!" Garrett responded, quickly calculating. The air pump was relatively large, and the volume of the oxygen cylinder was about half that of the air pump... at most sixty percent, right? That should be enough. In any case, for high-flow oxygen therapy like this, the oxygen volume fraction should be at most 70%, pure oxygen shouldn¡¯t be used. So, next is... He pointed at the air pump of the ventilator and shouted, "Who will help me transfer the gas into here!" Five or six hands stretched out like a forest, hesitated for a moment, and the mage squatting in the middle "clapped", "clapped", "clapped", knocking away the hands of his companions and took two steps forward: "I will! I specialize in wind magic!" "It¡¯s you! Hurry up!" Garrett simply handed him a bottle of oxygen. He himself reached out and picked up the endotracheal tube, tapped it gently on the soft vine at the end, the vine elongated, expanded, wrapped around the rubber hose, and quickly tightened. While he finished here, the wind mage happened to finish his work: "It¡¯s done!" "Well, you listen to the breath sounds, they¡¯re different on both sides..." Garrett generously handed him the stethoscope, then tore off the endotracheal tube and removed the connected air pump. Since one lobe of the lung had already healed, continuing to administer oxygen was unnecessary and could even be harmful. When the senior mage finished listening to the breath sounds on both sides and reached out to press on the patient¡¯s right chest, Garrett crouched beside him, pointing to the patient¡¯s throat: "He¡¯s also got a problem here, his throat is swollen, he can¡¯t breathe... Master, could you please heal his throat? Once it¡¯s healed, I can remove the tube!" The senior mage of magic looked at him deeply, lightly touched the patient¡¯s throat, closed his eyes to sense for a moment, and then threw another healing spell. Garrett confirmed that the swelling in the throat had disappeared, nudged forward, and held the endotracheal tube with both hands: "Shrink, revert..." The tender green vines swayed gently. Inch by inch, they were pulled out from the patient¡¯s trachea and returned to seeds in Garrett¡¯s hands. "All done! I¡¯ll take care of the rest!" The senior mage¡¯s palm was already raised, and then gently lowered. With a curious gaze that seemed to ask why he dared to compete with him, he glanced at Garrett. Garrett smiled at him, lowered his head, and pointed to the patient¡¯s neck from a distance of seven or eight centimeters: "Healing minor injuries!" First, he healed the trachea, then moved the mage¡¯s hand, allowing the pulled tracheal front tissue to return to its original position. He guided a bundle of healing energy to brush over it, healing the slight injuries from the pull... Healing the subcutaneous tissue layer by layer! Healing the skin! Perfect! The senior mage¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. When Garrett finished everything, he handed him a badge: "Your healing method is quite interesting. I¡¯m Garen Nowak. If you¡¯re interested in exchanging healing techniques, you can find me on the 75th floor of the Mage Tower." "Hey!" Archmage Carlisle exclaimed discontentedly. Nowak chuckled: "All right, all right, we¡¯ll talk later. I¡¯ve got a bunch of things to do, and I was pulled over halfway through... Little Garrett, come play when you have time!" He waved his sleeve and left. Archmage Carlisle got up to see him off. When he returned to the laboratory, he cast his gaze on Garrett: "What happened?" Between his going and returning, the silver-haired mage who had stepped forward earlier, Carlisle¡¯s senior disciple, had already cleared the scene. All the mages who had come out of other rooms to watch the excitement, the transmutation mages busy with experiments, and the apprentices who had lent a hand¡ªall of them were ushered out one by one. In Laboratory No. 6, only Carlisle¡¯s direct disciples and Garrett, who was busy taking care of Aurora Worton, remained. When Archmage Carlisle inquired, there was nothing to hold back: "What accident happened? How did Walton get poisoned?" In Archmage Carlisle¡¯s view, it was probably because Garrett had made a mistake while experimenting, and his own disciple had rushed forward to save him¡ªotherwise, how else could he explain why the level two mage was unharmed, while the level five mage was knocked down? But even if his disciple was injured as a result, he couldn¡¯t blame Garrett too much. At most, he could use this as an excuse to advise Garrett not to do dangerous experiments... Unexpectedly, Garrett remained calm, without a hint of shame. Instead, his junior disciple trembled slightly and mumbled: "It¡¯s my fault... I imitated his experiment without permission..." What?! Archmage Carlisle grew angrier as he listened. When he heard the end, he waved his hand, and a transparent giant palm shot out, sending Walton flying: "You rascal!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 214 Chapter 214 "Ah! No!!!" Garrett almost flew out with Mage Walton. Of course, one was forcibly ejected, and the other rushed out on his own; one fell backwards in horror, while the other leaned to the side, hands outstretched, desperately trying to grab hold. But human nerve responses have limits. Despite Garrett¡¯s frantic efforts, his fingertips still fell short of Mage Walton... "Ah..." A sigh echoed softly. Then, Garrett saw Mage Walton¡¯s body flying through the air, slowing down, slowing down, like falling into a pile of cotton, leaning strangely in mid-air. Well, if you didn¡¯t consider gender, it was quite graceful... In the corner of his eye, Archmage Carlisle¡¯s senior disciple, the silver-haired mage, quietly withdrew his hand. The others rushed forward, pressing down, supporting, desperately restraining their own teacher: "Master! Calm down! Calm down!" With this buffer, Garrett finally managed to rescue the person safely. Checking his eyelids, pressing his chest, making sure there were no life-threatening injuries, he released the patient, turned around, and confronted Archmage Carlisle aggressively: "How dare you hit someone! And a patient at that! Just healed!!!" If not for the air cushion behind him! If the person had hit the wall directly! At that speed, with that impact, a few broken bones would be nothing! If it caused a head injury or a spinal fracture, he had nothing on hand, he couldn¡¯t treat it at all! Garrett leaned forward, trying to widen his eyes as much as possible, making an effort to hide his guilt. Archmage Carlisle was a level 14 grand mage, his savior, and the one who disciplined his disciples. Garrett really had no grounds to reprimand him... But the patient was someone he had just painstakingly saved! He had performed a tracheostomy, administered oxygen, and cast a multitude of healing spells, bringing him back from the brink of death! He had pumped the air for half an hour, and his hands were still trembling! Garrett persuaded himself like this, trying to straighten his small stature as a level 2 mage and level 1 warrior. You can scold me, but you can¡¯t hit my patient! The patient I just healed, under no circumstances should he be hit in front of me! To his surprise, Archmage Carlisle did not get angry at his attitude. Instead, he sighed deeply, shook off the arms of his disciples, and suddenly bowed deeply to Garrett. "Master, please don¡¯t!" Garrett was so frightened that he almost jumped up. If he had the attribute of a snow leopard, he would probably have been able to jump three feet in the air. He fumbled to go up and help, but Archmage Carlisle had already straightened up, looking ashamed: "It¡¯s my incompetence as a teacher! Garrett, I owe you an apology. I¡¯ve raised such a student who dares to imitate others without permission!" "It¡¯s not really imitation..." It was just the content of a high school chemistry textbook. Garrett¡¯s voice grew quieter and quieter. As Archmage Carlisle strode past him, he raised his hand, and a transparent giant palm rose again, lifting up his own disciple: "Tell me! Where did you go wrong!" "I..." Aurora Worton, having experienced two brushes with death in a row, was now swaying unsteadily. He glanced quickly at his teacher, lowered his head, stole a glance at Garrett, his face turning red then pale in an instant: "I... I violated the rules of the Magic Council... Doing someone else¡¯s experiment without authorization, without legal exchange, I shouldn¡¯t have done it..."Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com The Magic Council had always been strict about protecting the unique achievements of mages, or, in a modern sense, intellectual property rights. In the early days of ignorance, every mage treasured their unique magic dearly. If someone was found to be stealing, it was even legal to take private measures ¨C that is, to beat the person to death. Of course, whether one could actually beat them to death was another matter entirely. Adhering to the rules, leaving room for the disciple, and soothing the victim, everything was perfect... as long as the victim truly agreed... "The council¡¯s punishment should also consider my opinion!" Garrett blocked Mage Walton¡¯s path, insisting on not letting him leave: "I¡¯m the one who had his experiment stolen! I have the right to speak! Your Excellency, you saved my life before, and you¡¯ve taken care of me these days, I¡¯m really grateful to you... Your disciple just imitated a small experiment, it¡¯s really nothing, there¡¯s no need for this!" Archmage Carlisle hesitated. The mages in the room saw it clearly ¨C their teacher¡¯s dark and angry aura softened, his face becoming gentler: "Saving you is my duty, you don¡¯t need to thank me! Punishment is also a rule, it can¡¯t be replaced with personal favors! Garrett, remember my favor, don¡¯t report this to the council, and I¡¯ll be very grateful!" "But..." When it came to the rules of the council, Garrett really couldn¡¯t argue against them ¨C after all, he was just a level 2 mage, while the other was a level 14 grand mage who had the qualifications to enter the review board and modify a few unimportant rules. However, this was really going too far... Garrett subconsciously looked around. Mage Walton looked at him eagerly, with a pleading expression, his bright golden hair drooping sadly, seeming to have lost some of its luster. Of course, Garrett wasn¡¯t sure if those strands had been discolored by chlorine... Beside Archmage Carlisle, the disciples stood one by one, looking at their teacher, then at Garrett, lips opening and closing, hesitant. The silver-haired mage stepped forward at the right moment: "Master, Aurora has almost died twice today, and he has learned his lesson. Since Mr. Nordmark said so, let Aurora follow him." "Yes, master..." "The New Continent is too far away..." "The sea is rough, I heard a ship sank last month..." The disciples spoke up one after another, trying to persuade. Archmage Carlisle looked from left to right, then from right to left, finally easing his frown, pointing to his own disciple: "From today, for three years, no, five years! Within five years, you are Garrett¡¯s follower, do whatever he asks you to do!" Mage Walton¡¯s face lit up as if he had received a pardon, quickly turning around and bowing to Garrett. Garrett reached out to help him, but as he looked at Walton¡¯s face, he couldn¡¯t help but be distracted: The second follower? Would this clean and handsome young mage get along with Bernard? --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 215 Chapter 215 Whether Follower Number Two and Bernard could get along, Garrett didn¡¯t know for the time being. However, he was immediately faced with a question: how should he get along with Mage Walton? Archmage Carlisle had already left in a hurry. As soon as the Archmage left, his disciples followed suit, leaving only Aurora Walton and Garrett facing each other. One, two, three. Three seconds, six seconds, ten seconds. Suddenly, Aurora woke up as if from a dream, jumped up, and let out a long sigh of relief. "Thank you! If it weren¡¯t for you pleading for me, I would really be finished¡ªI absolutely can¡¯t survive in that place on the New Continent! It takes a month to drift on the sea, and I get seasick! If I were kicked out by my teacher, my dad would be devastated... Oh right, here¡¯s the badge! I¡¯ll transfer my contribution points to you!" "No need..." Garrett clutched his own badge tightly. Aurora rushed up to him, urgently halted, and clasped his hands together in a praying gesture, shaking them up and down: "Yes, yes! If my teacher finds out I didn¡¯t transfer them to you, he¡¯ll definitely beat me to death on the spot! By the way, how should I address you? Sir? Your Excellency? Master?" He recalled the various titles used by followers for their mentors and blurted them out one by one. Garrett had already shivered: "No!" Sir or Your Excellency was acceptable, but the term Master brought back some particularly unpleasant associations... He even subconsciously took a step back. Aurora froze for a moment, blinked, and cautiously retreated two steps: "What¡¯s wrong with that?... Boss?" Boss it is then! Garrett compared it to the previous titles and felt that "Boss" wasn¡¯t unacceptable. At the very least, professors who could apply for projects and have a bunch of assistant professors, lecturers, and doctoral and master¡¯s students working for them were called "Boss" by their subordinates. He now had several projects... If the project on electrolyzing mithril was successful, when it came time to publish a paper, he could also be listed as the corresponding author! ...Right, as followers, how did they address Bernard? Garrett searched his memory, and the answer was rather sad: the barbarian either called him by his name, or just said "Hey" or "Oi"... But correcting the barbarian was obviously out of the question. With his thoughts drifting like this, the person in front of him had already started calling him "Boss" one after another: "Boss, thank you for saving my life, and not sending me to the New Continent. You¡¯ve saved me three times!" "Boss, I¡¯ll follow you for the next five years!" "Boss, what tasks do you have for me next?" "No, I¡¯m from Berrick County." Faced with Garrett¡¯s inquiry, Aurora Walton shook his head quickly: "I¡¯m not from a mage family... My father is a viscount, he does some small business and sent me to learn magic after making some money. Later, I was recommended by the Mage Tower to Nevis, and then my teacher took me in as his disciple! I stayed in the tower for about three years... Learning magic? I¡¯ve been studying magic for a total of five years..." Five years of study, three of which were spent on Igor Peak, no wonder he looked carefree, with no ambition at all. As Garrett sighed like this, completely ignoring the fact that he was pretty much the same, important knowledge that others would break their heads to snatch was just thrown out there... The two chatted as they boarded the small train, clattering all the way down Igor Peak. As soon as they touched the ground, the sea breeze with a fishy smell blew, and Aurora Walton instantly came back to life: "By the way, how are we spending tonight? Do I need to join you? All the other followers follow their boss... Where¡¯s your home? Is it far from the station?¡ªWho is this?" "This is Bernard, my first follower, from the northern ice plains.¡ªBernard, this is Aurora Walton, who will also be following me for the next few years. Get to know each other." The golden-haired mage froze on the spot. He raised his head, then raised it again, and again... His cervical vertebrae made a painful creak... "You... hello?" The three of them turned together, set off, and walked towards Garrett¡¯s house. The further they walked, the narrower the road, and the darker it became on both sides. Aurora Walton looked around while sitting on his horse, looked around, and finally couldn¡¯t help asking: "Boss, where are we going? Your house?... Is it this remote?" "Yes¡ªhere we are!" Garrett dismounted. In the darkness, the marble signboard of "Garrett Nordmark Biological Laboratory" reflected the light and sparkled... "Bernard! Aurora! Come, spray disin fectant around the lab!" Garrett happily threw out three buckets of disinfectant. The barbarian didn¡¯t say a word, picked up one bucket. Garrett opened one himself, and Aurora Walton looked left and right, finally understanding that the remaining bucket was his task, and couldn¡¯t help but let out a scream: "I don¡¯t want it!!!" ---------------Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 216 Chapter 216 Although Aurora Worton screamed the loudest, she was actually the most efficient when it came to working.Fiind updated novels at novelhall.com - Bernard splashed water on the walls and floor with a wooden spoon, using the power of wrist vibration to spread the disinfectant as evenly as possible; Garrett brought out a large sprayer; and Aurora Worton... She cast a levitation spell on the disinfectant bucket, causing it to follow her obediently, then drew out the water, turned it into fine droplets with wind magic, and used a gust spell to spread it evenly on the walls. Just as Garrett finished spraying half of the disinfectant, he turned around to find Aurora had already finished her work cleanly and efficiently. The stone walls were glistening wet, clearly indicating that the disinfectant had been sprayed quite evenly. This efficiency was comparable to four people sent out by the Disease Control Center carrying large spray cans and advancing shoulder to shoulder for an hour. And after he finished his own work, he even automatically reached out his hand: "Boss, I got this!" Garrett: "..." What else could he do but delegate the task? Ah, indeed, in this world, mages were the primary productive force... Just look at Bernard next to him. Despite being two levels higher than Aurora, his efficiency in work was nowhere near Aurora¡¯s... Garrett took two steps back, crossed his arms, and leisurely admired the scene of disinfectant spraying. Joy~~~ The biology laboratory sprayed with disinfectant mist was the right biology laboratory! Without this stuff, a biology laboratory would just be a bomb ready to explode at any time! "Aurora, well done! Keep spraying! Spray more evenly! Spray the adjacent animal pens too! - There have been bats stored there!" The fine mist of disinfectant spread throughout the room. From the laboratory, to the animal pens, to the swaying tall grass inside the walls, droplets were everywhere. When Aurora finished her work and came over carrying the empty bucket, she wrinkled her nose, sneezed. "Boss, are we sleeping here tonight?" Aurora looked around with a bitter expression. This place... it wasn¡¯t that he was too picky, it was just too crude here! The garden inside the walls, if it could still be called a garden, hadn¡¯t been tended, and the weeds were already taller than a person; The floor inside the house wasn¡¯t carpeted or floored, not even with marble, but from the texture, it seemed like it had been turned from mud to stone and then from stone to mud again; There were only two rooms that could barely be considered bedrooms, one had a single bed with bedding that smelled musty, who knows how long it hadn¡¯t been aired out; the other one didn¡¯t even have a bed, just two stone platforms conjured with "stone from mud", with a few wooden planks laid side by side on top. The planks looked familiar, like ship boards brought in from the shipyard, judging by the length, width, and sturdiness of the "bed", it was obviously a barbarian¡¯s bed. ...So where was he supposed to sleep? On the floor of the boss¡¯s bedroom, or share a bed with the barbarian? There were still mosquitoes buzzing in the room... He didn¡¯t want to! "Judy! We¡¯re back!" Worton waved his magic mount away and called out loudly. With a creak, the wooden door opened, and a fourteen or fifteen-year-old maid rubbed her sleepy eyes and hurriedly ran out. When she saw Worton, her eyes lit up: "Master! You¡¯re back today! - Who are these?" "They¡¯re my friends." Worton ruffled the maid¡¯s hair, performed a magic trick-like maneuver on himself, and pulled out a brightly colored candy. Seeing the maid smile brightly, Worton smiled too, pushed her to turn around: "Help us tidy up a bedroom - the best one - and tell Aunt Susan to prepare some food!" He turned around, looked at Garrett and Bernard, and smiled apologetically: "Forgive me, they are my family servants. There are more maids and gardeners in the house, all of them are very polite, and they won¡¯t bother you without permission. If you need something, just call out, they will come." Garrett: "..." - Since when did he have such a big tree with deep roots? On the surface, Garrett remained calm, smiled slightly, and nodded: "Thank you, Aurora." He turned around and looked at Bernard. The barbarian was blankly looking at the garden and the house, his eyes gradually turning red. Bernard had no relatives, no property, no home, just a wandering barbarian. It seemed that he had always admired the city life. Garrett couldn¡¯t help but feel a little apologetic. He stretched out his hand and patted Bernard¡¯s shoulder: "Welcome home." Bernard was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled and nodded, his eyes still red. "Thank you, boss." And then they went in. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 217 Chapter 217 Followers and those followed thus reached equilibrium. Starting from the second day, Mr. Aurora Worton, a three-ring arcane scholar and a level-five mage, began his blissful life of not sleeping during the day and not being able to sleep at night... Sorry, conducting experiments during the day and writing papers at night. Mr. Worton was so absorbed in his work that he lost track of time. Most of the time, Garrett didn¡¯t bother him, just doing his own thing. Only when assigning tasks would he give a few reminders: "The gas that emits blue flames, measure its weight!" Weight, weight... It¡¯s so light that it¡¯s almost impossible to measure T_T, but the boss¡¯s demands are very strict... "Be careful with the yellow-green gas, don¡¯t leak it!" How dare I, I¡¯ve been poisoned once before! "Take note of everything electrolyzed that emits yellow-green gas and summarize it!" I¡¯ve already tried 20 materials, but apparently, the boss doesn¡¯t think it¡¯s enough... However, Garrett occasionally allowed Worton to conduct his own experiments, giving him enough freedom and not feeling that he was delaying progress. For example: "This gas can ignite and emit blue flames? Can I use it instead of sulfur as a spell material to try Fireball Spell?" "Sure, go ahead. But not here, find a larger space, take precautions - if possible, get a skilled person to help you set up a barrier..." Our Mr. Worton then found a senior brother. Using the senior brother¡¯s badge and permissions, they booked a room for testing fifth-order magic spells, raised a magic barrier, and the senior brother equipped him with armor. Then, hiding behind the barrier, he mentally outlined the spell model of Fireball Spell and triggered the gas in the test tube... "Boom!!!" The layers of the spell barrier shattered one after another on the wall, at the center of the room. The senior brother slowly widened his eyes: "You... you did Fireball Spell... right?!" "Yeah..." Aurora Worton was dumbfounded. He looked at the crystal on the wall of the test room, then at the test tube in his hand, and then at the spell barrier. "Senior brother, fortunately I brought you here..." If he hadn¡¯t come to the high-level testing room, if the spell barrier hadn¡¯t shattered layer by layer, if the Fireball Spell had burst, the shockwave might have hit his face! The senior brother glanced at the test tube in his hand, feeling embarrassed to ask. Aurora Worton gave him a wry smile and rushed to the 375th floor. When he arrived in front of Garrett, he was already panting heavily, gasping for breath, and said while clutching his knees: "That... that Fireball Spell..." "It went boom, right?" Without lifting his head, Garrett asked. This term had never been used before, but it was vivid, and Worton understood its meaning without thinking. He gasped for breath, nodded vigorously, and said: "Yes, yes! It¡¯s a good thing I listened to you... How did you know it would go boom? Can I teach it to others?" "You go write your paper." "Okay! I¡¯ll mention your name as the author!" "You¡¯re the second author." "Okay! Thanks a lot!" Worton rushed off to do experiments, collect data, and write papers. Testing the intensity of spells, the range of spell explosions, whether the range had changed, whether the number of gases carried would affect the spell¡¯s intensity, all of these tests were extremely exhausting. Alas, it seemed that today¡¯s leisure time had disappeared again... This idea was just a passing thought. To complete all these data supplements and write a good enough paper, and to obtain sufficient rewards from the council as a complete improvement in magic, was crucial. However, both Mage Worton and Garrett knew, as did every mage in the Magic Council, that in this improvement, using a new material was not the key. Discovering an unknown new material, trying out a stable and reliable method of production, and testing its properties, that was the key to everything. So Garrett could rightfully claim first authorship, and indeed, letting Worton sign as the second author was already quite generous. Just a tool for collecting data and writing papers, where couldn¡¯t you find one? So Mage Worton gratefully went to work. Just as he piled up a heap of data and was about to organize it, he was called out again: "Aurora, come help... set up a force field barrier, good, suck out the air, fill it with the breath of fire, ignite it!" BOOM! It exploded again... "Is this force field not strong enough... Let¡¯s strengthen the force field barrier and try again!" BOOM! "Strengthen it a bit more, to your limit! Come on again, Aurora, please!" This time it burned safely. The charcoal inside the force field barrier emitted white flames and soon burned clean. Mage Worton breathed a sigh of relief, but then heard Garrett commanding: "Inject steam again! Inject as much as possible! Increase the temperature! Higher!" "What meeting?" Garrett lifted his head from the microscope. The time spent inspecting microorganisms was too long, the orbit of his right eye was outlined by the eyepiece, making him look like a one-eyed panda. He instinctively rubbed his eyes, his binocular focus hadn¡¯t recovered yet, for a while, everyone looked like bacteria. Above were cells, below were flagella~~~ Seeing this foolish, out-of-character appearance, Aurora Worton really wanted to take a pen and draw black circles around his eyes for him. One on each side, that would balance it out. He held the invitation in front of Garrett: "The annual meeting of ¡¯Philosopher¡¯s Stone¡¯. ¡¯Philosopher¡¯s Stone¡¯ is a monthly magazine sponsored by the Transmutation School. Every year, it invites a group of mages to hold an academic conference, where many interesting gadgets are sold ¡ª if you want to find something unique that you can¡¯t buy outside, or freshly made items that haven¡¯t been priced yet, this is the place to go. The invitation was for my senior brother, but I snatched it from him, and I can bring two people in. Boss, do you want to go together?" Garrett hesitated for a moment. Mage Worton had already taken out the invitation, waving it in front of him: "Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go! There are so many interesting things at the meeting, singing dolls, metal birds that deliver letters, portable houses! You can also meet many alchemist mages, boss, whatever you want, you can get it custom-made!" Garrett was tempted. Networking was indeed his weak point, knowing more mages would make everything easier ¡ª organizing tweezers, vascular clamps, attractors, and even precise analytical balances... Maybe he could find someone to make them at the annual meeting? Anyway, whether the culture dishes were left alone or not, the bacteria inside would continue to grow... The next morning at 8:30, Garrett followed Mage Worton into the venue. The annual meeting of ¡¯Philosopher¡¯s Stone¡¯ was not held at the Tower of Heaven but on the thirteenth floor of the subsidiary tower of the Transmutation School. According to the schedule on the invitation, the academic conference would start at ten o¡¯clock. Before ten o¡¯clock, the entire venue was chaotic, with countless mages hawking their wares: "Household magic puppets, capable of cooking, laundry, and cleaning, with 100 recipes, the best choice for single mages traveling, only for 199 contribution points!" "Come on, your 100 recipes, aren¡¯t 99 of them sandwiches?" "Selling cliff eagle eggs! Can sign a contract to become a magical pet! Another pair of eyes for mages!" "Why does your egg look a bit smaller? Is it really a cliff eagle? Isn¡¯t it an owl?" "Purple scale stones! Purple scale stones! Limited quantity, high price!" "Let me take a look!" "I want to see!" "Wow, I really saw it! So big!" "Wow!!! Who put bugs on it! It scared the hell out of me!!!" Garrett looked around as he walked. Sure enough, he saw dancing and somersaulting puppets, a pair of small drums that could resonate, and bundles of silver rods enchanted with ¡¯Eternal Bright Flame¡¯ placed on the side. Garrett was quite interested, standing in front of a stall, bargaining with the alchemist: "I don¡¯t need it that long... Half the length of a finger is enough! Just keep the light directional! If you can do it, I want 60 of them, evenly embedded on a disc for me..." "Uh... The silver rod is this long to engrave the magic array... We can only cut it to half a foot at most! If it¡¯s shorter, a master¡¯s hand is needed, and the price will at least double. Do you still want it?" Garrett fled in confusion. Even if the price doubled, he couldn¡¯t afford it! A silver rod with an Eternal Bright Flame enchantment started at 100 gold coins, and 60 of them would cost 6,000 gold coins, which would bankrupt him... If not for this, why would he want to buy shorter ones? Mage Worton was dragged away by him. After passing seventeen or eighteen stalls in a row, they suddenly ran into a crowd, with many mages crowded around a table: "Let me see!" "Let me take a look!" "Wow, really saw it! So big!" "Wow!!! Which jerk put bugs on it! It scared the hell out of me!!!" Garrett¡¯s curiosity was piqued, and he pulled Worton along, squeezing into the crowd. In the middle, he saw a twenty-seven or twenty-eight-year-old mage boasting to his friends with gusto, saliva flying: "How about it, interesting right! I bought it when I was traveling in the south! This thing is much better than a magnifying glass, it can magnify things 100 times, opening the door to a new world! Since we¡¯re all friends, I invited you to see it first. When the meeting starts later, this will be the content of my speech! By then, it¡¯ll be too late to join the queue!" Aurora Worton: "..." He looked at Garrett, blinked, pointed to the tabletop, then blinked again: ...I remember you¡¯ve been looking at this thing in the laboratory every day, right? --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 218 Garrett glanced at Walton. Walton glanced at Garrett. One raised an eyebrow, the other blinked. After a count of three, Garrett raised his index finger, pressing it straight against his lips, making a "shh" gesture. It¡¯s not the right time to reveal the truth. Let the mage finish his speech first, and if there¡¯s anything to add later, he¡¯ll do it then. Garrett followed the crowd, brushing past the microscope. He took a glance, clicking his tongue. The magnification wasn¡¯t enough, with only about seventy to eighty times when combining the eyepiece and the objective lens. Definitely not a hundred times. What¡¯s more, there was no oil mirror, which could provide an additional 10x magnification on top of the eyepiece and the objective lens. It was most likely crafted by the jeweler from Hartland City! Hmm, maybe it¡¯s him... Garrett smirked disdainfully, uninterested, and moved on to other stalls. As the crowd dispersed from the bottleneck, he strolled among the booths, engaging in transactions, bargaining, and chaos. Around nine-fifteen, a mage suddenly leaped onto a table, blowing a whistle vigorously: "Beep¡ª" The sound of the whistle sent the whole place into a frenzy. Sellers hastily stuffed their goods into spatial bags, buyers quickly pocketed their money, and those who weren¡¯t buying or selling, like Garrett, were ushered by Walton to the wall. Everyone pressed against the wall, and the tables at the stalls disappeared into spatial bags. Suddenly, the ground seemed to boil, bubbling up... Garrett looked around, seeing the mages in the hall remaining calm as if this scene were entirely normal. Then he glanced at the center of the hall, where the rising parts kept changing shapes, lifting, narrowing, stretching, extending... Soon, tables were tables, chairs were chairs, all neatly arranged, and at the forefront, a platform even rose up. ... So, this is Transmutation magic? Your furniture isn¡¯t just moved around; it¡¯s morphed on the spot? Garrett observed, feeling like he¡¯d wandered into the world of "Harry Potter" by mistake. Once the transformation was complete, the hall¡¯s frontmost part, a large door, opened with a bang, and the big shots began to enter in single file. The hall instantly fell silent, and the mages who came to browse the trade show all quieted down, looking forward. Three points to note when sealing invisible servants into magic crystals for controlling puppets... After five or six consecutive presentations, the mage who had bragged about the microscope before finally took the stage with his new discovery. His face was full of excitement as he bowed slightly to the old man in work clothes, then couldn¡¯t wait to speak: "Esteemed masters, fellow mages, ladies and gentlemen. Please allow me to introduce to you a marvelous alchemical tool I discovered during my travels in the south. It can magnify extremely small, invisible things to the point where we can see them clearly. Without exaggeration, it opens a new door for us..." "Oh!" The audience was excited. Even the mages sitting on the platform turned their heads one by one, focusing their gaze on the microscope. After personally observing the demonstration, the old man in work clothes even raised a screen of light himself, presenting the shape of the microscope to everyone. Garrett lightly curled his lips. This screen was somewhat like the effect of the Arcane Eye, but unfortunately, the precision wasn¡¯t there, lacking the ability to observe fine details. The presenting mage continued tirelessly: "What¡¯s more, it¡¯s an alchemical tool that requires no magic to use. This means that apprentices who have not yet crossed the threshold of magic can also observe this world with it. This has tremendous significance for the Magic Council in training newcomers and allowing them to understand the world as soon as possible..." He took out various items for observation one by one. Minerals, crystals, cork, insect wings. They were placed on the stage one by one, and the light screen in front of the eyepiece immediately showed the magnified images of these objects. There was another commotion below. High-level mages took turns gathering around the eyepiece, widening their eyes and exclaiming in amazement. Finally, the old man in work clothes clasped his hands, praising enthusiastically: "Thank you for bringing this marvelous alchemical tool to the Magic Council. Without a doubt, this is the most meaningful discovery in the past year for ¡¯Alchemic Stone.¡¯ This year¡¯s annual award rightfully belongs to you. - Colleagues, feel free to come up and take turns to observe. Let us share the wonders of the micro world together... Oh, sir, do you have any additional comments?" Aurora Walton raised his hand high. Not only did he raise his own hand, he also grabbed one of Garrett¡¯s hands, holding it high in the air, waving it back and forth incessantly. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 219 Chapter 219 Before being called out by the old man, Mage Aurora Worton had been arguing with Garrett for quite some time. If it weren¡¯t for the excitement of everyone around and their attention being drawn to the microscope, someone would surely have noticed their conversation: "I remember you have one too?" "Yeah, I do." "You¡¯ve had yours for a while, why let him go up and talk?!" "Oh... well, he¡¯s already up there, why bother pulling him down? Besides, he didn¡¯t claim to have invented it, he only said he discovered it in the south..."Ge?t latest novel chapters on nov(e)lbj/n(.)c/om "But there¡¯s a reward for this! There¡¯s a reward! Don¡¯t you want that Eternal Flame?" "Well... haha... I¡¯ll find another way in the future if I want that. It¡¯s not good to compete with him for it... I have other methods to get that thing..." "But why miss out on a reward like this!" The two of them whispered back and forth, shoulder to shoulder, neither able to convince the other. It wasn¡¯t until the mechanic old man announced the award winners that Aurora, in a hurry, raised Garrett¡¯s arm... Garrett tried to struggle, but Aurora, whether because she was two years older than him or secretly enhanced herself with some Bull¡¯s Strength, had grabbed onto him in such a way that Garrett couldn¡¯t budge. He could only watch as Aurora bent his arm and pointed at him loudly: "He already has this thing!" The hall suddenly fell silent. The mechanic old man looked at Aurora, then at the magician whose hands he held, and then at Garrett. His once flushed face gradually darkened. Meanwhile, the magician in front of him trembled slightly, his complexion visibly turning pale as he muttered repeatedly: "I said I discovered it... I didn¡¯t say I made it... I said I encountered it in the south..." The mechanic old man fell silent. After a moment, he released the magician¡¯s hands, turned to the audience, and cleared his throat with authority: "What is your name? Who is your teacher?" "I am Aurora Worton, and my teacher is Grand Mage Carlisle," Aurora replied smoothly. The mechanic old man nodded gently, his expression softening slightly: "So, you are a disciple of Carlisle. I understand that you want to defend your friend, but the purpose of this meeting¡¯s awards is to reward magicians who extensively share knowledge with their peers. Although your friend has had this¡ª" He lightly tapped the microscope. "¡ªfor a while, he has not submitted it for publication in the Alchemy and Magic Journal. Therefore, this reward cannot go to him." Aurora was at a loss for words. He turned to Garrett, his face alternating between red and white, his lips moving like a goldfish lifted out of the water. Garrett, helpless, took a step forward to stand in front of him and bowed slightly to the mechanic old man: "Thank you for your guidance, Master, and thank you to this gentleman for his enthusiastic promotion of the microscope. Regarding what Aurora just said, I would like to add¡ª" He reached for his waist and pulled out a stack of papers from his spatial bag, holding them up with both hands: "This microscope was made by me in July of last year to contain a plague. In February of this year, I wrote its usage into a paper and submitted it to the Magical Review Department along with the physical item. As for not submitting it to the Alchemy and Magic Journal and not attracting the attention of esteemed masters, I can only say... I¡¯m very sorry." He raised his hands gently. The mechanic old man furrowed his brows, and with a slight movement of his fingers, a pair of transparent mage hands took the paper and brought it directly to him. The two lines of bold text on the cover, written in thick and clear ink, remained vivid after several months: "Observations on Onion Skin, Cork, Meat, Bees, and Other Insects Using a Homemade Microscope" A note was tucked into the title page. The reward given by the council for this paper was 1 research point and 1 contribution point; there was also another paper, "Observations on Dysentery Bacilli Using a Homemade Microscope," which also earned 1 research point and 1 contribution point. The mechanic old man raised his eyebrows, about to express his anger: Who reviewed these two papers? Who was the idiot with such poor judgment?! Such an invention that could open new doors for magicians, and it¡¯s worth so little in rewards?! "Why give away something that¡¯s already in hand?" "Why give it to someone else... that guy is old and poor, he has no potential, even if you recruit him, it¡¯s useless, right?" Aurora Worton turned her head and glared angrily. She then turned to Garrett, trying to stretch her neck as far as possible, almost climbing onto the chair: "Why give it to him! What about¡ª" "Aurora!" Garrett interrupted loudly. He pushed the balding magician forcefully, making him take two steps forward, and then stepped aside himself. The old man on the platform had been looking at them both with gentle eyes all along, neither approving nor disapproving. Only when the two seemed deadlocked did he smile and stand up: "You¡ª" At this point, he quickly glanced down at the cover of the paper with a drop of his eyes: "Garrett Nordmark, are you saying that you want to give the Annual Award of ¡¯Aen Stone¡¯ to this magician?" "I adhere to the rules and respect the judgment of the masters." Garrett replied calmly. The old man¡¯s smile deepened: "Even if you don¡¯t get the award in the end?" "Even if I don¡¯t get the award." Garrett remained unusually calm. What was a piece of magical equipment worth? If he followed his plan, what he could obtain far exceeded just an equipment. "Very well." The old man clapped his hands and nodded calmly. "Then I hereby announce that, since this gentleman was the original promoter of the microscope and his work has had a tremendous impact, the Annual Award of ¡¯Aen Stone¡¯ of this year¡¯s ¡¯Gold Point¡¯ will be given to him¡ª" He reached out his hand. The balding magician stood still, his sparse hair gleaming red under the lights. There was a slight stir in the hall, some envying the man¡¯s good fortune, some couldn¡¯t help but gossip about Garrett being a fool. Aurora Worton couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, looking at the old man and then sighing helplessly: "Ah..." Can¡¯t resist. Can¡¯t argue. The opponent¡¯s level is too high. Their own teammate, no, their own boss, is too much of a drag, giving away things that are already in hand... However, his sigh got stuck halfway. On the platform, the old man smiled again, gesturing to Garrett: "So, Mr. Garrett Nordmark, would you be willing to publish your paper in ¡¯Gold Point¡¯ and authorize the Alchemy Society to produce and improve your invention?" Aurora Worton stood still. He stiffly turned his head, looking at Garrett¡¯s calm smile, his cervical vertebrae creaking in his neck. Known: Promoting this achievement can earn an award from the Alchemy branch and receive a custom-made magical tool that matches his own level. Known: The rewards obtained by the creator should not be less than those obtained by the promoter. Question: How much should the creator get? --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 220 Chapter 220 "Mr. Garrett Nordmark is responsible for providing the design scheme for the microscope, usage recommendations, and improvement ideas." "The Alchemy Guild enjoys exclusive rights to production and sales. It can authorize others for distribution."Ge?t latest novel chapters on nov(e)lbj/n(.)c/om "The Alchemy Guild pays Mr. Garrett Nordmark a compensation of..." In the meeting room, the two parties sat across from each other, setting up a negotiation stance across the long table. The seasoned worker narrated methodically, while a 13th-level grand mage¡ªalso qualified to attend the review¡ªsat to his right, clasping his hands together. A feather pen hovered over the notebook in front of him, automatically recording every word. As it reached this point, the silvery feather pen suddenly paused, stopping at the last circle. The seasoned worker smiled and raised his head: "Garrett, how much do you want?" Garrett gave him a puzzled look. He wasn¡¯t sure about the patent licensing fee. As a former clinical doctor, he was more familiar with end products than the front-end patents... Of course, as a cutting-edge technology in this world, the patent premium for a microscope would undoubtedly be substantial. For example, when coronary stents first entered the market, they easily fetched over ten thousand gold coins each. But after the patent period expired and they were heavily imitated, the price could drop to as low as seven hundred gold coins each. Undoubtedly, a significant portion of this difference came from the patent premium. But how much does a microscope cost? What are the costs? How many units can be sold annually? What percentage is high-end, middle-end, and low-end? And, how did the Alchemy Guild handle similar cases in the past, and how did they split with the mages? Garrett knew nothing about all of this. With no sources of information, what could he use to negotiate a price? "How much are you planning to offer?" he threw the question back. The seasoned worker remained silent, and to his left, an 11th-level grand mage flipped through a page of documents, smiling kindly: "I just asked. The price for purchasing this microscope by the gentleman who just won the award was 500 gold coins. Considering the cost of the lenses and labor, if the Alchemy Guild produces them in bulk, the cost can be reduced to around 300 gold coins. Splitting the profit in half, the Alchemy Guild will pay 100 gold coins for each microscope. How about that?" Splitting the profit in half as a licensing fee sounded quite generous. Especially considering it was only the profit after deducting direct production costs, without considering marketing, transportation, management costs, and other miscellaneous items. It seemed the Alchemy Guild was intending to take care of everything directly. And a hundred gold coins for each unit! In other words, as long as he sold sixty microscopes, the compensation from the Alchemy Guild would be enough for Garrett to buy that Everlasting Flame he desired! Is it difficult to sell sixty units? Aurora Worton patted her pockets, thinking that buying one herself and persuading her teachers and senior brothers and sisters to buy one each would be a breeze. Not to mention those under the tutelage of her senior brothers and sisters, those mages already at level five... Easily, she could sell twenty or thirty! She smiled with joy, sneakily glancing at Garrett and nudging him with her elbow. But Garrett didn¡¯t immediately agree. He pondered for a moment before earnestly asking: "Besides this cylindrical microscope, what about other models? How about those with magnification up to 1000 or even 10,000 times? What about those with light sources below? What about those with three objectives under, rotated by a disc? Two eyepieces side by side, for simultaneous viewing? Sealed barrels with protective gases?" "That..." Aurora Worton froze. The grand mage beside her also stiffened. He pondered for a moment, sighed, and began to express his difficulties earnestly: "Mr. Nordmark, the models you mentioned... we do have plans to produce them. However, no one has ever done these things before. We need to gather the best craftsmen and alchemists with expertise in item production to conduct research together. But research takes time and cost, and the specific pricing after production still needs to be studied..." In other words, high-level microscopes wouldn¡¯t sell so cheaply! By then, if the commission was still 100 gold coins per unit, it would be a loss! Aurora Worton finally realized, clenched her fists, and quickly put on a serious face again. She tried not to reveal her emotions, but Garrett smiled sincerely, leaning slightly forward, and asked earnestly: Then there¡¯s splitting based on sales amount, of course, since it includes costs, the mage¡¯s share won¡¯t be that high, mostly around ten to fifteen percent. Considering the significance of this microscope, I can offer the highest percentage split, and of course, magical equipment will also be provided, ensuring you won¡¯t be at a disadvantage compared to the one who received the award..." He elongated the last syllable, eagerly awaiting Garrett¡¯s decision. Well, no matter how you choose, the Alchemy Guild will benefit. Actually, splitting half the profit or fifteen percent of the sales isn¡¯t the upper limit. For some products with particularly low costs and high profit margins, it could even be two-thirds of the profit or one-fourth of the sales. For example, some luxury items aimed at the mundane... But Garrett was still a low-level mage. Even with a faint legendary shadow behind him, he was still a low-level mage. The upper limit of the usual ratio was already very generous... "Twenty percent of the sales amount. And give me a free sample of each model." Garrett answered without hesitation. Who has time to worry about how much profit? Material procurement, labor costs, marketing, discounts, when everything is calculated, it¡¯s enough to drive one mad! Hmm, he just wanted a high-precision microscope... All this splitting was just extra, a bit more or less didn¡¯t matter, as long as it didn¡¯t drain his energy... The seasoned worker was about to refute. Garrett had already raised a finger: "For the production of microscopes, most of the processes can be handled by ordinary people. In other words, as long as we hire more jewelers, we can increase production. And, the higher-end models, the higher the profit¡ª I can provide technical guidance, publish papers, and provide as many application scenarios as possible." "Application scenarios..." The seasoned worker chewed on this new term. He supported his chin with a hand full of calluses, his eyes flickering: "Like?" "Like the Necromancy faction." Garrett smiled: "Believe me, even if it¡¯s just to see the truth of a plague, buying ten or twenty microscopes, they would pay with their eyes closed. For details, you can take a look at the paper on dysentery, and for similar plague sources, I can provide more than ten varieties." He pulled out the stack of papers again and slid them across the table. The seasoned worker read through it with narrowed eyes, quickly scanning the resume beside it, then looked up, carefully examining Garrett: "More than ten varieties of plague sources?" "No problem." "Can you publish papers?" "No big deal. Um, experimental expenses, like buying dyes, purchasing experimental animals, you¡¯ll need to cover that." Under the microscope, identifying ten types of pathogenic bacteria is child¡¯s play! The seasoned worker smiled happily. Lines of wrinkles unfolded on his face, and deep within those wrinkles, it seemed as if magical dust was gently falling: "So, deal?" "Deal!" "Clap!" Their palms met with a crisp sound. The seasoned worker got up, walked to the wall, took a large sheet of paper, and laid it out on the table: "So, let¡¯s see what kind of magical tools you want..." Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 221 Chapter 221 A tailored magical equipment that matches the level? The old man spoke generously, but as he spoke, he discreetly glanced at Garrett¡¯s badge. Heavens, he better not make an outrageous demand... "Matching the level" had two meanings: one was matching the mage¡¯s level, meaning equipment the mage could currently use; the other was matching the arcane level, which usually wasn¡¯t a big deal, but now it meant equipment of at least level 7 or 8. Considering Garrett was only a second-level mage, it would be best if he could use this equipment immediately... This also meant sealing a portion of magical power, following the mage¡¯s growth in power, gradually unlocking it. The manufacturing difficulty was higher than that of ordinary level 7 or 8 magical items. However, Garrett didn¡¯t grasp the old man¡¯s inner thoughts at all. After a brief hesitation, he took the feather pen the old man handed him and began to sketch: "What I want is a large disc, one meter in diameter, embedded with silver rods that emit constant ¡¯Everlasting Flames,¡¯ or any other light source..." "The embedding must be even. If possible, there should be a concave mirror behind the light source to reflect the light forward, so it won¡¯t be wasted..." "The number of light sources, their distance, the direction of embedding¡ª all must be focused in multiple points to ensure that when the disc is suspended, there won¡¯t be any shadows even if someone is operating underneath..." "The light color must be pure white, and the brightness of the light source should be equivalent to the sunlight at noon..." "Even if it¡¯s not ¡¯Everlasting Flames,¡¯ it must be a cold light source that doesn¡¯t emit heat, or else it will be very uncomfortable for people standing underneath..." "The brightness of the light source should be adjustable, and which light sources are illuminated and which are not should also be adjustable. The size of the light spot can be adjusted to the size of a teacup, a bowl, or a basin, to meet the needs of different occasions..." "There should be a large cover outside; otherwise, if blood splashes, it¡¯s hard to clean..." He spoke confidently, leaving no detail untouched. At first, the old man listened with a smile, but as he continued, circles of question marks seemed to appear in his eyes. Clearly, he couldn¡¯t figure out what it was or what it could be used for. It wasn¡¯t until he heard "blood splashes" that he finally exclaimed: "What are you trying to create?! What is it for?! Why would blood splash?!" "A shadowless lamp..." Garrett looked at him with an expectant gaze, tinged with accusation, as if blaming him for being so surprised, interrupting his speech: "It¡¯s used for surgeries, you know, to cut people open, and during the healing process and animal dissections, this thing comes in handy. Otherwise, there would be shadows under the hand and the knife, and nothing would be visible!" At this point, Garrett became excited and turned the large sheet of paper "swish" in another direction. He pulled over another corner of the paper and quickly sketched a diagram of the light path: "See this. The shadowless lamp is above, and the hand is here¡ªno matter how you move, there are always a few rays of light shining below. Convenient, isn¡¯t it? But the premise is that the direction of each light source must be subtly adjusted to achieve this effect..." "Hmm..." The old man rubbed his chin, lost in thought. The more he thought about it, the brighter his eyes became. "Makes sense, makes sense. It¡¯ll be good when assembling magic puppets or making magical jewelry. If there¡¯s such a big lamp shining, you won¡¯t be blocked by shadows no matter how you work." Those little needles, hammers, tweezers, they won¡¯t poke or hit your hands anymore! No need to sneakily cast illumination spells in every nook and cranny! This thing is useful. The old man looked eagerly at Garrett: "Can this design be licensed to us? Can we sell it?" How high should the fire temperature be? How long to burn? I don¡¯t know! Which kind of softwood to use? Uh... maybe birch? Or lime? Just try one by one, use a knife to see if the wood can be carved!" The old man¡¯s face turned darker and darker. After repeatedly questioning and confirming that he couldn¡¯t squeeze out any other information from Garrett, he finally pretended to be angry and slammed the table: "You only have one idea, no specific formula, you can¡¯t get a high commission! Such a simple thing! Even fools can make it!" Garrett silently stared at him. Fools? Did you mean muggles can make it? In summary, the authorization for pencils was negotiated at an exceptionally low commission¡ª1 copper coin per pencil. In addition, Garrett would receive 100 pencils per month and a pencil sharpener. Oh, and the conical-blade, square-boxed pencil sharpener was also designed by Garrett himself, using his magical tricks to temporarily shape it... "So think of another magical equipment! Anything is fine, attacking, defending, moving... just don¡¯t come up with something sellable again!" Ugh, so tired! He¡¯s a level 15 grand mage! Negotiating business deals with children himself! If it weren¡¯t for the interesting things Garrett came up with, with legendary mages lurking behind the scenes, would he bother? Dealing with business matters like this is usually handled by his students, or his students¡¯ students! Garrett smiled awkwardly. He checked his equipment: "Well... I don¡¯t currently lack anything... but, I have a follower who damaged his weapon during the battle with the Radiant Church. Could you help repair it?" "A trivial matter! It¡¯s settled then!" The old man readily agreed. The battle with the Radiant Church was in September last year, when Garrett was still a level 1 mage, in a small rural area. What kind of follower could he have? At most, a level 5 knight. Repairing a level 5 knight¡¯s weapon, let alone repairing it, wouldn¡¯t cost much! He generously handed over a badge: "Take this, go to the first-floor task hall, and hand in the weapon to be repaired. The Alchemist Guild will naturally have someone responsible for the repairs. Remember to come back to collect it!" Garrett thanked him profusely. He couldn¡¯t wait until the next day; that afternoon, he descended from Igor Peak with Bernard again and headed straight for the vice tower belonging to the Transmutation School... That evening, at the Alchemist Guild, the head of the weapon manufacturing branch led a small cart, dragging the big bone club dripping with blood into the workshop area where the old man was located. "Look at what you¡¯ve got us into! What kind of task did you accept for us?! The special weapon of the barbarian from the Northern Glacier, the intermediate berserker! The ancient beast¡¯s bone, still sealed with its soul, now its body has cracked, and the soul is injured! How do I mend this bone? Wrap it with gold wires? And what about the soul? How do I revive it? Should I ask for help from the Black Crow Swamp? Or do you go catch one for me!" The old man¡¯s expression was extremely ugly. He looked at the big bone club, then at the badge he had given out, and finally remembered it was the reward for Garrett¡ªdamn it, he thought 1000 contribution points would be enough, but now it seems that even 5000 contribution points won¡¯t cover it... Someone has to bear this loss! In a fit of anger, the old man copied two copies of the manuscript about the microscope and headed straight to the neighboring Magic Review Department, to the office of the divination school¡¯s duty mage: "Old bastard! Get out here! Who let you randomly evaluate such a good paper!!!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 222 Chapter 222 How the old worker managed to negotiate half the cost of repairing the big bone club with the Divination School by banging on the table was another story. After Garrett and the Alchemist Guild settled on the reward, he happily plunged into his own laboratory¡ª Well, making electrolyzed water, electrolyzed saturated saline, and thinking about synthesizing something, even if it¡¯s playing in the Tower of Heaven, it¡¯s okay. There¡¯s power, there¡¯s a force field barrier, and if something goes wrong, someone will clean it up. If you want to make penicillin, it¡¯s best to go to your own monkey version of the P4 laboratory... After all, in the development of penicillin, it is inevitable to deal with a bunch of bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. If you¡¯re unlucky, while penicillin hasn¡¯t been purified yet, some mutated bacteria resistant to penicillin may have quietly emerged. For example, MRSA. If this thing comes out, penicillin series, cephalosporin series, sulfonamide series, rifampicin, and so on, will all be useless. Garrett can only max out his luck and go around the New Continent to see if he can find Eonsinensis... Ah, thinking about it gives me a headache. If this thing really spreads, if you¡¯re unlucky, it could wipe out half of the Magic Council... So Garrett was very conscientious. He moved all the bottles and jars back to the laboratory in the outskirts of the city, and from then on, he ran around like a spinning wheel between the mountaintop, the outskirts, and the forging area. Master Worton followed him, up and down the mountain, down and up again, running until his tongue was about to fall out. Not only that, but he also had to be taken over by the teacher to ask questions: "Has Garrett advanced?" "Uh... it seems not..." "Then, is his project finished?" "The smelting of mithril, isn¡¯t it being done by Senior Brothers..." "Then what is he busy with?!" "He¡¯s treating the dwarves... also took on a project from the Alchemist Guild... and making some dyes..." "What¡¯s the use of making dyes? Does the Magic Council lack a little dye from him?! Lacking him for making money?! Hurry up and urge him to advance!" "Teacher, why do you think I can urge him?... I am his follower, not him following me..." Master Carlisle rubbed his forehead. This disciple of his has really spoiled him, he has no sense of proportion, and he has even learned to talk back to him! Throwing him to serve Garrett as a follower didn¡¯t seem to make his simple and optimistic nature become a bit more cautious... Oh, this also shows that Garrett treats this kid pretty well, completely without airs? "You can¡¯t urge me to urge! Call him over for me!" Aurora Worton ran away. Half an hour later, Master Carlisle received a message from the metal message bird: "Teacher, Garrett isn¡¯t in the Tower of Heaven, I¡¯m going to the laboratory at the foot of the mountain to find him!" Two and a half hours later, the second metal message bird, brought in by Master Carlisle¡¯s senior disciple with great effort, was sent to him: "Teacher, Garrett isn¡¯t in the laboratory at the foot of the mountain, he probably went to the forging area, I¡¯ll go find him!" "Oh! Don¡¯t worry about the names. Divide this data into groups of ten years, calculate the averages, and then calculate the overall average! Hurry up and calculate it for me!" Garrett was doing basic data statistics for the dwarves. There were about two to three hundred dwarves in the entire forging area, the vast majority of whom were males aged 100 to 200¡ªaccording to the dwarves¡¯ maximum lifespan of 400 years, it¡¯s equivalent to young and middle-aged men aged 25 to 50. In terms of medical statistics, this sample size was already enough for preliminary statistics. During this time, he called a group of dwarves one by one. Except for the blood pressure monitor that still hadn¡¯t come out, he measured everything he could. After half a month, he had accumulated a thick stack of data, and the remaining work was to compile and plot charts to derive the normal range... "Ah ah ah ah¡ªwhat¡¯s the use of doing this kind of thing!" Aurora Worton screamed miserably. "Shut up! Hurry up and calculate!" Aurora Worton curled up silently, starting to fulfill his duty as a follower... no, as a calculating tool. And Garrett spread out a roll of paper beside him, starting to write line by line, based on his impression of the data when he measured it, starting to write his paper: "...In conclusion, dwarves¡¯ heart rate and breathing are slower than humans¡¯, and their normal body temperature is also relatively low. The author speculates that this may be one of the mysteries of the long-lived species. This speculation is unverified, and if there is an opportunity, it can be compared with other humanoid creatures for further study..." Hmm, the lung capacity of these dwarves seems a bit small, could it be that these people have varying degrees of pneumoconiosis from mining for years? I should try to find some dwarves who don¡¯t mine much another day... One writing and one calculating, the next day when they reached the peak, they were both listless. Master Carlisle looked at his disciple¡¯s dark circles and then at Garrett¡¯s eyes, which were just as dark, couldn¡¯t muster a word of urging. Rubbing his forehead, he sighed heavily: "Advancement is not a matter of one or two days... but it¡¯s also unnecessary to push yourself like this..." "It¡¯s not like that!" Aurora quickly clarified. "He wrote a paper yesterday... I¡¯m helping him calculate the data, and I calculated it late! Fortunately, it didn¡¯t delay meditation! Teacher, look, the paper!" According to the instructions of the legendary mage, all of Garrett¡¯s papers had to be uniformly submitted for review by the legendary mage. Of course, from lazy to lazier, and then to lazy, since Garrett had a new follower, Aurora Worton had been submitting his papers on his behalf. And here in Master Decar¡¯s place, all the papers were read by his disciple, Master Carlisle, first... The grand mage naturally opened the paper. With a glance, he saw the title: "Research on Standard Physiological Data of Dwarf Males" The grand mage¡¯s feet shook on the spot. His fair face turned red in an instant, his breathing quickened, his neck veins bulged, and Garrett, with the experience of a deputy chief physician in the emergency department, intuitively felt that this person¡¯s blood pressure was probably about to burst... Can nifedipine lower it? Or beta-blockers? If it were on the operating table, he should ask the anesthetist to give him some antihypertensive drugs, such as inhaling a little isoflurane, pushing a little nitroprusside, or pumping some nitroglycerin... Garrett wandered in his mind. And across from him, Master Carlisle shook the paper in his hand, his voice heavy: "Garrett, why are you putting your energy into this? Someone like you¡ªa mage with research talent like you should have raised your mage level early, so as not to die prematurely!" Do you know how much effort the council has put into protecting you? Do you know that in order to protect you from being targeted by the Radiant Church, your important papers have been secretly distributed to reliable mages for experimentation and verification? Do you know that as long as you leave the Igor¡¯s Lock, you will definitely be under the surveillance of the Tower of Heaven, with dedicated mages monitoring your location 24 hours a day? Do you know that such protective measures will continue until you reach level 5¡ª that is, when you learn Fireball, the level of becoming a human-shaped walking cannon? "Can you hurry up and go to the meditation room to close up, and raise your level as soon as possible? Now you have some contributions, if it¡¯s not enough, I can lend you some!!!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 223 Chapter 223 Watching Grand Mage Carlisle turn red with a thick neck and blood rushing to his head, Garrett couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit... sympathetic. After all, Grand Mage Carlisle had once saved him. Back then, when he was cornered by the Radiant Lord¡¯s pursuers on the battlefield, it was this mage who descended from the sky, drove away the enemies, and protected him. It was also him who made the decision to stuff Garrett into the flying ship and bring him back to the training camp... At that time, Grand Mage Carlisle, at first glance, seemed like a charming middle-aged man, gentle, noble, and modest. Except for the fact that his golden robe was a bit dazzling, his speech and attitude were impeccable. When asked about his experience in battle, there was no hint of disdain. In fact, there was even a hint of curiosity. But now? Clothes wrinkled, eyes red, hair messy, with a few strands of silver-white hair sticking out of the mess. Looking at him, Garrett couldn¡¯t help but think of those coders who had been fired at the age of 37 and could only deliver takeout... Garrett even felt a bit sorry for him. However, sympathy aside, principles had to be upheld. He waved his hand, asking Aurora to close the office door, shutting out the footsteps in the corridor and the prying eyes of junior mages. Then, he looked into Grand Mage Carlisle¡¯s eyes and explained earnestly: "Master, I respect your decision, and I can afford the cost of seclusion. But everyone¡¯s path to advancement is different. I don¡¯t advance through meditation... Besides, I¡¯m not ready yet!" "What do you mean you¡¯re not ready? What else do you need? Tell me, and I¡¯ll help you prepare!" "...I still haven¡¯t finished shaping my smooth muscles..." But Garrett couldn¡¯t bring himself to say this out loud... On one hand, it was because it involved the secret of his meditation. It¡¯s not that the Magic Council might force him to reveal his meditation rules¡ª if they did, he would comply; there was nothing he couldn¡¯t share, and the Magic Council genuinely cared about him, serving as his umbrella of protection. Giving it to them wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing. But due to their concern for him, Garrett was genuinely afraid that they would take away his meditation rules, dissect and study them over and over again, and forbid him from practicing until they understood them fully. Furthermore, handing them over was a huge project in itself, one that could delay progress by a couple of months¡ª it wasn¡¯t something that could be done simply by explaining his rules of focus and relaxation! Garrett struggled for a moment before saying, "I need to explore more, broaden my horizons... To do things properly, I need to have a clear mind and not be preoccupied with other matters... For example, the mithril smelting project, that has to be completed first!" "Will you advance once the project is successful?" Grand Mage Carlisle looked at Garrett skeptically. This electrolytic smelting project, involving dozens of mages including his own apprentices, had consumed countless resources. After a couple of months, using up two large boxes of graphite and hundreds of kilograms of intermediate products of mithril smelting, the outcome was... nothing. It wasn¡¯t that he was concerned about the manpower and resources wasted. In fact, over the years, the Magic Council¡¯s investment in mithril smelting far exceeded Garrett¡¯s project by thousands or even millions of times. The problem was, how long would it take to complete the project? Are you procrastinating, or do you want me not to urge you? "How long do you think it will take for this project to succeed?" "Well... um..." Garrett looked up, scanning the ceiling of the room, avoiding eye contact with the other party... Material science had always been a pitfall. How many large enterprises, research institutes, and thousands of people had poured their lifelong efforts into it, only to produce a few results in the end? It was half due to investment and half due to luck. If luck wasn¡¯t on their side, they wouldn¡¯t produce anything for three to five years. And the Magic Council? With only three laboratories and dozens of people working, they expected results in a month? Their luck was just too good! "Enough, let¡¯s not talk about whether the project will succeed or not." Grand Mage Carlisle took a deep breath, trying to suppress his frustration and spoke calmly, "Go meditate for a few days first. Even if you can¡¯t advance immediately, it¡¯s good to strengthen your mental strength. After meditation, if you have time, you can go to the laboratory..." "Don¡¯t focus on strange things! Even doing magic experiments is better than measuring the body temperature of dwarves one by one!!!" "No, please!" Garrett screamed. He still had so much to do! He had only drawn X-ray images for about ten people! He hadn¡¯t even started drawing B-ultrasound images! And there were different levels of physical combat effectiveness, the impact on physiological indicators... Such a big project, he had only just begun! "Feeling better now? Can you advance?" Uh... luck was really not on his side... Or rather, the Magic Council¡¯s luck was just too good. They had made a breakthrough in such a troublesome project in just a month. But his personal luck wasn¡¯t that great. It just so happened that he had postponed his advancement to the success of the project... But he couldn¡¯t back down! Garrett tried to straighten his magic robe, held his head high, and said confidently: "...How did you know this is the end of the project?" "What do you mean?" The Grand Mage frowned. Standing two meters apart, Garrett stared straight into his eyes, confidently asking: "Even if the electrolytic smelting method of mithril is successful, how much production capacity will there be? Previously, the bottleneck was between semi-finished products and finished products. Now, it¡¯s between ore and semi-finished products, right? I asked a few days ago, and even if we¡¯re lucky, we can only produce a few pounds of semi-finished products per day¡ª" "So what do you want to do?" "I have ways!" Garrett raised his head, turned around, looking completely confident: "There are several nodes that this project needs to break through. I¡¯ll say it¡¯s over when it¡¯s over!" He strode out of the room. When he reached the door, he pushed and pushed again... "Open the door!" Garrett¡¯s prediction soon became reality. The Magic Council¡¯s thirst for mithril was almost infinite. Once the electrolytic smelting method was successful, all the semi-finished products were immediately taken over by the council and transported to the Tower of Heaven. One day, two days... Then, the speed at which the dwarves refined the semi-finished products couldn¡¯t keep up with the council¡¯s smelting speed. How could manpower compare with magic? Inside the Tower of Magic, mages adjusted the parameters, heated up, and supplied power, waiting to collect mithril powder. If one crucible wasn¡¯t enough, they used several, or added more power sources; But in the forging area, there was only one old Siegn who could fish out suitable semi-finished products from the pool... "Can we go faster?" "Can we fish out more?" "Can the output double?" Day and night, Siegn, who had been guarding the pool for three days, almost fell into it. It was at this moment that Garrett stepped into the smelting area. Flames were raging by the poolside, and it was a forbidden zone for outsiders. He had no intention of getting close. Wrapped in three layers inside and out, he wore a shield, and even added a [Heat and Cold Resistance], as he carried a bottle of chilled saltwater. Fully armed, he stood far away from the door, asking the braided dwarf who had brought him in: "Why can¡¯t we fish out more? Is it because there aren¡¯t enough people? If it¡¯s because the miners aren¡¯t strong enough, I can ask the mages to cast shields for everyone and help them out, can¡¯t I?" "...No, mainly because this pool isn¡¯t good enough." Once the dwarves approved of someone, they would speak frankly and honestly. Right now, the braided dwarf was trying hard to explain to Garrett, pointing at the pool from a distance: "You see this pool, most of the time it¡¯s golden yellow, sometimes it¡¯s white. But white isn¡¯t good enough, only when it¡¯s dazzling white can it melt the ore and produce good stuff¡ªlook, it¡¯s bubbling! It¡¯s about to explode... Explode! Good! It¡¯s happening now." Several steps away, the old dwarf stretched out his arm, skillfully scooping out something sparkling and hot from the center of the explosion. A handful of crystal-clear, steaming objects emerged from the magma. Garrett: "...So it¡¯s really because the temperature isn¡¯t high enough! Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier? Here I come!!!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 224 Chapter 224 The dwarves of the entire Mithril Zone looked at Garrett with eyes of gratitude. It was him who, disregarding his own safety, rescued Elder Talbert; it was him who took on the task assigned by the Magic Council to improve the refining process of mithril. It was after his intervention that the Magic Council could refine mithril on their own without relying on Elder Talbert¡¯s divine magic. And now, it was him who confidently stepped forward, declaring, "I¡¯ll figure out how to increase the output of semi-finished products!" Garrett was brimming with confidence¡ªor at least, he appeared to be. He had long suspected that the unstable production of mithril semi-finished products was due to insufficient temperature in the fire pit (or furnace, or whatever it was called). For this reason, he had made several contingency plans. But those plans... Garrett decided to start with a manpower attempt. Clad in a full set of magical defenses, he cautiously approached the fire pit from five meters away, holding a tube of potassium permanganate. Lowering his head, focusing, adjusting his aim¡ª Dragon¡¯s Breath! A fan-shaped blast of intense white flames brushed against the lava, jetting out and sweeping past the old dwarf standing a meter away. The old dwarf quickly grabbed some ore and plunged it into the white flames, gently shaking it. In just an instant, the handle of the spoon used to hold the ore burst into flames, and the ore sank into the magma with a dull thud... "Uh..." Garrett quickly stopped casting the spell, awkwardly looking at the old dwarf. However, Elder Siegn remained unusually calm. Bending down, he scooped up another spoonful of ore from the lava. After turning his arm, he lowered his head to examine it and nodded in satisfaction: "Not bad, quite useful." He turned halfway, stretched his arm, and handed the product in the spoon to Garrett. The stout dwarf¡¯s body even bent slightly, and in his gaze toward Garrett, at least 50% of it contained respect: "Sir, thank you for your help. As long as this kind of flame continues to burn, doubling the output of mithril is definitely not a problem." Garrett completely missed the meaning behind his words. As half-melted ore was presented before him, emitting waves of hot steam, Garrett reflexively jumped back, retreating several steps: "Don¡¯t come near me! My [Heat and Cold Resistance] can¡¯t even handle boiling water, and the magical defenses on me can¡¯t withstand molten steel! And do you think I¡¯d stand here for eight hours a day, cosplaying as a human dragon? I¡¯m not that foolish! Confirming that high temperature can help refine ore is enough; what comes next should be handed over to machinery, not manpower!" Garrett nodded vaguely at the dwarf and turned to leave. As he walked, he pondered: So how do we increase the furnace temperature? What type of furnace is used for iron smelting again? Blast furnace? Open hearth furnace? Bessemer converter? Forgive Garrett for only knowing these names; he had no idea what they actually looked like. Even if pictures were placed in front of him, he might not be able to correctly identify them. What does the interior of the furnace look like? Where does the fuel enter, where does the ore go in, where does the oxygen blow in, and where does the molten iron¡ªor in this case, the semi-finished mithril¡ªcome out? Garrett had once scribbled wildly with a pen, resulting in seven or eight messy blobs on the paper... And, the furnace seemed to require refractory bricks. What were the ingredients and firing methods of refractory bricks? No idea, no clue, goodbye. Of course, there were other ways to increase combustion temperature. For example, add fuel? Add gasoline, diesel, kerosene? Garrett wasn¡¯t sure if there was petroleum in this world; he had never seen it anyway. Burn hydrogen gas? Too dangerous, Garrett didn¡¯t want to blow himself up. Add aluminum thermite? Garrett silently reminded himself to bring over the electrolytic smelting technology and play with some magnesium and aluminum later... So, among all the technical routes, the most likely to succeed seemed to be just two words: Blow oxygen. "Um... well, boss," Aurora scratched his head, "Maybe they¡¯re waiting for you to write? After all, it was your proposal. They can¡¯t just write without your approval and snatch away the recognition and rewards you deserve, right?" "..." Garrett realized belatedly that there was also something called the corresponding author. The boss was responsible for determining the topic, finding funding, leading the project, and overseeing everything. Capable researchers, under the guidance of the boss, were responsible for leading the team and doing independent work. Of course, such researchers were mostly qualified to be first authors, not begrudgingly accepting second or third authorship. "...Let them write. After they finish, let me check it, and if it¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll sign as the corresponding author. ¡ªWhat I need now is oxygen! Oxygen!" As long as my patients can breathe in oxygen, whether it¡¯s during breathing difficulties or surgery, having enough oxygen to inhale, those papers and whose names they¡¯re under, I couldn¡¯t care less. The nearly disbanded¡ªor already disbanded¡ªproject team once again efficiently mobilized. Upon learning that Garrett had a way to increase the output of semi-finished products, mages immediately followed his instructions, working diligently. They set up a force field box, vigorously filled it with air until it couldn¡¯t take anymore, then threw in [Cryogenic Rays], [Frost Breath], [Ice Ball Spells], [Northern Winds]... "Very good! It¡¯s starting to liquefy! Turn it all into liquid and then raise the temperature a little more..." BOOOOOOM! Under Igor Peak, exclusive to Thunder Horn, where dangerous explosion experiments were conducted, the entire stone platform shook. The next moment, a strong light shone from the Tower of Heaven, and Archmage Carlisle swiftly descended from the peak, penetrating the barriers, his descent speeding up: "What are you doing!" "Uh... Garrett wants the fire-breathing air, but we¡¯ve used up all we made before..." It turned out that without a 13th-level or higher grand mage present, relying solely on force field barriers to liquefy air wasn¡¯t something that could be done casually... Anyway, Garrett got what he wanted in the end: Under the leadership of Archmage Carlisle and with the help of three highest-level students, pure oxygen was finally separated without the support of a mage tower; Another grand mage personally intervened, using steel infused with aurum to create thick steel cylinders for oxygen storage; After filling them up, they were sent to the Mithril Zone, where mages from the Alchemy Guild of the Transmutation School, responsible for maintaining the magic array, buried pipelines in the walls to directly blow oxygen from the steel cylinders above the fire pit. Oh, and those pipes were retractable, extending when blowing oxygen and retracting when not in use, to prevent oxygen from spraying out of the ceiling and wasting... "Mithril ore refining, first oxygen blowing experiment, begins!" Garrett issued the command. Aurora Worton sat in the corner of the Mithril Forging Room, casting [Brute Bull Strength] on herself, gripping the valve of the oxygen cylinder with both hands. Mage Denfrees stood in another corner, pressing the button to extend the pipe from the ceiling... The air hissed. Soon, the edge of the fire pit was roiling with lava, the golden flames turning white, billowing upwards. "Now it¡¯s a matter of conducting experiments one by one, finding the right flow rate... The Magic Council will replace the oxygen cylinders regularly and retrieve the used ones. Anyone can do this bit of work, right? Oh, right, also need to be careful not to let the cylinders explode..." Garrett hummed a tune as he walked out. Before long, cheers erupted from the cavern behind him. "Oh, right! Where¡¯s my oxygen! Leave me a bottle of oxygen! Ahhhhh!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 225 Chapter 225 The news of increased mithril production spread from the forging area to the Alchemy Guild, then to the upper echelons of the Transmutation School. Through another route, the partially completed research... or at least part of it, had been completed by the polymorphic mages, and the news reached the hands of the legendary masters at Thunder Horn. Thus, during the weekly review meeting, Garrett¡¯s affairs inevitably came up. "The magic smelting of mithril... No, has electrolytic smelting been completed?" "Yes, we can now smoothly produce mithril." "It¡¯s said that production of semi-finished products is also not a problem now?" "Yes, the dwarves are working day and night, and it¡¯s said that the output of semi-finished products alone has increased fivefold compared to before." "So, is Garrett Nordmark¡¯s project finished? Shouldn¡¯t we discuss rewards?" "Um, well..." "What¡¯s wrong? You were generous when proposing the project, but now you¡¯re hesitant about rewards? In my opinion, even if we allocate a portion of the increased mithril production to him in proportion, that¡¯s only fair! Hmm, would one percent be enough?" "...... It¡¯s not that... Mainly, Garrett Nordmark hasn¡¯t submitted the final report yet..." "Why is he procrastinating? Can¡¯t he write a report? Find someone to help him write it!" Garrett was almost driven to despair. Since electrolytic smelting was completed, the workload for the dwarves had suddenly increased, and their working hours had also drastically lengthened. As a result, from working for two hours, taking a break and having a drink, it had become working for four hours, coming out for lunch, taking a break, and then continuing to forge... "Why is another one fainting! I said this wouldn¡¯t work! ¡ªWait! Don¡¯t give him beer! Stop!" Another dwarf, red-faced and dizzy, stumbled out, swaying to the bar and grabbing a glass of ice-cold beer, gulp, gulp, gulp... "Ah! Another one! Bernard! Help me drag him away! Take him to the back and give him sugar water! Aurora, cast a cooling breeze!" The dwarves were indeed robust, but no matter how strong they were, they couldn¡¯t withstand this. Garrett glanced at his notebook... In three days, the number of people suffering from heatstroke had soared from two cases a day to twenty cases a day! What about another day? ... And two more days? As a doctor... even a clinical doctor, not a labor protection officer in an industrial enterprise, Garrett expressed that he could not tolerate such terrible working conditions and the environment where workers were falling down in droves! More importantly, he had the authority to speak now! With a serious face, Garrett found Master Talanto. Freed from the grueling work of producing mithril with all his might, Master Talanto¡¯s complexion had improved significantly. Although his hair and beard were still snowy white, there was more color on his face, and the skin on his arms was no longer dry and wrinkled, looking more like tightly wrapped bones. When Garrett approached, Master Talanto had just finished a healing spell. The dwarf being treated climbed up, dripping wet, poured a bucket of creek water on his head, and then rushed back to the forging area. Master Talanto hesitated to speak, and in the end, he just sighed softly, watching the dwarf walk away. Garrett sat down beside him. Together, they watched the doors of the forging area until the heat-stricken dwarf disappeared behind them. Then Garrett cleared his throat and spoke softly: "Master, this can¡¯t go on. ¡ªThe number of people suffering from heatstroke is increasing. If this continues, everyone will fall ill in droves!" "Do you think I don¡¯t know? But we¡¯re running out of money!" The salt soda water business simply didn¡¯t make money. The tavern owner supplied salt soda water at cost, without making any profit... From beginning to end, Garrett paid for the research and development expenses, not even earning a penny. Oh, if you could barely say there was a gain, it was the thick golden stroke added to his title as "Friend of the Dwarves." If friendship could be quantified, his reputation had probably jumped from "friendly" to "respectful"... But Garrett didn¡¯t care about making money. With the heatstroke problem solved, he turned back to his laboratory and resumed his research. The next goal was to produce penicillin¡ªoh, tuberculosis bacteria weren¡¯t particularly sensitive to penicillin, so he might also need to produce streptomycin... "Ah¡ªwhy does bacterial culture take so long¡ª" Garrett stood in the middle of his full laboratory of culture dishes, holding his head and wailing. At this moment, he missed his teacher immensely: during the epidemic of dysentery back then, Elder Elwin had released divine magic to selectively cultivate various bacteria. If Elder Elwin had been by his side, this divine magic would have been enough to speed up the experimental process by 100 times! Unfortunately, Garrett couldn¡¯t do it. Not only could he not do it, even Matthew, who had advanced to the fifth level, couldn¡¯t. As for Elder Wood, he was far away in Oak Ridge, dozens of miles away, and Garrett didn¡¯t want to bring him over just for his own experiment... "Cultivate, cultivate, cultivate..." Garrett muttered weakly with his oak staff in hand. Half a year had passed, and the two green leaves on the top of the oak staff had become identical, deep green in color and hard in texture. Judging from the shape of the green leaves alone, Garrett had accumulated to the peak of the second level priest, and he could think of ways to upgrade. But upgrading might not necessarily be useful. Garrett pointed his finger, and a faint green light fell, and several small mushrooms grew in the culture dish. Seven or eight pale yellow clean little umbrellas covered the entire culture dish, looking particularly pleasing. However, Garrett¡¯s face darkened. It was like this again, just like this! Ever since he learned to use vine to cultivate a straw, there was no threshold for him to cultivate plants. As long as he held the seeds in his hand, he could always produce a piece of straw or a piece of wood. As for plants that didn¡¯t grow into complete plants, Garrett said it was not a problem, anyway, he didn¡¯t care. But it didn¡¯t work for cultivating bacteria. With a divine spell, the entire culture dish could be filled to the brim, and if luck wasn¡¯t good, it might even affect the neighboring dish. How could he separate and purify them? They were all squeezed together! With such a rapid growth rate, if there was penicillin... Wouldn¡¯t they be squeezed to death too... Garrett began to tug at his hair in frustration. He hadn¡¯t cut his hair for half a year, and his originally close-cropped hair had grown past his ears, feeling quite different when pulled. Garrett pulled out a strand and twirled it around his fingertip, his gaze unfocused, passing through the gaps between his fingers. This caliber of shooting is a bit too big... If only it could be smaller... If only the impact point could be controlled to the size of a needle, the size of a hair... "Hey!" Garrett suddenly jumped up. He rummaged through his spatial bag in a panic, found the silver bell given to him by the polymorph master, shook it twice, and uttered an incantation: "Time is money, my friend!" "Wow, it¡¯s not easy, you finally remembered me?" The quirky voice of inquiry, along with blue smoke, emerged from the bell. Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 226 In the muttering of the little demon, Garrett carefully took out his purse, coins laid out one by one. In terms of contribution points, he now had over 1500, which could be considered quite wealthy; however, he only had a little over two hundred coins. More going out than coming in, so far, there hasn¡¯t been a stable source of income that could regularly provide coins.Nne?w n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com This was still the result of working in the clinic for a while and accumulating some cash. After coming to Nevis City, the Magic Council provided food, shelter, and research conditions, which could be considered quite favorable. The problem was, the Magic Council issued rewards using contribution points, and Garrett was reluctant to convert his contribution points into coins... "Only 258 coins left..." Garrett furrowed his brow. Two hundred in one bag, fifty in the other. These two bags were separately packed in cowhide bags and were not easily taken out for spending; in the sheepskin bag containing loose change, there were only eight shiny gold coins left. Who knows how much he¡¯ll need to spend tonight. Garrett swept most of the coins into his purse and picked up the lone one left outside, handing it to the little demon. As the coin disappeared into blue smoke, the ethereal form of the little demon solidified, holding the bell, then leaped down. Garrett immediately handed over a glass rod: "Here, make it twice as long, and make sure it¡¯s even! Even!" The little demon clasped its hands together, sparks flying as flames shot straight upward. The glass rod gradually softened in the flame, the little demon¡¯s hands pulling it apart, stretching it... "Oops, it¡¯s bending! That won¡¯t do! It needs to be straight!" Fortunately, the glass rod could be reheated and reshaped. The little demon waved its hands, heating and shaping the glass rod horizontally and vertically, back and forth for a while, until finally, a 2-millimeter diameter, 15-centimeter long glass rod was pulled. Garrett took it and waved it around, relieved that it didn¡¯t break: "Not bad, not bad. Let me try it!" Holding the glass rod like a pen, Garrett touched the tip to the culture medium, taking a deep breath. Closing his eyes, adjusting his breath, clearing his mind, activating his magic... Clear, transparent green light flowed from his fingertips onto the glass rod, then along the rod to the culture medium, emitting a faint glow. It was like casting a spell¡ªor rather, divine magic was indeed part of extraordinary power. On the gel-like culture medium, a small colony of bacteria bloomed where the light touched. "Yes!" Garrett cheered softly. Up to now, he still didn¡¯t quite understand how divine magic energy spread, but he could only roughly interpret the part visible to the naked eye as light; and indeed, this beam of green light extended along the direction of the glass rod, not dispersing much into the external environment. Using this method to control the cultivation of divine magic was feasible! "Coin, make me another one, as thin as a hair... Coin..." The little demon disappeared. As the duration ended, the little demon turned into blue smoke and retracted into the bell, needing to recharge before coming out again... The second time tinkering with the glass wasn¡¯t as smooth as the first. No matter how the little demon pulled and stretched, it couldn¡¯t produce a glass filament thin enough to meet Garrett¡¯s requirements. Either it was too thick, crooked, or it snapped halfway... One coin wasted, then two. Seeing the dwindling coins in his purse, Garrett racked his brains and finally came up with another possible way to succeed: "Coin, create a plate with fine holes¡ªextremely fine, only allowing hair-thin filaments to pass through¡ªthen melt the glass, pour it onto the plate. Let the molten glass flow through the holes, then gently squeeze it from above, letting it drop down naturally. Oh, and put up a barrier around it to prevent the glass thread from being blown crooked by the wind..." In the void, white light silently circulated. The standing figure began to move again, this time, it was tendons tightening, muscles contracting and relaxing, driving the changes in posture. Intermuscular movements, smooth muscle tightening and relaxing, relaxing and tightening again, simulating the state of visceral peristalsis. Even the newly constructed heart, thudded, thudded, beating evenly and powerfully. In the core of meditation, the bones, muscles, connected as one, nourished the body with spirit. A light ¡¯pop¡¯ sounded. It was like a soap bubble being popped, yet also like a balloon being blown to its limit, finally exploding. When Garrett opened his eyes again, his connection with this world had become another layer tighter. No one needed to tell him, he understood: his spiritual power level, along with his priest level, had firmly stepped into the third level. And, he was lucky this time, he didn¡¯t have to wait after finishing the muscle construction, he immediately leveled up? Was it because he threw out enough this time? Let¡¯s count, the entire set of middle school chemistry, electrolytic refining, liquid air separation and purification, he even popularized the microscope? Garrett silently noted down the conjecture that "popularizing technology = leveling up," and let himself fall asleep. The next morning, when he wanted to energetically immerse himself in the bacterial cultivation business, the door was being knocked vigorously. "Who?" "Boss, someone is looking for you at the door--" The barbaric voice rang out loudly. Since Aurora Worton joined, the barbarian also learned his way of addressing, calling Garrett boss for everything. Garrett opened the door and saw a neat row of cavalry outside the fence, with a somewhat familiar knight at the forefront, surrounding a black carriage with only the symbol of the Magic Council and no other decoration. "You are..." "Mr. Garrett Nordmark, hello." The knight stepped forward and saluted properly: "I am Knight Barrin, a follower of Archmage Carlisle, and I am here on the Archmage¡¯s orders to pick you up. There has been recent espionage activity by the Radiant Church in the city, and the Archmage has instructed you to return to the Mage Tower immediately." "Oh... Knight Barrin. I remember you!" Garrett suddenly realized. After the battle with the Radiant Church, some of their team members were pursued and killed at the foot of the mountain. Archmage Carlisle ordered this Knight Barrin to "take care of it." Come to think of it, he owed him a favor and hadn¡¯t repaid it yet. "Do we have to leave now?" Garrett looked back reluctantly at the laboratory. Knight Barrin saluted again: "Yes, it¡¯s urgent. The Archmage¡¯s meaning is, please return immediately." There¡¯s no fun in resisting orders. Garrett obediently boarded the carriage, and Knight Barrin closed the window, not letting his face show. Along the way to the foot of the mountain, he switched to a small train and climbed to the mountaintop. Before entering the office, he heard Archmage Carlisle angrily speaking to someone: "At this juncture, the project is not concluded, the paper is not written, and you are still running around outside! Without concentrating on meditation, how can you possibly level up?" "Uh..." Garrett¡¯s hand, raised to knock on the door, hesitated and then withdrew. He didn¡¯t know if he should go in immediately or find a guest room first, stay away for a couple of days, and then figure it out. However, the beautiful walnut door was pushed open with a swish, and Aurora Worton ran out low as if fleeing, almost bumping into Garrett. Under the gaze of everyone, Garrett walked into the room with a forced smile and slowly raised his hand: "It seems like, I just leveled up yesterday..." Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 227 "Wow! The Archmage changed his expression... changed... changed..." Garrett couldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes. Among the senior mages of the Magic Council, the one he dealt with the most was Archmage Carlisle. Seeking advice, borrowing books, borrowing magic scrolls, requesting experimental conditions, room equipment, alchemical materials... All sorts of things combined, he had seen him at least thirty or forty times, totaling over a dozen hours. But, it was also the first time he observed that this Archmage had the skill to change his expression. First it turned red, then blue, then black, then red again... If there was an emotional meter hanging next to him, the displayed text would probably change at a rate of twice per second: Excited! Frustrated! Joyful! Depressed! Relaxed! Puzzled... On both sides, there were rows of students standing with their heads bowed, eyes observing mouths, mouths observing noses, noses observing hearts, all looking like wooden people pretending they hadn¡¯t seen or heard anything. Garrett looked left and right, swiftly moved to the back of the right queue, and stood straight, putting on a harmless look. Archmage Carlisle: "......" Garrett inadvertently made him laugh. He waved his hand to dismiss the students and called Garrett alone to the front, squinting his eyes and scanning up and down. "Emmmm......" Garrett shivered slightly. The feeling of being scanned by psychic power was very strange, like a cool breeze passing by, or a drizzle falling on his head. He raised his eyes slightly, wanting to chase after that psychic power, but suddenly a heap of books and scrolls fell down with a loud crash. "Since you¡¯ve leveled up, stay in the tower for a while and learn all of these. Don¡¯t leave the tower until you¡¯ve learned all the second-tier spells!" "But..." "What?" Archmage Carlisle frowned: "I¡¯ve given you the books, and you don¡¯t want to study? Do you know how many mages like you, after advancing, have to work hard and diligently for several years to accumulate enough contribution points to exchange for magic? Some magic specific to certain schools, or unique to mage organizations, even if you have contribution points, you may not be able to exchange for them!" "But... I leveled up as a priest... Ah ah ah ah ah ah! Archmage, please don¡¯t be angry! Don¡¯t be angry!" I don¡¯t get angry when others get angry, but when anger leads to hypertension, I have no medicine on hand to save you! Archmage Carlisle¡¯s whole person shook with anger. Using psychic power to scan again, Garrett¡¯s psychic power had indeed changed, obviously he had advanced. But if it¡¯s said that the priest level has advanced and the mage level hasn¡¯t, that¡¯s not impossible either... "Come on! Let¡¯s go to the meditation room!" "I..." "With my contribution points!!" They took the elevator down to the third floor. In the primary meditation room, the intensity of the crystals changed from pink to crimson, from crimson to deep red, and in a moment, it jumped lightly and turned into a faint orange. The orange color deepened more and more, like oranges hanging on branches in autumn gradually ripening, and finally, the numbers on the crystal stabilized: Not to mention, he was a plastic energy mage, and the other party was a transmutation alchemist. He dealt with wrenches, hammers, and magic puppets on a daily basis. The muscles under the overalls were stronger than his... The two of them tangled in the office for a long time, and Archmage Carlisle almost got lifted up by the other party, shaking off a bunch of components. Being overwhelmed in terms of strength, he could only agree to the other party¡¯s conditions and let Garrett out. With a wave of his hand, three wooden boxes, one and a half feet long and two feet high, silently fell down in front of Garrett. "One single-barrel microscope, one binocular, and one binocular with a turntable. ¡ª¡ª I¡¯ve completed mine, what about your paper?" "It¡¯s still under research! It¡¯s still under research!" Garrett replied readily. "I¡¯ve found the right experimental method, but I still need to cultivate, separate, verify... Give me another month when I return to the lab!" "Then go do it! We¡¯re waiting for you!" "No!" Archmage Carlisle raised his hand to stop him. The magical badge stirred the permissions in the mage tower, and in an instant, the door of the mage tower was sealed: "The Radiant Church¡¯s spies are active outside, he can¡¯t leave the mage tower, it¡¯s not safe!" "Just that ship?" The old man in overalls sneered. As the deputy chairman of the Alchemy Guild, his sources of information were much more extensive than Garrett¡¯s. He lifted the lid on Archmage Carlisle¡¯s secrets: "Come on, isn¡¯t it just the patrol team at sea catching a ship carrying a spy? The person has been caught, why be so vigilant? ¡ª¡ªI think you¡¯re just finding an excuse to keep him locked up, so he can advance with peace of mind, instead of fooling around outside!" "But there are still people escaping from that ship! ¡ª¡ªAnd the contact points and bases of the other party in Nevis, none of these have been found! The council is now searching, and someone like him is safer staying on the peak!" He pointed his finger, and the four white rings on Garrett¡¯s mage badge squeezed inward one by one. Two of the copper stars in the middle pitifully shrank into a ball, almost having no space left... "That¡¯s not a big deal either! He¡¯s not being targeted specifically!" "It¡¯s still safer this way!" Two great mages, one relying on geographical advantage, the other on level, stared at each other with bristling beards. Garrett looked left and right, weakly raised a hand: "But, Your Excellency Archmage... If I¡¯m just kept locked up in the mage tower, I really can¡¯t advance... I estimate that, once this project is completed, I¡¯ll be almost a level three mage..." "Then research here!" "I can¡¯t! It must be in the laboratory at the foot of the mountain! Here, if something goes wrong, many people will die!" Garrett stomped his feet. Archmage Carlisle crossed his arms, raising his chin: "Show me the proof!" "I will show you proof!" Garrett stormed out of the door, circled around the peak, and randomly grabbed a handful of soil from the busiest place with people. Then, he added water, shook it, suspended the bacterial suspension, added culture medium, and activated magic... Stimulating, microscopic examination of colonies, separation, and then stimulation again. After several rounds in a row, the cultured colonies were mixed into grass leaves and placed in rabbit cages. Within a few hours, the rabbits showed symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, etc., to varying degrees. After 24 hours of observation, half of the ten healthy adult rabbits had died, and the other half were barely alive. "Believe me, I can produce ten different strains of plague. Garrett looked earnestly at the two great mages: "Some are transmitted through water sources, some through sneezing and coughing, some through finger pricks... Studying this stuff really needs to be done at the foot of the mountain, in open areas, away from crowds. There are no isolation and protection conditions on the mountain, and if what I make leaks out, the entire Igor Peak, it might end up with a mass death!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 228 Chapter 228 Confronted with the bloody reality (some rabbits really did spit out pink bubbles), Garrett was finally sent down the mountain. The old man in work clothes escorted him all the way to the station of the small train, reluctantly and unwillingly: "Hurry up! We¡¯ve already prepared 30 high-precision microscopes!" "The ones magnifying 100 times have all been sold. The ones with higher magnification are too expensive and no one buys them. We¡¯re just waiting for your thesis to come out so we can swindle those folks in the Black Crow Swamp!" Garrett: "..." You have to speak with conscience! What do you mean by swindle! Translate that for me, what the ** does swindle mean! Given the size of bacteria, they can only be seen with a microscope! Only by increasing the magnification to 1000 times can the characteristics of bacteria be distinguished! Only by staining the bacteria, performing various tests, and conducting animal experiments can it be determined which bacteria caused which disease! I provided them with research tools, and even paved the way for them, making some money for myself. Isn¡¯t this a win-win situation? And you¡¯re talking about swindling, where¡¯s the swindle! When he left, it was with one carriage, but when he returned, several carriages arrived at the laboratory one after another: An alchemist specially brought him a customized shadowless lamp, which was installed in a separate dissecting room and adjusted for half an hour; Another alchemist brought two spatial bags, filled with bottles of all the dyes that could be scavenged from the market and the laboratory, as well as all liquids and solids that could be dyed, along with alcohol, sulfuric acid, nitric acid... a bunch of chemicals; The third alchemist who came to settle accounts with Garrett: the shadowless lamp hadn¡¯t been sold yet, and the microscopes were all settled with contribution points. In addition, Garrett received a total of 87 gold coins, 5 silver coins, and 9 copper coins - the sales commission for the pencils. It must be said that the production and sales capacity of the alchemist guild is indeed quite remarkable. Oh! More money again! More gold coins! More things to make or rather, more money to command the gold coins to do the work! Listening to the clinking of coins, Garrett¡¯s mood lifted. He had just finished tidying up when the fourth carriage arrived, followed by the fifth and sixth - this time not carriages, but flatbeds pulled by manpower. One was full of rabbits, one was full of rabbit feed, and one was full of seaweed and sea anemones, with several large pieces of beef and mutton on top, brightly colored, obviously just slaughtered today. Ah... how much money is this going to cost... Bernard¡¯s eyes sparkled beside him. Garrett glanced at him, pursed his lips, and painfully took out his wallet. My gold coins, my little money, are about to say goodbye before they even get warm... "You... don¡¯t need to pay, sir, you don¡¯t need to pay." The boss accompanying the carriage hurried forward, nodding and bowing, waving his hands repeatedly. "The council has already paid!" Garrett turned to look at him. The boss was wearing an ancient bronze velvet coat, worn at the collar and hem, with the cuffs concealed, embroidered with a small hexagram in blue silk thread. With a quick spell, a shadow rose from the hexagram, evidently authorized by the council as a supplier. Garrett relaxed slightly. Looking down again, the boss¡¯s high boots were splattered with mud, emitting a fishy smell, obviously brought from the harbor area, directly to here with seaweed. He ran from behind the second carriage to the front, nodding and bowing, handing over a folded note: "Sir, please check. If the quantity is correct, I¡¯ll go settle accounts with the council." Garrett glanced at it, and saw a dark skull mark flashing in the lower right corner of the note... Garrett searched his memory hard, vaguely remembering that this thing is a mixture of tetramethylrosamine chloride, pentamethylrosamine chloride, and hexamethylrosamine chloride... Just the names are hard enough to pronounce. If it weren¡¯t for being sent back with enhanced memory through the transmigration, he wouldn¡¯t even be able to recall the formal name. As for how to synthesize this thing, Garrett said he wasn¡¯t a chemical engineering major... cough, did the neighboring pharmaceutical major ever make gentian violet? I¡¯m having a hard time, I have nothing... How to relieve worries, only through dissection. Garrett nurtured and purified the bacteria he created, then nurtured and purified them again, trying various methods to torment the rabbits: Mixed into the feed and fed to the rabbits; Wiped on the rabbits¡¯ nasal passages and respiratory tracts; Cut a small incision on the rabbits¡¯ skin and applied it... Then, observe, measure vital signs, and record the course of the disease. When the rabbits died, or were half dead and gasping for breath, they would kill them, one by one, and dissect their organs in sequence to observe the extent of organ damage. Fortunately, he can still dissect, still dissect a dozen or twenty rabbits a day, to maintain the feel of his hands... Every day, cultivating and staining, he would think he wasn¡¯t a surgeon anymore, but had changed to a laboratory technician... "Um... Rabbit A03, showing signs of dehydration throughout the body, with dry and inelastic skin, dehydrated subcutaneous tissue and muscles, shrinking of the heart, liver, and spleen due to dehydration... Significant edema of the small intestine... Renal necrosis..." Garrett glanced at it and recorded it. After finishing writing everything, he quickly glanced at the previous records: "Feeding at 8:05 AM on the 21st. Began to fall ill at 2:37 PM... Excrement is rice-water-like... Excrement smear microscopy results are as follows..." In one corner of the record book, there was also a hand-drawn diagram, with bacteria like commas, gathered in groups like tadpoles, lively and active. Very good, combining the shape of the bacteria, the course of the disease, the time of death, and the results of the autopsy, it can be basically confirmed that this thing is, ninety percent, probably Vibrio cholerae. Garrett showed a satisfied smile. Following the numbers in the record book, he carefully took out two petri dishes, each stored separately. One was used to settle accounts with the necromancy faction, and the other was kept to prepare a cholera vaccine - In a world where you have to rely on your constitution and medical skills for everything, not having a few vaccines on hand always feels very insecure. After surveying the storage cabinet again, Garrett¡¯s smile became even lighter. Suspected Staphylococcus aureus, cultured and isolated; suspected Pseudomonas aeruginosa, cultured and isolated; suspected Shigella, cultured and isolated... Including today¡¯s Vibrio cholerae, he has cultured, isolated, and verified seven pathogenic bacteria, and with three more, he can wrap up and hand over the project! But... why hasn¡¯t he found penicillin yet... He¡¯s already worked so hard, spreading out a table full of petri dishes every day, sprinkling soil, dust, and everything he wants to get onto the culture media for Staphylococcus aureus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and various bacteria... Why? Lady Luck, why won¡¯t you favor him? "Ah, ah, ah - it¡¯s getting colder, if it gets colder, the melon will be gone!" The lucky charm for penicillin! The best culture medium! If it gets colder, there will be no more, and he hopes will be even slimmer! Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 229 Chapter 229 Garrett worked hard for a full two months. From the refreshing breeze of late August to the chilly nights of late October, working twelve hours a day, he still hadn¡¯t produced penicillin. Of course, his achievements in other areas were quite abundant: Various dyes, mixed with acid, alkali, heated back and forth, were thoroughly experimented with, yielding a batch of new substances. If he were willing to sell them to the Alchemy Guild, he could probably fetch a good price¡ªunfortunately, Garrett was too lazy to organize them for sale, considering it a waste of time; He had fulfilled his promise regarding the ten pathogenic bacteria from the Black Crow Swamp, isolating, purifying, and cultivating them. Animal experiments and experimental records were all completed, ready to be submitted for completion; The barbarians had gained weight¡ªa circle. With only so many materials left for making culture media every day, most of the remaining beef, lamb, seaweed, and sea anemones were consumed by the barbarians... The only worry was that there had been no progress on penicillin. Therefore, Garrett hesitated to conclude the project. What a joke! What if those folks from the Black Crow Swamp got too excited during the experiments, haphazardly breeding and spreading these infectious bacteria, and actually caused an epidemic? Relying on divine magic for treatment was clearly futile. The outbreak of bacterial dysentery in Hartland City made that abundantly clear. By then, having a bottle of antibiotics on hand would be the confidence to suppress the plague!Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com "Bernard¡ªgo farther tomorrow and see if there are any specks or patches of green mold. Whether it grows on the ground, on books, or on various fruit peels, scrape some back for me!" "Yes, boss!" "Buy another pile of fruits and let them decay! " "No... no problem, boss." "Put another brazier in the room where the fruits are placed, make it warmer, otherwise the mold won¡¯t grow. Oh, and don¡¯t stay in that room for too long, it¡¯s not good to stay in the moldy room for too long! Go to another room to warm up!" "Is that really necessary, boss? I¡¯m very strong! I don¡¯t need to warm up on a day like this!" "Don¡¯t worry about saving money for me. We¡¯re not short of a few pieces of charcoal..." "Boss! Someone¡¯s knocking at the door outside! I¡¯ll go see!" The barbarian ran off. After a moment, he returned, moving his tall figure aside, and Mage Worton smiled and stepped forward, holding an envelope: "Boss!" "Why are you here?" Garrett lifted his head from the notebook, surprised: "Didn¡¯t I tell you not to come often? Didn¡¯t I already receive the disinfectant today?" Yes, since Garrett started the bacterial cultivation project, his second follower, Level 5 Mage Aurora Worton, had been kicked out of the lab... In Garrett¡¯s words: "Your research direction is not biomedical! You¡¯re a plastic mage. Spending so much time on this is no good for you! Besides, working here is troublesome, wearing gloves and taking them off, wearing protective clothing and taking them off, a bunch of rules! Come on, go back to the mage tower!" Plastic mages have no concept of aseptic operation, and their skills in biomedicine... judging by their attempts to make chlorine gas and then poisoning themselves, they¡¯re probably not even as good as undergraduates. If they accidentally spill a few culture dishes or Erlenmeyer flasks, well, Emma, it wouldn¡¯t be enough trouble for them. So, Mage Worton¡¯s only responsibility was to deliver newly prepared disinfectant to the laboratory. However, the Arcane Academic Conference required everyone to check-in a day in advance due to magicians coming from various places. After check-in, if there were magicians from out of town who needed accommodation, the conference organizer¡ªactually, they borrowed the administrative structure of the academy¡ªwould also make arrangements. So, in the afternoon of November 4th, the Bridge Magic Academy was bustling with the arrival of many young magicians. "Garrett! ¡ªIs that Garrett?" Garrett put down the pen, straightened up from the check-in table, and heard someone shouting his name from a distance. He turned his head in the direction of the voice, and a brown-haired magician was already excitedly approaching through the crowd: "Long time no see! Are you still in Nevis? What are you doing there?" "... Miles." Garrett shook his head, trying hard to match the face with the person. The person who came was his classmate from the training class. Later, he joined the Illusion School. At the beginning of the year, when he just developed ultrasound magic, Garrett had dinner with him. That time everyone complained that the foie gras wasn¡¯t fat enough, Miles went to the goose cage himself, and even gave the white goose a peck... It¡¯s no wonder he didn¡¯t recognize him. Miles had grown much taller since the beginning of the year, and Garrett didn¡¯t dare to recognize him! "Long time no see, you¡¯ve grown so tall!" Garrett smiled with surprise, comparing their heights with his hand. After such a long time of seclusion, it was rare to meet an acquaintance, and he was still a little happy: "Shall we go eat together?" "Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go! So many people are coming to tomorrow¡¯s conference!" Miles led him out: "Everyone is at the back door of that shop. Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s get together!" At the entrance of each college¡ªor the back entrance, mostly the back entrance¡ªthere were almost always a row of restaurants. The magical academies in the other world were no exception. When students were tired of the cafeteria food or wanted to have a meal together, these convenient, inexpensive, and rich-tasting restaurants became their first choice. Because they were for magicians, even if they were apprentice magicians or low-level magicians, the consumption level of this restaurant street was acceptable. At the very least, there was meat at every meal. But when it came to "that shop at the back door," it was the default only one in the mouths of students and training class members: On the right side of the back door, the third storefront, with the sign "Magician¡¯s Home" attached to the back wall of the academy. The owner of this shop was a smiling old man from the north who had lived in the local area for twenty years and his accent had become almost indistinguishable from that of the locals. However, in terms of cuisine, he still retained some northern characteristics¡ªgenerous portions, students coming to eat, and always giving more meat. So at meal times, both upstairs and downstairs were full, and you could even sit all the way down to the corner of the stairs. Following behind Miles, Garrett squeezed through a long stretch of the road before finally squeezing into a seat by the window on the second floor. By this time, the table was already full of people, all of whom were outstanding students from the training class who were able to stay in Nevis. Seeing Garrett arrive, everyone waved their hands and greeted him enthusiastically: "Garrett, you¡¯re here! Sit inside!" "Long time no see! I heard you joined the Thunder Horn, which great mage¡¯s apprentice are you under? I specifically went to the peak last time but didn¡¯t hear about you..." "I heard you went to the Gold Rush annual meeting..." "The food is here! Make some room to the side! Chris, don¡¯t stand up first¡ª" "Watch out!!!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 230 Chapter 230 "Be careful!" A shout rang out, causing magicians to dodge and shuffle. Garrett had just squeezed past two people and was making his way to the innermost end of the long table, where a seat had been reserved for him. Seeing the mishap, he instinctively paused, reflexively leaning inward to avoid the impending disaster. The problem was, there wasn¡¯t much space to dodge. The long table by the window, which normally seated only ten people, now had fourteen magicians crowded around it. Leaving room for the server to deliver dishes, they were packed shoulder to shoulder, leg to leg, like falling dominoes. Then, Garrett saw a brimming basin of shellfish soup cascade down onto Chris¡¯s head at the far end of the table. The soup was thick, so thick that it barely emitted any steam when served. It was only when the soup poured down, with steam rising from the fish and shells, that it blurred the face of the server. Through the steam, Garrett saw the wide-eyed server suddenly light up. His gaze was fixed forward, not attempting to save the spilled soup or even looking at Chris, who was about to be drenched, but staring directly at¡ªhimself! In an instant, a chill ran down Garrett¡¯s spine, and he instinctively took a step back. Feeling a slight pain in his back as it hit the wall, his attention was momentarily distracted. When he looked up again, several incantations were simultaneously bursting out at the innermost end of the long table: "Mage Armor!" "Shield spell!" "Shield spell!" "Levitation Disk!" Transparent, translucent layers of magical energy surged up, forming a solid shield around Chris, who had crossed his arms over his head. Garrett stood rooted to the spot, gaping in astonishment. The magicians who cast the protective spells were one thing, but whoever cast the levitation disk, well, their creativity was truly remarkable... Why was the levitation disk tilted like that?! Thus, these protective measures successfully shielded Chris from harm. The spilled soup, shells, and fish meat all poured down onto the server... "Quick, get out of the way!" Garrett reflexively shouted. The server, upon hearing the shout, froze for a moment, then tried to dodge. But as he moved to the side, his legs went weak, and he couldn¡¯t step away in time. The basin of shellfish soup came crashing down onto his legs. "Ah¡ª" The server cried out in pain, gritting his teeth and crouching to the ground. Garrett hesitated for a moment, then squeezed back in the opposite direction, shouting as he went: "Quick, get some water! Cold water! Rinse off everything on your body! Let me see, how bad is the injury?" "..." The server glanced up at him. Then, Garrett saw the server, with a leg covered in soup, hobble away like a wounded rabbit, limping away. In that fleeting glance, his face still wore the same dumbfounded expression, neither flushing nor paling, not a drop of sweat even on his forehead. Garrett: "..." Strange, was this guy wearing a human skin mask, or did he apply too much makeup? He didn¡¯t seem like someone who had suffered burns in the past; his facial pores weren¡¯t ruined, right? But it didn¡¯t look like it at all! Lost in these thoughts for a moment, the server had already clattered away on the wooden floorboards. Garrett shrugged, then squeezed his way back. The emergency room was filled with patients who didn¡¯t want treatment; as long as it wasn¡¯t life-threatening, doctors wouldn¡¯t insist too much. After all, hospitals weren¡¯t law enforcement agencies, and they couldn¡¯t detain people for treatment... Later on, he wasn¡¯t interested in other desserts, but whenever he saw egg tarts, he just couldn¡¯t resist. Even though he knew they were excessively high in sugar and fat. "What does this gentleman mean by egg tarts? What kind of dessert is that?" In a moment of distraction, the boss had already approached him, smiling and inquiring politely: "Please tell me in detail, and when the shop succeeds in making it, I¡¯ll invite you to taste it!" "Never mind..." Garrett shook his head. He knew nothing about making desserts, and even if he did explain, it would probably be tens of thousands of miles away from successful production. Why make a small shop spend so much cost? Besides, even if it succeeded, it wouldn¡¯t taste the same as it did when he was a child. However, the boss, still bending at the waist and unwilling to leave, kept pestering him with a smile, asking: "How should I address you, sir? Where do you live? When the shop successfully produces it, I¡¯ll deliver it to your door for you to taste¡ª" "Ah, no need!" Garrett waved his hand repeatedly. Beside him, a classmate with a quick mouth answered for him: "He¡¯s called Garrett Nordmark..." This dinner lasted until late into the night. The students each returned to their lodgings, some living far away or simply lazy¡ªlike those living on the mountain peak, and Garrett, who decided to enjoy the accommodation provided by the magic academy. And as they left, the boss quickly went downstairs, finding the server who had been drenched earlier: "I¡¯ve found out his name, Garrett Nordmark. I¡¯ll continue to investigate tomorrow. How are you? Is the burn serious?" The server looked up from under the lamp. He still had that dumbfounded expression, but his eyes flashed with cold light, and he tightly gripped his thigh with his right hand: "Okay. Hiss..." "Your injury looks very serious!" The boss frowned. Under the dim light, the server¡¯s leg, from thigh to calf, had a burned area the size of three palms, with shiny blisters connecting into one. Near the side of his thigh, closer to his knee, there was even a deep black area, almost revealing the bone. If it were on an ordinary person, this wound would fester, causing fever, and after half a month of suffering, they might recover safely. This server was a professional, and a mere burn might not knock him down, but, coupled with that deep black wound... "Well, it¡¯s quite serious indeed." Being seen by someone, the server no longer acted tough, gasping for breath with each short intake. His thumb turned white as he pinched his thigh, finally looking up to ask: "Do you have any medicine left?" "... This is the last bottle of Holy Water." After hesitating for a moment, the boss took out a small glass bottle and handed it over with trembling hands: "The sea has been heavily patrolled recently, and I don¡¯t know when the next supply will come. Well, when are you going to act? After this is done, can you take me back with you?" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 231 Chapter 231 Marcus Breno was feeling extremely frustrated. He was a nightwatchman for the Radiant Church¡ªsomeone who operated in the shadows, handling tasks for the church that couldn¡¯t be done openly. Tasks like getting rid of a not-so-pious lord, secretly searching for magical items in a noble¡¯s home, or monitoring a big merchant suspected of trafficking contraband... Of course, "respectable people don¡¯t become nightwatchmen." Except for those who were overly devout and had fried brains, or members of the judiciary with particular interests, most of the nightwatchmen were recruited through various peculiar channels. Like Marcus Breno himself, who had been discovered as a teenager in a thieves¡¯ den eradicated by the judiciary... With such a background, it wasn¡¯t easy to expect any special treatment. For example, this time he had been dispatched to the distant pagan kingdom across the sea, the headquarters of evil demons, to investigate the secret of that Dragon¡¯s Breath spell. How could a mere level one junior mage use the Dragon¡¯s Breath spell? Did he obtain some ancient artifact, or was he blessed by the dragon race, or perhaps he acquired a dragon¡¯s nest? The directive from the judiciary¡¯s higher-ups was clear: find this secret, and if possible, bring back the treasure... So he was sent here. After that battle half a year ago, just a map was provided, and the rest was up to him. It was ridiculous. He knew how difficult it was to find an unknown level one mage in such a remote place. The problem was, how could they not even figure out a name after half a year of trouble? And his ship sank! Sank! All the supplies, manpower, everything, all gone. He could only work as a little helper in the city¡¯s outpost, partly to cover his identity, partly to make ends meet... To make matters worse, when he desperately escaped from the ship, he got hit... That mass of black energy was still condensed on his right leg, tormenting him day and night. Marcus Breno grabbed a towel, biting it tightly as he poured holy water on the burn on his thigh. His body trembled violently, veins popping up on his neck, beads of sweat rolling down his arms and thighs. Garrett was oblivious to all of this. He strolled peacefully through the campus in the early morning, taking advantage of the time before the meeting to take a few extra rounds. Oh, there were some green mold spots under this tree, didn¡¯t look like moss, he¡¯d dig them up and take them away; under that piece of wall paint... "Sir! Sir! How many slices of blue cheese would you like?" "Uh..." Oops, miscalculated, this blue one is cheese, not mold... No, wait, the blue in blue cheese is also caused by some kind of mold, just with very little penicillin content? He had a shattered worldview when he read the gossip from his previous life... Garrett immediately took out his wallet: "Give me a pound! No, two pounds!" "Garrett, haven¡¯t you finished eating yet?" Someone called him from behind. Garrett turned around and saw several classmates who had gathered together yesterday, waving to Anthony Valentine, who had entered Thunder Horn with him, with a smile as bright as his golden hair: "Hurry up and finish eating! After we¡¯re done, let¡¯s go and grab a good spot! I heard a legendary master is coming today!" Seven or eight people surged forward. Garrett quickly stuffed the cheese into his spatial bag and walked over to join them. Anthony immediately pushed him into the middle: "Come on, let¡¯s go together! Where did you go early in the morning¡ªright, has your mentor arrived? No? Then come with us, or you won¡¯t get in. Yesterday was a mess, and I didn¡¯t hear what you¡¯ve been up to lately..." Garrett looked around. Among this group of people, there were five who stayed to work on the peak: one in the molding department, one in the illusion department, one in the transfiguration department, one in the protection department, plus one in the enchantment department. They were the first batch to receive offers, and although they could only work in the sub-towers of each department, they were considered outstanding. However, at this moment, these outstanding students were on both sides, surrounding a guy who had been accepted in the second batch because of his mediocre grades¡ªthe one who stayed at school to become an assistant. He was now excited and a little furtive, leading them to the side entrance of the auditorium: "Come on, come on, follow me this way, the staff entrance! Let me tell you, it¡¯s super difficult to get a ticket for this annual meeting. Except for those who got an invitation from the mentor¡ªnone of you, right?¡ªno one else can get in. You can come in the afternoon and evening, but the legendary master will have already left! We assistants are lucky; we¡¯re helping inside and out at the venue. It¡¯s okay to stand closer and listen once it starts. Follow me, but don¡¯t run around!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 232 Chapter 232 The assistant classmate gestured wildly, firing off words like a rapid-fire machine gun, leaving no room for others to interject. As he spoke, two or three students in the group slowed their pace. Anthony Valentine wore an embarrassed expression, glancing around before speaking: "Um... I brought an invitation from my mentor..." As he slowed down, Miles also stopped. In the past half-year, he had grown quite a bit taller, but he still wasn¡¯t average height. He took a step towards the main entrance, then another: "My senior promised to take me in..." The assistant student paused. Looking left and right, noticing that more than just those two were considering leaving, he slumped his shoulders: "Alright, alright, those of you with invitations and someone to bring you in, go through the main entrance. Those without, follow me!" The group dispersed. Garrett remained silent, leisurely following the two ahead towards the main entrance of the auditorium. The auditorium at Bridge Magic Academy was named the Hall of the Wise, which sounded refined, but its appearance belied the name¡ªRe?Ad lateSt chapters at novelhall.com Only From a distance, the entire hall looked like a ferocious black dragon crouching on the ground. The triangular eaves protruded high above the entrance, supported by six slanted pillars on the outer edge, resembling the sharp teeth of a black dragon, ready to snap shut at any moment. The interior corridor was long and dark, almost like walking directly into the mouth of a dragon. Garrett stopped to observe. The hall¡¯s side halls were symmetrical, with wave-shaped roofs and sharp edges, resembling a pair of spread dragon wings. On the towers at the back, which simulated thorns, figures were overlooking and pointing below. Even more terrifyingly, above the main entrance was a real dragon head, just a glance at it sent shivers down one¡¯s spine... Around the edges of the dragon¡¯s teeth, scattered thirty or forty mages, clustering and dispersing continuously. Some were walking back and forth, some were craning their necks to look, some were whispering to each other... As Garrett walked from the edge of the hall to the main entrance, he saw three young mages being called out from the crowd by passing senior mages and led into the hall. Ten steps away from the main entrance, Anthony took out his invitation, holding it silently. Miles looked around as he walked, "Why isn¡¯t my senior here yet... Why isn¡¯t my senior here... Oh, this senior¡ª" He immediately straightened up, adjusting his posture. Beside him, Anthony also stopped, bowing his head respectfully, "Senior." "...Wait, why are you calling him boss?" "Haha... that¡¯s another story..." Sitting in the front row, Garrett actually wanted to escape. Who told him whose seat it was, and why was there a necromancer sitting next to him? "Garrett Nordmark?" The person looked at the badge on his chest, their eyes lighting up. There was only one mage with a level below five who published in Arcane this year, so it was easy to recognize him: "Hello, hello, I¡¯m Bram McCarthy, I¡¯ve heard of you. Hey, how¡¯s that microscope-related project of yours going? I have a friend in the plague branch, and he mentioned you yesterday..." "...", How did debt collection end up here? Garrett shrank instinctively under the gaze of those gleaming eyes: "It¡¯s almost done..." In fact, it was already done, but he didn¡¯t conclude it first, just to scam some funds for penicillin. Now being questioned by the actual sponsor, Garrett felt a bit guilty, his eyes wandering. The other party rushed up to him anxiously: "What¡¯s still missing? Do you need help? If you need help, be sure to tell me. After all, it¡¯s our project in the Black Marsh. Whatever you need, just ask!" "Um..." Garrett blinked, somewhat tempted. A high-level necromancer definitely had better connections and resource-gathering abilities than him... Should he ask this person for some penicillin? Or other fungi? Before he could make up his mind, the seat suddenly lifted up, pushing him to stand up. The necromancer clapped his hands, dispersing the skeletons under Garrett¡¯s chair: "Let¡¯s not talk about this now, go up and receive your award! It¡¯s your turn!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 233 Chapter 233 Garrett walked up the central aisle of the auditorium, stepping onto the platform. There was no one on the platform. The host smiled at him from the side podium, and the archmages sat below, gently applauding. In the midst of his busy schedule, Garrett glanced at his seat and saw a skeleton sitting in it, solemnly raising its bone hands, clapping away... ...What¡¯s the meaning of this? If I don¡¯t finish the task quickly, will I end up like it? And, where are the big shots who were supposed to award me?Explore new novels on He took two more steps forward, slowing down. Hey! I¡¯ve already taken two steps onto the platform! Three steps! If I walk any further, who will give whom the award? At that moment, a thunderclap resounded through the air. Garrett almost jumped back. Blinding flashes of white light filled his vision, even when he immediately closed his eyes, his retinas still saw flashes of black and white, constantly flashing. Garrett squeezed his eyes shut, forcing the tears that welled up to flow out. When he opened his eyes again, a thunderous portal had appeared in front of him, a white flash of lightning respectfully parting on either side. A pair of shiny black leather shoes slowly crossed the threshold. There was the sound of chairs scraping against the floor behind him. The mages stood up in unison, standing at attention, bowing their heads in reverence: "Welcome, Your Excellency, Lord of Thunder." ??? Garrett quickly followed suit and bowed his head. Just before he did, he caught a glimpse of the other¡¯s full appearance: The mage looked very young, with handsome features and neatly combed black hair. His shirt was pristine white, with a perfectly tied bow tie, a meticulously tailored black three-piece suit that wouldn¡¯t look out of place in the previous century. The only thing indicating his extraordinary status was the single eyeglass perched on his nose, crackling with electricity, emitting faint popping sounds. ...Can he see clearly with half of his vision blocked like that? Garrett was curious. The newcomer had reached him, turned slightly, and stood facing the audience below. The thunderous gateway behind him closed inward, disappearing without a trace, and the host immediately exclaimed: "Next, we welcome His Excellency, Lord of Thunder, to present this year¡¯s Rising Mage Award to the winner¡ª" Applause surged once more. The legendary mage glanced at Garrett, pushed his monocle up slightly, and began his speech: This pen contains powerful magical energy. When it is within one foot of you, it will provide you with a constant Mage Armor. When the armor is breached, it automatically triggers a Force Field. You can cast Teleportation once a day while holding it (those above level 7 can specify the destination themselves). A diamond is embedded near the nib of this pen. If you dip the nib into an ink bottle, the diamond will absorb the entire bottle of ink and turn black. Thus, until the diamond returns to transparency, you can write with it continuously without worrying about the ink running out. Young mage, if you really want to put it in your pocket, remember to add a pen cap. Furthermore, due to its shape, you can also use it as a material for Feather Fall... Don¡¯t worry, only Feather Fall can¡¯t damage it." This is really something to save my life... defense, protection, teleportation, Feather Fall... just missing any attack spells. Garrett felt like laughing a little. He held the quill pen, bowed deeply: "Thank you very much, Your Excellency!" These functions are exactly what I wanted! Who wants to fight? If there¡¯s a spy targeting me, I¡¯ll go find the big shots to intervene! And the function of the infinite ink, it¡¯s really thoughtful... This quill pen looks beautiful too! Golden-red! It¡¯s clearly different from ordinary quill pens at a glance! No need to worry about others taking it casually, just stick it into my pocket, and then it drifts away I don¡¯t know where! "Hmph!" The Lord of Thunder turned away disdainfully. What¡¯s wrong with this little guy... No rings, no bracelets, no wristbands, no watches, no necklaces. These are the most common styles of magical equipment. He rejects them all, none of the ready-made templates are useful! During the previous communication, the alchemy master in charge of making the prizes had a fit, pounding the table several times, indicating that he would not take on the job again... Picky, a mere fourth-level mage, what qualifications do you have to be so picky! He really put it in his pocket! The chest of that single-breasted coat was even specially made with a pocket, how ugly! "Don¡¯t think that just because you have this, you can run around! Before you reach level 7, the constant teleportation on it can only teleport within 100 kilometers, and the destination is close to the outer edge of the mountain peak enchantment! If you run too far, you won¡¯t be able to pull yourself back, and no one can save you!" "Yes, Your Excellency! Rest assured, I won¡¯t run around!" Garrett happily accepted the prize and went down. Oh yes, that box is also his, although the appraisal showed that it has no special function, it¡¯s just a box with a magic lock, but it¡¯s so beautiful! It¡¯s adorned with various gemstones! Even if it can¡¯t be used to cast spells, it¡¯s still very valuable! Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 234 Chapter 234 The Annual Arcane Academic Conference, along with the Annual Young Mage Awards ceremony, lasted for three days. The first morning featured the opening ceremony, award presentation, and academic lecture by legendary mages. The afternoons of the first, second, and third days were dedicated to discussions divided by schools and fields of study. The final afternoon included a closing lecture and banquet. Most senior mages either gave lectures or moderated discussions, while individuals like Garrett Nordmark roamed the venue, attending sessions that piqued their interest... Inside and outside were both bustling. Over the course of these three days, news related to Garrett was gathered bit by bit and summarized at the back entrance of the academy¡¯s restaurant, then passed on to operatives by the restaurant owner: "Garrett Nordmark has joined the Thunder Horn, but he hasn¡¯t been to the peak in the past month." "Garrett Nordmark used to frequent the area around Clark Peak. It seems he¡¯s been in the Dwarven Quarter all along..." "Every time he comes down from the Dwarven Quarter, he follows a convoy of cargo caravans. There are at least two dwarves in the convoy, along with a team of cavalry escorts led by a fifth-level knight, and his barbarian companion." "He hardly goes out for a stroll. No, for the past six months, none of our informants in the city have seen him out on the streets." "We¡¯ve found his laboratory! There¡¯s no mistaking it; his name is still hanging on the wall of the lab!" "The laboratory is in a very secluded location..." "Someone is delivering supplies! For the past two months, deliveries have been made every day! The delivery person said that besides Garrett and his barbarian companion, he hasn¡¯t seen anyone else!" The owner squatted under the dim oil lamp, one by one, digging out intelligence from shells, firewood, dirty but shiny purses, and various other strange places to share with the waiter. Marcus Breno cradled his injured leg, curled up in the woodshed, studying the map of Nevis City, his eyes shining brightly: "There¡¯s no need to think about the peak. It¡¯s a gathering place for high-level mages; someone like me would be dead if I went there." "The forge area... the forge area won¡¯t work either. It¡¯s too difficult to get anything out of the dwarves." "An ambush along the way is impossible... I¡¯m injured, and I don¡¯t have the authority to mobilize other personnel this time. This small team won¡¯t be able to handle it. It seems that the only option now is to visit that laboratory." "Help me find out the situation inside. How many people are there, when¡ª"Vissit for updates The owner skillfully continued: "And also the layout of the laboratory, defense measures, surrounding environment, patrol routes, retreat routes... Don¡¯t worry, I know them all! Do you need anything else? I¡¯ll have someone check it out together!" cat scurried back over the wall, dragging its broken tail, then limped away into the wilderness. Marcus clenched his fists with excitement. He found that the barbarian was only active during the day, and the time he was most likely to be distracted was when he was busy doing something. At night, it was quiet around the laboratory. Even if there were patrols passing by, they didn¡¯t stop to check, and they only shone their torches around. Marcus couldn¡¯t see their faces, and they couldn¡¯t see him hiding in the shadow of the wall... The sun sets. The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the sky red, and the stars appeared gradually, as if punctured with tiny holes. The air was filled with the fragrance of roses and the sweet aroma of the night-blooming jasmine in full bloom. Amidst the rustling of the leaves, the howls of wild animals occasionally echoed in the distance. Marcus leaned against the wall, holding his breath, waiting for the patrol to pass by, then quickly jumped up. With a soft leap, he easily jumped over the high wall. He didn¡¯t even need to use any magic, just a little bit of skill in climbing. He landed softly, like a bat, on the soft grass. He looked up at the dark sky and smiled slightly. Tonight, the moon was hidden behind the clouds, the stars were dim, and the surrounding area was pitch black. He was like a fish in water, blending into the darkness. He straightened up and silently approached the laboratory. The iron gate was closed, and the door was tightly shut. There was no light inside, only the sound of heavy breathing and occasional loud noises. Marcus frowned slightly, then looked around. He approached the wall and reached out to touch it gently. The wall was smooth and cold, without any flaws. He took a deep breath and took a step back. He closed his eyes and silently chanted the incantation. The air around him began to vibrate slightly. The sound of his heartbeat gradually synchronized with the vibration of the air, forming a strange resonance. The resonance spread out in all directions, like ripples on the surface of a calm lake, gradually spreading to the surrounding area. Marcus opened his eyes, and the world seemed to have changed. The darkness was no longer silent; it was filled with countless faint sounds. The grass under his feet swayed gently, the leaves on the trees rustled softly, and the air itself seemed to be alive, pulsating with a mysterious rhythm. Marcus smiled slightly and raised his hand. He gently touched the wall again, and this time, he felt a slight vibration. He closed his eyes and focused all his attention on the wall. He could feel the faint echo of his touch, as if the wall was responding to his presence. He concentrated harder, focusing all his energy on the wall. Slowly, he began to sense something, a faint presence, a subtle fluctuation in the air. He narrowed his eyes, trying to discern the source of the disturbance. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his head, as if a knife were being driven into his skull. He cried out in agony and staggered back, clutching his head with both hands. The pain was unbearable, like a thousand needles piercing his brain, like a fire burning through his veins. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to focus, to push through the pain and continue his investigation. He reached out again, ignoring the pain, ignoring everything except the wall in front of him. He could feel the vibrations growing stronger, the presence growing clearer, until finally, he could see it, a faint shimmering in the air, a ghostly outline of something hidden beneath the surface. He gasped in astonishment, his heart pounding with excitement. He had found it, the hidden entrance to the laboratory, concealed beneath a layer of magic, invisible to the naked eye. He smiled triumphantly, his pain forgotten, his mind racing with possibilities. He took a step forward, reaching out to touch the hidden entrance. But before his hand could make contact, he felt a sudden jolt of energy, a surge of power that knocked him off his feet and sent him sprawling to the ground. He cried out in shock and pain, his body convulsing with spasms as the magic surged through him like a tidal wave. He struggled to get up, to fight back, but it was no use. The magic was too strong, too overwhelming. He could feel it tearing through his defenses, ripping through his mind, tearing him apart piece by piece. He screamed in agony, his voice lost in the darkness, as the magic consumed him utterly, leaving nothing behind but a broken shell, a hollow echo of the man he once was. And in the darkness, the laboratory remained silent, its secrets safe for another day. Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 235 Chapter 235 Garrett excitedly returned to the laboratory. The necromancer who sat beside him during the meeting actually helped him out. On the first day of his request, by the third night, he stuffed him with a bunch of various molds. Mold in the corner, under the eaves, forgotten mop, moldy cloth, unfinished melon, forgotten bread in the drawer... Green, blue, half blue and half green, half green and half blue... With such a large pile of various molds, he would definitely be able to cultivate penicillin! Garrett didn¡¯t even wait for the banquet to end. After listening to the band play five songs, seeing the big shots leaving one after another, he hurriedly slipped out. It wasn¡¯t until he got on the carriage that he had a chance to fill his stomach: a piece of fish fillet in his left hand, a meat patty in his right hand, gnawing, gnawing, gnawing... On the way back to the laboratory, all was quiet, and there was no light in the nearby houses. Bernard was already sleeping soundly. When he saw Garrett come in and open the door, he opened his eyes, then turned over and continued sleeping. Garrett didn¡¯t bother to wake him up. He changed into protective clothing by himself, layer by layer opening the airlock to go in, ready to put the mold back into the red zone first. Making the culture medium, inoculating, and then putting these molds in, this task was too big, it couldn¡¯t be done in a short time, so tonight¡¯s task was just to put the molds in... The chains rattled. The airlock opened. The sound of machinery whirred, and Marcus Breno suddenly turned around in front of the iron cabinet, gripping the dagger tightly. - Someone came in. Should he hide? Should he use shadow jumping to temporarily leave here, wait for the other party to leave, and then come back to search? Or - simply take the risk, rush out to hold the intruder, and interrogate them about the location of the treasure? Marcus listened intently. The singing outside the room was getting closer. Amidst the pounding of his own heartbeats, it sounded so light, so carefree. Lucky, Marcus thought, that little mage, he seems completely unprepared... And he didn¡¯t bring his barbarian followers. Marcus carefully identified it. In such a big room, there was only the sound of the footsteps and singing of the little mage. A few days ago, he had personally confirmed in the restaurant that the little mage was only level three, which meant that as long as he acted fast enough and had good luck, he could subdue the other party before alarming the barbarians - Then, the entire treasure of the dragon would be open to him. Marcus silently leaped up. His hands and feet spread out, hanging upside down on the ceiling, motionless. Spider-walking technique allowed people like them who moved in the dark of night to move on the walls and ceiling like spiders. If that little mage would enter the treasure room, then, as soon as he entered the door, he would strike unexpectedly - He patiently waited, like a spider casting a large net, waiting for prey to arrive. Outside the room, the footsteps of the little mage were getting closer, one step, two steps... Suddenly, the footsteps paused, followed by the little mage¡¯s surprised voice: "Huh?" What¡¯s wrong? Did he notice something? Marcus¡¯s heart tightened slightly. Everything he touched along the way, the footprints left behind... No, he didn¡¯t touch anything, the floor was clean, there would be no footprints left. Each door was casually closed, the curtains outside the door... The curtains... He did pull them closed, but, perhaps they didn¡¯t return to exactly the same position! Even a slight wrinkle, a slight unevenness, might be noticed by the little mage outside! No more waiting! Marcus leaped out. The dagger gleamed, and on the sharp blade, reflected a creature dressed inexplicably, with a long bird beak on its head. Garrett suddenly stopped. His hand reached for his waist bag, grabbing a tube of potassium permanganate, while his other hand reached forward, making a casting gesture. Marcus immediately halted his steps. Dragon¡¯s Breath! The little mage¡¯s Dragon¡¯s Breath, which had once consumed a ninth-level knight¡¯s Dragon¡¯s Breath, was coming! But he came prepared this time. The thief took out an amulet and squeezed it hard. A red light silently rose, weaving into a semi-transparent barrier, firmly protecting him inside. Hmph, this is the flame shield given by the court, didn¡¯t expect it, did you? This shield can absorb fire magic, enough to withstand one, even two Dragon¡¯s Breaths! You¡¯re just a level three little mage, without your trump card, let¡¯s see what else you¡¯ve got! Garrett temporarily canceled the Shield Spell. He clenched potassium permanganate in his left hand, extended his right palm flatly, and fiercely spewed out blazing flames, sweeping forward! Clap, clap, clap, clap! The vessels shattered, glass flew horizontally, agar, bacteria, and spores vanished silently, turned into ashes. Garrett had deliberately controlled the range of the spell, not to sweep the shelves nearby. However, at that moment, more culture dishes flew up, the entire wall shelf was lifted up by the thief, crashing down towards him! Damn it! Do you want to die! I¡¯m wearing protective clothing, with a bubble spell, you¡¯ve got nothing but a piece of cloth covering your face! And you¡¯re still throwing things at me! Garrett was furious. He could have used Teleportation to escape immediately, but at this moment, he couldn¡¯t care less, he just wanted to take down the enemy quickly. He cast another Shield Spell for himself, knelt on one knee, and tore off his gloves. His fingertips were exposed in the air, stretched outward, holding a wisp of breeze: "Induce¡ª" In this room, all the bacteria and spores floating in the air, let me - Multiply! Accelerate! Grow! All the culture media spilled out, they are your nutrients! Clean up later! There¡¯s plenty of white fire! Plenty of disinfectant! I¡¯ll deal with you first, kill you, and then clean up! A faint green light surged. Under Garrett¡¯s raging anger, he cast the spell with all his might, and the divine art of multiplication swept through the air, the water on the ground, and even the thief¡¯s body wrapped in black clothes. On his clothes, on the dagger, and even on the thief¡¯s scarf, clusters of mold soon appeared. Marcus was stunned. As a guardian of the Radiant Church, he had also seen similar dark arts and even killed one himself - when he slit the throat of that priest of the dark god, the dark priest was kneeling on the ground, trying to sprout green wheat seedlings. But there was not a single plant in this room, not even a hint of green. What is the other side doing? What does he want to grow to deal with me?! Before he could finish his thought, he suddenly felt a itching in his chest, followed by intense pain. Marcus instinctively bent over, coughing violently. Letting go of his hand, he looked down and saw his palm covered in blood. What kind of dark magic is this... is it a plague spell... Is this little mage, a necromancer? I need to kill him quickly, if I don¡¯t act now, I won¡¯t be able to leave here alive today... Marcus rushed forward suddenly. The black light on the dagger shone brightly, and all his strength, all the constant divine arts of the dagger, were launched, wiping towards Garrett¡¯s throat. This cut was without reservation, and the effect was astonishing. The Shield Spell, the mage armor, silently cracked open, the thick leather protective clothing was cut open, and the bright dagger continued to penetrate - "Boom!" Marcus was thrown outward. In front of Garrett, a force field shield silently popped up, firmly protecting the owner inside. Endless Ink Pen. When the owner¡¯s constant mage armor was broken, the force field shield would be automatically triggered. Inside the shield, Garrett looked at Marcus with fear, glanced at the crack in his protective clothing on his throat, then decisively cast teleportation, the light flashed, and he disappeared without a trace. Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 236 Chapter 236 At the moment Garrett disappeared, Marcus Breno¡¯s legs went weak, and he knelt down on the ground. Only then did he realize how messed up he was. His head was spinning, feeling feverish, and his throat was throbbing painfully. Every breath he took, it hurt from his nostrils down to his chest. Taking off his mask, he forcefully coughed out, half of it phlegm, half blood. His right leg started to ache with each step. Marcus reached out to touch it, burning hot. Not much time left... When that young mage returned with the guards, knights, and even high-ranking mages, he wouldn¡¯t even be able to complete the task, let alone escape! He had to hurry! Marcus pushed himself up from the ground. The hard stone floor was sparkling, with glass shards everywhere. As he pushed, he cut two gashes on his palm. He didn¡¯t care, identified the direction, and headed towards the treasure room in three steps. The tall iron safe was still standing quietly. Marcus couldn¡¯t help but regret a bit. If he had hidden and waited for the young mage to leave, then calmly opened the safe, maybe he could have had a better haul. After all, who said that young mage would definitely come in and definitely open the safe? But now it was too late to think about these things. Marcus switched his weapon to the replica of the "Dagger of Judgement", top and bottom, forcefully cutting open the iron safe. Opening the safe door, a cold air rushed out, freezing him on the spot. "Ah...Achoo!" Marcus turned his head and sneezed. His head hurt more, and his nose felt even more congested. As he looked carefully, he couldn¡¯t see any jewels, dragon scales, or artifacts inside, just rows of glass tubes, standing straight on the top shelf of the safe, surrounded by an unknown cold air. ...What are these? Dragon blood? Dragon marrow? Some kind of potion? He took one tube down and examined it carefully. Dragons were depicted on the tube, with handwritten labels attached, none of which he recognized. Marcus wanted to pull it out to smell, but as soon as he moved, he heard a voice from outside: "Boss! Boss, are you okay?" The voice shook the walls. Marcus panicked, quickly grabbed a tube and stuffed it into his pocket, casually closed the safe door, took a step back, identified the direction, and activated "Shadow Jump" again, escaping in haste. He ran desperately in the darkness for a while, then turned abruptly. A bright white beam had descended from the sky, exactly where the laboratory was. ...They arrived so fast! In such a short time, they¡¯ve summoned high-ranking mages! Run! Marcus turned around and disappeared into the darkness, continuing his frantic escape. Meanwhile, Garrett had already been taken out through the teleportation gate, and his feet touched the ground outside the perimeter wall. ...Garrett was directly teleported to the outskirts of the barrier. As the light faded, he landed on the ground, the first thing he did was cast a sound amplification spell on himself and shouted: "Help! Help! Someone has broken into my laboratory! ¡ª¡ªIt¡¯s going to spread the plague!" The laboratory might have had a leakage of pathogenic bacteria, causing the possibility of an epidemic, so it was essential to report it to the guards ¡ª¡ª No, in this world, it was crucial to report it to the Magic Council! Let them intervene! Block it off! Isolate it! Disinfect it! Investigate¡ª Of course, for such matters, the rulers of the city must be awakened! "Stronger than dysentery!" Garrett pretended he had seen his own thesis ¡ª which he hadn¡¯t seen, and probably wouldn¡¯t be in such a hurry to ask about: "The things I¡¯ve created, at least five or six types, are stronger than the dysentery in Hartland City! And they¡¯re all mixed together! If it spreads, it¡¯s hard to say which one or how many are mixed together!" As he spoke, he began casting healing spells on himself. One after another, the white light flickered continuously. ¡ª¡ªDuring the battle just now, although he had been wearing protective clothing from start to finish, the protective clothing made of leather, it was hard to say how much protective power it had! Not to mention, he had cut a few gashes in the back with his own sword¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ªIf it wasn¡¯t for his thick gloves and helmet, he might have been cut by those flying glass fragments¡ª¡ª If it wasn¡¯t for his rapid response, he might have been accidentally touched by the glass fragments when he opened the door! Who knows if the old dragon blood has been in contact with any contaminated objects! "Understood. Your Excellency, wait here for a while. We will isolate the area immediately, summon all high-ranking mages, and dispatch city guards to guard against any possible suspects." "Okay, okay, okay!" Garrett quickly agreed, "I¡¯ll wait here! I¡¯ll wait here! Do it quickly!" While Garrett shouted, he couldn¡¯t help but secretly pay attention to his surroundings. As soon as he saw a flicker in the air, he quickly identified the position and rushed over. In a hurry, he moved closer and saw a figure moving quietly¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ªCaught him! He couldn¡¯t let this man escape! He was also contaminated! "Capture that guy!" Garrett shouted loudly, "Quickly! Capture him!" A group of knights and guards reacted swiftly. As soon as they heard Garrett¡¯s shout, they didn¡¯t hesitate to summon shields, form a line, and head straight for the enemy! Before long, they had already surrounded the target with a solid defense! But what made Garrett¡¯s heart sink was that the person inside the circle wasn¡¯t Marcus Breno! What was going on? Where did he go? Where was Marcus Breno? Did he escape? No! He couldn¡¯t escape! He was the source of the plague! He must not escape! Garrett was anxious. He didn¡¯t have time to think about how the "enemy" got here or who he was. He quickly rushed forward, grabbed the leader of the guards, and asked: "Where¡¯s Marcus Breno? Where¡¯s Marcus Breno?!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 237 Chapter 237 "Boss! Boss, are you alright?" Garrett heard Bernard shouting desperately as soon as he landed. That barbarian voice, though lacking refinement, was certainly full of vigor, and even through the courtyard and the walls, Garrett could hear it clearly. He shouted back: "I¡¯m here! Open the door!" "Coming!" With a creak, the laboratory door opened, and the barbarian rushed out as if the ground was trembling. Seizing this moment, Master Decar turned to Garrett and asked: "How many invaders? When did you notice? Did you come right away?" "Only one..." Garrett focused his thoughts and reported to the legendary mage. Master Decar listened silently, then snorted: "Why haven¡¯t you advanced yet? With even a bit of second-level magic, you wouldn¡¯t be in such a mess!" Garrett lowered his head, not daring to speak. Master Decar pushed his monocle and looked at the young lad¡¯s head, somewhat satisfied¡ª A mage who could hold his own against a warrior in close combat, retaliate, exchange blows, and even use unique magic to inflict damage. His instincts in battle were quite good indeed. But seriously, how could a child of the Elemental School not know how to fight? We, the Thunder Horn, have always been the Magic Council¡¯s foremost combat force! Of course, his retreat afterward was timely and decisive. Fight if you can win, retreat if you can¡¯t, children should never be reckless. The magic constant scheme of the "Endless Ink Pen" was designed by him personally, with the aim of maximizing the young lad¡¯s chances of survival. Speaking of retreat¡ª He took off his monocle, flicked his finger along the edge, and strands of electric light flew out, shooting in all directions, followed by a beam of white light shooting straight up. Seeing Garrett eagerly looking at him, he casually pointed out: "First, set up a spatial lock to prevent the use of teleportation in the surrounding area. Then summon the nearby patrol teams to seal off the area and capture the intruder. Oh, is the intruder still inside?" Garrett honestly expressed that he didn¡¯t know. The legendary mage waved his hand, and a magical wave swept out: "Gone, escaped. When the patrol team arrives to make arrests, let¡¯s go in first." "Wait!" Garrett hurriedly reached out to stop him. "First, let¡¯s check if there¡¯s any leakage from the laboratory!" That thief, or whatever profession they are, must not have tunneled in and out! "How do you want to check?" The legendary mage raised his chin toward him. Garrett looked at him, then at Carlisle, who was standing beside him. Seeing both of them looking as if to say, "We won¡¯t do anything, figure it out yourself," he pondered for a moment: "Can you enchant me with a spell that can detect heat? Like dim vision or dark vision?" The two high-level mages glanced at each other. Carlisle raised his hand, and a spell fell upon Garrett. Garrett felt a flash before his eyes, and suddenly his vision brightened several levels, as if from night to dusk. He carefully observed his surroundings, shaking his head: "This won¡¯t work. Can we try another one?" Another flash. This time, what appeared before his eyes was a near-black-and-white image, with the door crack of the laboratory and the outlines of several people appearing brighter than the surroundings. Upon closer comparison, the two mages seemed slightly dimmer, while the barbarian¡¯s torso, skin, and especially his mouth and nose, appeared particularly bright. "Then destroy it!" An abjuration mage and an evocation mage walked over together. The temporary mage on duty had a decent expression, even nodded and smiled at Garrett, but the abjuration mage¡¯s face was icy. One hand grabbed the red-robed mage, while the other pointed at the laboratory, saliva flying, spraying the other¡¯s face: "Who approved the construction of this laboratory?! Huh?! How could such a dangerous thing be entrusted to a child to play with? It¡¯s even built in the city, without any protection. If something really happens, won¡¯t the entire council suffer?" "A child" Garrett Nordmark trotted over happily , about to announce that there was no leakage in the outer wall, but was stopped in his tracks by the thunderous roar of the senior mage. A second-level mage¡ªat the time when this laboratory was built, he was still a first-level mage¡ªin the eyes of the high-level mages, had a combat power close to zero. The unspoken rule of the Magic Council was that mages below the fifth level could not independently oversee mage towers, which was equivalent to being unqualified to oversee important projects. Insignificant little things, everyone just pretended not to see them. A laboratory that could potentially destroy a city... How could such a thing be left in the hands of a second-level mage? But¡ª "It can¡¯t be destroyed! The outer walls are intact, there¡¯s no leakage inside at all!!!" Garrett exclaimed. He had purified so many pathogenic bacteria, given a little more time, he could produce penicillin! And can a P4 laboratory be destroyed casually?! Do you want to blow it up, or bury it? With just a little carelessness, pathogens could leak out to the entire city! "It can¡¯t be destroyed!" The necromancy mage on duty was also anxious. He stepped forward, blocking Garrett, facing off against the abjuration mage: "This project was commissioned by us! It¡¯s almost done! I¡¯ve seen it, what¡¯s produced is very potent, extremely useful for our plague branch! We¡¯re responsible for protecting this laboratory. If something goes wrong, Black Crow Swamp will take responsibility!" "It¡¯s not your turn to step forward." Beside the senior mages, the Lord of Thunder snorted coldly. He pushed his monocle, pointed directly at the red-robed mage, and reprimanded him fiercely: "The child doesn¡¯t understand, and you don¡¯t either?! Whatever he wants to do with the laboratory, you just let him do it? How can such a large laboratory have no magical defenses?! ¡ªHe only knows how to prevent leaks, but doesn¡¯t know what defenses are needed against external invaders! What use are you?! Did you not use your brain before approving this project? What¡¯s inside your head? Is it all magma from staying in the Elemental School for too long?" As soon as the legendary mage spoke, the red-robed mage, Sam, straightened up immediately, bowed his head, and stood still, obediently receiving the reprimand. The laboratory, part of Garrett¡¯s reward, with its scale and construction budget determined by the entire Tribunal, was not decided by him alone, nor should he shoulder all the blame. But, being scolded by the teacher... Then just listen, what else can you do but comply? The abjuration mage quietly released his grip, took two steps back, and dodged the legendary mage¡¯s anger. The Black Crow Swamp mage breathed a sigh of relief but also felt a bit resentful, his eyes rolling back and forth between Garrett and the laboratory. As for the other two, they also felt a bit scared in their hearts, only hoping that the Lord of Thunder¡¯s anger wouldn¡¯t fall on their heads, so they didn¡¯t dare to say a word? Master Decar scolded for half an hour straight, electric currents flickering on his monocle as if they could burst out at any moment. The surrounding mages stood solemnly, silently listening, and dutifully accompanying for half an hour. Garrett observed with his eyes, nose, and ears, standing aside with his ears pricked up, finally understanding why the legendary mage had to come in person: If the Lord of Thunder didn¡¯t come, which Tribunal gentleman would write "dismantle" on the laboratory? Could he stop them? Or did he want to watch the senior mages fight on the spot? The storm of reprimands finally came to an end. Master Decar turned to Garrett, his expression softened: "Young lad, since you claim there¡¯s no leakage here, then prove it to us." "Alright! I¡¯ll go in first and tidy up!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 238 Chapter 238 Garrett Nordmark or ¸ñÀ×ÌØ lifted his foot and walked towards the laboratory. Behind him, the protective mage chuckled and called out, "Hey, kid! Are you trying to cover up your tracks and then tell us you didn¡¯t cause trouble?" "These dangers can be killed!" Garrett turned around like a gust of wind. "As long as proper precautions are taken, it won¡¯t infect the user. As long as it¡¯s properly eliminated, it won¡¯t leak out and cause harm!" "That makes sense," the mage in white robes nodded playfully. "Alright then, let¡¯s go in together and take a look." The high-level mages filed in. Upon reaching the changing room, Garrett turned back and stopped everyone, bending down to pull out protective suits from the side. "Masters, please change into protective gear and follow me into the danger zone." The high-level mages of thirteen or fourteen levels looked at each other and couldn¡¯t help but laugh. The mage in white robes from the protective department even laughed out loud. "Protection?¡ªKid, are you talking to me about protection?" "Master, I know nothing of your power." Garrett bowed lightly. "But, I can assure you that the protective measures I use can provide effective protection and won¡¯t bring danger to the outside world. If possible, please follow the laboratory¡¯s requirements and change into protective gear." He pointed to the sign on the wall that read "Danger, No Entry." Among the crowd, the mage from Black Crow Swamp laughed and squeezed forward. "Alright, let¡¯s not make it difficult for the kid... Well, Garrett, um, how do I put on this protective gear?" "You first put on the mask... These are goggles..." Garrett guided him step by step. "Cover your head with an air bubble, then put on the full-body protective suit... Button it up here, and here, press it tight, no leaks..." Master Carlisle and Old Sam exchanged glances and followed suit, clumsily putting on the protective suits together. However, the mage from the protective department looked displeased, standing by with folded arms. Beside him, a mage from the curse department laughed and pulled him, taking out an alchemical puppet and tossing it out. As soon as the puppet landed, it grew, stretching its arms and legs, and in a moment, it was as large as a real person. "How about using this to try?" The mage in white robes snorted, and light flickered on his hand as he conjured up protective shields one after another. The puppet wobbled forward two steps and stood at the door of the changing area. The mage from the curse department took out another puppet and waved to Garrett. "Kid, should I dress it too?" "Sure! Thank you, Master!" Garrett hurried over. The mage from the curse department smiled as he watched him busily, casually asking, "Kid, can you handle wearing this suit? Do you want me to add a couple of shields for you?" "Thank you, Master, no need." Garrett slightly tilted his head, his hands never stopping. "I know what I¡¯ve made. As long as the skin isn¡¯t broken, bacteria like staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli won¡¯t cause any harm; Vibrio cholerae and Salmonella, on the other hand, need to be ingested, so as long as I wash my hands and face before coming out and don¡¯t ingest them, there won¡¯t be any problem; The more troublesome ones are Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Corynebacterium diphtheriae, which can cause problems when inhaled, so I wear a mask, an air bubble over the mask, and a layer of protective clothing over the air bubble. With three layers of protection, nothing can go wrong." His explanation was logical. Even though several high-level mages had never heard of these bacteria, they sounded like @#£¤% to their ears, they understood that he indeed had his reasons. In a moment, Garrett himself was fully equipped. He opened the gate leading to the buffer zone, and the others, wearing protective suits, filed in. The mage from the divination department threw out a secret eye. "Let¡¯s watch here." The secret eye followed the group forward. As the outer airlock descended and the inner airlock rose, the first and second rooms were fine. But as they passed the dissection room, the light curtain of the secret eye displayed a scene that was too gruesome to bear: Half of the shelves in the room had collapsed. Countless glass dishes had fallen to the ground. Clusters of mold, white, green, yellow, and blue, were everywhere. Fragments were strewn across the floor, disregarded and kicked away... "This... this..." The necromancer¡¯s voice trembled with pain. He hurriedly paced back and forth, bending down to move this shelf, kicking that fragment. In a moment, he pounced on the intact shelf, sticking to it and examining each glass dish: "Such a huge loss?! So much has been destroyed? Can it be made up for? How long will it take to make up for it? I told you Carlisle wasn¡¯t reliable, if you¡¯re going into Black Crow Swamp, you can¡¯t let them bully you like this..." Crack! In the dark night, Marcus Breno ran desperately. He had intended to escape into the city. The person in charge of the spy outpost, the innkeeper, even if his faith had been tainted, shouldn¡¯t immediately betray him. At the very least, he could find a channel to help him send things back. As long as he sent things back, the mission would be completed. Completing the mission would earn him points, and with points, even if he couldn¡¯t use them himself, his daughter could exchange them for a dose of Holy Radiance Potion and become a knight... His daughter... Marcus Breno coughed up blood, feeling a slight relief in his breathing. The sound of hooves behind him kept coming, from directly behind, from the left rear, from the right rear. The pursuers had spread out a wide net, pushing him relentlessly towards the outskirts, constantly driving him outwards. At least three teams, dozens of horses, could be heard from the sound. What kind of person was that little mage who was only second or third level? ...And he even brought dogs. The fierce barking approached from behind, Marcus Breno gritted his teeth and plunged into a stream. The icy cold water of winter instantly submerged him, making him shiver, and immediately his chest felt better. Breathing became more and more difficult... if this continued, his strength, even that of a fifth-level knight, wouldn¡¯t be able to match that of the pursuers... He forced himself to wade through the water for a while, but it wasn¡¯t as much as Marcus had hoped for. When dawn was breaking, the barking of the pursuit dogs caught up with him once again. Marcus gritted his teeth, turned back, and retraced his steps, leaping onto a tree by the roadside and lying on a treetop. "He¡¯s up ahead!" "He¡¯s up ahead!" Five riders with hunting dogs and warhorses came rushing over. Just as the last one passed, Marcus suddenly dropped from the treetop, his dagger pressing against the neck of that person. A spurt of blood shot out, and he remained silent, rushing towards the second-to-last one. The three in front were alerted by the sound. Marcus clenched his teeth, his dagger dancing wildly. The third rider fell, then the fourth... just as he was about to take down the last one, he suddenly felt a pain in his chest, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood. In the split second of hesitation, a steel blade swung towards him. Marcus narrowly avoided it, feeling a sharp pain in his left shoulder as a large piece of flesh was cut off. He endured the pain, finishing off the last rider, and with a swift stroke, he killed the hunting dog that was biting his calf. His strength had declined too much... what kind of sinister spell did that little mage cast on him? Even if he only had the strength of a fifth-level knight, it would be impossible for him to get injured after taking down that group of people... Marcus pressed his chest, coughing twice. He took off a set of cavalry armor and put it on, then picked a warhorse for himself, tied up the dead riders on their warhorses, whipped each one in a different direction, and drove them away. Continue on the road! Escape, or find a teleportation point set up by the church, and send things back! Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 239 Chapter 239 An hour after the battle, the second team of pursuers reined in their horses and began inspecting the scattered traces on the ground. "There was a battle here." "No doubt about it¡ª" The second cavalryman dismounted, stooping down to examine the disturbed earth with narrowed eyes. Suddenly, he drew his sword and stabbed the ground a few times, lifting several clumps of soil in succession: "There¡¯s blood. And quite a lot of it." "One person couldn¡¯t have bled this much." "The scene has been tampered with. The ones who cleaned up the scene..." He almost lay on the ground, spreading his thumb and forefinger as far apart as possible, measuring the footprints on the ground: "Only one. If our side had won, there would be no need to bury the bloodstains before leaving, so¡ªit¡¯s that intruder who harmed our brothers!" "Find him, track him down!" With his command, the squad dispersed, searching in all directions for traces. Before long, the cavalrymen began reporting: "I have horseshoe prints here!" "There are some in the direction behind us too! Judging by the depth of the prints, someone was riding!" "To the left, down the slope, there are crushed grass leaves all the way!" "There¡¯s also a fork to the right up ahead!" "This..." The captain hesitated. Lowering his head in thought, he pulled out a copper tube, vigorously striking the flint to ignite the fuse. The flare soared into the sky, and the captain turned to his subordinates: "Continue the search! We must find more traces so that when reinforcements arrive, they can determine the target¡¯s location!" And so, Marcus Breno successfully delayed the pursuers¡¯ steps. He rode wildly, traversing mountains and rivers, erasing his scent by wading through water, tirelessly wandering back and forth all day, and amazingly managed to elude the pursuers. ¡ªHowever, he was gradually reaching his limit. His forehead was burning. Breathing was difficult. All the dry rations he carried were gone, and though he had found some black bread on the bodies of the few cavalrymen he killed, when he took a bite, the fiery pain spread from his gums to his palate. He managed to swallow down half a piece, but before long, he vomited it all out. Is there... anywhere he could rest for a moment... Marcus lay on the ridge, looking down below. In the twilight, smoke rose from the foot of the mountain, where a small village lay. A stream flowed out of the valley, winding its way past the village, then curved into a long oval lake. In the center of the lake rose a small island, densely covered with vegetation, resembling an open eye when viewed from afar. Marcus¡¯s spirits lifted. That island¡ªthat lake shaped like an eye, he had seen it on the map before he set out, with a teleportation array of the Holy See! As long as he could make it here, his mission would be at least halfway accomplished! Observing the path down the mountain for a moment, he dismounted and turned his horse. Patting its rump, the horse neighed and took a few steps before standing still in confusion. Marcus, resolute, drew his dagger and stabbed it into the horse¡¯s flank. Startled, the horse immediately galloped along the mountain path. With the sound of hooves fading away, it was soon out of earshot. Then, the thief turned and dashed towards the direction of the village along the steep slope without a path, cutting through thorns and bushes, racing straight towards the village. He was originally an eighth-level thief. Despite consecutive injuries and illnesses, weakening his strength further, he was still much stronger than an ordinary person. The overgrown slope of the hill could hardly be traversed by ordinary villagers, but it didn¡¯t hinder him much. In the blink of an eye, covered in grass and dirt, he stood at the foot of the mountain, looking towards the village from afar. Night fell fastest in the valley. Often, there would still be twilight on the ridges, but once in the valley, it was almost impossible to see the vegetation on the roadside. Marcus walked outward based on his memory, and in no time, he saw a dozen or so houses in the small village, with flickering lights and the faint aroma of food drifting in the wind. Marcus hesitated for a moment. He didn¡¯t want to kill unnecessarily, so instead of walking straight in, he cautiously circumvented the village along the fence, intending to steal some food and leave. After walking a few tens of steps, he saw shimmering water not far away¡ªit was a reservoir dug by the villagers. The gurgling spring water sounded refreshing, and Marcus suddenly felt thirsty. He bent down by the pool, cupping water to drink. After just three or four sips, he felt discomfort in his chest and abdomen, churning like a stormy sea. Marcus tried to turn his head away, but it was too late. With a retching sound, the contents of his stomach surged out from his mouth and nose. Threads of vomit spread out in the pool, mingling with remnants of the dry rations he had eaten during the day. Soon, the boat reached the island. Marcus leaped out first, holding the boat steady for the little girl to disembark. Then, he pulled the boat ashore and looked around. The island was not big, only about two acres in size. However, it was densely covered with trees and bushes, forming a natural barrier. In the center of the island stood a quaint wooden house, surrounded by a neat vegetable garden and a chicken coop. Smoke curled up from the chimney, and the sound of laughter and chatter came from inside the house. The little girl tugged at Marcus¡¯s sleeve and said excitedly: "Let¡¯s go, big brother! My father is waiting for us!" Marcus nodded and followed Anna towards the house. As they approached, the door opened, and a middle-aged man with a kind face stepped out. He wore a simple linen shirt and trousers, with a wooden pipe in his mouth. Seeing Anna, he smiled and said: "Anna, you¡¯re back! Did you pick some berries again?" "Yes, dad! And I made a new friend! This is big brother!" Anna pointed at Marcus with a smile. The man¡¯s gaze fell on Marcus, and his expression changed slightly. He seemed to sense something unusual about Marcus, but he quickly smiled and extended his hand: "Welcome, big brother. I¡¯m Julian, the village chief. Please come in and have some tea." Marcus hesitated for a moment before shaking hands with Julian. He felt a warm and sincere energy emanating from the man, dispelling the doubts and fears in his heart. With a nod, he followed Julian into the house. The interior of the house was simple but cozy. A fire was burning in the fireplace, and a pot of tea was simmering on the stove. A middle-aged woman with a gentle smile was sitting at the table, peeling potatoes. When she saw Marcus, she greeted him warmly: "Welcome, young man. I¡¯m Julian¡¯s wife, Sarah. Please have a seat and make yourself at home." Marcus nodded gratefully and took a seat at the table. Julian poured him a cup of tea and sat down opposite him. The atmosphere was peaceful and harmonious, far removed from the chaos and violence of the outside world. As Marcus sipped his tea, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder: Who were these people, and why were they so kind to him? Was it just their nature, or did they have some ulterior motive? Before he could ponder further, Anna suddenly exclaimed: "Dad, big brother is injured! Look, there¡¯s blood on his clothes!" Julian¡¯s expression changed slightly as he glanced at Marcus¡¯s torn and blood-stained clothes. He frowned and asked: "Big brother, what happened to you? Were you attacked by bandits?" Marcus hesitated for a moment before nodding: "Yes, I was attacked by a group of bandits. But I managed to escape and stumbled upon your village. I apologize for intruding like this." Julian¡¯s expression softened, and he shook his head with a smile: "Don¡¯t apologize, big brother. You¡¯re welcome here. We may be a small village, but we believe in helping those in need. Sarah, could you bring some bandages and medicine? Let¡¯s take care of his wounds." Sarah nodded and quickly fetched a first aid kit from a cupboard. She carefully cleaned and bandaged Marcus¡¯s wounds, applying a soothing salve to ease the pain. Marcus couldn¡¯t help but feel touched by their kindness and compassion. As he sat by the fire, surrounded by the warmth of the family, Marcus felt a sense of peace and tranquility wash over him. For the first time in a long while, he felt safe and at ease, far away from the dangers and hardships of the outside world. As he sipped his tea and listened to the crackling of the fire, Marcus couldn¡¯t help but wonder: Could this village be his sanctuary, a place where he could find refuge from the chaos and turmoil that plagued the land? Only time would tell. But for now, he would cherish this moment of respite, grateful for the kindness of strangers who had welcomed him with open arms. And so, Marcus Breno found himself embraced by the warmth and hospitality of the village, his heart filled with hope and gratitude as he embarked on a new chapter of his journey. Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 240 Chapter 240 "Ouch... I¡¯m exhausted..." Garrett staggered and collapsed to the ground. Seven or eight rooms, the entire red zone! All cleaned up by him alone! Pouring disinfectant water by the pitcher! Splashing it by the bucket! The record room, the material preparation room, were somewhat better, not heavily contaminated, at most, just searched by the thief. The dissecting room was also okay, but the bacterial culture room, he painstakingly wiped inch by inch! T_T The ceiling! The floor! The walls! The broken culture dishes had to be disposed of according to medical waste standards, put into sharp object boxes (sorry, none available, only individually packed in large pottery jars), then incinerated with white fire! Since coming here, he hadn¡¯t done such strenuous physical work! Cleaning everything wasn¡¯t enough. Next up, sampling the entire house and conducting bacterial culture experiments! Dozens of culture dishes were set up in the laboratory, one by one, opening and closing lids, conducting sedimentation bacteria tests! Those grand magicians stood by with their hands folded, not willing to lend a hand! Even the necromancer followed beside him step by step, whenever Garrett did something new, he would come over to take a look and ask: "Why are you splashing water on the ceiling?" "Why are you randomly sprinkling around?" "What are you cooking? Soup? We don¡¯t eat... " "What? Not for us to eat? " "It¡¯s so stuffy! Can I take off the protective suit? No? Can I go out? What? Not allowed either?" "What are you doing? The lid is still open!" "Came back to close it... couldn¡¯t you have just closed it directly earlier?" Garrett: "..." You can at least help me with something during all these questions! Finally, when all the cleaning was confirmed complete, Garrett collapsed directly on the floor upon returning to the cleaning area. Suddenly, his collar tightened, lifted by a hand and spun around in place. Garrett¡¯s brain was still dizzy as he was placed on a chair, raised his hand, lifted his foot, assuming the least strenuous position possible. Glancing sideways, the hand holding him had no muscles, no skin, not even joints or ligaments, just a skeletal hand! Seeing him looking over, the skull collapsed with a clatter... collapsed... collapsed... still extended a bony hand, patting its bones, picking up the skull and placing it on top, trying not to take up much space. Looking at the necromancer again, the black-robed grand magician casually turned his head, pretending the skeleton wasn¡¯t summoned by him. Garrett: "..." Thank you! "Why bother with this." Seeing him collapsed and not even wanting to move his fingers, the two energy manipulation grand magicians both felt sorry for him and couldn¡¯t help but laugh. The white-robed mage from the protection department even added: "And you insist on wearing that suit, why bother! Putting it on and taking it off, plus a shower, wastes at least an hour!" "... Look at your puppet." Garrett retorted weakly in the presence of his seniors. The white-robed mage raised an eyebrow, and beside him, two metal puppets swayed and walked towards their master. He immediately leaned over, joining the curse mage and the divination mage to observe: These two puppets were originally identical, but after going through the hazardous area, they had some differences. The one wearing the protective suit had a layer of moisture on its body, while the one relying solely on magic, without protective gear, had some undried disinfectant water on its feet. Visually, neither of them had any damage. "Don¡¯t disturb me... let me sleep..." Garrett mumbled and turned over. The person persisted, pushing him: "Get up! They found the person, but the thing is gone! The grand magicians are looking for you!" "If it¡¯s gone, it¡¯s gone..." Garrett burrowed deeper into the blanket, unable to resist the noise, so he simply pulled the blanket over his head. Beside his bed, Aurora Worton was rubbing her hands, eager to try again, but was stopped by Bernard. The barbarian made a "hush" gesture, silent for a moment, then exclaimed with frustration: "Save people ah!!!" "Where?!" Garrett sprang up. Only when he woke up could he accept the information. Garrett got out of bed, brushing his teeth and washing his face while listening to Aurora¡¯s report: They did find the intruder, but he was already dead; The three stolen test tubes were nowhere to be found, and a teleportation array was found under the intruder¡¯s body, highly suspecting that the items had already been sent away; The destination of the teleportation array is being analyzed by the grand magicians and should have results by tonight... "Has the dead body been sterilized?" Garrett sprayed out toothpaste along with his toothbrush. Aurora quickly reassured him: "Yes, it¡¯s been sterilized! The grand magicians froze the corpse directly, and the entire cave and tunnel where the teleportation array was found were washed with disinfectant water to ensure there are no problems!" Heaven knew that since the night before last, his senior brothers and sisters, and their disciples, had been making disinfectant water day and night, almost going crazy! Distillation water, refined salt, power on, large bags of lime gathered, collecting flammable gas, collecting caustic soda... Four laboratories were bustling, working at full capacity. When has the 375th floor of the Tower of Heaven ever done such rough work! "As long as it¡¯s been sterilized." Garrett finally breathed a sigh of relief. He hurriedly tidied up and immediately grabbed Aurora: "Where was the dead body found? Was everything sterilized along the way? Take me there, I want to sample and analyze!" "Isn¡¯t that necessary...?" Aurora hesitated. Another magician had already walked over from the next room: "I¡¯ll take him!" "Grand Magician!" Aurora immediately bowed. Garrett looked in the direction of the voice and saw Lord Thunder Horn, as well as other members of the review committee, had already left, leaving only the black-robed necromancer lurking and refusing to leave. Outside the door, two skeletal horses stamped their hooves, saddles ready. Opposite the necromancer, the member of the manipulation department, the Grand Magician Carlisle, who called Old Sam, was like a sheepdog guarding against wolves, sticking to the necromancer without leaving an inch. His black face level was almost as dark as the necromancer¡¯s skull. "Take me there!" Garrett had started packing. He didn¡¯t care who would take him, tossing things into the spatial bag one after another: Culture dishes, culture medium, microscope, glass rod for guiding spells, and anything else you could think of. Oh, don¡¯t forget the coins, and the bell carrying the "coins", so he could do whatever he needed at any time: "That guy ran away, and I¡¯m going to analyze and sample everything along the way to make sure there¡¯s no bacterial leakage! Plus disinfectant water, and the bleach you¡¯re going to make, take as much as you can carry!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 241 Chapter 241 It¡¯s so enjoyable to go out with the big shots... Garrett Nordmark sat on the back of a Shadow Steed, looking around happily. Archmage Sam summoned three Shadow Steeds in one breath¡ª one for himself, one for Garrett, and one for Aurora Worton. They headed straight to the capture point. It seems the Death Mage¡¯s bone horse was still shunned... These Shadow Steeds, they run faster than regular horses and more steadily. Treading water is like treading flat ground, treading swamps is like treading flat ground, treading air is like treading flat ground. Without needing to take detours and with few turns required, even Garrett¡¯s mediocre horsemanship didn¡¯t feel strained while riding the Shadow Steed. Oh, the only regret was that the barbarian was left behind in the laboratory to guard. He didn¡¯t get to come along. The advantage of the fast horse speed and straight path was that they arrived at the teleportation array location in just about an hour. The small island was bustling with people, with at least two to three dozen cavalry crowded together, and a circle of people on the lakeshore. As soon as Garrett landed, he rushed to the shore: "Where did that guy enter the water? Where did he come ashore? Make way, make way!" The leading knight glanced at him, then at the high-level mage behind him, and silently pointed to a location. Garrett immediately got to work, digging soil, preparing dilution solutions, and doing bacterial cultures; taking water samples, diluting them, and doing bacterial cultures... After a flurry of rapid operations, spellcasting, staining, and microscopy, Garrett looked at the image under the microscope with tears in his eyes. "Vibrio cholerae, Bacillus anthracis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Clostridium tetani, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa... This guy carries everything!" He regretted activating that fertility spell during the battle! Now, he had caught everything from that guy and spread it all the way here! "Aurora! Disinfect the ground! Everywhere on the island, by the lake, give it all a wash! Throw bleach in the lake! How much? 2.5 grams per cubic meter of lake water, calculate it yourself! Master, please immediately issue orders for everyone to wash their hands and change clothes as soon as possible, no drinking raw water from the lake, boil it before drinking!" "Is it that serious?" Old Sam furrowed his brow slightly. On the other side, Aurora Worton was already shouting: "Boss!¡ªWe don¡¯t have enough bleach!" "Start by sprinkling a layer! Everywhere that guy swam past! Use it sparingly, we need to disinfect the entire path he escaped from!" "How much bleach is needed for that..." Aurora cried out in dismay. Anyway, Garrett¡¯s orders were quickly passed down. "Master, it¡¯s really necessary." He sighed helplessly: "If we had time, I could do animal experiments to demonstrate the danger of epidemic spread. But what we lack now is time¡ª" Cholera has a minimum incubation period of only a few hours, anthrax also only a few hours, and diphtheria has a minimum incubation period of 1 day. That thief has been out for 36 hours already; if unlucky, it may have already started spreading in some places! Even a short animal experiment would take a day or two, but they couldn¡¯t afford to wait! "Master, please, one more time." Garrett bowed deeply: "Take me along the escape route of that guy. Villages, towns, places where people gather, all need to be disinfected as a priority. Hopefully, there¡¯s still time¡ª" Archmage Sam¡¯s dark eyebrows furrowed. Thinking of the excited look of the Death Mage and the horrified expressions of the prophecy committee members, he sighed: "Fine, I¡¯ll trust you once more. - Get someone to guide us! Someone from the prophecy department, someone who knows tracking magic, guide us along the way!" The Archmage, a member of the review committee, at least had some authority. Soon, four Shadow Steeds lined up in a row, with the prophecy mage leading the way, casting a green light and pointing ahead: "Follow the stream! That guy came down along the creek¡ª" The Shadow Steeds followed the creek upstream. Before long, they arrived at a village at the foot of the mountain. Old Sam dismounted first, jumped off the horse, and looked around: "How¡¯s the situation?" Garrett¡¯s face had already changed. He rushed into the first farmhouse, sniffing hard. There was a foul smell permeating the room; rushing to the second farmhouse, the stench persisted; after circling twice, he found himself near the village¡¯s corner, next to the cesspool, and even before he got close, he saw patches of watery feces on the ground¡ª "Signal immediately!" He turned around like a gust of wind, rushing over, and urgently braking three steps in front of Old Sam: "Gather the priests! Block the village! The epidemic has broken out! It¡¯s cholera!!!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 242 (1) Chapter 242 (1) It¡¯s cholera¡ªor rather, the outbreak in this small village is likely cholera. Although bacterial microscopy hasn¡¯t been performed yet, the appearance of feces-like rice water on the ground has provided him with enough information: most likely, more than 90% probability, it¡¯s cholera! Garrett, nervous on one hand, inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief. Naturally, there was tension; after all, apart from the plague, cholera was one of the notorious class A infectious diseases. He hadn¡¯t yet isolated and purified Yersinia pestis, so the most terrifying epidemic he might currently face would be cholera. But the relief was genuine as well. If it were anthrax, besides immediately returning to the laboratory and gambling on quickly producing penicillin, his only option would be to summon the priestly bigwigs; If it were tetanus... Tetanus wasn¡¯t transmitted from person to person, but trying to produce a tetanus vaccine within a few days was even harder than gambling on producing penicillin; If it were botulism... that... Victory and defeat are common in military affairs, so please start over again, young hero... Luckily, it¡¯s cholera. Cholera, this disease, had a sudden onset, severe symptoms, and rapid transmission. From any perspective, it was truly worthy of the title of a class A disease. However, as long as it was blocked at the source¡ª Garrett looked around and rushed towards the tallest, largest farmhouse. From the outer wall to the roof and then to the floor, this farmhouse was entirely built of logs, with the bark still intact on the outer wall, showing its roughness to the extreme. The person who could build such a house could be imagined to be muscular. And after Garrett pushed open the door, he did indeed collide with a giant man and almost flew backward... "Ouch!" "Who?" Garrett¡¯s back hit the door frame, and he groaned in pain, almost unable to speak. He shouldn¡¯t have left Bernard behind. He must find a way to carry the barbarian with him in the future... But the giant man didn¡¯t even waver. His huge hands picked Garrett up by the shoulders, turned him aside, and under the light, looked at him: "Young mage? What are you here for?" Garrett gritted his teeth and reached back to rub his back. After rubbing twice, he finally managed to catch his breath: "Where is your village chief? The village has an epidemic! Many people are sick! I am a healer, and I am here to help you!" "A healer?" The giant man was skeptical. He took two steps forward, bent down to look. Garrett felt a shadow cast over him, enveloping him from head to toe. Instinctively, he stepped back, and the giant man seemed to sense something, straightened up, and squatted down: "Young mage?" Garrett: "..." Garrett emerged from behind him. With a glance, he felt much more relaxed: There were no signs of severe dehydration, such as vomiting or diarrhea on the spot, being unable to walk, or wrinkled skin and sunken eyes. If it reached severe dehydration, he would either leave it to fate or gamble with healing spells... With a relaxed mind, Garrett immediately showed a gentle smile. He stretched out his arms and opened them to both sides: "Hello, everyone. I am a servant of the god of nature, here to help you. ¡ªUp to now, those with diarrhea, vomiting, or any other discomfort, please come to my left. Those without discomfort, please come to my right." Dozens of farmers and village women looked at each other and began to move slowly. After a few roars from the giant men, their movements finally sped up slightly, from the speed of snails to the speed of turtles. Garrett didn¡¯t urge them, patiently waiting for one or two minutes, and then fifteen or sixteen people were standing on his left. There were more men than women, more adults than children. Garrett counted silently, comparing it with the textbooks in his memory, feeling more and more certain: "One village, one-third of the population is sick. Without a doubt, this is an epidemic!" A series of exclamations rang out. In the queue of patients, an old woman with a waxen complexion staggered and collapsed. More voices screamed. Beside the old woman, a wan-looking young woman tried to hold up the old woman¡¯s body with all her might, but suddenly turned pale and squatted down, clutching her stomach. Garrett immediately walked towards them. As he walked, he raised his voice: "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here! But I can¡¯t handle it alone, and one person¡¯s healing spells can¡¯t cure so many people. So everyone must follow my instructions! As long as everyone listens to the arrangements, everyone will be fine, definitely!" He directed the patients into the house. After inspecting them one by one and confirming that there were no critically ill patients, he turned around and grabbed the burly man who had come out first: "Listen! This epidemic is caused by eating or drinking unclean things! I don¡¯t know where is unclean now, and I don¡¯t have time to find out. You tell everyone, no drinking raw water! Before eating or drinking, it must be boiled. Before meals or after using the toilet, wash your hands! Wash them with soap!" Two large blocks of soap were thrown over. They were hard and rough, made by Garrett himself in the laboratory when he was idle. His craftsmanship was really average, and the appearance was unspeakable, but the burly man treated them like treasures, holding them in his hands, bowing respectfully to receive them. "Oh, and are there still people missing?" "Yes! Old Barry, Feichi, little Frola¡ª" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 242 (2) Chapter 242 (2) "Go find them! Send the healthy ones to find them! Before I¡¯m done, I want to see everyone here!" Garrett turned and entered the house. Listening to the roar of the strong man outside, Garrett took out pen and paper, showing the most friendly smile possible. He went along the line of bedding in the house, asking questions one by one, diagnosing one by one: "Grandma, how old are you? How many times have you had diarrhea since yesterday? When was the first time? Have you vomited? Is your stomach hurting now? Give me your hand... Let me take a look at your fingers... Have you urinated..." Before he could finish two questions, the old woman bent over and began to vomit heavily. Garrett hurriedly went to support her, trying to pay attention to the color and shape of the vomit while supporting her, too busy to notice the dirt on himself. After a while, the vomiting finally subsided temporarily. The old woman was exhausted and collapsed on the bedding, while the young woman knelt beside her, wiping the floor with a cloth. After a few wipes, her face turned pale, and she ran out. Garrett didn¡¯t have time to attend to her. He continued to ask questions and examine patients, recording hastily: Elderly female patient, 55 years old... considered elderly in this world. Five episodes of diarrhea since early this morning, first passing yellow-brown watery stool, then passing rice water-like stool... projectile vomiting occurred after the last two episodes of diarrhea... Dry skin and mucous membranes, no signs of sunken eye sockets (?) He couldn¡¯t judge the sunken eye sockets of foreigners accurately... slight hoarseness in voice... normal urine output... normal pulse... This is basically mild dehydration, at most moderate. Garrett quickly made the diagnosis and comforted her in a soft voice: "Grandma, you¡¯re not seriously ill now, just rest well and drink plenty of water. ¡ªAurora! Come watch them and boil water!" Aurora Worton, the versatile tool mage, hurried over. Garrett issued a series of orders:Updated chapters at novelhall.com "Get someone to boil water! Boil it! It must be boiled! After boiling, cool it down to a drinkable temperature, then add sugar and salt¡ª" A bag of white sugar, a bag of refined salt, and a bag of baking soda, were thrown to the ground at Aurora¡¯s feet. Garrett tore off another piece of paper, calculated in his mind, and wrote down the proportions, handing it to her: "After mixing, pour water for each patient, use bowls or cups to serve and place them beside them, 750 milliliters per person! Drink one round every hour! Quick, go boil water now, I want to see the first patient drinking water when I finish diagnosing the last one!" "Time is money, my friend!" The little demon responded. Garrett gave him a gold coin, rushing to give orders: "Demon, you carve a hole in the bottom of the wooden tub, close to the bottom, then connect it to the tap... The valve on the tap must be like this..." In a few words, along with a drawing, he outlined what he needed. A spare piece of iron was thrown out, and the little demon stretched out his hands, silently melting, reshaping, and solidifying in the light. When the light disappeared, the foot-operated water tap Garrett wanted was securely attached to the tub. It should be fine now... Fill it with water, throw in some bleach, disinfect, and it can be used for handwashing. Later, when I go to check on the patients, disinfection and cleaning, let Aurora handle it... Garrett pondered to himself. Before he could finish his breath, chaos suddenly erupted in the wooden house. A dozen voices called out at the same time: "Priest! Priest!" "I¡¯m coming!" Garrett rushed over. In the center of the wooden house, a giant man¡ªwhether he was called Burton or Aug¡ªwas kneeling, holding a limp little girl. The girl¡¯s bright red hair hung down like withered leaves, her lips were dry, her eye sockets were sunken, and her chubby cheeks were starting to look shriveled. When he lifted her hand, wrinkles were clearly visible. Damn it! At least moderate dehydration, and it might even be progressing to severe! At this stage, hydration alone won¡¯t work, it¡¯s a bunch of dangers! The first old lady Garrett treated and the young woman next to her anxiously huddled around the little girl. Seeing Garrett come in, the two of them looked up, almost throwing themselves at his legs: "Priest! Save little Florla! Save her! Our son Stan died in battle last year, and we only have her left!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 243 Garrett¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but race. The illness he was facing now, at its mild stage, could be managed with vigorous administration of sugar-salt water, or WHO-recommended oral rehydration solution. Moderate dehydration might require intravenous fluid supplementation, but when it progressed to severe dehydration... Muscle spasms! Hypokalemia! Uremia, acidosis! Cardiac failure! Acute renal failure! Acute pulmonary edema! Which one is easy to deal with! If it were in the emergency department, he would have started yelling by now: "Emergency blood gas! Electrolytes! Creatinine! Open the intravenous access! Start IV fluids!" And he would have to prepare hydrocortisone or dexamethasone, epinephrine, or dopamine to maintain blood pressure at the shock level, and so on and so forth... But he didn¡¯t have anything on hand now! No blood gas analyzer, no electrolyte analyzer, no injection needle¡ªeven if he could immediately have the little demon conjure up an injection needle, sterilized it under high temperature and pressure, he still couldn¡¯t produce sufficiently pure, sterile intravenous fluids! Given the current situation, if he were to administer intravenous fluids recklessly... Hey, septicemia is watching you. He didn¡¯t even have antibiotics to suppress it! Garrett could only do his best with what he had. Without intravenous injection, he could only resort to oral administration, but, of course, the first thing to do was to conduct a thorough examination! The girl was covered in filth from head to toe. Garrett ignored it, knelt beside the girl, and took out his stethoscope, pressing it against her chest. Listening to her heartbeat while feeling her pulse, he quickly gave orders: "Feel her calf muscles, see if there¡¯s any cramping!" "Cramping!" The young woman trembled as she felt the girl¡¯s calf muscles. Garrett sighed inwardly: calf muscle cramping, or gastrocnemius spasm, was a manifestation of vomiting and diarrhea, leading to massive sodium and salt loss. As for the pulse, the sensation under the fingertips was fast and weak, almost imperceptible... The heart rate was fast, but in terms of heart sounds, there were no signs of atrial fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia¡ªmeaning, hypokalemia wasn¡¯t severe enough to significantly affect the heart. The breath sounds weren¡¯t too bad either, no crackles were heard, and the patient didn¡¯t exhibit signs of pulmonary edema such as chest tightness, orthopnea, coughing up pink frothy sputum, or distended neck veins. "Little sister, are you thirsty?" Garrett asked softly. The little girl lifted her head slightly, her lips parted, but she couldn¡¯t produce any sound. Garrett urgently shouted: "Aurora! Bring water over here!" "Coming!" Aurora Worton held a bowl of sugar-salt water in her hands, bent over, leaned forward, and walked briskly with small, duck-like steps. He knelt down, brought the bowl of water to the girl¡¯s lips, and the girl opened her mouth slightly but couldn¡¯t swallow. As soon as a spoonful of sugar-salt water entered her mouth, it quickly flowed out from the corners of her mouth. "Let me feed her!" the young woman hurriedly reached out to take the bowl. Garrett blocked her with his elbow: "No. Let me figure it out!" He had to make do with what he had! Garrett jumped up and rushed outside. Despite the urgency, he couldn¡¯t afford to make mistakes. He thoroughly washed his hands to ensure that most of the bacteria on his hands were washed away, returned to his original position, and began to give orders: "Let her lean to the side! Don¡¯t lie flat or sit up straight! Good, that¡¯s it!" "Keep drinking! Drink as much as you can!" Oral rehydration! The healing spell continued! Although he was an emergency surgeon, Garrett had also read literature. The improvement of cholera patients wasn¡¯t supposed to be this quick. The guidelines mentioned how things should progress within the first six hours, and then within 24 hours. But now, the improvement was immediate; within an hour, the girl¡¯s condition had shifted from severe dehydration back to moderate! Moderate, where death wasn¡¯t so imminent! "Garrett! We¡¯re here!" The sound of urgent hoofbeats. Before the people arrived, their voices preceded them. In a moment, Elder Wood strode in with purposeful steps. Upon surveying the scene, he halted in the center, slamming his oak staff: "Garrett! Step aside!" Garrett quickly moved aside, almost stumbling, and pressed himself against the wall. Elder Wood bowed his head in prayer, with five or six disciples behind him, gripping their oak staves and chanting prayers in unison: "Great god of nature! You protect us, nurture us, comfort us, and guide us. We are all your children; you nourish our bodies and soothe our souls. Now, your children are afflicted with illness. May your grace heal them..." Flickers of white light appeared at the tip of each staff, then gathered above the heads of the priests, converging into a single point before exploding outward, scattering sparkles. Soon, the patients¡¯ complexions improved, and they began to rise. "Thanks to the god of nature!" "Thanks for the grace of the god of nature¡ª" Half of the people surrounded Elder Wood, while the other half surrounded Garrett, expressing their gratitude in a continuous chorus. Garrett quickly inquired about their conditions, and the patients clamored to respond: "My stomach doesn¡¯t hurt anymore!" "I don¡¯t feel like vomiting anymore!" "I¡¯m not having diarrhea anymore!" Their smiles were truly radiant. Garrett couldn¡¯t help but smile too, but his medical instinct urged him to shout: "Don¡¯t crowd here! Go wash your hands! Take a bath! Cleanse thoroughly, soak your clothes in disinfectant, soak the houses, soak the floors, everything! Hurry up! ¡ªA little dirt might trigger another epidemic!!!" He shouted and gestured, driving all the villagers out of the wooden house to clean themselves. Elder Wood wiped the sweat from his forehead and approached Garrett: "How did this epidemic suddenly break out? I rushed over as soon as I received the news, and so many people were already sick! If you hadn¡¯t noticed, half the village might have died!" More than half... Garrett shrugged. As for the cause of the epidemic, he felt somewhat embarrassed to say¡ªit wouldn¡¯t do to mention that the pathogen originated from his laboratory. After a moment of silence, Sam, the adept in molding magic, took over the conversation: "It was a spy from the Radiant Church who brought in the dirt. We¡¯re tracking his escape route. Now, it seems Garrett was right; everywhere he passed through needs thorough cleaning¡ª" "And everyone who had contact with him! Horses! People in close contact with those people!" Garrett hastily added. Old Sam smiled kindly at him: "Exactly. I¡¯ve already spread the word. Now we¡¯re checking everywhere for abnormalities. We hope the followers of the god of nature can assist us in tracking and tracing¡ª" He paused suddenly, looked up at the sky, and beckoned. A small bird with yellow beak and green feathers swooped down and landed in the old mage¡¯s hand, chirping urgently: "Old Sam! The warhorse ridden by the spy has fallen ill with a strange disease! Several horses in the stable, the horse¡¯s owner, and the stable hands have all fallen ill! Please come quickly!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 244 (1) The warhorses fell ill? And people too? Garrett instinctively closed his eyes. Even without seeing the patients, he knew that those infectious bacteria he purified and separated would be zoonotic. There was only one type! He quickly inquired, "What are the conditions of the patients? Blisters on the skin? Swelling around? Any high fever? Chest pain? Abdominal pain and diarrhea? Black stools?" The little bird couldn¡¯t answer this question but only flapped its wings and chirped on Old Sam¡¯s palm. The elder mage glanced at Garrett helplessly, then repeated the question seriously and asked Garrett again, "Anything else to ask?" "The patients should rest quietly, drink plenty of water, and have a liquid diet... um... drink milk, drink porridge. The horses should be slaughtered, burned, the manure disinfected, and deeply buried. It¡¯s best to burn down the stable along with the horses or even the whole stable," Garrett answered without hesitation, "The sick should be isolated, all secretions and excretions disinfected and deeply buried. Those who have been in close contact with them should all be quarantined..." After a pause, he quickly flipped through his mind¡¯s "Infectious Diseases": "...8 days." The elder mage added a few more words and sent a message bird. Then he turned back, asked Garrett seriously, "And this, isn¡¯t it the same disease as that?" "Definitely not!" Garrett blurted out, "One... um, one is from drinking unclean water, the other is from contact with the horses; one is a gastrointestinal disease, the other I haven¡¯t seen yet, but it¡¯s very likely to show up on the face, neck, hands, and feet first. Definitely not the same disease!" "Are you sure? No need to go see immediately?" "Probably." Garrett smiled wryly, "I myself... anyway, if I delay a bit of time, it¡¯s still achievable to go and identify what it is. Anyway, the disease isn¡¯t too urgent. Slaughter and burn the horses, isolate the people, it won¡¯t spread too widely." Anthrax, human-to-human transmission is extremely rare! It¡¯s written in black and white in the book! Although it¡¯s a different world, this sentence might not be reliable, but if a bacterium looks like the one he studied in the book, and the animal experimental results are similar to what he learned, then there¡¯s a high probability that he can use the words in the book as a lifesaving straw to hold on to for now! "Anything else?" Old Sam¡¯s face turned even darker. Garrett shook his head seriously, "Hard to say! The invader brought too many things with him. You saw, he ran so far, you can detect something even from the lake. I¡¯ll say it again, all the places he passed by, grassland, soil, disinfect or burn them, people, isolate them for observation!" With two groups of patients, two different diseases in front of them. Aurora ran around, spraying disinfectant all over the village, while the divination mage who came with them paced around slowly, suddenly shouting, "Found traces of the intruder! Stayed by the water!" Old Sam hurried over. The divination mage pointed to the ground for him to see: Under the tracking magic, a vague human figure appeared by the edge of the pool, legs, knees, and even the hands pressed on the ground could be vaguely discerned. From the look of it, if a person squatted by the pool, it would be convenient to drink water from it. "Burning Hand!" "Scorch!" "Fireball! Pay attention to controlling the burning range, only this hillside needs to be burned!" "Save your energy! There¡¯s still a lot more to burn! This job will be included in everyone¡¯s final evaluation. You must do it well!" At the same time, on the 375th floor of the Tower of the Heavens, on the 58th, 59th, and 60th floors of the Plastic Mage Tower, all the laboratories were brightly lit. Electricity flashed. Bags of salt and lime were dragged into the laboratory, and bags of bleach were sent out of the mage tower. These expensive bleaching powders were used generously, pouring into all the water bodies that the intruder might have passed through and downstream. And what was more tense was the city hall of this mage city. According to the direct orders issued by the Review Committee, they dispatched a large number of clerks every day to visit every household, report, and summarize the news: "Bridgetown reports five cases of diarrhea, three cases of fever, all ordinary illnesses with no clustering!" "Huiton Town reports three cases of diarrhea, seven cases of fever, no clustering!" "Kaos Town reports..." Disinfection, isolation, investigation, and reports of suspected cases. In this battle against the epidemic, Garrett was the busiest one: Whether the patients can be released from isolation, he has to confirm recovery and finish bacterial culture before giving a conclusion; Whether the water bodies need further disinfection, he also needs to take water samples for culture, staining, microscopic examination, and then make a decision; As for those suspected patients, whether they are infected with the plague or not, Garrett has to diagnose before making a decision. Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 244 (2) Garrett: T_T I¡¯m not from the Inspection Department... I don¡¯t want to deal with hundreds of samples every day... Now I finally understand the pressure those inspectors face during an epidemic... But can I refuse? No, I can¡¯t! The safety of the Magic Council headquarters! Whether it¡¯s Class A or Class B, if any infectious disease breaks out... When the nest is overturned, where can the eggs be safe? Garrett felt sore and tired on the first day. On the second day, he felt dizzy. By the third day, his eyes were spinning, and he started to come up with all sorts of ideas: "Elder Wood, do you want to know how I judge whether this patient can be released from isolation?" "Do you know what I¡¯m doing with these test tubes, meat broths, and dyes?" "Do you know how I determine whether these patients are infected with the plague or not?" "If you want to know, I¡¯ll teach you!" "Can you teach us?" Suddenly, a head popped up nearby. Garrett turned his head, and the member of the Review Committee from the Black Crow Swamp once again appeared by his side. Garrett smiled: "Of course! But I only have two microscopes, and the only place to get a 1000x microscope is from the Alchemy Guild!" "I¡¯ll go buy one!" The Archmage moved his foot, and the skeleton beside him swiftly transformed into a skeletal horse and dashed out. Just as the Archmage was about to leave, he turned back: Under the unfading bright flames, Garrett circled heavily on the text submitted by Aurora, "Let¡¯s hand it in tomorrow. The Black Crow Swamp has hinted several times already. If we don¡¯t conclude soon, I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll come to dismantle my laboratory... Besides, they¡¯ve pretty much seen everything there is to see now... Now that they know what to pay attention to, and other schools know what happened, if we don¡¯t release it, it¡¯ll be even harder to contain the damage..." "Boss! Boss!" The barbarian¡¯s voice echoed outside. Garrett put down his pen and pushed the door open: "What¡¯s the matter?" "There are people outside looking for you!" The team that came to find him was one that Garrett had never seen before. Five knights and two mages. They were all serious and in formation. The knights were all dressed in neatly arranged light steel armor, draped in deep blue cloaks. On the hilt of their longswords, three gems were arranged in a row, with no distinction in the placement of the gems. The two mages were wearing identical high-collared, fitted riding suits, wrapped in black cloaks with hooded cowls. The sleek and neat style indicated that they were standard military uniforms. Rainwater softly fell from the hoods of their cloaks, but none of it touched the mages¡¯ garments. The badges they wore on their chests were all for fifth-level mages. Whether in terms of personnel configuration or the value of their clothing and equipment, they were a level above the patrol team Garrett had seen. "Mr. Garrett Nordmark?" The mage on the left stepped forward on his horse. Seeing Garrett nod, he leaned forward on his horse and handed over a document sealed with wax: "We are the Enforcement Team of the Magic Council. You are hereby summoned to appear for questioning at the 120th floor of the Tower of the Heavens at 9 o¡¯clock tomorrow morning regarding the laboratory leak incident!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 245 Chapter 245 Summoned? Questioned? Regarding the laboratory leakage incident? Garrett¡¯s face turned pale. P4 Laboratory had an accident, a Class A, a bunch of Class B infectious bacteria leaked to the outside world, causing the spread of a Class A and a Class B infectious disease, infecting dozens of patients, this... The legal provisions flipped through Garrett¡¯s mind page by page. Without much effort, Garrett flipped to Article 331 of the Criminal Law: Anyone who engages in the experiment, storage, carrying, or transportation of infectious bacterial strains or toxic strains, violates relevant regulations, causing the spread of infectious bacterial strains or toxic strains, resulting in serious consequences, shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than three years or criminal detention; if the consequences are particularly serious, he shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than three years but not more than seven years. Am I... considered "seriously" or "particularly seriously" consequential? How many years will I go to jail? Wait, in this world, in this Magic Council, are there any relevant regulations? I need a lawyer! Garrett turned to his followers at home with a pale face. Aurora was also startled and tried to comfort him: "It¡¯s okay, right? It¡¯s just questioning, it shouldn¡¯t... be too bad, right? If it¡¯s really serious, they should have come to arrest you already..." The more she said, the less confident she became. For this leakage incident, five members of the review committee personally visited the laboratory, a group of great mages went to the island to study the teleportation array, how many personnel did the patrol teams and law enforcement teams mobilize, Aurora dared not calculate anymore. "Um, was there any precedent before?" Garrett looked at her anxiously. When it comes to the crunch, he realized that his understanding of the Magic Council was still too little: "How are magic practitioners who cause trouble like this dealt with? Will they go to jail? How much money do they have to pay? Aurora, have you heard of it?" Master Worton couldn¡¯t answer for a moment either. He had lived in Nevis City for several years, but relying on his outstanding talent and the favor of his teacher, he turned a blind eye to the outside world and his life trajectory was from home to the Mage Tower, and then from the Mage Tower back home. Rack one¡¯s brains, search hard, and finally remembered a case: "That... I seem to remember, more than two hundred years ago, there was a great mage who brought something from another dimension, accidentally exploded... at that time, the entire college was implicated, hundreds of young mages suffered. Later, the legendary mages deliberated and sent him to guard the alternate dimension, stationed there for twenty or so years..." ... I don¡¯t want that! When a great mage causes trouble, he is exiled. If I cause trouble, will I go to jail? I seem to have heard that the Magic Council indeed has prisons... "Aurora, can you ask your teacher to help plead for mercy...?" "Don¡¯t worry, the teacher will definitely not stand idly by!" Aurora Worton tried hard to reassure him: "I¡¯ll go find him early tomorrow morning!¡ªBut not now, the night train doesn¡¯t run, and I have no means of communication..." "Oh..." Garrett felt a little down. Aurora dragged him back to the laboratory: "Don¡¯t worry, the review committee won¡¯t do anything to you. The Radiant Lord is watching!" ...Doesn¡¯t that great mage who caused trouble have legendary mages behind him? Garrett was still a little panicked. He tossed and turned that night, unable to meditate, and couldn¡¯t sleep well. The next morning, he got up early, caught the first train to the mountaintop, and went directly to the Tower of Heaven to wait for communication. Usually when he came here, whether it was the resting room of the Sub-Tower of Manipulation or the laboratory on the 375th floor of the Tower of Heaven, there was always a place to stay. This time Garrett was nervous, and he didn¡¯t dare to go to either place. He went straight to the 120th floor. Garrett felt dizzy and weak. Looking to the left, the protection and curse mages were folding their arms, looking like they were enjoying the show; Looking to the right, Old Sam¡¯s face was heavy, and his eyes showed that he was helpless; The necromancy mage... hey, necromancy is not good in this regard, with a face wrapped in dry skin and bones, what kind of expression is that, he can¡¯t tell... Wait a minute, are they trying to make me pay? If I can afford to pay, there¡¯s a high probability that I won¡¯t go to jail, right? Of course, if I can¡¯t afford to pay... I probably won¡¯t go to jail either, at most I¡¯ll sell myself to pay off the debt... Garrett¡¯s brain turned a little, and he calmed down a bit. It¡¯s good to talk about money¡ªtalk about accident liability, talk about distribution proportions, I¡¯m not the main culprit! Even if I fight for equal responsibility, I can reduce the compensation by half! It still depends on myself! Garrett struggled to sit up straight and tried to defend himself: "But the leakage incident was not caused by me intentionally! It was a spy from the Radiant Lord who entered the laboratory, I am the victim!" "Cough, the direct cause of the leakage incident is indeed the intrusion of a spy." The protection mage interjected: "But we all saw it, that spy was just a thief, he didn¡¯t possess powerful magic abilities. He was able to enter your laboratory because the laboratory lacked magical protection! - We all saw your laboratory, there wasn¡¯t even a magical alarm, all defensive spells were nonexistent, and the leakage caused by foreign invasion is your own fault!" "It¡¯s not my fault!" Garrett almost jumped up. He raised his head high: "I didn¡¯t do magical protection, because, the laboratory is in Nevis City! In the heart of the Magic Council! It should have been safe! - Do other mages have to be punished if their achievements are stolen, causing serious consequences? Does the Magic Council not reflect on its own security problems, but instead wants to punish the victimized mages?!" I haven¡¯t even claimed compensation yet! Letting spies run rampant and destroying half of my research results, I haven¡¯t even complained to the Magic Council yet! The atmosphere in the conference room suddenly became tense. The great mages looked at each other, each with a somewhat embarrassed look: To be honest, blaming Garrett for the spy breaking in and causing trouble can¡¯t be entirely blamed on Garrett. If it were a mage with a hot temper, instead of being summoned by the review committee, he would probably have already gone to the council and demanded compensation. Forget it, should I tell him the truth? If I don¡¯t say it, will you say it! The committee members exchanged glances. In the deadlock, a hurried and hoarse voice suddenly came from the corner of the office roof: "Nick! Come to the top floor immediately! Large-scale magical reaction! Come up immediately to help observe!" "Hey! Coming!" The prophetic mage responded, ignoring his colleagues¡¯ gaze, and jumped up to the door: "Teacher is looking for me! I...I¡¯m going up!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 246 Chapter 246 The Grand Mage of the Divination School hurried out, clutching his robes. In the meeting room, the other members of the judging panel glanced at each other, each falling silent. At the top of the Tower of Heaven, under the starry dome, two powerful magic arrays were set up. One array, gazing upwards, depicted the celestial changes, the progression of seasons, and the reflections of stars, planets, comets, and meteors. The other array overlooked the land, centered around Igor Peak, encompassing the Northern Ice Plains, the Western Continent, and the Eastern Ocean. It reflected various changes, enabling the Magic Council to monitor the movements of powerful entities. Usually, the magic array enveloped the entire kingdom, with mage towers visible across the land, and powerful spots visible even beyond the kingdom¡¯s borders. This range was enough for early warnings, preventing skilled individuals from silently reaching the borders. However, during times of need, with the support of legendary mages and numerous grand mages, the range of the magic array would drastically expand. Even the Orc Kingdom to the far west and the distant New Continent in the Eastern Ocean could vaguely be seen within the magic array. Now, the legendary mage overseeing the Starry Dome called for assistance, indicating a large-scale magical reaction... Where? What kind of large-scale spell? Who initiated it? "I¡¯ll go to the Lock area." The judge from the Curse School hurriedly stood up. If it¡¯s an enemy, if it¡¯s a large-scale spell launched from afar to attack Igor Peak, then the Divination School would issue a warning, and the Lock area would need to adjust urgently. Despite having level 15 grand mages overseeing daily affairs and legendary masters looking after it, it was sensible to hurry there and wait. As he left, judges from the Protection, Transformation, and Illusion Schools quickly followed suit. Old Sam lingered as the last one. Before leaving, he gave Garrett a deep look: "Regardless, the weak protection in your laboratory is also a significant factor in causing this incident. ¡ªYou¡¯d better think carefully about how to strengthen the protection and prevent the leakage of plague seeds. If it does leak, how to deal with it. Coming up with a complete plan will also facilitate the review process." It was about having a laboratory management method, oh, called "Regulations on Biosafety Management of Pathogenic Microbiology Laboratories," and regulations related to infectious disease prevention and control, right? This was not a difficult task. The methods for cultivating bacteria should naturally include these. Otherwise, if an outbreak of meningitis occurred in three days or smallpox in two days, would he still have a peaceful life? Garrett nodded in agreement. He watched Old Sam close the door and leave, then took out a stack of parchment and a **Boundless Ink Pen** from the pocket of his chest. Glancing around, he dragged his chair to the edge of the long table used by the judges, spreading out the sheets of paper, and began drafting, half writing and half copying. The meeting room temporarily quieted down. Meanwhile, in the grand hall known as the "Starry Dome" at the top of the Tower of Heaven, it was a bustling scene. Lady Endor, a legendary mage from the Divination School, wore a black veil that fluttered without wind as she stood trembling in the center, holding a crystal ball high in her hands. Around her, twelve grand mages stood equidistant, either holding crystal balls, pendulums, or staffs adorned with gemstones, forming a perfect circle. The crowd was completely focused. Chanting incantations, twelve beams of light emitted from magical artifacts converged onto Lady Endor¡¯s crystal ball. The crystal ball emitted a brilliant light. The magic array on the ground also lit up, starting from small and vague to clear and distinct. Immediately, people bent down to observe and record: "Southeast by east 40 degrees!" "Distance ¡ª between the eighth and ninth rings!" "Spell intensity ¡ª 10357! 10359! 10461! 10578!" "Nature of spell fluctuations, divine magic!" The faces of the grand mages in the hall turned serious. The magic array in the Starry Dome, centered around Igor Peak and extending to the farthest point of the kingdom¡¯s land, was divided into three rings. Using this as a reference, they pushed out one circle after another. Between the eighth and ninth rings, at southeast by east 40 degrees ¡ª It was precisely the location of the Radiant Church¡¯s holy city! Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh. Portals of teleportation opened, and solemn-faced legendary mages walked out of them. They gathered around the magic array, lowering their heads and focusing on the white light spots within the array, which were expanding continuously, measuring, calculating, and estimating non-stop. "Great Radiant Lord, you are eternal and sacred, the only light..." The divine radiance lasted from morning till noon, and from noon till evening, finally subsiding. The Pope descended slowly, accompanied by high-ranking clergy, stepping slowly into the interior. At the top of the Tower of Heaven, the monitoring results of the magic array were reported one by one: "The readings are starting to decline!" "5287! 4016! 2179!" "No high-energy magic reactions in the surrounding areas!" "Ruling out the possibility of an attack on the council!" "Alert lifted!" The mages monitoring breathed a sigh of relief. Lady Endor put down the crystal ball, her voice hoarse: "You¡¯ve all worked hard..." It was a false alarm. Legendary mages dispersed on their own, gathering for standby, or just for the sake of attending the review meeting, gradually leaving the Starry Dome. A group of people gathered at the elevator waiting to descend, inevitably gossiping: "...So, what exactly happened?" "I don¡¯t know. Have they gone mad?" "Cleaning? Rooting out spies? It shouldn¡¯t be, is there a traitor within? Division?" "With such a large-scale divine spell, will the Pope retire next year?" "I wonder if the orcs will take advantage of this opportunity to launch an attack..." The mages gossiped, no different from ordinary people. As they chattered away, the elevator door suddenly opened with a ding, and a skeletal bird flew out, crashing into the necromancer of the review committee. The necromancer in black robes quietly took apart a rib from the bird, extracting a message from its belly. With bony fingers, he unfolded the scroll, his lips moving silently as he read line by line: "The plague is spreading in the holy city. First the poor, then the apprentices, then the acolytes and priests. Vomiting and diarrhea, foul and repulsive, the faces of the dead are withered, their skin shriveled. One person is sick, the whole family is affected; cure one, three get sick; save two, ten get sick. In ten days, ten out of fifty to sixty commoners have died, and ten out of twenty acolytes and priests are sick." After the neatly written lines, there were two lines of hastily scrawled information: "The Pope has launched the **Purification** spell. Mysteries Persist!" The necromancer in black robes quietly clenched the scroll. He turned his head to the southeast, as if he could see the loyal skeleton lurking in the sewers, day in and day out, turning into ashes in the large-scale divine spell. He silently walked into the elevator with his colleagues, descended to the 120th floor, and finally handed the note to Old Sam on his right. "That spy¡¯s stolen goods seem to have been located." Several heads leaned in to take a look. The transformation mage couldn¡¯t help but sigh: "This is another mess caused by young Garrett... By the way, where is he?" "It seems like I left him in the office..." Old Sam hurried forward. From morning till evening, they had food and drink on the top floor, and Garrett might not have anyone looking after him... He was brought here for questioning again, but would anyone remember to bring him lunch? Old Sam took a few quick steps. The meeting room was quiet, without a sound. He reached out to push the door, but his hand suddenly stopped. "Hush!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 247 Chapter 247 The Archmage¡¯s palm lifted and then retracted. In the conference room, waves of magic fluctuations came and went like a firm and powerful heartbeat, or like a butterfly struggling to break free from its cocoon. The Archmage stood at the door for a moment, his eyebrows twitching slightly, a mixture of surprise and delight on his face: "This kid... is about to advance?" A group of people were impatiently blocked by him at the door. The Archmage of the Necromancer School extended his hand and flicked a cherry-sized secret magic eye from his fingers, which rolled under the door crack. Then, the light ball exerted effort to enlarge and flatten itself into a thin disk, slipping through the door crack. The screen of the secret magic eye immediately unfolded. Through the screen, the Archmages saw Garrett sitting at the edge of the long table, on the rightmost high-backed chair. He leaned back, closed his eyes, his head resting against the back of the chair, forearms resting flat on the armrests, in a stable meditative posture. "This kid really doesn¡¯t treat himself as an outsider." The necromancer in the black robe laughed first. Everyone glanced sideways: "Hey, Garrett is sitting on your chair!... Are you feeling proud?" "He¡¯s not from the Black Crow Swamp!" "No, after causing a plague and killing half of the people in the City of Radiance, the Pope had to use a large-scale divine spell to suppress it. Isn¡¯t he a natural necromancer?" Regardless, it¡¯s best not to disturb the meditative state, especially considering it seems to be a meditation for advancing in mage level judging by the magic fluctuations. Old Sam stepped back two steps, raised his hand to his chest, representing the badge of the evaluation committee members, and lowered his voice: "Mr. Hermunculus! Mr. Hermunculus!" "Calling me?" The wall brightened slightly. At the entrance of the conference room, on the smooth black crystal surface, a simple outline of a face appeared, the Tower Spirit of the Tower of Heaven. Old Sam nodded slightly and greeted the face: "Mr. Hermunculus. There is a junior mage meditating to advance in the conference room. Could you please help adjust the elemental environment of the conference room to a state suitable for novice meditation?" "A novice meditation room costs 100 contribution points per day to rent." The crystal buzzed, and from the small orifice next to it, a semi-mechanical voice flowed out: "Temporary adjustments double the cost. Will you pay, or will the person inside pay?" "...I¡¯ll pay!" Old Sam reluctantly took off his badge. Deep in meditation, Garrett was completely unaware of the commotion outside. As the committee members left, he remained alone in the conference room, writing something. As he wrote, his mind became clearer and clearer: It seems like the council doesn¡¯t want to imprison me after all! And maybe they don¡¯t want me to go bankrupt either! What¡¯s the benefit of bankrupting me? My wealth is like a drop in the ocean for the council; even if they squeeze me dry, they won¡¯t be satisfied... If they really want me to compensate, I can just negotiate with them and sell them these management regulations! Right, and there are still those high school chemistry textbooks, electrolytic smelting methods, there are so many things I haven¡¯t sold yet! With the return of a sense of security, Garrett¡¯s shoulders relaxed instantly. The tension from last night until now disappeared without a trace, replaced by an inexplicable feeling that appeared after the plague disappeared: Like the rising tide of spring, like the sprouting of green grass. That vigorous and lively feeling surrounded him uncontrollably. As for shaping the birthing objects, that¡¯s another issue, which can be solved in adjacent areas... Garrett was worry-free, with his eyes closed, fully immersed in spell shaping. Outside the conference room, a group of Archmages shifted their feet nervously, exchanging glances. "I say... how much longer do we have to wait?" "How long did it take you to advance to level three?" "Half a day?... When did this kid start?" The experienced Archmages hesitated and shook their heads: "The meditation duration is highly variable... It¡¯s best to give him more time." After some discussion, the impatient Archmages decided to leave the Tower of Heaven first and come back to check on Garrett later. They didn¡¯t leave the Tower of Heaven but rather lingered outside the conference room. Anxious, they finally looked at each other helplessly and suggested to Old Sam: "Should we order some takeout for him?" "He won¡¯t like it." Old Sam shook his head and glanced at the secret magic eye at the door crack. "Old Sam, how about we set up a betting pool? See who can guess the time when Garrett will break through!" "You¡¯re saying... the time Garrett will advance in meditation?" "Yes, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s interesting? If we make a bet, Garrett won¡¯t know anyway, right?" "...Alright, I¡¯ll inform the others. Who¡¯s participating in the pool?" And so, outside the conference room, the group of Archmages set up a bet for when Garrett would complete his meditation. This time, the topic of their bet was no longer the battle between the sorcerer and the goblin but the arcane mystery of meditation advancement. "Five days later, no more, no less!" "I bet on six days!" "I bet on four days!" The Archmages made their bets one after another, and Old Sam hesitated for a moment before finally making a decision: "Three days... I believe in Garrett¡¯s efficiency!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 248 Chapter 248 Who agrees, who disagrees? Seven pairs of eyes all looked at the necromancer in black robes. The necromancer froze on the spot¡ªwhat, after all that trouble, I end up with the boomerang hitting me back? Before the establishment of the Magic Council, it was customary for each school of magic, and even each mage conducting research, to mind their own business, without interference from others. Everyone had their own research methods, their own secret techniques. Who would want interference? If something really irked you, or if your research was genuinely impeded, you¡¯d go argue about it, maybe even resort to physical altercation. For example, mages specializing in healing magic didn¡¯t appreciate bodies being dragged into their territory from the Black Crow Swamp... After the establishment of the Magic Council, each school and organization finally had a place to sit down and discuss matters. Even so, the Council granted mages enough freedom in their research endeavors. Take the Necromancy School, for instance. Even in the case of the plague branch, as long as it didn¡¯t cause widespread disease in the kingdom or was confined to its own territory, the attitude of the Magic Council was¡ªdo as you please. But this time it¡¯s different! The commotion caused by Garrett¡¯s plague seeds, even with a slight leak, immediately exploded in two different places¡ªtwo different scenarios at that. Considering that this project was funded by the plague branch, a group of necromancers was itching to get their hands on it, and the evaluation committee, or rather, except for the seven members of the necromancer branch, their attitude was quite consistent: This must be addressed! A little Garrett caused such a big stir; a group of plague branch mages were tinkering with what he gave them, and everyone else, can they still live peacefully? There must be a solution! Hmm, the first step in the solution is to call Garrett over, scare him a bit... Now it seems that the scare tactics worked pretty well, maybe a bit too well. Garrett scribbled a bunch of things, just those items looked like a big project. At the same time, the City of Radiance experienced a big commotion... The necromancer was at a loss. Who agrees, who disagrees? If you agree, it¡¯s like putting a shackle on your own head. You can imagine how the mages of the plague branch, even the legendary ones from his own sect, would punish him. But to disagree? Even the Radiant Church had to resort to a big move. If this plague erupted in their own territory, the Magic Council didn¡¯t have enough high-ranking priests to handle it. If you dared to voice opposition, it¡¯s likely that the Black Crow Swamp, or at least the plague branch within it, would be eradicated on the spot... "I need to report to the Archmage of Immortality first." He answered with a stiff scalp. The Archmage of Immortality, a legendary mage stationed at the headquarters of the Necromancy School. In theory, concerning the policies of the Necromancy School, his venerable self had the final say... "This is a reasonable request. Today¡¯s events, I also need to report to the Lord of Thunder." Old Sam¡¯s deep brown eyes flickered slightly, staring straight at the necromancer. And by the way, he wants to recruit our people! I must report it! Complain fiercely! The committee members tentatively reached a consensus. After observing the situation in the conference room for a while, when Garrett was about to complete his advancement and finish his meditation, they quietly dispersed. Uh, so many people waiting for him, the little guy must be feeling smug... When Garrett walked out of the conference room, he saw a metal puppet standing at the door, its eyes gleaming. It turned on the spot and held up a piece of paper in front of him: "Mr. Garrett Nordmark: 1. There¡¯s a restaurant on the 2nd floor of the Tower of Heaven. Come in anytime, it¡¯s free. 2. The guest rooms on Carlisle¡¯s side are still available. 3. The things you wrote during the day, it¡¯s recommended to complete them as soon as possible. Especially in terms of laboratory management. 4. Tomorrow morning at 9 o¡¯clock, 120th floor of the Tower of Heaven, same place as before. Also, congratulations on advancing to level 3 mage. Sam Lynn" "What? Do I have to finish writing tonight???" Garrett howled. Regardless of his howling, he continued to work until late into the night. The next day, with dark circles under his eyes, he crawled to the conference room, where eight committee members were lined up, smiling at him. Uh... not all of them were smiling. At least that necromancer, aside from his robe being black, his eye sockets were black, even his face was black. When he looked at him, his gaze was so full of resentment, it was almost as if he was emitting steam... "Mr. Garrett Nordmark." The senior mage who was smiling and calculating with him at yesterday¡¯s meeting was the first to greet him. Before Garrett could escape, he opened a ledger and leisurely said: "The evaluation committee carefully considered your opinions. ¡ªTo be honest, intentionally causing destruction and causing damage due to negligence are completely different in nature. The leak of the plague seeds due to espionage, the fault is not entirely yours. But accountability and compensation cannot be completely waived¡ª " He pointed at Garrett, stopping him from speaking up: "So, the evaluation committee has determined that you bear secondary responsibility. For this leakage incident, the Council will bear 60% of the losses, Thunder Horn will bear 30%, and you personally will compensate 10%. Do you agree?" 10% huh... Garrett felt much better. After all, in his past life, being found partially responsible for a car accident meant having to pay 30%. And making Thunder Horn bear 30% of the loss, he felt really sorry, really embarrassed... Another beam of light fell behind Garrett, and the thin, pitiful little backrest chair immediately turned into a beautiful high-back armchair. Although compared to the gentlemen of the evaluation committee, there were no carvings or gold inlays on the chair back, it looked pretty much the same overall. Garrett was satisfied. He pushed the documents forward and folded his arms: Gentlemen, make your offer. The members of the committee exchanged glances. They each lowered their heads and read through the summaries quickly. The transmutation mage was the first to speak: "100 contribution points per document. ¡ªThere is no involvement of unique magic in these, so 100 contribution points is already quite high." "1000 per document." Garrett didn¡¯t hesitate to counteroffer. "Each of these documents is supported by an independent body of knowledge. Gentlemen, don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t see that." "1000 is too much! The paper on pyrotechnics was only rewarded with 1000 contribution points!" Um... comparing a chapter from "Epidemiology" to the discovery that laid the foundation for modern chemistry does indeed show a big difference in weight. Garrett felt a slight pang of guilt, but his momentum remained unfazed: "But the scope of these documents is broader!" "But..." "But..." The negotiation quickly turned into meaningless haggling. Tables were slammed, documents were thrown, and saliva flew. It went from an opening offer of 300 per document to 700 per document, with the necromancer demanding to read the entire text. Garrett generously handed over the documents, and the committee members exchanged them to read, then made another offer: "Your documents are indeed very detailed, with many innovative aspects. In light of the level of detail, 400 contribution points per document!" "600!" "500! Not a point more!" "3750! Total price!" "Deal!" Both sides stood up and shook hands. The evaluation committee breathed a sigh of relief, and so did Garrett: Finally, no need to lose money! Those regulations have also been handed over! Someone will take care of implementing them for me! Oh yeah! He shook hands with each of the committee members one by one, and when he shook hands with the last one, the transmutation mage¡¯s eyes flashed, and he suddenly asked: "Little Garrett, according to your documents, isn¡¯t it true that laboratories that do not meet the standard and lack sufficient defense cannot conduct plague research?" "Of course!" "Then," the transmutation mage¡¯s eyes lit up with a smile, "do you want us to help reinforce the defenses? I¡¯ll give you a 20% discount!" What? A discount? Wait, does that mean money? How much would it cost for high-level defense magic? The Magic Council has set public prices, but for constant defense magic, it seems, it¡¯s a sky-high price... Am I still going bankrupt? Garrett quickly did some mental calculations. Then, he extended his palm and pointed solemnly to the documents he just handed over: "I declare. The authorization fees just agreed upon only cover the transfer of documents¡ª In other words, additional explanations, instructions, teachings, improvements, including inspections of laboratory defense measures, are not included!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 249 Chapter 249 "The review board is really difficult to deal with." After another hour of heated debate, both sides exited the meeting room. Garrett Nordmark or Garrett wiped his neck, feeling the dampness in his palm, realizing he was drenched in sweat. Of course, negotiations¡ªor rather, arguments¡ªof this intensity were quite fruitful. He secured a laboratory, no, a mage tower! With funding from the Magic Council and according to his request, they would rebuild the P4 laboratory! Garrett¡¯s blueprint this time included four floors: sewage treatment, operational, piping, and air filtration! And because it was decided to construct four floors with added magical defense and control, the review board decided to just build him a mage tower. As for expenses beyond the laboratory, such as constructing the tower¡¯s energy pool and attuning the tower, those would be deferred, with the mage tower used as collateral, payable in installments... And the Magic Council also gained something. Within six months, Garrett was obliged to explain the documents he provided, to teach and train the personnel dispatched by the council. Of course, the council¡¯s students could not exceed 30... If the council established a second P4 laboratory, Garrett had the obligation and authority to inspect and approve it. If it didn¡¯t pass inspection, the laboratory couldn¡¯t operate. The compensation for these tasks was included in the construction costs of the laboratory, no, the mage tower, without additional payment. Ah...selling an aircraft carrier for $1 billion, with additional costs for modifications, maintenance, personnel training, and weapon deployment, totaling $6 billion, the wisdom of a warring nation in his previous life was still useful... Garrett happily crossed his arms and hummed a tune. Alright, now, he was waiting for them to produce the mage tower blueprints! "This little guy is really difficult to deal with." The protective and transformative mages exchanged wry smiles. After that round of negotiations, their days weren¡¯t easy either; they too were drenched in sweat. Garrett didn¡¯t give an inch, even dared to slam the table in front of a group of senior mages, spouting incomprehensible terms one after another. Yet they sounded reasonable and the consequences were terrifying, astonishing... "Don¡¯t say that. Even a rabbit bites when cornered!" The diviner shook his head with a smile, his gaze soft. The necromancer beside him frowned: "Isn¡¯t this a bit too much? Logically...regarding the incident in the City of Radiance, he should have been rewarded. But now it¡¯s all been deducted?" "Are you stupid?" Old Sam suddenly turned and glared at him. His gaze was sharp, almost shooting out sparks and lightning: "Garrett is a healer! A healer!!! Which healer, after hearing that a plague they created killed tens of thousands, could still be happy? Did you see how anxious he was when the plague leaked a few days ago, how frantic he was? You think he¡¯s one of you necromancers? ¡ªLet me tell you, even if he created those plague seeds, it¡¯s not to harm people, it¡¯s definitely to save them!" He looked expectantly at Archmage Edgar: "Can I buy this corpse? I¡¯ll pay in gold! 100, no, 200 contribution points!" Edgar: "..." He heard about the review board¡¯s affairs! When Garrett started bargaining, he was meticulous, not giving an inch! But now, he just casually spent 200 contribution points, without even blinking his eyes! Do you know that 200 contribution points are almost equivalent to the annual income of a level 2 mage! "A level 7 rogue¡¯s corpse, officially priced at 500 contribution points." Edgar replied flatly. Garrett didn¡¯t hesitate: "Deal!" A corpse! It¡¯s been so long since I dissected one! And it¡¯s a corpse infected with multiple contagious diseases! So what if it¡¯s 500 contribution points, I can afford it! Edgar originally wanted to say "If you give a couple of lectures, we¡¯ll waive the fee", but now he felt too embarrassed to bring it up. He stepped aside to clear a path, gesturing for two skeletons to move forward and lift the ice coffin, asking Garrett: "Do you want to dissect it here?" "Absolutely not!¡ªThis has to be dissected in my laboratory! Otherwise, if the plague leaks, it¡¯s over!" "Alright, we¡¯ll help you move it over. Can we observe the dissection?" "Of course!" And then, Garrett stood confidently in front of the dissection table in his laboratory, and with confidence, made the first incision. ...Which didn¡¯t cut. Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 250 Chapter 250 Garrett Nordmark held the surgical knife and questioned life. Can¡¯t cut it? Can¡¯t move it? Is this corpse frozen too hard? Should I wait a bit longer for it to thaw completely? Or should I add some heat, like, set the microwave to defrost mode, and turn it on for three minutes? Or maybe, is it because I forgot to bow to the anatomy teacher in advance? NEVER! That¡¯s the enemy, a spy who infiltrated the laboratory to sabotage, not the anatomy teacher! Just like in a medical school in Northeast China, the corpses used for dissection are all from the little devils of that year, and the school teachers and students never bow to them! Or... He collected himself, pinching the knife handle between his thumb, middle finger, ring finger, and pinky, while placing his index finger on the back of the knife. The knife tip was at a right angle to the incision, and he tried to stab downwards. This knife had been refined through countless trials, the standard surgical grip, impeccable in posture, angle, and force. The skin of the corpse¡¯s abdomen slightly gave way, but... Even with Garrett exerting all his strength, the resistance did not diminish, showing no sign of being pierced. Ah, indeed, it¡¯s really hard to cut when it¡¯s frozen stiff. How long has it been since I felt this sensation? Since I started working, I¡¯ve only been cutting living people. I haven¡¯t cut an anatomy teacher... Ugh, soaking in formalin for so long, it feels really hard to cut. When I make the incision, it feels as tough as cowhide. And formalin stings the eyes, while this ice coffin is thawing, at least it doesn¡¯t have any smell yet. But still, not being able to cut is ultimately a problem. Garrett pondered for a while, looking left and right. If it were any other physical task, even if it were carrying a thigh or resetting bones, Bernard could do it without any problem, but dissection... Can I entrust this delicate task to him? Entrusting it to him wouldn¡¯t be dissection; it would be chopping meat with a big knife! Besides, dissection is a kind of work, but also a kind of enjoyment, something that cannot be entrusted to others! He looked left and right. On both sides, the necromancers were laughing¡ªeach one was covered in protective gear, with black leather robes, shiny beaks, and a range of laughter coming from beneath the bird masks, sounding particularly eerie. Under the pale light of the shadowless lamp, Garrett reflexively shuddered: Garrett cried out in shock, but there was nothing he could do. A chunk of frozen meat slammed into his face, causing him to stagger backward. He hurriedly wiped away the blood and flesh stuck to his eyes and mouth, then turned his head and retched. After vomiting for a long time, he finally recovered and looked back, only to find... ...The necromancers around him were laughing louder and louder! "Ha ha ha ha! Little Garrett, your first dissection exploded. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just the first time. It happened to everyone!" "Ha ha ha ha! Looks like this corpse¡¯s flesh is still quite hard. You¡¯ll need to wait a bit longer for it to thaw before you can cut it open..." "Ha ha ha ha! Little Garrett, you¡¯re too naive. This is just a tiny test of the will. You¡¯ll have to get used to it if you want to become a first-rate necromancer!" ... Garrett stood frozen in place, feeling as if he had been struck by lightning. He looked at the laughing necromancers around him and finally understood... I¡¯m not the only one who thinks they¡¯re scary. I¡¯m not the only one who thinks they¡¯re eerie. I¡¯m not the only one who thinks they¡¯re cold-blooded. I¡¯m not the only one who thinks they¡¯re crazy. I¡¯m not the only one who thinks they¡¯re frightening... But... He looked around at the necromancers, and a faint smile appeared on his face. That¡¯s right, I¡¯m not the only one. There are others, too! Even if the corpses explode, even if the corpses¡¯ eyes are gouged out, even if the corpses laugh, even if the corpses cry, even if the corpses rot, even if the corpses fight back... ...I¡¯m not the only one. We¡¯re all the same! We¡¯re all necromancers! Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 251 Over the next two hours, a group of necromancers with rich experience in dissection... no, experience in dissecting corpses, enjoyed a beautiful anatomy lesson. "This thief is quite thin... not much fat. You¡¯re lucky. If you encounter someone with a thick layer of fat, preparing the body would require scraping off the fat first, which can be troublesome. Sometimes we spend a whole morning just cleaning off the fat!" "Let¡¯s see what¡¯s beneath the skin... look, around the navel, these dark colors are the subcutaneous veins, forming a network. We call it the subcutaneous venous plexus. Following the subcutaneous venous plexus upwards along the lateral walls of the chest and abdomen, you can find the thoracoabdominal veins. That¡¯s why we need to make an incision in the center, if the incision deviates, it¡¯s easy to accidentally sever a blood vessel, causing the patient to bleed heavily..." The silver skeleton hands danced. Scalpels, tissue forceps, tissue scissors, along with a few mage hands assisting, delicately peeled away the tissues, exposing the blood vessels. The necromancers crowded around, poking and prodding: "So, that¡¯s how it is..." "No wonder last time when I dissected someone, there was a sudden gush of blood..." "To be able to dissect without harming the blood vessels at all, Garrett Nordmark is skilled!" Garrett glared at them forcefully. Bleeding upon making an incision? Hey buddy, were you dissecting a corpse or a live person? Sounds unreliable! The dissecting knife danced. This thief had little fat, so after stripping off the skin, the muscles were immediately visible. Garrett was dissecting happily: "The muscles wrapping around the abdomen aren¡¯t a single piece, but layered. Look, the outermost is the external oblique muscle, with muscle fibers slanting downward. In the middle is the linea alba... Cutting and removing the external oblique muscle, beneath it is the internal oblique and rectus abdominis muscles, removing them, underneath is the transversus abdominis muscle. Cutting along the linea alba, very good, next is the peritoneum, cutting it open will reveal the abdominal cavity!" The necromancers began to diverge in opinions. Some swayed back and forth, very bored, wishing they could just plunge into the abdominal cavity with a single stroke; while others watched with relish, wishing Garrett would dissect more slowly and carefully: "Is it really like this? Although cumbersome, it looks very smooth!" "So this is how you open the abdomen. Will doing it like this prevent damage to the materials in the future?" "No wonder the last time I sutured up a belly, it kept leaking... I¡¯ll try going back and see if dissecting slowly, one cut at a time, might make it better." Garrett: ¡ú_¡ú Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t hear you guys! Of course, there were necromancers whose attention was focused elsewhere: "This lamp is excellent, have you noticed?" "Yes, I did. Underneath that silver skeleton, there¡¯s not a hint of shadow!" "It¡¯s particularly useful! Usually, I¡¯m annoyed when apprentices have to illuminate for me!" "Garrett! Where did you buy this lamp?" "At the Alchemy Guild, just ask for the Shadowless Lamp, they should have plenty of models¡ªNo, don¡¯t interrupt! Have you all remembered what I just said?" "Uh..." "Uh..." "Do you understand? Why haven¡¯t you all hurried to take notes?" Archmage Edgar glared. As a high-level mage, he had strong mental power, these things could be remembered at a glance, no need to jot them down. But students were different, shouted at by their teacher, they began to wail in a flurry: "Teacher, we didn¡¯t bring paper and pen!" "Oh, two rooms to the left from here, there are paper and pens on the bookshelf." Garrett said while busy. "That¡¯s not possible!" Garrett was almost jumping with fear. Or rather, if he weren¡¯t exhausted and in a weak state, he would have actually jumped. What a joke, although he didn¡¯t know how much the silver skeleton was worth, being able to make cuts on a level seven corpse, and being a magical tool that he could manipulate at will¡ª¡ª One or two thousand contribution points definitely wouldn¡¯t be enough! Emptying his wallet probably wouldn¡¯t be enough! How could such a precious item be given away for free? He absolutely couldn¡¯t accept it casually! Garrett¡¯s face changed color, hands shaking. Archmage Edgar glanced at his disciples, his eyes full of helplessness: Look, look, I knew it would scare him. If he hadn¡¯t spent two hours getting a taste of it, he wouldn¡¯t be able to talk about it now. If he had said it was a gift from the beginning, he might not even want to dissect, let alone touch this skeleton! Ah, why bother. Just like how polymorphers aren¡¯t lacking in various magical equipment, the necromancers of the Black Crow Swamp aren¡¯t lacking in various skeletons. After killing an enemy, preserve their body and prepare to summon undead. Accumulating over time, every necromancer has a pile... Under Archmage Edgar¡¯s tutelage, every disciple who set out on a journey was given a golden skeleton. Like the one in Lynn¡¯s hands, it can work, fight, and be cute. It¡¯s considerate. In terms of level, it¡¯s much higher than Garrett¡¯s silver skeleton. And skeletons, unlike magical equipment, besides internal digestion in the necromancer community, aren¡¯t favored by others¡ªordinary people don¡¯t like them, and other mages don¡¯t like them either. If there¡¯s someone who likes it, just based on this, giving away one wouldn¡¯t be a loss! Garrett didn¡¯t want it, or didn¡¯t dare accept it, but Archmage Edgar insisted on giving it away. Fortunately, he had a plan for this too. Now saying it out loud, it flowed smoothly and naturally, full of sincerity: "Oh, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m giving it to you for free. When we were dissecting just now, you generously let us watch, explaining while working, and didn¡¯t even ask for payment, right? ¡ª¡ªYou treat us as friends, so we can¡¯t be stingy either." "But it¡¯s different!" That explanation fee, at most, would cover the rental of the silver skeleton! The little guy is quite stubborn. Archmage Edgar smiled and continued: "In that case, let¡¯s make a deal.¡ª¡ªYou know, every necromancer has to learn how to dissect and organize bodies. Many newcomers can¡¯t pass this test. I see you¡¯re quite skilled, help us train some entry-level necromancer apprentices, especially in dissection skills? Not too many, just 20 from this year¡¯s intake. This silver skeleton will be your training fee!" "This... " Garrett hesitated. Anatomy, dissecting, is a part of medicine. It¡¯s fine to leak a little out of enthusiasm, but to teach systematically, you can only teach those who have entered the gates of medicine and made a medical oath. He pondered, and Archmage Edgar, observing his words and expressions, added: "In this way, the teaching materials are all provided by the Black Crow Swamp!" "They must adhere to my oath! They must not use what I teach to harm the living, must not pass on what I teach to those who haven¡¯t made the same oath, must not..." Garrett blabla said a string of them. Archmage Edgar pondered for a long time, then asked: "Only the part you teach?" "Of course!" "No problem!" Both sides shook hands, reaching a deal. So three days later, when Archmage Carlisle received the news and came to the door in person, he saw young Garrett using the skeleton from the Black Crow Swamp, surrounded by necromancers from the Black Crow Swamp, teaching students from the Black Crow Swamp... He silently turned around, left, and rushed to the Tower of Heaven. "Teacher, something¡¯s wrong, they¡¯re trying to abduct young Garrett!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 252 Chapter 252 "Little Garrett? Gone?" The Lord of Thunder paused at his fingertips. In front of him, in the porcelain cup, a strand of pure white foamy milk rose from the side and skillfully poured into the coffee cup. Interrupted like this, the perfect swan spreading its wings pattern in the cup skewed, and immediately, an extra tail appeared at the outer edge of the swan¡¯s wing. To the left of the legendary mage, a silver-white feather pen was busy writing on its own. As the pattern failed, the feather pen also stopped moving, with a snap, lying on the paper like a normal pen. "Tell me the details of the matter." The legendary mage took a sip of coffee and slowly spoke. Carlisle the Archmage dared not delay and immediately reported to his teacher. The Lord of Thunder listened quietly, then chuckled: "Useless." "Tea... teacher?" "He wants to enter the Black Crow Swamp, he entered it long ago. If he still hesitates after a year, it means the School of Necromancy isn¡¯t interesting enough to attract him. As for occasionally playing with corpses, it¡¯s not a strange hobby for healers to play with corpses, so don¡¯t bother him." Carlisle the Archmage nodded obediently. The Lord of Thunder ignored him, pouring the failed latte art into the sink. With a wave of his fingertips, everything on the table began to move by itself, coffee beans started grinding themselves, milk started frothing and pouring into the foam cup, and then started to be whipped... In the coffee cup, the pure white swan finally spread its wings. The Lord of Thunder showed a satisfied expression, took a small sip, and nodded: "Well, but we can¡¯t completely ignore it, making it seem like we don¡¯t care at all. So, I think the little guy is really going down the path of a healer. Both times he advanced, there was a breakthrough in healing magic¡ª" "When he¡¯s had enough fun, urge him to quickly finish the mithril task and then find another healing-related task to keep him busy. This way, we can distract his attention and see if there¡¯s anything else he lacks, just put it in the rewards for the mithril task." So, when Garrett came to his senses from the joy of dissecting corpses and was about to return to his normal routine, he received an urgent message: "Has the mithril refining project been completed?" "Ah... isn¡¯t it too early?" Garrett glanced at the leaden clouds outside. In winter, Nevis City was shrouded in winter rain. Eight out of ten days it rained, and on the rare days when it didn¡¯t rain, it was still gloomy. It was a face that seemed to say, "I¡¯ll rain as soon as you step out." But for Garrett, who was a bit of a homebody, bad weather meant he didn¡¯t want to go out. "It¡¯s not early!" Aurora Worton, tasked with delivering the message, looked frustrated. Her boss was really generous when he wanted to be, but also really lazy. Clearly, the results were already there, but he insisted on delaying the submission for a month. What was he thinking? Submitting the results meant getting rewarded! "Boss, my senior brother has already written the part about electric current refining; I¡¯ve also written the part about refining with the fire element. A few days ago, I even went to the mine. The current monthly output is ten times higher than before you took over the project..." The boss just started it and then left it, leaving poor Aurora, a kinetic mage, to squat in the mine for half a month, collecting materials, making records, and being plied with alcohol by dwarves. Wasn¡¯t it hard enough for her! With such resentment, Aurora brought a thick stack of papers and slammed them in front of Garrett: "Boss, take a look. If there¡¯s nothing to change, can we submit it for completion?" Garrett skimmed through the paper¡ªtable of contents, abstract, conclusion. Then, he casually closed the paper: "We¡¯re still missing the final part." "Still missing?!" "Of course, we¡¯re still missing!¡ªWell then, tomorrow, accompany me to the forge district. I want to see if the dwarves have come to their senses." The dwarves had indeed come to their senses. Garrett, wearing a full set of magical defenses¡ªnot because he was afraid of danger, but mainly to keep dry¡ªarrived at the entrance of the forge district, and as soon as he asked, he saw Master Talbert¡¯s eyes light up. Next to him, the bearded dwarf guarding the entrance to the mithril area seemed eager to rush forward and hug Garrett¡¯s legs: "Yeah! The production volume can¡¯t go up anymore! We¡¯re in desperate need of ore, and even the idle hands have gone to mine, but it¡¯s still not enough!" So, we lack ore? The mining efficiency isn¡¯t high enough, is it? "Ah, Boss!" "Is there a place here to test spells? Um, preferably, free..." "Yes, yes, yes!" Aurora jumped up, freezing halfway through her jump: "For free? Boss, the free places don¡¯t have any protection. We¡¯re not exactly broke right now, so why scrimp on these few points?" Are you kidding! With the power of the Dragon¡¯s Breath he displayed, he could produce a fourth-level effect with a first-level spell. If he tried out a new idea this time and accidentally created a high-level spell, and it exploded... His teacher would skin him alive! Despite Aurora¡¯s persuasion and coercion, Garrett finally dragged his boss to the fifth floor of the Energy Shaping Tower. This floor was specially reinforced with spells and was dedicated to mid-level mages¡ªthose between level 5 and 9. It was divided into ten different-sized rooms and a hall, with different prices and facilities to accommodate the needs of different mages. The hall was divided into ten shooting lanes. After raising defense barriers, they could be used without interference. The price wasn¡¯t high, only 10 contribution points per lane per hour. The downside was that whatever you did might be seen by others... Because Garrett wanted to save money and didn¡¯t care much about confidentiality, Aurora took him to the hall. By this time, nine lanes were already occupied. Aurora dragged Garrett over, just brushing the last lane. "Boss, boss, over here! Hurry!" "Uh, wait a minute!" Someone behind them urgently shouted. Aurora had already pressed the badge, confirming their right to use the lane. The man hurried over, but still missed a step, stomping his feet in frustration: "Why are you so quick to snatch¡ªreally now!" He turned around, squeezing in before the barrier closed. Perhaps he was in too much of a hurry, his forehead was already covered in sweat, shining brightly on his bald head. He didn¡¯t bother to wipe it, sighing to Aurora: "I thought you were using it, but since you¡¯re not, you¡¯re letting him use it? What a waste! A second-level mage like him... would you mind switching with me? The teacher¡¯s exam is tomorrow, and I haven¡¯t mastered my new magic yet! How about this, I¡¯ll give you 20 contribution points, and you take him to the lower-level area?" Garrett: "..." I¡¯m just too busy lately to refresh my badge, okay? I¡¯m already a third-level mage! Third level! He ignored the guy, pulling Aurora and walking to the end of the lane. There were stones of various hardness piled up on the lane, serving as targets for the mages. Garrett picked a medium-sized one, let Aurora drill a hole with magic, stuffed in the cotton soaked in nitric acid, and then inserted a long rope. Then, they exited the lane and threw a Spark over... BOOM! A muffled sound. The stone split into pieces. Very good! Successful trial! Garrett happily waved his fist. Beside him, the bald mage continued to stomp his feet: "Come on, buddy! That¡¯s such a small amount of power, much weaker than the Flame Sphere, and you¡¯re still worth coming to the mid-level area... Hey, please let me have it! Really, I¡¯ll give you 40 contribution points! 40! That¡¯s four times as much!" This guy was so annoying... Garrett and Aurora glanced at each other. Aurora signaled: Should we give it to him? Are you okay with that? No way! I¡¯m going to take up the whole hour! Well, should we make a bigger fuss? Garrett pondered for a moment. A spark of inspiration arose, and he carefully put on crocodile skin gloves, grasping the black cotton through the gloves. Concentrating, he manipulated the spell model, using the cotton soaked in nitric acid as the casting material, releasing the magic¡ª Flame Sphere! Second-level Energy Shaping magic! Just learned after leveling up to a third-level mage! A rolling fireball the size of a head shot out quickly. Garrett was about to command it to rise and continue forward¡ª BOOM! The fireball shrank, expanded, and exploded. A fierce shockwave swept in all directions! Garrett instinctively threw himself down! Aurora looked terrified, unable to block the shockwave even with two consecutive barriers. The bald mage also threw up a force field wall in a panic, barely stopping the shockwave from spraying hot gas onto his face. In the midst of the chaos, the shiny sweat beads on his forehead were flung away: "For Mysteries¡¯ sake! What kind of magic is this¡ªIt¡¯s not even as strong as a third-level Fireball!!!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 253 Chapter 253 The bald mage exclaimed, then turned towards the wall of the hall, no longer looking at Garrett. A mage¡¯s original spells were everyone¡¯s most precious secrets, so it was fine if someone inadvertently saw them, but since he discovered that this was someone else¡¯s original creation, it was best to be more discreet. Gestures, incantations, materials... Don¡¯t look, don¡¯t listen to anything! The bald mage covered his ears, turned away from Garrett, and crouched down, holding his head. However, even though he covered his ears, he couldn¡¯t block out the sound, and he could hear murmurs behind him, one after another: "Oops, sorry, I relaxed for a moment... Let me try again!" Boom! "Hmm, quite successful, but control is a bit difficult... Let me try again..." Boom!!! "Uh, it¡¯s still... hard to control, powerful but too cumbersome to handle... Let me try again..." Boom! "The power has increased, still prone to explosion..." "Why are you crouching here?" The bald mage turned around and saw Aurora crouching beside him, her eyes shining as bright as her golden hair. Her friendly and curious look reminded the bald mage of his own hunting dog, also with a golden coat... He smiled awkwardly, released one hand covering his ear, and pointed behind him. However, since he wasn¡¯t used to crouching normally, when he gestured like that, his whole body swayed. Aurora just pulled him up: "Why are you squatting? You didn¡¯t deliberately stare, it¡¯s okay if you accidentally saw a bit. The boss¡¯s magic isn¡¯t something you can learn with just one glance. Besides, judging by his temperament, the paper and exchangeable spells are probably coming soon..." "How do you know?" The bald mage looked surprised. Brother, even though I don¡¯t know why you, a level-five mage, are calling that boss, he is still your boss! Isn¡¯t it inappropriate for you to act like the boss¡¯s master like this? "Because I¡¯m the one responsible for writing the paper..." Aurora drooped, looking disheartened, her ears almost drooping down. Garrett hesitated. Aurora vigorously nodded: "Many people do this! We can outline the basic framework of the paper, and leave the rest of the work to others! It¡¯s very convenient! Many mages are willing to take on the task! Offer some rewards, or give second and third authorships. There are plenty of people eager to grab them, like..." "Like me!" The bald mage interjected eagerly: "I don¡¯t need rewards, just give me a third authorship! I¡¯m Baruch Krisp, a disciple of Manning the Great Mage. I can sign a magic contract and absolutely not disclose anything! Of course, it would be best if you could teach me that new spell¡ªI don¡¯t expect it for free! Half-price exchange, is that okay?" Garrett and Aurora exchanged smiles. This testing session lasted until late at night. Then Garrett took the elevator upstairs as usual, went into Archmage Carlisle¡¯s guest room, and fell asleep. Meanwhile, poor Aurora spread out sheets of paper on the desk in the outer room and stayed up all night writing the paper... The next morning, the paper on the entire Mithril smelting solution, especially the paper on the new explosive, and the improved version of the fire-based magic, were placed on Archmage Carlisle¡¯s desk. In less than half an hour, Archmage Carlisle personally carried the paper and sent it to the legendary mage. "The little guy has some ideas." The Lord of Thunder sipped his coffee slowly, flipping through a few pages and praising. After reading through it all, he looked up at his disciple: "Arrange everything, try out everything that can be burned or exploded, and see what results we get from using them as casting materials. Then, ask the little guy if he¡¯s willing to authorize this new explosive..." At this point, both master and disciple smiled. So far, everything Garrett brought out had not been refused, sometimes even appearing eager to get rid of it quickly. A character like him was somewhat rare among mages, and it was necessary for the teacher to take care of him more: "Well, talk to him. Is there anything he urgently needs, expensive magic equipment perhaps, we can customize a batch for him, and keep the price within these ten thousand contribution points? What else does he lack? A wand? Amplifying instrument? Familiar? Also, the little guy is in Nevis City, doesn¡¯t have a fixed residence yet, right? It¡¯s not right for him to always stay in the lab, see if there¡¯s anything convenient in the council¡¯s properties, allocate a house to him, consider it as part of the reward¡ª" So, Garrett was taken to Archmage Carlisle¡¯s office with a bewildered look on his face. "Magic equipment? I need it!" Garrett didn¡¯t hesitate and blurted out a bunch: "Precise balance! Centrifuge! Oscillator! Pipette, give me a couple of dozen! Acidimeter! Spectrometer! Ultraviolet spectrophotometer! Oh, and give me a set of ammeter and voltmeter too!" "Stop stop stop stop stop¡ªwhat are all these things you¡¯re asking for?!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 254 Chapter 254 "I¡¯m really foolish, truly," Garrett lifted his lackluster eyes to his followers. "I only knew that magical weapons and armor are expensive. I didn¡¯t know that precision instruments could be even more costly than magical equipment..." Ten thousand contribution points! Just like that, gone! A precision balance? Available. A regular balance, with an accuracy of 1 gram, costs 5 gold coins each. A precision balance, with an accuracy of 0.1 gram, adjustable by knob, costs 100 gold coins each. With an accuracy of one thousandth of a gram, displaying readings via crystal, costs 1,500 contribution points each. For an accuracy of one ten-thousandth of a gram, sorry, none available... Centrifuge? Not readily available, but after Garrett made his request, the transformation-type archmage quickly indicated his ability to create one. 6000 revolutions per minute? No problem. Needs to be frozen during centrifugation? Also no problem. Four nested magic arrays, each used for clamping, rotating, temperature change, and timing, powered by magic crystal, remote-controlled, all no problem ¡ª 3000 contribution points each. Oscillator, 500 contribution points each, water bath ¡ª 2 liters capacity, adjustable temperature, with attached thermometer ¡ª 1000 contribution points each. Pipette is relatively expensive, mainly because each pipette must be specially equipped with a magic array, and the precision of the magic array is particularly high. After much calculation by the archmage, considering the requirements to meet Garrett¡¯s needs, extracting only 1/20 milliliter of liquid each time, only the master¡¯s micro-carving technique in the Alchemy Guild can achieve it. Considering the master¡¯s level, manual labor costs, scheduling, and the requirement for priority, the Alchemy Guild offered Garrett a high price of 2000 contribution points each... Garrett silently retracted his boast of "give me a dozen", endured the heartache for a while, and only ordered one ¡ª with a free gift. There¡¯s no choice; some medicines require high precision, and he doesn¡¯t trust them if he didn¡¯t make them himself. As for the acidity meter? Chromatograph? Ultraviolet spectrophotometer? What on earth are these things? After communicating for a while, Garrett wiped his tears and ordered a piece of high-transparency, high-refractive index triangular glass, intending to assemble a simple spectrophotometer himself. As for the acidity meter and chromatograph, forgive him for not having used them much, let alone disassembled them, and he has no idea how to DIY them. By the way, Garrett only knows the uses of these instruments and is not clear about their construction. He can¡¯t fleece the Alchemy Guild like he did with microscopes and shadowless lamps, getting custom products for free while still taking advantage of them... Add to that a batch of various miscellaneous equipment, and the freshly acquired 10,000 contribution points were gone in the blink of an eye. "Sigh, bankrupt..." Garrett walked out of the meeting room with a wilted head. Aurora tried to comfort him: "It¡¯s already quite good. If not for this opportunity, low-level mages would have to pay at least twice as much to have masters customize things for them! Whether they accept it or not depends on their mood too!" "I understand the reasoning," Garrett didn¡¯t feel comforted at all. "But it¡¯s really expensive!" Ten thousand contribution points! All spent! And he even dipped into his savings! Aurora looked at him and shook her head helplessly. If the house itself was worth ten thousand gold coins, the furnishings and collections inside could easily double the value. Aurora grew more excited the more she looked around, but Garrett became increasingly silent as he surveyed the place. Finally, from the depths of his soul, he asked seriously: "So, to maintain this house, how many people do I need to hire?" "...," the staff pretended not to hear. His magic level wasn¡¯t high; he was still second level at forty or fifty, and it seemed he¡¯d never ascend any higher in his lifetime, so he had to be more thoughtful in dealing with others. Garrett looked at Aurora, whose research level far exceeded his magical level, and saw the directive behind being given a house directly from above. Even if he was troubled by the house¡¯s maintenance, he¡¯d better say less rather than more. As expected, when he said nothing, Aurora quickly picked up: "For my house, one manservant doubling as a coachman, one cook, one maid for room cleaning should be enough. Your house is bigger than mine, with a bigger garden. Even if all unused rooms are sealed, you still need one more manservant, one more maid, and someone to tend to the garden. Oh yes, with this many people, you¡¯ll need a steward too..." "How much would that cost?! And, I¡¯m not familiar with the place, where do I go to hire them?" There¡¯s probably a desire from above to make you spend money. The staff member lowered his head slightly, listening to the blonde mage comforting the owner of the house: "It¡¯s okay, hiring people is very convenient. I¡¯ll ask Uncle Pete to check around later. He¡¯s familiar with this place and can definitely find some people for you!" "...The White Tower provides services." The staff finally chimed in, "The magic user management area of the White Tower provides various services for mages, including hiring servants. For room and board, an ordinary manservant costs five silver coins per month, those with special skills like driving a carriage or gardening are around ten silver coins, and a literate personal manservant costs about twenty silver coins per month. For ordinary maids, depending on age and appearance, it¡¯s between five to fifteen silver coins per month. Cooks generally ask for ten silver coins, while stewards are more expensive, ranging from twenty-five to thirty silver coins. However, these are all certified servants by the association, so safety is guaranteed¡ª" The sound of coins clinking rang out from his own pocket, echoing in Garrett¡¯s ears. "So, without a personal manservant, using the cheapest maids and a steward, it would still cost at least forty-five silver coins per month¡ªthat¡¯s four and a half gold coins. Adding in their board and lodging, firewood and charcoal, maintaining and cleaning this house would cost at least ten gold coins a month." He muttered to himself: "A gold coin can make a little demon work for an hour. With ten gold coins, I could make hundreds of needles! Can I just sell the house¡ª" "Cough, it¡¯s probably best not to." Aurora quickly interjected to stop him: "They gave you such a house, even my teacher couldn¡¯t approve it, it¡¯s probably a directive from higher up. They wouldn¡¯t want you to sell it right away¡ªbesides, it¡¯s just money, you can earn more! Let¡¯s go back and ask the teacher if there are any more tasks we can take!" "More tasks?" Garrett wasn¡¯t too keen. He hadn¡¯t even synthesized penicillin yet! The public health consultation wasn¡¯t finished yet! The Mage Tower¡ªno, the P4 lab¡ªhadn¡¯t confirmed the drawings yet! If it were just a research task, he could accept it, but if it turned into a fight, he wouldn¡¯t know if he could withdraw later! Unfortunately, Aurora insisted on dragging him along. They went all the way to Archmage Carlisle, who was already prepared, pushing forward a stack of documents: "After the skirmish with the Radiant Church, our fleet¡¯s activities at sea have expanded significantly. However, the health of the sailors has always been a problem, preventing the ships from staying at sea for too long. ¡ªBoth the Council¡¯s fleet and the Merchant Union have requested from the Council. Seeing your interest in healing arts, do you want to take on this task to improve the sailors¡¯ health?" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 255 Chapter 255 Improving the Health Conditions of the Crew? Garrett Nordmark almost blurted out, "Lemons, bean sprouts, alright, I¡¯ll go make some penicillin." However, after a moment of consideration, he still accepted the task: Firstly, without investigation, there¡¯s no authority to speak; any solution must be tried before determining its feasibility; Secondly, what if there are other diseases affecting sailors¡¯ health in this world? Drawing conclusions rashly is not right! Of course, Garrett couldn¡¯t deny that the rewards for the task were appealing. Even if just for the reward, he should at least take a look... "Very well." Archmage Carlisle smiled satisfactorily. "Since you¡¯ve taken it, someone will visit you tomorrow. A fleet from the Council has returned and is currently resting in the port. The one coming tomorrow should be their fleet commander, James Delock, or someone like the logistics chief. Oh, is your house tidied up?" Garrett: "..." So, they assigned me a mansion just to make a show? No matter how rushed Garrett was in tidying up the house, when the guests arrived the next day, he still displayed appropriate and absolutely not shabby etiquette: A level 7 warrior opened the door, also took care of the carriage for the guests, and looked after the horses; A cook (borrowed from Aurora¡¯s family) was busy preparing, boiling water, making tea, baking trays of fragrant cookies; An invisible servant opened the door, moved chairs, served tea and water (congratulations, this was a level 1 magic of the illusion school, Garrett could finally contribute a bit); A grand mage¡¯s personal disciple, level 5 mage Aurora Worton, accompanied him to welcome the guests... The two guests exchanged a glance, silently lowered their eyelids, concealing their surprise. Before they came, they had already received the news that the little mage sent by the council to solve the problem was from Newster County, some city¡ªanyway, it was a city they hadn¡¯t heard of. Selected to study at headquarters and arrived in Nevis just a year ago. In short, he was a country boy. Of course, with the rank of a fourth-circle arcane mage, plus the identity as a council envoy, he was already qualified to sit on an equal footing with them. However, a country boy entertaining them in the city¡¯s garden district villa. Though the etiquette was somewhat strange, it was by no means shabby. It seemed that the council¡¯s attention to this little mage in the past year was even greater than they imagined. The smiles of the two guests immediately became more genuine. The leader slightly bowed and extended his hand to Garrett: "Hello. I am James Delock, commander of the third fleet of the Council, a ninth-level knight. I apologize for the intrusion." "Hello, I am William Ganson, the logistics chief of the fleet." Beside Delock, a middle-aged man with a high hairline and a pointed chin also reached out his hand. Garrett shook hands with them one by one: "I am Garrett Nordmark, a fourth-circle arcane mage, level three mage. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you." Everyone took their seats in the living room. Invisible servants brought out a silver tray, serving warm red tea for the guests, and placing down two shiny silver cans. One can contained white sugar cubes, the other held fresh milk, obviously for the guests to add as they pleased. Another invisible servant floated out from the kitchen, placing down a plate of pale yellow and a plate of brown, freshly baked cookies. Each cookie was adorned with twisted patterns, and the aroma wafted into the air with each step. ; 3 fell into the sea due to accidents; 7 died from unknown high fever; 5 died from diarrhea; 8 died from a sea plague¡ª" "A sea plague?" "Yes, after sailors spend a long time at sea, they start bleeding from the gums, weakness in limbs, muscle pain, gradually bedridden. The cleric doesn¡¯t have a good solution. Even with Remove Disease, it can only provide temporary relief..." Garrett began to massage his temples. Scurvy might be easy to deal with, but the number of deaths due to scurvy was not even half of the total deaths. It seemed that there were many things to be done to solve the health problems of the crew! "Could I see your ships and crew?" That afternoon, Garrett boarded the flagship of the fleet, the Pelican. "So big..." Garrett exclaimed as he climbed the ladder. It was said that this flagship was "only" 500 tons, in his previous life, a ship of a thousand tons was considered a small ship, and tens of thousands of tons were fishing boats. Anyway, 500 tons wasn¡¯t considered much. However, he realized he had to climb for quite a while even for a 500-ton ship. Climbing up felt high, but when he reached the deck, he suddenly felt narrow. Garrett looked around, even spread his arms to measure, the main deck was less than two operating rooms wide, and in length, it was shorter than the corridor of their hospital¡ªwhile the corridor of the old building was only over 50 meters long. Garrett looked around, then turned to the fleet commander: "Where do the sailors live? I need to take a look." "Uh..." Knight Delock pinched his nose and led him downstairs. Just one floor down, Garrett reflexively cast a spell, creating a bubble around himself: It stinks too much! It¡¯s really too smelly! He thought for a moment, then dispelled the spell. Understanding the situation correctly was the most important thing now. Endure it, oh, it¡¯s so smelly... Sulfur permeated the air, making Garrett¡¯s eyes water. He had to step back outside and cast the bubble spell again. The odor was overpowering! As they went down further, the air became increasingly foul. Just after descending one flight of stairs, Garrett saw no less than ten rats, accompanied by cockroaches and other insects, and behind the stairs, in the corners of the ship¡¯s hold, heaps of unidentified garbage piled up. The rooms where the senior sailors lived were so narrow that only one bed could fit, not even enough space to turn around. And the sailors didn¡¯t even have "rooms", they slept on the lower deck, either on hammocks or makeshift beds. Needless to say, with such poor sanitary conditions, the appearance of infectious diseases was normal. Garrett turned his head. Knight Delock, the commander, followed behind him, his hand on his sword, his expression clearly saying, "Can we leave soon?" Garrett grabbed the commander, shaking his finger to inquire: "Where do they go to the bathroom?" "They go everywhere..." Bernard, who followed into the cabin, worriedly added. Garrett insisted on going down one more level. As soon as his foot touched the ground, he immediately ran back up: The bilge pumps were pumping water! That smell, even the bubble spell couldn¡¯t block it! "Boss, I forgot to tell you, when the weather is bad, most of the sailors solve it in the bilge..." Bernard said with a sigh. Garrett went to the kitchen again and saw that the large bucket of fresh water was almost used up, leaving only a small amount of water, which had clearly turned bad. The bread not only had mold but also maggots, flies buzzing everywhere. As for other food, Garrett dared not look anymore. "The sanitary conditions of this fleet need to be improved comprehensively! Comprehensive! Otherwise, when people die, it¡¯s a piece by piece!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 256 Chapter 256 "Rat-catching!" "Exterminate cockroaches, fleas, bedbugs, mosquitoes, and flies!" "Food preservation!" "Toilet cleaning!" Garrett muttered with clenched teeth as he wrote, each stroke penetrating the paper. So annoying, so annoying. Thinking of the scene on the boat just now made him dizzy, nauseous, wanting to vomit... Fortunately, he was using the Infinite Ink Pen, magically reinforced, so it didn¡¯t snap on the spot. It was also fortunate that he was using ordinary white paper, not parchment, so if it tore through, it could blame the poor quality of the paper, not his excessive force. Knight Delock looked at him somewhat amused. As the commander of a fleet, there were mages boarding the Pelican every year to and from the New Continent, and even a Level 5 mage was stationed on the flagship. Many mages had a look of disgust when they first boarded the ship, after tossing and turning in the wind and waves for a couple of months, vomiting until they couldn¡¯t get out of bed, pinching their noses to dive into the bottom cabin, hanging in the ship¡¯s head toilet, after various hardships, they would just give up. However, someone like Garrett, who worked without hesitation, and complained about it afterwards, was indeed rare to see. And after inspecting the cabin and visiting the crew, he must go home once, change clothes, take a bath... "Boss! I¡¯m done!" The barbarian burst in, holding a large porcelain bottle. His cuffs, lapels, and even the corners of his mouth were stained with a lot of orange stuff, and Knight Delock¡¯s nostrils twitched, smelling a sour odor. "Bernard... you¡¯ll turn into a little yellow man tomorrow." Garrett stopped writing and chuckled. Heh! Bernard was indeed more reliable when it came to squeezing fruit juice without a juicer! With a strong squeeze! Lemon juice or orange juice, it just gushed out! Of course, sneaking a few bites in between was just a labor cost, not even counted as normal loss. Without waiting for Bernard to protest, Garrett laughed, got up from his seat, and rolled up the manuscript paper: "Shall we go? Commander, are you ready?" "Let¡¯s go!" They headed straight to the military camp. After the fleet returned, most of the officers and sailors had gone out to enjoy their holidays. Only a few soldiers who lived far away, had no money, or were still lying in the camp due to injuries or illnesses, moaned constantly, long or short. Knight Delock led Garrett straight to the infirmary. As soon as they entered the camp gate, Garrett¡¯s eyebrows furrowed: Sewage flowed horizontally, flies buzzed everywhere. The sanitation conditions in this barracks were not much better than the second deck of the flagship he had just seen! Garrett silently pushed open the door. As soon as the door opened, a strong sour smell hit him in the face. The smell of sweat, foot odor, bad breath, the smell of infected wounds, and the dried and spoiled smell of blood mixed together, almost forming a substantive olfactory assault. Garrett almost took a step back: !!! Ten or eight diabetic foot patients gathered together waiting for dressing changes would probably be like this! He steadied himself and walked slowly indoors. The layout of the infirmary was not much different from the city guard he had in mind, with a large room in the middle, a corridor, and two large bunk beds on each side. Garrett frowned again: How could the wounded be placed like this? He didn¡¯t even know what their situation was. If there were some typhoid fever, dysentery, or spotted fever, wouldn¡¯t it spread? He took a step forward. The hem of his coat was immediately grabbed, and Garrett looked down to see a fifteen or sixteen-year-old young soldier with a flushed face, groaning weakly: "Here are all wounded soldiers. The uninjured ones are on leave, and the ones on duty have their own tasks, no time to care for them," the commander replied with a hint of frustration. Garrett fell silent for a moment. Perhaps, this is the essence of a hospital? Even if it¡¯s just experienced nurses, they know how to care for the wounded... "You arrange the rooms. I¡¯ll take care of them," he said, lowering his gaze. The commander was taken aback, "What?" "I¡¯m a healer. Since I¡¯ve seen it, I can¡¯t just ignore it." Garrett¡¯s voice was low but firm, without a hint of hesitation. After saying this, he brushed past the commander and walked into the room. Bending down, he helped a soldier with multiple infected wounds: "Come with me, your wounds need cleaning. Bernard! Is it ready yet? Come and help!" "Mr. Nordmark! Mr. Nordmark!" the commander hurriedly reached out to stop him. "This rough work doesn¡¯t need to be done by you! I¡¯ll call the soldiers! Those kids, taking care of their comrades, shouldn¡¯t shirk their duties!" Garrett ended up finishing the tasks with them. Bernard carried water buckets, poured water, and supported soldiers, while Garrett, in a nearby room, cleaned wounds for soldiers with external injuries, cut away rotten flesh, washed wounds, and treated minor and moderate injuries. Occasionally, he shouted instructions: "All clothes need to be cleaned! Dirty clothes make it hard for people to recover!" "Baths! Everyone needs to bathe! All bedding needs to be washed! Fleas and lice must be removed, or people will get sick!" "The entire house needs to be cleaned! No garbage allowed!" "That blond one, send him to the next room and arrange for someone to take care of him separately! Others are not allowed to enter! The caretaker should wear leather clothes to prevent fleas from crawling onto him!" "The one with diarrhea, the utensils he uses must be washed separately and boiled in hot water!" Garrett was busy. Seeing him like this, the commander and the logistics chief exchanged glances and rolled up their sleeves to join the working crowd. From morning till evening, all the wounded soldiers were finally settled. Garrett wiped the sweat from his forehead: "I¡¯ll come and check tomorrow. Thank you for your hard work!" The second day, the third day, the fourth day. Under Garrett¡¯s juice therapy, the soldiers with sepsis gradually began to improve. And Garrett¡¯s report was also placed in front of Archmage Carlisle. "Maintain cleanliness? Kill rats, pests? Proper preservation of food and fresh water?" Archmage Carlisle quickly scanned the report: "Hmm, these are issues related to fleet management, we will discuss with the fleet. Then about the ¡¯seafaring plague¡¯¡ªstoring fresh fruits on ships? Providing an orange a day, or drinking a cup of lemon juice? Is that so..." Archmage Carlisle carefully read the report. Garrett attached a thick stack of medical records behind it, specifically stating that, except for the ¡¯seafaring plague,¡¯ the soldiers did not receive divine magic or other medical treatment. Comparisons with other sailors¡ªmainly those from returning merchant ships¡ªwere made in terms of names, ages, symptoms, treatment plans, daily conditions, everything was documented. The answer was obvious, a cup of lemon juice or orange juice every day was the magic cure for the ¡¯seafaring plague.¡¯ "Garrett, your solution is excellent. But¡ªit won¡¯t work." "What?" Garrett exclaimed. Archmage Carlisle replied slowly: "Having you take on this task isn¡¯t just about treating sailors, but more importantly, about narrowing the gap between the Council fleet and the Radiant Church. A cup of fruit juice every day, while a good solution, is too simple and easily cracked. If we inform all sailors and shipowners, the Radiant Church will soon learn of this method. With their power, the gap between the Council and them will widen significantly. Keep working hard! Develop a magical medicine that can cure the ¡¯seafaring plague,¡¯ one that only the Magic Council can master! Fight for enough advantage for the Council, fight for enough time!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 257 Chapter 257 What? Make vitamin C? Garrett was dumbfounded. How difficult is it to confirm that scurvy is due to a lack of vitamin C and then produce it? Simply put, this achievement is worth two Nobel Prizes. In 1937, Hungarian biochemist Szent-Gyorgyi won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his research on vitamin C and oxidative reactions in the human body. That same year, British scientist Haworth, for determining the chemical structure of vitamin C and synthesizing it artificially, won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Archmage Carlisle, you¡¯re overestimating me T_T If I had the ability to make vitamin C barehanded, I wouldn¡¯t have struggled for over a decade in my past life and ended up just a deputy chief physician! My highest degree is only a master¡¯s! I specialize in clinical medicine, not pharmacy! By the way, what is the industrial process for extracting vitamin C... This isn¡¯t something I forgot, it¡¯s something I never learned... Garrett descended from Igor Peak feeling depressed. Thinking about needing to overcome the hurdle of two Nobel Prizes to complete the task left him feeling powerless, not even wanting to enter the laboratory. Seriously, is it really necessary to create a magic potion to solve a problem that could easily be addressed with a lemon every day? So annoying... Should I just write a paper on using lemon juice for treatment and toss it to the Alchemy Guild to figure out how to turn it into medicine... Feeling unhappy, Garrett summoned his mount and rode aimlessly. The horse summoned by magic was more intelligent and obedient than those in the natural world; even if the master didn¡¯t control it, it wouldn¡¯t startle and run amok or trample people. Garrett rode his horse absentmindedly, the horse moving freely. Before he knew it, a fishy smell hit him. Coming to his senses, Garrett lifted his head and realized he had arrived at the harbor district. Since he was already here, he decided to visit the clinic¡ªthinking so, Garrett turned his horse and soon arrived at the clinic run by the Nature God¡¯s congregation. "Brother Matthew!" For example, the dosage of daffodil alkaloids for adults is 0.5 to 1 milligram every 1 to 2 hours, not exceeding 6 milligrams per day. Too little dosage is ineffective, too much can be poisonous. So, how do you ensure the accuracy of the dosage? Control the source of daffodils? How was the weather this year, sunshine, rainfall, fertilizers; how well did the daffodils grow? Use only bulbs, not leaves, or only certain parts of the bulbs? Such control methods may be accurate to 0.1 or 0.01 grams. However, to be precise to milligrams or even micrograms, to ensure that each dosage of medication is consistently stable and uniform, is impossible! And what about medicines with even smaller single doses? Like fentanyl, used for anesthesia induction, with a dosage of 0.05 to 0.1 milligrams... Not to mention, the impurity content in medicinal plant extracts is too high. The simplest example, the active ingredient of aspirin, salicylic acid, everyone knows can be obtained by boiling willow bark. But how many components are there in willow bark tea? Amino acids, sugars, organic acids, glycosides, phenols... Dozens are the minimum. Trying to extract salicylic acid from this mixture, removing ineffective or harmful components¡ªhaha, it¡¯ll make you cry. That¡¯s why, after modern chemistry emerged, we have modern anesthesiology. If it were ancient times, using various herbs like datura, mandrake, and jimsonweed, mixing and refining them to give to patients would be gambling with lives. If the raw material fluctuates even slightly, anesthesia could become an overdose, and the patient wouldn¡¯t wake up... Only by relying on chemistry, only by extracting and refining through chemical means, can medication content be measured, can drugs be of high purity, uniform in nature, and stable, becoming reliable helpers for doctors! These are all principles that were once studied... "Brother Matthew, thank you." Garrett sincerely expressed his gratitude. Without waiting for Brother Matthew to ask, Garrett had already rushed out of the clinic like a whirlwind and summoned his mount again. Riding through the streets for a few rounds, he stopped at a fruit stall: "How much are these oranges? And lemons?¡ªI¡¯ll take them all, deliver them for me!" A cart of oranges, a basket of lemons, a cart of cabbage, and seven or eight other varieties of vegetables were gradually dragged into Garrett¡¯s villa. The cook wiped her hands on her apron in astonishment: "Mr. Nordmark, are you... Are you hosting a banquet?" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 258 Chapter 258 Garrett regretted his decision within half an hour. Why did he buy so much? Had he lost his mind to purchase an entire cart of oranges? He could have just bought a few pounds; it would have been enough for his experiment. If it wasn¡¯t enough, there were plenty available in the market! In addition to oranges, he also bought lemons, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, celery, peas, radishes... "Susan, Aunt Susan!" Garrett had to apologize to the cook with a smile: "Could you do me a favor? Peel the skins of these things, slice them, remove the seeds¡ªjust prepare them as you normally would before cooking. It doesn¡¯t have to be a lot, just a pound or so!" "Sure thing, Master Garrett." The cook readily agreed. Soon, the kitchen was filled with the sound of chopping boards clattering, accompanied by Aunt Susan¡¯s sighs: "Young people these days..." Garrett shrugged. He had to admit, Aunt Susan was much more efficient at these tasks than they were. In the blink of an eye, a plate of sliced fruits and vegetables was ready. Garrett smiled and thanked Aunt Susan, then called out loudly: "Aurora! Come over and help!" Aurora rushed over. Following Garrett¡¯s instructions, he diligently cast ice spells on the lemons, cabbage, and cauliflower, freezing them quickly. Once all the fruits and vegetables were frozen solid, he directed Aurora to put them into a thick-walled iron bottle and vacuum out the air. As the air pressure decreased, the moisture in the fruit and vegetable slices began to evaporate rapidly. While the fruits and vegetables still retained their fresh and vibrant colors, they had become dry and brittle, crumbling at a touch. "Alright! Thanks, Aurora! Take this to Aunt Susan to grind into powder, mix thoroughly, and put it in a bottle!" Freeze-dried mixed fruit and vegetable slices!Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m Grinding into powder! A mixture of seven or eight kinds of fruits and vegetables! Garrett attempted to cast an identification spell, but the information was too chaotic to provide feedback. Aurora tried as well, but likewise couldn¡¯t produce a result. Well, he would take it to the Tower of Heaven tomorrow and ask a master appraiser for help... The anti-scurvy potion, basic version, completed! If even the master appraiser couldn¡¯t identify it, then he would just turn it in for the task! With a backup plan in place, Garrett focused his attention on the vitamin tablets. Chemical synthesis was out of the question, so extracting vitamin C from natural sources was the way to go... "Bang, bang, bang¡ª" Bernard, holding a pestle half his height, pounded it down with force. The enormous pestle seemed weightless in his hands, as juice splattered out in all directions, swirling and sinking to the bottom of the mortar. In no time, Bernard leaned the pestle against the side and poured out the freshly squeezed orange juice. Garrett suddenly leaped up. Yes, that¡¯s it, sodium ascorbate! It had the same therapeutic effect for scurvy as vitamin C, but sodium ascorbate was a more stable compound! It was also a common drug in clinical practice! He should have thought of it earlier! Garrett held his breath, diluted a milliliter of sodium hydroxide solution, and slowly dripped it into the orange juice. With his left hand stirring continuously with a glass rod, he dripped, stirred, and then tested the acidity with litmus paper. Drip, stir... When the pink color of the litmus paper almost faded away, Garrett finally stopped. Filter again, heat, evaporate, crystallize. Then, dissolve the crystals again, test... Failure. He didn¡¯t make it. Undeterred, Garrett persisted. Since the barbarian had squeezed plenty of orange juice, he could afford to experiment slowly. If sodium hydroxide didn¡¯t work, he would try baking soda! If baking soda didn¡¯t work, he would try sodium carbonate... Time passed by minute by minute. Weighing, dissolving, titrating, heating, crystallizing. Dissolving again, reacting, measuring. Recording the mass of reactants, recording the reaction temperature, recording the reaction time¡ª Failure after failure, yet another failure. From noon to night, from night to midnight. The experimental notebook flipped through page after page, and the large pot of orange juice was consumed cup by cup. Aurora remained by his side, helping with weighing, heating, recording, and various other tasks, but as Garrett announced failure after failure, he gradually fell silent, no longer in the mood for jokes or laughter. But Garrett¡¯s expression remained steady. What was this? What were these failures? Fundamental research was always a lonely and difficult path. To produce a single substance, the raw materials, concentration, temperature, reaction time, catalyst¡ªendless combinations needed to be tried. Thousands, tens of thousands of possibilities; sometimes, just a 0.1 degree difference could lead to failure. Even if he was only conducting the simplest experiments, walking on paths paved by predecessors without falling flat on his face, was that still called research? This time, as droplets of crystalline solution fell, the blue solution produced by the reaction between iodine and starch visibly faded! "Yes!!!" Garrett raised both hands and waved them vigorously. Success! Sodium ascorbate¡ªeven if it was impure, he had made it! Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 259 Chapter 259 "Have you heard? The Council has developed a secret remedy against the ¡¯Seaborne Plague.¡¯" "Yes, I heard about it too." Among merchants, news travels fastest. Less than ten days after Garrett successfully made sodium ascorbate, rumors began circulating among the sea merchants of Nevis City: "Yes, in my shop, there¡¯s a lad whose second cousin is in the Northern Fleet. I heard that all the patients afflicted with the ¡¯Seaborne Plague¡¯ in the fleet took this medicine and recovered quickly!" "I heard that the Northern Fleet is about to set sail for training soon, planning to drift in the nearby seas for a few months, and test this new medicine." "Do you think we could get our hands on this medicine?" "I went to the White Tower yesterday to inquire, but they didn¡¯t have it in the exchange area." "Perhaps they¡¯re still in the testing phase? I¡¯ll have someone ask..." Garrett completely ignored these matters. After calculating the yield following the production of sodium ascorbate, he realized that with his manufacturing process, 100 grams of oranges could only yield 10 milligrams of vitamin C. With the normal daily intake of 100 milligrams of vitamin C per person, for a fleet of 1000 people, drifting at sea for 60 days, he needed to produce... Sixty tons of oranges! Thud! Such a large production volume should be handed over to industrial extraction; he shouldn¡¯t be manually producing it alone!Findd new stories at novelhall.com Therefore, after finishing his paper, Garrett quickly handed it over to Archmage Carlisle. Reading through the paper alone, along with the key points needing experimentation mentioned within it, Carlisle shook his head with a wry smile: "1. Extracting the drug to treat scurvy would undoubtedly be more efficient. I recommend the Alchemy Guild to establish a team for multiple experiments. Given that this drug is easy to stabilize in acid but quickly changes properties in alkali, it is suggested to chop up the food and extract it with dilute hydrochloric acid, dilute sulfuric acid, dilute nitric acid, alternately; "You can¡¯t learn this spell? Where are you stuck? Show me by using it once¡ª" Was the incantation not pronounced correctly? Were the spellcasting gestures not standard? Was the spell model unable to be deciphered? Archmage Carlisle guessed. Garrett chanted a few lines softly, pointed his hand, and a wave of magical energy was released. Archmage Carlisle raised his hand to meet it, pinched himself, and indeed, he could hardly feel any pain. Considering the natural magic resistance of high-level mages, being able to achieve this level was already quite good. "You¡¯re using it quite well, aren¡¯t you? Where¡¯s the problem?" "The principle of this spell, what is it?" Garrett quickly poured out a bunch of questions: "Which part of the body does it act on? Can the range be adjusted, such as only controlling a certain part of the limb? Can it relax muscles? And also..." "Stop! ¡ª¡ª I¡¯ll take you to the Charm School to find someone!" Garrett smiled slightly. He had wanted to research this spell for a long time. ¡¯Alleviate Pain,¡¯ allowing patients to not feel pain for a certain period, was simply a magical tool for anesthesia in Garrett¡¯s eyes. Local anesthesia, spinal anesthesia, general anesthesia, while anesthetizing, it wouldn¡¯t cause central nervous system suppression, nor would it cause the patient¡¯s heart rate to drop or lose autonomous breathing¡ª It¡¯s much better than anesthesia drugs used clinically! But the problem was, when he cast ¡¯Alleviate Pain¡¯ on rabbits for surgery, the rabbits would still struggle if they needed to, and would still escape if they could. When setting a sheep¡¯s leg bone, the sheep¡¯s muscles would still tense up, and if it couldn¡¯t be moved, he still couldn¡¯t move it. In response, Elder Wood¡¯s answer was "improve your control." But Garrett always felt that there should be another way, a better way... The relationship between the Charm School and the Sculpting School wasn¡¯t very good. The latter thought the former was too fancy and too insidious; the former thought the latter was too violent, only knowing how to fight and kill. Fortunately, Archmage Carlisle had been at Thunder Horn for many years and had some connections. He led him through several twists and turns, and soon found a level thirteen mage from the Charm School. "Madame Syatt, it¡¯s this child." Archmage Carlisle pulled Garrett into the room. In the reception room, a young woman who looked only twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with delicate features, raised her head and smiled faintly: "Little Garrett, right? I¡¯ve heard of you. Well, since you have questions, study here with me for a while and research it together." Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 260 Chapter 260 Archmage Carlisle¡¯s connections were quite powerful. Even after several layers of referrals, the favors were solid. Madame Syatt¡¯s guidance to Garrett was truly dedicated, treating him no differently than her own disciples. As a level thirteen grand mage, Madame Syatt possessed profound knowledge of the Charm School¡¯s second-level magic. What seemed incomprehensible to Archmage Carlisle was effortlessly dismantled and explained piece by piece by Madame Syatt: "This horn-like structure adjusts the casting intensity. Some individuals are particularly sensitive to pain, or certain pain spells have a strong impact that requires counteraction¡ªtry changing this structure? What¡¯s that? You need to calculate it? Of course, of course, young man, it¡¯s always good to be cautious." "This hyperbolic curve? You¡¯ve dismantled it incorrectly... The left half is connected to the more left diamond structure, and the right half can be dismantled separately..." "This cone? No no no, what you see on the scroll is its projection. Its spell structure in the meditation environment should be..." Second-level magic is much more complex than first-level magic. With Garrett¡¯s abilities, he could barely manage to outline spell models, release spells, and follow instructions from magic scrolls or books. However, dismantling, adjusting, and altering piece by piece like this... Garrett attempted three times. The first two attempts were futile, and the third time, the spell model in the meditation environment shattered directly, almost shaking the meditation core.Vi?Sit no(v)3lb/!n(.)com for new novels Garrett dared not risk further experimentation and sought help from Archmage Carlisle. It was only then that he realized that analyzing and altering standard spell models was a closely guarded secret of each school, each mage organization, and even each individual mage. Regarding the specifics of casting "Alleviate Pain," Archmage Carlisle himself was not very clear. Only the Charm School had masters in this area that could be consulted... Madame Syatt dismantled the entire spell model, explaining it clearly. What each part represented, where adjustments could be made, and which parts absolutely could not be altered. She even made analogies, comparing certain spell structures to "Hypnosis" or drawing parallels with Necromancy¡¯s "Blindness" and "Deafness" spells... The lesson lasted from afternoon until after dinner. At around four o¡¯clock, Madame Syatt¡¯s female disciples came in to serve afternoon tea¡ªpouring tea, serving pastries, offering fruits¡ªcoming and going incessantly, constantly changing. Each time someone entered, they would scrutinize Garrett. Immersed in the dissection of spells, Garrett didn¡¯t even glance at them, but Madame Syatt couldn¡¯t stop smiling. When pouring milk into the tea cup, her hand trembled uncontrollably, almost spilling it onto the apple pie. The deeper Garrett delved into the study, the more grateful he felt for the selfless teaching of the grand mage. After she finished, he couldn¡¯t help but bow deeply: "Thank you so much, Madame Syatt. I really don¡¯t know how to repay your guidance." "How about joining the Charm School?" Madame Syatt casually opened her feather fan, then closed it halfway. She covered her lips with the fluffy edge of the fan, smiling gently: "Young man, in our Charm School, there are many beautiful girls~" "Please! I need to conduct an experiment and need frogs... Without frogs, I¡¯ll have to kill many large animals, which is troublesome. Please help me!" The barbarian grumbled as he reluctantly got up and went into the garden. In no time, he came back with five frogs larger than his fist. Garrett gratefully took one, quickly nailed it to a wooden board, activated "Detection Magic," and made a cut on the frog¡¯s leg... Hmm, no change at all. "Toxic Detection"? Another cut, still no change... "Mind Detection"? Another incision, and Garrett¡¯s heart thumped in his chest. He did sense something, very faint and weak, but undeniably real. Quickly, he cast "Alleviate Pain" and continued to feel the magical feedback. It seemed like, maybe, there wasn¡¯t much change? Could it be that the frog¡¯s intelligence was too low, and Mind Detection couldn¡¯t read it? Garrett destroyed the frog¡¯s medulla oblongata and made another incision. Then, to his dismay, he found that the feedback from "Mind Detection" still didn¡¯t change much... Should I try another one? Garrett pondered for a moment, then caught another frog, and cast the second-level Divination spell "Unveil Invisibility." This time, the frog¡¯s head, torso, and limbs emitted a translucent life aura. With a cut, both the frog¡¯s head and the leg it belonged to had their auras gently fluctuating. What is this? What is the life aura I see in my meditative vision? Intuition surged faster than reason, Garrett¡¯s heart pounding, almost ready to scream out loud. He even luxuriously took out a mental strength potion, took a sip, and then stared intently at the frog¡¯s head, raising his hand and casting¡ª "Alleviate Pain"! The head, the leg, the life aura in the meditative vision still flickered gently, but the fluctuations were not as intense. Garrett took a deep breath: he was getting close to the truth! Double releases! Monthly ticket! Hand them over! Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 261 Chapter 261 Known: [See through Invisibility] can see the spiritual light of living beings. Question: What is the spiritual light of life? As he approached the answer, Garrett became calmer instead. The next verification work required sufficiently refined prerequisites ¡ª even with complete prerequisites, many newly-minted students experienced experiment failures, experiment failures, experiment failures... Garrett calmed down and began manipulating scales, pipettes, beakers, and flasks. Preparing Renshi¡¯s solution, he welded zinc and copper plates together to make a zinc-copper bow. Hmm, magic made things much easier; he heated them until they softened, directly joined them together, and then cooled them down... Done! Perfect! Then, Garrett began preparing frogs, nailing them to wooden boards, destroying their brains and spinal cords, and cutting off the upper half of their bodies... Completing the sciatic nerve-gastrocnemius muscle specimen. The laboratory was bloody, barbaric enough to make barbarians grimace, but Garrett remained impassive throughout, even showing some excitement. Just kidding, even though medical students weren¡¯t as accustomed to dissections as their biology colleagues, they had dissected dozens of frogs, mice, cats, and dogs, so who would fear such scenes! And throughout, Garrett even maintained his meditation, not being swayed by emotional fluctuations. Under the [See through Invisibility], the spiritual light of life silently flickered and quietly fell into the meditative field of view. What excited Garrett was that even with only a piece of spine and frog legs remaining, a faint spiritual light could still be seen in his meditative vision. So... Zinc-copper bow, dipped in Renshi¡¯s solution, stimulating the sciatic nerve! The moment the metal pieces touched each end, the frog¡¯s gastrocnemius muscle contracted violently. At the same time, the spiritual light in Garrett¡¯s meditative vision visibly jumped up! Correct! The magic [See through Invisibility], seeing the spiritual light, was most likely the bioelectricity of organisms! Then... Then, if the nerves are suppressed, is it possible that after cutting off the nerve response, the sensation of pain in the terminal limbs will no longer be transmitted to the brain? Garrett impulsively threw a spell onto his thigh. Then, he bent down and pinched his calf hard. It really didn¡¯t hurt! Garrett continued to split the spell model. In this spell, the part that determines the nature of the spell resembles a flower, and underneath the flower are numerous coiled roots. Garrett tried omitting the part of the roots, casting the spell again... The frog struggled violently. However, when the spell was thrown to the frog¡¯s head, the frog immediately calmed down, and the spiritual light in its head also became gentle, with no more violent fluctuations. And by omitting the flower part and directly outlining the roots, casting again¡ª Effective on the limbs, ineffective on the head! Interesting. Garrett¡¯s eyes gleamed, recording quickly. So the "flower" part controlled the central nervous system, making the brain unable to recognize pain, while the "roots" part suppressed sensory nerves, inhibiting bioelectric conduction? This mechanism is very interesting! Moreover, after splitting and narrowing the range of the spell¡¯s coverage, the magical power consumed by this magic directly reduced from second-order magic to first-order magic. Such changes were certainly not very useful in combat. The smaller the coverage area, the lower the likelihood of hitting the target. If there were multiple wounds on the body, it would be even more impractical ¡ª it blocks here but not there... But in medical treatment, it would be very useful! Local anesthesia! If local anesthesia is possible, why use general anesthesia! If spinal anesthesia is possible, there¡¯s no need for general anesthesia! Wasting anesthetic, no, wasting magical power, and also affecting the patient¡¯s recovery! Tomorrow, yes, tomorrow, go to the clinic and give it a try! If there are no suitable patients in the clinic, he can go to the dock, to the fleet. There, the porters and soldiers are often involved in bumps and scrapes, so he should find an opportunity!Th.e? most uptod/ate novels a/re published on n(0)velbj)n(.)c/o/m Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 262 Chapter 262 Garrett spent the morning at the clinic. The clinic was quiet all morning, not even a single person with a cold came in. Garrett, ready and waiting, found himself with nothing to do, except for a sparrow hopping around the doorstep, entertained by an apprentice priest sitting there. Real-deal tumbleweeds. Hmm... as a doctor, he really shouldn¡¯t wish for people to get sick or injured. Even during night shifts, if there were no emergency rescues, it might be worth giving a few apples to the god of night shifts and throwing in a couple of extra milk cartons. But... if I had known it would be like this, I might as well have stayed at home and done animal experiments... Garrett decided to take matters into his own hands. He changed out of his priest robes, set aside his oak staff, pinned on his mage badge, and took Bernard for a stroll to the fleet¡¯s headquarters. Regardless, as long as the fleet was still docked, there would be training going on, and where there¡¯s training, there¡¯s bound to be injuries... If not, at least a few scrapes, right? He knew his way around, sneaking in through the gate of the infirmary. After testing sodium ascorbate for ten consecutive days, Garrett had become familiar enough with the guards to come and go as he pleased. With just a nod, he and the barbarians sneaked along the edge of the dormitory and made their way to the training ground. On the training ground, it was bustling with activity. The Council fleet¡¯s training ground was set by the sea, half water and half land. At the moment, two single-masted sailing ships were moored side by side at the pier, with gangplanks set up in between. A group of prospective sailors, under the command of instructors, climbed the masts and pulled the rigging, busy as bees. From their movements, it seemed that one team was attacking while the other was defending, simulating boarding combat. There was another group of older sailors, dressed more roughly, carrying barrels and crates, chanting as they ran laps around the training ground. And then there were two groups, about twenty or so sailors each, sitting in rowboats on level ground, gripping wooden oars and rowing hard. Everyone¡¯s heads were steaming with sweat, breathing in and out, exhaling white mist. The temperature of the entire training ground seemed to be a degree or two higher than that of the surrounding area. Garrett tried to stick close to the edge of the field. The runners shouldn¡¯t get injured, and neither should the rowers... The group simulating combat seemed a bit dangerous... Maybe he should go over there and take a look? He cautiously made his way around. Just as he reached halfway, he suddenly heard a command not far away: "Fireball spell! Get down!" Garrett froze in his tracks. Before he could even see clearly what was happening around him, he was tackled to the ground by the barbarians... "Ouch..." Garrett let out a small groan. However, his voice was drowned out by the cries of panic: "Quick, take cover! - My Lord Bishop!" "Boom!!!" A blazing fireball, perfectly round, detonated against the mast, apparently accidentally cast by the mage in charge of the exercise. The deck shattered, the hull flew sideways, and the dilapidated single-masted sailing ship, which was only fit for training sailors, saw its mast creak and crash down, threatening to crush the sailors below. "Bernard! Help them!" Came the muffled reply from beneath the cloth. Bishop Hampton¡¯s curiosity was piqued, and he hurried over to take a look. Just as he reached the entrance of the tent, he saw Garrett pull out a small knife, its silver blade shimmering, exceptionally sharp, and compare it against the area near the wounded soldier¡¯s collarbone. "You... wait a minute! You haven¡¯t even used the pain-relief magic! Bishop Hampton started to intervene. He had just uttered one word when Garrett aimed the tip of the knife at the wounded soldier¡¯s collarbone, chanting softly. A somewhat familiar, yet somewhat unfamiliar, magical wave descended immediately. He made a cut. Bishop Hampton clearly saw the wounded soldier tremble slightly, but his muscles didn¡¯t tense up, nor did he let out a sharp cry of pain¡ªIt doesn¡¯t hurt, it really doesn¡¯t hurt! "Are you casting [Alleviate Pain]? Why is it different? The magical wave is much smaller?" The Lord Bishop couldn¡¯t help but ask. He immediately realized his slip of the tongue, smiled, and waved his hand, indicating that Garrett didn¡¯t need to answer. However, almost immediately, this warrior bishop widened his eyes and took a few steps forward: "What are you doing? - It¡¯s just a nail, why are you cutting his flesh? If you¡¯re not confident, I¡¯ll do it!" "Don¡¯t touch him!" The position where the nail was stuck was too delicate, slanting into the space below the clavicle, wedged between the subclavian vein and the subclavian artery. Slant it a little to the side, and it would hit the external jugular vein, the suprascapular vein, the suprascapular artery, the brachial plexus, a tangle of blood vessels and nerves, all bunched together. With the magic detection activated, when he saw the position of the nail, he was sweating! This sailor was lucky not to have died! He was afraid that the bishop would be clumsy, so he hurriedly performed the surgery, cutting open the skin with the surgical knife, using the mage hand to hold the nail in place. Then, he used the mage hand to hold the hook, gradually separating and pulling apart the sternocleidomastoid and pectoralis major muscles. Then with a wave of his hand, several mage hands turned into vascular clamps, snapping shut one by one, closing off the surrounding blood vessels. "All right, you can pull it out now!" "Let me, let me!" Bishop Hampton rushed up, his right hand shimmering with white light, reaching for the nail. Garrett glanced at it and didn¡¯t stop him. The Lord Bishop exerted force and pulled it up, with a swoosh, bringing out a small trickle of blood. Garrett already had a piece of gauze ready on the side. Seeing the blood flow, he promptly pressed it down. Then, he took out a small silver rod and pointed the glass filament at the wound nearby! "Treat minor injuries! Treat vascular abrasions!" Open up the subclavian artery! No active bleeding! Open up the subclavian vein! No active bleeding! Open up the external jugular vein, the suprascapular vein, the subclavian vein... One by one, mage hands opened, moved, and disappeared. Garrett finally released the hook, leaned back: "No problem now. Bishop Hampton, it¡¯s up to you next..." "I¡¯ll do it, I¡¯ll do it!" Bishop Hampton rubbed his hands and stepped forward: "Hey, you pulled out that nail so neatly, clearly cut several times, yet there¡¯s so little bleeding!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 263 Chapter 263 Bishop Hampton couldn¡¯t help but sigh. As a ship¡¯s doctor, he had removed many foreign objects from wounds. Some came out with just a minor treatment, while others, as soon as they were removed, caused a gush of blood that could only be stemmed with high-level divine magic. The feeling of dread and tension during those moments was something he never wanted to experience again. But Garrett, although initially apprehensive, remained calm and collected throughout. In the end, he successfully removed the iron nail without any fuss, and the blood that flowed out merely dampened a piece of gauze. The bishop had a lot of questions to ask. Garrett smiled at him and gestured for him to hold on: "Sorry, I¡¯m busy at the moment. There are still many wounded soldiers to treat!" The bishop nodded and turned away to attend to his duties. With the severely wounded soldiers treated, only some minor injuries remained, which the soldiers could handle themselves with a wash. Bishop Hampton clapped his hands together and returned to see Garrett sitting on a low stool, facing a soldier with a bloodied leg: "Hmm, this wound seems quite significant... Don¡¯t move, I¡¯ll numb it for you first, then clean the wound..." He raised his hand. Bishop Hampton¡¯s eyes lit up, and he hurried over to Garrett¡¯s side. He saw Garrett¡¯s hand slightly curved, fingers spread open, resembling the standard gesture for "Alleviate Pain." Then, his hand moved up about half a foot, covering the soldier¡¯s knee. A familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar wave emanated. "Ah¡ª" Bishop Hampton subconsciously wanted to speak up. What¡¯s with this positioning for ¡¯Alleviate Pain¡¯? This spell should be aimed far away at the wounded person, enveloping them entirely to completely numb their pain, allowing them to continue fighting! What are you doing aiming the spell at his knee? Before he could utter a word, someone else was quicker to speak. The soldier, whose wound was being cleaned, grimaced and twisted his face: "Ow¡ª" Garrett stopped his hand, his eyes slightly widened, looking very nervous. The soldier cried out twice, then suddenly stopped, lowering his head to look at his own leg: "Huh, huh? It doesn¡¯t hurt?" Garrett burst into laughter. The soldier also smiled apologetically: "Sorry, Bishop, I thought it would hurt a lot..." "As long as it doesn¡¯t hurt." Garrett chuckled and lowered his head to pour physiological saline on the wound. After pouring half a bottle, he suddenly stopped, pointing at the wound in front of him: "Imaging magic!" "Sorry for the disturbance. I¡¯ve been researching ¡¯Alleviate Pain¡¯ recently and couldn¡¯t find a place to test it. Thank you for your patience!" "No disturbance at all." Bishop Hampton smiled and waved his hand repeatedly: "This is the Council¡¯s fleet, and you are also a healer. It¡¯s a good thing to treat soldiers. Since the fleet allows you to enter, if you need anything, just come over!" "That¡¯s great!" Garrett smiled happily: "By the way, I still have some details I don¡¯t quite understand about ¡¯Alleviate Pain.¡¯ Can I discuss it with you, as a powerful senior healer?" Named as a consultation, the actual exchange of ideas continued until evening. Starting from this day, Garrett had an additional experimental base - in the morning, the clinic; in the afternoon, the fleet barracks; and in the evening, continuing the development of penicillin in the laboratory. Half a month later, his ¡¯Alleviate Pain,¡¯ oh no, his anesthesia technique made rapid progress. The anesthesia range within 10*10 cm had been reduced to the level of a zero-level cantrip. And his P4 laboratory, oh no, the mage tower drawings, finally reached a final draft and were laid out thickly in front of him. "The left side is the basic version. Seven floors above ground, two floors underground. Equipped with four elemental pools, control room, two invisible servants, alchemy laboratory, meditation room. Spell protection includes reinforced tower body, arcane locks, sealing spells, magic alarms, protective energy, in addition to the biological laboratory you specifically requested, it¡¯s the structure of a basic mage tower in other provinces." The master of protective magic pushed the draft forward: "Choose the standard version, and the construction costs will be borne by the Council. Apart from the training and assessment agreed upon earlier, you won¡¯t need to pay anything extra." "What about the version on the right?" Garrett looked over to the side with keen eyes. Don¡¯t lie to me, deliberately presenting two versions just to make me choose the more expensive one, right! "The advanced mage tower on the right, in addition to the four elemental pools, adds a positive energy chamber and a negative energy chamber, and the tower spirit level is raised by one level." The master mage smiled knowingly: "Two additional protective spells, two trap spells, invisible servants increased to four, and an arcane garden for cultivating magical plants." "Just tell me! What do you want me to do!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 264 Chapter 264 What does he want him to do? The great archmage smiled confidently. He flipped through the plan in front of him and pointed to a page: "Regarding the plan you submitted before, there were some disagreements after the review committee discussed it: The Budget Committee stated that building water supply facilities, repairing sewers, constructing infectious disease hospitals, would consume too much, and the budget couldn¡¯t afford it; The Emergency Management Department believes that strengthening patrols and vigilance can prevent spies from releasing plagues; The medical branch of the Enchantment School feels that as long as the source of the epidemic is blocked and not leaked, the city¡¯s medical strength is sufficient; The City Hall does not agree to raise taxes..." Garrett blinked. So, in exchange for obtaining this high-level mage tower, he had to face interrogation, convince the review committee? "Do you want me to testify? When is the hearing? Which magicians do I need to focus on persuading?" He leaned forward slightly, questioning the other party. The mage in white robes smiled slightly, raising a finger and gesturing left and right: "No no no, what you need to do is not just testify. You need to persuade the review committee to establish a public health agency responsible for the overall health and safety of Nevis City¡ªthen, strive to obtain the position of the head of this agency." What? Garrett was stunned. Head of the public health agency? Me? I¡¯m a clinical doctor! I¡¯m not in public health! In my previous life, although they were all under the umbrella of medicine, the majors we studied were different! Students majoring in public health are not even qualified to take the medical practitioner exam! Moreover, with the Radiant Church, Temple of the God of War, and so many big shots in the medical branch of the Enchantment School, why would they want me to be the head? Although as a doctor, I have an obligation, but this profession doesn¡¯t match! "So, I just need to convince the review committee? Head of the agency..." Garrett subconsciously declined. The mage in white robes coughed and turned over another page: "The cost of the positive and negative energy pools is 5000 contribution points each, two trap spells are 2000 contribution points each, the permanent secondary spell ineffective barrier and evasion detection are each 10000 contribution points, the arcane garden is 1000 contribution points. "Some of them need time to organize¡ªhowever, I can provide them to you." "A detailed map of Nevis City, with the underground drainage system, commercial area, college area, villa area, and civilian area marked separately, do you have it?" "That¡¯s not a problem." The archmage shrugged. It¡¯s not a military map, so these data can be fully provided. "The tax records of Nevis City for the past few years, precise to the details¡ª" "Hey, that¡¯s enough!" The archmage began to get a headache. With his authority, not all of this data is readily available; it must be accessed through a resolution of the review committee. If Garrett asks for one or two, it¡¯s okay, but the more he asks for, the more troublesome it becomes. Is this kid really not seeking revenge? The archmage glanced suspiciously. Garrett rolled his eyes: Without this data, how can I calculate it for you? I still have to find an accountant! How long will it take for me, alone, to calculate the GDP of a city? "The municipal budget for next year should be compiled no later than mid-December. I hope you can apply for a hearing before that and persuade the members of the review committee." Before the meeting ended, the archmage reminded Garrett: "Of course, the site for your mage tower is basically decided. If there are no problems after you go to the site tomorrow, we will start building the foundation." "Well..." "What?" Garrett scratched his head. For the first time since entering, he showed a somewhat embarrassed smile in front of the archmage: "So, from top to bottom, this mage tower belongs to me, right? I mean, even the land belongs to me, right?" It won¡¯t be reclaimed by the council before 70 years, right? "Get out! If the land isn¡¯t yours, do you still want to build a floating tower?!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 265 Chapter 265 How to convince the Review Committee? Garrett already had a plan in mind. However, when he began to prepare the materials, he immediately encountered an unexpected difficulty. There was too much data! Not too little, but too much! "Sir, are you requesting the population records from previous years?" Facing Garrett, who came to retrieve the original data with authorization from the Review Committee, the clerk at City Hall was quite helpful. Leading Garrett upstairs, around corners, all the way to the end of the corridor, he pushed open the door to the archive room and gestured inside: "It¡¯s all here! Sir, feel free to look around. Do you need me to find you an office?" Garrett: "..." In this room, there were at least seven or eight rows of wooden shelves. Each row extended inward, 1, 2, 3, 4... Garrett counted ten shelves and still hadn¡¯t reached the end. Each wooden shelf towered over head height, laden with several layers of wooden crates... "All of these?" "Yes, the population records dating back nearly a hundred years are all here!" How many years of records was that... Garrett took out the Endless Ink Pen from his breast pocket, flipped it over, and looked at the central quill under the light. Silently, he read the delicate and graceful small characters inscribed on the quill: "Year 1183, New Promising Mage Award, presented to Garrett Nordmark" So, the data here spanned over a thousand years? Garrett took a sharp intake of breath. He grabbed the clerk and asked: "Where are the records from the last 20 years, no, the last 50 years?" "They¡¯re on this side near the aisle! Sir, look, one box per year, each box is numbered!" Inside the data room, heavy shelves were divided into four layers, each layer stuffed with a wooden box about 40 centimeters high and over half a meter wide. The box at the bottom of the shelf nearest to the aisle was labeled "1182" in red paint. Garrett squatted down, tried to drag it, but couldn¡¯t. "Let me do it!" The clerk came forward eagerly. He bent over, grasped the copper handle on the edge of the box, and with a grunt, pulled hard. The wooden box shook but remained in place. The clerk retreated half a step, exerted more force, and pulled with all his might. "Ouch... my back..." He couldn¡¯t straighten his back on the spot. Garrett hurried to assist him: "Don¡¯t move! Don¡¯t move, let me see!" "Ouch... Master Mage, ouch... I¡¯m really sorry, my old back is acting up again..." The clerk groaned while propping himself up on the wooden shelf with one hand and holding his lower back with the other. Garrett supported him, slowly helping him stand straight, and forcibly pulled one of his hands down, stuffing the Endless Ink Pen into it: "Hold onto this! Don¡¯t move! Don¡¯t speak!" The Endless Ink Pen, a 9th-level magical item. With its own ink and lightweight portability, it could be used as an X-ray by anyone below 5th level. It was considered a portable X-ray machine, an essential item for surgeons during travel. With X-ray magic activated, the spell light penetrated through the body. Garrett adjusted his breathing, quickly entered a meditative state, and focused on examining: "Emmm... No compression fractures of the vertebrae, no slippage between adjacent vertebrae. Overall, no abnormalities observed on the X-ray positional and lateral images. It should be an acute lumbar sprain..." In other words, the soft tissues such as muscles, fascia, and ligaments in the lumbar region were strained or torn. This condition needed to be distinguished from lumbar muscle strain, spinous process ligament injury, intervertebral ligament injury, and so on, but Garrett didn¡¯t have an MRI on hand; as for physical examination, Garrett wasn¡¯t an orthopedist, and he really wasn¡¯t familiar... Demmy Reyes, female, 14 years old, laundry worker. Address: 69 Clifton Street. Cause of death: Difficult childbirth. Craig Franco, male, 57 years old, merchant. Address: 28 West Denham Street. Cause of death: Stroke. ... ..." With each entry, Garrett¡¯s heart grew heavier. Since crossing over, especially since arriving in Nevis City, he had been climbing upward, with bright sights and colorful scenes wherever he looked. He had almost forgotten what it felt like to be poor. The Tower of Heaven and its eight subsidiary towers, lighting, sanitation, living facilities, all conditions matched or even exceeded the office buildings of his previous life, with some areas surpassing them. The mages working inside, even the lowest of them, were at least level two or three official mages... And becoming a mage, even just an apprentice mage, meant no worries about food or clothing, no need to worry about basic living. Their gaze was always on the stars, their only pursuit being the exploration of the mysteries of this world. However, in places he hadn¡¯t seen, among people he hadn¡¯t touched, there were so many who were impoverished and sick, so many who died young due to poverty. The grain of sand from the era, falling on these people, cruelly broke their backs. But should ordinary people die just because they can¡¯t become extraordinary? So many people, so many young laborers, they died before the age of 20, many of them not even reaching 15! Just from the records of January 1st last year, the average lifespan of deceased laborers, or rather, factory workers, dock workers, etc., was less than 25 years! And for merchants, those wealthy individuals, their average lifespan, visibly, was at least ten years longer than that of laborers... Garrett silently tightened his grip on the quill pen in his hand. As a doctor, even as a renowned doctor of his time, even as a level 11, 15, or even legendary healer, he could only deal with patients one by one, treat them one by one. It¡¯s not that there were no wide-range healing spells, but firstly, the cost was too high, and secondly, how many years would he have to work in this world to be able to release large-scale healing magic? Twenty years? Thirty years? However, becoming a public health expert, becoming an official who could influence public health policies, even formulate policies, he could help these people immediately, right away! This is my duty! It¡¯s my duty as a doctor in this world, an obligation that cannot be shirked! I have to prove that the establishment of public health institutions is useful! I want to help them! Clean water! Adequate food! Labor protection! Affordable, even basic medical care! Even if we can increase their average lifespan by 5 years, raise it to 30, 35 years... This is the protection of laborers! It is also the growth of social wealth, so that they won¡¯t die young, can create wealth for society for a longer time! Seizing on this point, I can convince the Magic Council, I can definitely do it! Garrett lowered his head and quickly wrote with his pen. Under the Endless Ink Pen, grids and columns appeared on the paper at lightning speed. Age, gender, occupational classification, residential area, cause of death... Thanks to the Magic Council, thanks to whoever the mighty individual was, or whichever time traveler, who established the rules of recording household registrations, property details, and birth and death registrations. With these detailed original records, his statistics would have solid enough data! "But, it¡¯s still a huge project to compile all this stuff..." Looking at the twenty neatly stacked piles on the desk, each one as thick as a fist, piled up to his shoulders, Garrett couldn¡¯t help but let out a lament. Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 266 Chapter 266 Garrett only flipped through a few pages and realized that this statistical work was far from something he could complete alone. Even with Aurora¡¯s help, it was practically the same as not having any help at all... January 1st, death toll: 42. February 8th, death toll: 53. March 15th, death toll: 47. ...July 6th, death toll: 59. Roughly sampling the results, the daily death toll fluctuated between 40 to 60 people, meaning the annual death toll ranged from approximately 14,000 to 20,000. If he expanded the statistical scope to 20 years, he would have to input data for a minimum of 280,000 people, and a maximum of 400,000 people. If each person¡¯s death was recorded with their year of death, month, gender, age range, income range, residential area, and cause of death, then a total of 1.4 to 2 million values would need to be processed... If Garrett were a statistician or a social scientist, he could take his time and spend a year, two years, or even more organizing this data. But he didn¡¯t have that luxury. From now until mid-December, when he requested a hearing, he had only a little over two weeks. And Garrett set himself a deadline of 5 days for this population census work. After some thought, Garrett decided to start with the basic work. He rolled up his sleeves and made a table himself: Each death information would include gender (male or female), age range (0-6 years as one interval, and every 10 years thereafter), Income would be categorized into four ranges: low income, low-middle, middle-high, wealthy. Residential areas would be categorized into four ranges: slums, small artisans, middle-class areas, wealthy areas. There were many causes of death, divided into several major categories such as epidemic, acute illness, chronic illness, accidents, suicides, difficult childbirth, etc., with several subcategories under each major category... In the dimly lit database, Garrett sweated profusely as he made the table. After finishing it, he started inputting the data himself, timing himself as he went. After inputting one page, he calculated that he could only input information for 6 people per minute on average. In other words, if he diligently and without error maintained his attention for 8 hours a day... It would take approximately 100 to 140 days to complete?N/ne?w n0vel chap/ers are published o/n ...Well, that¡¯s fine. It meant that to complete it within five days, he needed 20 to 28 clerks... and that didn¡¯t even account for the manpower needed for verification, supervision, and statistics... So where could he hire, or rather, exploit a group of people? Garrett pondered for a moment with his chin resting on his hand. He spread out a new piece of parchment and took out the Endless Ink Pen, starting to write a letter: "Respected Master Edgar..." Hmm, he could recruit a batch from Black Crow Swamp and another from the Nature God Cult. Anyway, this job wasn¡¯t difficult, as long as they could read and write neatly on the form and count properly. Oh right, they also needed to be patient and careful. Those who could become aspiring spellcasters should possess these qualities, right? Aurora would go to the School of Necromancy to run errands, while Bernard would go to Oak Ridge. That afternoon, the two of them gradually returned, bringing back replies from the two schools: Elder Wood stated that it was winter now, and many diseases were rampant among the poor. The cult couldn¡¯t spare many hands. Sending him 10 priest apprentices to work for five days was already the limit. They would arrive tomorrow and would leave after working for five days. Adding one more person or one more day was not allowed! As for Black Crow Swamp, Master Edgar generously expressed his willingness to help him with this favor. It was no problem to send over 20 newly recruited apprentices to work. Just remember to find some time to teach the children anatomy. "30 people huh..." Garrett sighed deeply. It still wasn¡¯t enough, it would be even better to have 10 more¡ª20 would be even better. His eyes wandered over to Aurora, considering whether to go find Archmage Carlisle himself or send Aurora to make another trip and recruit a few more people from the Archmage¡¯s place. After some thought, he rummaged through his spatial bag and pulled out a handwritten scroll. "Brad, male, 18 years old, sailor. No address. Cause of death: drowning at sea." "Julia, female, 22 years old. Address: Foulitt Street. Cause of death: ulcer." One person read aloud while the other wrote, the reader not needing to divert attention, the writer not needing to look up. Garrett saw with satisfaction that the efficiency of this data entry was more than double what he could achieve alone. He mentally commended himself, took a sip of water, and pulled out a book of magic to read. However, before long, the harmonious atmosphere below began to collapse, with the young men and women chattering noisily: "You filled in the wrong box! The age of 35 goes in the box on the right!" "You missed a line! Go back and reread!" "She¡¯s not wealthy! Cross it out and move two boxes to the left!" "What are you doing? She lives on Foulitt Street, how could she not be wealthy?" "Are you crazy? Female, lives on Foulitt Street, died of an ulcer¡ªclearly she¡¯s a flower seller! How could she be wealthy?!" "Mr. Nordmark, what do we check if there¡¯s no address?" "Mr. Nordmark¡ª" "Master Nordmark?" Garrett: "Stop! Everyone stand up, move one table to the left, the table on the far left moves to the far right! Start over, one reads aloud, one verifies, and let¡¯s see how many mistakes there are!" Another round of chaos ensued. Garrett stepped down from the platform, pacing between the tables, occasionally peering over. In less than ten minutes, in front of the recorders responsible for verification, there were dozens of "correct" marks on the large sheets of paper... This error rate simply won¡¯t do! I was wrong, manually inputting data, the possibility of errors is just too high, it¡¯s completely unusable as a statistical basis... John Grant, how did you manage to write "Natural and Political Observations Made upon the Bills of Mortality" purely based on manual statistics from London for decades, back in 1662? Forget about statistics, just inputting data correctly is so incredibly difficult! Garrett struggled to contain his worries, watching the apprentice mages read, record, and check diligently. From 8 a.m. to noon, with a one-hour lunch break, then from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. After dinner, he sent everyone home, and Garrett sat alone in front of the table full of record books, his brow furrowed. "Garrett, what¡¯s wrong?" Aurora Worton sat down beside him. Garrett sighed, "There are too many mistakes... it¡¯s completely unusable..." "Well... why not call in more people and double-check multiple times?... Have them work more slowly?" Garrett just shook his head. As the questions kept coming, he clasped his hands behind his head and leaned back: "If only there were an automatic scanning and input system..." "That... isn¡¯t impossible..." Aurora Worton suggested cautiously. Garrett jumped up suddenly, "What can we do? What magic can accomplish that?!" "Um, it¡¯s not magic. The Tower Spirits sort papers automatically, scanning and assigning them. I mean, you could ask if Tower Spirits could do this?" "That¡¯s great!" Garrett lit up. He grabbed Aurora, bombarding her with questions: "Who should I apply to? What are the requirements?¡ªAh, you should have mentioned Tower Spirits earlier!" "The Tower of Heaven has dedicated calculation rooms, which Archmages can apply for¡ªI can use my teacher¡¯s authority¡ª" Aurora was being shaken so vigorously that her voice was breaking. When it came to the last question, she suddenly faltered: "Well, um, it¡¯s just that... using Tower Spirits might be too expensive..." Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 267 Chapter 267 Garrett, pulling Aurora, headed straight to the Tower of Heaven. Fortunately, he caught the last small train, and fortunately, Archmage Carlisle stayed in the mage tower day and night. When Garrett arrived, his office was like a specialist clinic, with a disciple inside consulting, and a group of apprentices waiting in line outside... Aurora peered around the door frame. When Archmage Carlisle saw him, he waved and called him in, asked a couple of questions, then stamped a seal and greeted the disciple in front of him: "Roderick, take them over. ¡ª¡ªDon¡¯t rush to buy computing time. First, talk to the Tower Spirit and see if they can meet the mage¡¯s requirements." "All right! Teacher, rest assured, I will take care of them!" Roderick departed. During the previous period, they had worked on several major projects with Garrett, electrolytic smelting, compressed air separation, and everyone had made a small fortune. Garrett was generous, giving them half of the research points and contributions for the entire project. ¡ª¡ªContributions points were secondary; the important thing was the research points! Those things were hard to earn. Following Garrett, they could earn one or two hundred points at once, or two to three hundred points at once, it was like winning without much effort! Even more importantly, after the project ended, several fellow apprentices were deeply engaged in research, and some even had two papers published... With such a background, Roderick treated Garrett¡¯s group very warmly. As they walked and talked, Garrett learned that before applying for computing, one could communicate with the Tower Spirit in the outer chamber of the computing center to ensure that the Tower Spirit could understand and meet the mage¡¯s requirements. "Entering the computing room means starting to pay. It¡¯s 1500 contribution points per hour, which is very expensive, enough to burn one and a half days in the intermediate meditation room. No one can afford this unless there is a large-scale magic calculation or a high-level magic device design!" ¡ª¡ªLast time, there was a poor guy from an outer province who didn¡¯t know this trick and went in directly with money. He burned 1500 contribution points for nothing, and the Tower Spirit said it couldn¡¯t calculate at all. He cried so miserably... Renting a supercomputer, that must be expensive. Garrett understood. And renting a supercomputer must mean writing the program in advance. Who would see the start of the calculation time and then write the program on the fly? "¡ª¡ªOh, by the way, if you really want to save money, you can come at midnight. Mages meditate at midnight, and from midnight to six in the morning, computing costs are discounted by 20%!" Huh, there are peak and off-peak prices for supercomputers, no, Tower Spirit¡¯s computing power? Who operates this computing center, the power company? Truly speechless... As they chatted along the way, Roderick quickly led them to the computing hall on the 15th floor of Thunder Tower. The night shift at the computing center was handled by an old man with a snowy white beard. From his badge, he was only a 5th-level mage, obviously arranged by the council to retire here. Roderick didn¡¯t bother him either, he just led Garrett to the corner of the computing hall, took out Archmage Carlisle¡¯s seal, and held it up in the air. "Respected Mage, hello. Tower Spirit Gregory is at your service," said a lively young voice full of vitality. If it weren¡¯t for the crackling sound of electricity in his voice, Garrett would almost think he was a living person. He coughed lightly and took the seal from Roderick¡¯s hand: "Mr. Gregory, we are here to apply for computing power. ¡ª¡ªI would like to ask, can you scan, input, and analyze existing documents?" He unfolded two documents. One was a copy of death records, and the other was a form prepared during the day. A blue light flickered and scanned over the two documents. Garrett pointed to the form and said: "That¡¯s it, fill in each death record into the form, count it as 1 in the corresponding column. Finally, add up the numbers in the corresponding column¡ª¡ª" He slid his finger down the column: "That way, you can get the total number in each category. For example, for the past year, the number of deaths from 0 to 6 years old, the number of female deaths, the number of deaths from epidemics¡ª¡ªcan you do it?" There was a moment of silence in the computing hall. The blue light flickered, as if the Tower Spirit was blinking and thinking about Garrett¡¯s meaning. After thinking for five or six seconds, it crackled and said: "How are the income categories divided?" "By occupation. I¡¯ll give you the form later." "Hey, I have 1500 contribution points here, it¡¯s also yours. If it¡¯s still not enough, shall we figure out a way to borrow some?" "Borrow? Borrow what?" Garrett took a deep breath. When it came to research and such, one should use research funds, never had he reached into his own pocket! The next day, he sent Aurora to oversee the data entry work while he sought an audience with the protective spell department¡¯s review committee member. With a notebook in his left hand and forms in his right, he confidently presented his research ideas and made his demands: Grant access to computational resources! Or, allocate additional project funds! "Authorization to use the computing room?" The white-robed mage shook his head repeatedly. "The council doesn¡¯t have such a rule. Garrett, you should know, almost all high-level mages are tasked with research by the council. If you could freely use the computing room with council projects, it would end up in chaos, and ultimately, everyone would have to resort to snatching." "Well, how about increasing project funding?" Garrett inquired further. The white-robed mage continued to shake his head. "Normally, it¡¯s possible, but Garrett, the success of your project is still unknown. It¡¯s practically impossible to persuade the review committee to approve such a large sum in advance." "Then¡ª" Garrett felt a bit anxious. Honestly, once you¡¯ve experienced spending money, who wants to go back to the days of toiling hard? The white-robed mage smiled, "But there is a way. You can pay in advance. If the public health organization is established successfully, I¡¯m confident I can convince the review committee to include the computing costs in the research budget, and then you can claim reimbursement." "...No money!" "You can take out a loan!" The white-robed mage smiled confidently. "The Mage Management Department has a specialized lending institution. A loan of 5000 contribution points¡ªwell, a bit more wouldn¡¯t hurt¡ªdesignated for this research project. If the project succeeds, the council will pay, if not, you¡¯ll repay it yourself. The review committee can provide a certificate, take it to the management department, and they¡¯ll definitely lend it to you." "...Isn¡¯t the council worried I won¡¯t be able to repay?" Garrett couldn¡¯t help but complain. They¡¯re really not worried. The dragon¡¯s breath hand, even though it¡¯s not open for redemption now, will be in about half a year with 5000 contribution points. The white-robed mage shrugged, not wanting to explain to Garrett in detail. He just smiled and said, "Can you use your mage tower as collateral? Hmm, it¡¯s okay to extend the repayment period to three years, with a grace period of six months, and repayment starting one year later, at an annual interest rate of 5%¡ªthis condition isn¡¯t too bad for you, is it?" Using a mage tower that hasn¡¯t been built yet, only exists on paper, as collateral¡ªvery good and powerful. Apart from the review committee members, probably no one else could approve such a policy loan. Garrett lowered his head in thought for a moment, then raised his palm: "Deal!" "Deal!" With a slap, the palms of the two mages met in mid-air. There¡¯s no way I won¡¯t be able to repay the loan! This project will definitely succeed, even if it¡¯s for those laborers who died from poverty and illness, I must succeed! For the accuracy of the data, for the persuasive power, for helping them sooner¡ª Let¡¯s spend money first! At midnight, twenty necromancer apprentices lined up in a square formation, each holding a record book, standing in the computing room of the Thunder Tower. "Everyone, pay attention, when the blue light flashes twice, it means the scanning is complete. Turn the page and wait for the blue light to flash again... One, two, three! Start!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 268 Chapter 268 Three o¡¯clock in the morning. Twenty necromancers were staggering. Most of them had finished flipping through the records in their hands and were now lying on the table, heads buried in their arms. The remaining two poor souls were struggling to keep their eyes open, flipping pages in rhythm with the flashing blue light, page by page, page by page... Garrett was about to fall asleep too. Bless the heavens, ever since he crossed over, he had almost stopped staying up late. Spellcasters needed adequate sleep! Otherwise, there would be no magic or spells tomorrow! Even in the wild, unless absolutely necessary, only fools let spellcasters stay up late! Over the past year, his ability to stay up late, trained in the emergency room, had almost deteriorated... "We¡¯re done flipping!" "Last page!" Even the shouts of completion sounded weak. Garrett regained his senses, struggled to lift himself off the table, and raised his voice: "Thank you all for your hard work! On the seventh floor of the Thunder Tower, I have arranged rooms for everyone. You can take this opportunity to get some sleep! I will express my gratitude to Archmage Edgar¡ª" The necromancer apprentices stumbled out one by one. Garrett seized the last hour, spread out the forms on the table, and made requests to the tower spirit: "Mr. Gregory! Regardless of the year, the number and percentage of deaths in each age group!" A blue light fell. Then, the ink in the bottle rose automatically, filling in the numbers on the forms line by line. "Specifically, the number and percentage of deaths in each age group, each gender!" "The number and percentage of deaths for each cause!" "The percentage of each cause by gender!" "The average lifespan of each income group!" Garrett racked his brains and exhausted his tongue. He had the tower spirit calculate every possible statistical method¡ªnot to mention doing it for nothing. Even after copying the numbers, he had to do the calculations himself later. Besides, there were no calculators available in this otherworldly realm... A thick stack of forms was filled out, and the clock in the calculation chamber pointed to 3:55 a.m. Garrett put away the forms and left the calculation chamber. The hall was empty, and the old wizards on the night shift were already asleep with their heads on the table, snoring loudly. In the corridors, in the elevators, there was no one. Except for invisible servants sweeping the floor with brooms, the entire Thunder Tower seemed to be asleep. For some reason, Garrett suddenly had a question in his mind: Have you ever seen the Mage Tower at four in the morning? Now, I can finally say that I have. Not only have I seen the Mage Tower, but I have also seen, at four in the morning, the city of Nevis¡ª Garrett walked to the edge of the mountain, looking down. At four in the morning, the whole city was still asleep, shrouded in darkness. However, even in the dark foothills, there were scattered lights twinkling. Garrett watched intently. Some lights were far away by the sea, perhaps fishermen sorting sails and nets, preparing to go fishing when dawn broke? Some lights were in the southeast corner of the city. When he studied the map, he remembered that many workshops were gathered there. Were they preparing to start work before dawn? And there were lights moving on the streets of the city or moving from outside the city. What were they doing? Bringing vegetables, meat, milk, and clean drinking water to the city? Or removing the waste accumulated by the city last night? Spellcasters have the right to sleep soundly in the deep night, but in this city, in this world, many people do not have it¡ª By this time, they had crossed the city¡¯s midpoint. Nevis City was a seaside city, naturally growing into a U-shape along the bay. Crossing to the eastern side of the city meant entering the outskirts from the core area. Walls lined the roadside, with houses inside towering high and large, far exceeding residential needs. Chimneys spewed out smoke of various colors¡ªblack, yellow, white, red¡ªin abundance. When the wind blew, a sour, foul, and peculiar smell assaulted them instantly, covering them from head to toe. Garrett quickly cast a bubble spell around himself: "What¡¯s that smell?" "It¡¯s probably from the winery." Aurora shrugged. Given that her own family sold wine, she didn¡¯t react as strongly as Garrett did. "Probably from dumping wine dregs¡ªthe winery is quite large, so it probably takes a while to dump them." "Where do they dump them?" Garrett inquired. He quickly shut his mouth: Two men emerged from a side door of the winery, bare-armed despite the cold winter, steam rising from their bodies. Together, they lifted a large wooden barrel and, with a forceful pull, poured its contents into the nearby river with a splash. "They just dump them into the river?" Garrett couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. Aurora shrugged again, "What else can they do?¡ªOh well, it doesn¡¯t matter, it¡¯ll just flow directly into the sea anyway..." How can it not matter! This pollution is serious! Garrett was about to retort when another door across the river opened, and a barrel was swiftly tipped over, flooding the ground with deep blue water that flowed directly into the river. Before long, the gently flowing stream turned half indigo and half murky yellow, a bizarre and nauseating sight. "That¡¯s the dye house over there. You see, wine dregs are still considered mild..." Garrett remained silent, urging his horse downstream. Along the river, he saw blood and entrails pouring from slaughterhouses, tanning agents from tanneries, and pig manure from pig farms... The further down they went, the more foul-smelling the river became, until various pollutants floated and sank, visible to the naked eye. "So... where do they get their drinking water from?" Aurora didn¡¯t know how to answer. Garrett circled around but didn¡¯t find any wells. Row upon row of three-story buildings lined the roadside, their structures flat and extremely cramped, with hands extended between buildings easily clasping each other. After looking up for a while, Garrett jumped off his horse, intending to go inside and inquire. He had barely taken a few steps when there was a sudden splash. Aurora, quick-witted, immediately conjured a shield, deflecting most of the dirty water. However, the shield was only a plane, not all-encompassing, and the cuff of Garrett¡¯s right leg and his shoe were instantly soaked. "Oops¡ªforgive me, my lord mage! Please forgive me, my lord mage!" The laundress who had splashed the water fell to her knees with a pale face. Garrett glanced at her, waved his hand, and intended to avoid the situation. Before he could lift his foot, a man rushed out from the door and kicked the laundress without a word: "Old whore! Blinded by your eyes! How dare you offend the lord mage¡ª" He kicked and cursed, kicking several times in a row, causing the laundress to roll around on the ground in distress, not daring to flee. Garrett was startled for a moment, hesitated, and finally reacted: "Stop!" "My lord mage, you see this¡ª" "Don¡¯t hit her." Garrett sighed and waved his hand. He didn¡¯t even look at the man with the black face, bent slightly, and faced the laundress on the ground: "You take me inside, help me wash my pants and shoes, and dry them¡ªcan you dry them here? This matter ends here. Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t have to compensate." "Do you hear me! Hurry up and accompany the lord mage inside!" The man with the black face shouted again. The laundress looked up at him lying on the ground, then at Garrett, her face pale, and finally moved slowly, carrying the wooden basin inside. Aurora¡¯s face looked strange, wanting to speak but stopping herself, and in the end didn¡¯t stop Garrett, letting him follow behind the peasant woman. Passing through a dark alleyway, bending over under the wet clothes and sheets hanging from the corridor, Garrett couldn¡¯t help but urge: "Are we there yet?" With half of his leg soaked, each step made a "creak, creak" sound, making Garrett extremely uncomfortable. It didn¡¯t matter if the place was small or the houses were cramped, as long as they could dry him quickly¡ª "We¡¯re almost there, almost there! Lord mage, it¡¯s just ahead!" "Lord mage?" A small head suddenly popped out in front. The peasant woman¡¯s voice suddenly rose in pitch, sounding panicked, almost breaking: "Jennifer! Go back!!!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 269 Chapter 269 Garrett followed the voice and looked over. The little girl in the room looked to be under ten years old, thin and frail, with dull curly brown hair. But what caught Garrett¡¯s attention first was the girl¡¯s yellowish face and the equally yellow and dim hands resting on the door frame. "You..." He unconsciously spoke up. Just as he started, the little girl jumped in surprise, shrinking back like a startled rabbit. Meanwhile, the washerwoman turned around, standing in front of Garrett with a deep bow, her smile uglier than tears: "Master Mage, please, please, the room is over there..." She stretched out her trembling arm, pointing to the other end of the corridor, like a quail desperately spreading its wings to block the path of a bulldozer. However, Garrett raised his hand to interrupt her: "Wait." He gazed fixedly into the room. He looked in the direction where the little girl disappeared, at the strangely yellow face that vanished from sight: "Call her out. Let me see her." "Master Mage!!!" "When I tell you to call someone, you call!" The stern man shoved aside the washerwoman. She stumbled back, crashing into the nearby wooden wall with a loud bang. But the stern man paid no attention, striding into the room. "Hey, don¡¯t¡ª" Garrett called from behind. But the stern man had already dragged out a screaming, kicking, and punching little girl, pushing her in front of Garrett, bowing apologetically: "Master Mage, it¡¯s this child!" "Don¡¯t lay a hand on them," Garrett waved his hand. He crouched down, meeting the little girl¡¯s gaze at eye level, softening his voice as much as possible: "Little sister, your name is Jenny, right? Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m a healer, and your complexion seems a bit off. Let me take a look¡ª" He reached out his hand. Jenny desperately shrank back, leaning against the washerwoman, who hugged her like a mother. Garrett held her small face to take a look, then cast a flash spell to observe her eyes in the white light: "Strange, her sclera isn¡¯t yellow either? Little sister, open your mouth, let me see, ah¡ª" The girl tightly pressed her lips together. Aurora bent down behind Garrett, whispering softly to him: "What are you looking at?" "Her face and hands are strangely yellow. If it¡¯s an illness, the sclera should be more yellow, but hers are normal..." Seeing him silent, the washerwoman dared not speak further. She lowered her head to iron his socks, passing them to Garrett through the curtain, then took his pants to wash. Just as she soaked the clothes in the water, the wooden door burst open with a bang, and a muddy high-top boot stepped in, almost stepping on the basin: "Laura! You borrowed money from me half a year ago, when are you going to repay it!" The washerwoman instinctively shrank back. Without looking up, she immediately dove to protect the basin, then tremblingly raised her head: "Mr. Robert, next month, I will definitely repay you next month..." "Definitely?!" The man sneered. "You owe me 15 silver coins already! 15! If you don¡¯t pay up this month, the interest will accumulate, it¡¯ll be 2 gold coins! How much money can you earn washing clothes in a month? If you don¡¯t pay by the end of the month, get out of my house!" "Mr. Robert!" The washerwoman¡¯s voice trembled. The man paced around the room for a few steps, then suddenly laughed: "Alright, I, Robert, am also a kind-hearted person. I won¡¯t push you into a corner. How about this¡ªyou give me little Jenny, and I¡¯ll find her a job. She looks good and knows a few words, she should be able to fetch a good price..." "Mr. Robert!" The washerwoman cried out in anguish. The heavy footsteps didn¡¯t stop, pressing straight toward the corner of the house. After a moment, a surprised gas p came from the corner, followed by the sound of the basin overturning, kicking and beating, struggling, and cries for help: "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy¡ª" "Aurora, stop him!" Boom boom boom boom¡ª Aurora burst out of the curtain, a series of magical missiles sending the unwanted guest flying out. After a moment, there were only two mages left in the room, bowing their heads, looking at the mother and daughter huddled together. "Little sister, can you read?" Garrett spoke softly. The washerwoman hugged her daughter tightly, tremblingly lowering her head: "Yes, yes... I taught her a little..." Surprisingly, both of them could read, in a world where literacy rates were touching. Garrett didn¡¯t pursue why the washerwoman could read. He bent down, trying to make himself smile more amiably: "Well then, how about you two come work for me at my house? I just bought a mansion and need someone to clean it..." Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 270 Chapter 270 "Mr. Nordmark? Your tea." "Ah, yes, thank you, little Jenny." Garrett snapped out of it, took the tea cup, took a sip, and then pounced back onto the map. Friar Street, Anlo Street, Maine Street, Clifton Street... West Denham Street, Welfare Street, Garden Avenue... Green Village, Wolf Village, Penis Village... City, countryside; upscale residential areas using magic arrays and divine magic arrays for water collection, middle to upper-class residential areas with water delivered by dedicated personnel, lower to middle-class residential areas drawing water from wells, slums drawing water from filthy sewers... In recent days, he had personally traversed every corner of Nevis City, and then, based on his investigations and memory, marked out the different sources of water on the map. From dots to lines, and from lines to areas. Tomorrow, he would visit Thunder Tower again to have the tower spirits calculate the mortality rates in different areas, as well as the mortality rates due to different causes of infectious diseases... He finished marking twenty streets, and when he turned around, little Jenny was still standing quietly two meters behind him, looking at the desk with eager eyes. Garrett paused his pen: "Little Jenny, what¡¯s the matter?" "S-Sir." The little girl held the tea tray, pressing her thumbs tightly against the edge of the wooden tray, her nails turning white. She stammered a few times, then, seeing Garrett smiling at her without any impatience in his eyes, finally struggled to speak: "Sir, I¡¯ve finished my tasks for today. Can I borrow a book to read? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be extremely careful, I won¡¯t dirty it at all, and I¡¯ll return it immediately after reading..." Garrett smiled slightly. Come to think of it, things had come to this point because of his own fault. If he hadn¡¯t mistakenly thought the little girl had jaundice and insisted on checking, which ultimately removed the disguise made by the girl¡¯s mother, that creditor wouldn¡¯t have come to demand payment, and they probably wouldn¡¯t have resorted to violence. Since he had intervened, the mother and daughter probably couldn¡¯t stay there any longer. He could only help them to the end. As for the fact that both the mother and daughter could read, that was a pleasant surprise. "Of course! Little Jenny, the bottom row of the left bookshelf, you can read any book there. You can take it back to your room to read as well. You can only read one book at a time, and remember to return it after you finish reading! Work hard!" "Thank you, sir!" The little girl bowed, carefully took out a book, and put it in the pocket of her apron. Then she bowed again, holding the tea tray, and left the study with small, light steps, almost soundlessly. Garrett smiled and returned to his work. After organizing population data, mortality rates, birth rates, he quickly delved into tax records. Calculation, statistics, assessment¡ª With the arrival of the clerics, there was a bustling sound of footsteps, and another group of people entered. Among them was a person with a tall and straight figure, full of vigor and vitality. It was Selena, the female knight Garrett had dealt with before, the eldest daughter of Count Ifenis, Lady Loxi. It seemed that this group were all aristocrats. Garrett exchanged a glance with the female knight, and Selena raised her chin slightly, waving her fingers to him with a slight movement. After the nobles took their seats, another group of merchants entered, bustling and noisy, filling up the back rows of the spectator seats. The doors of the conference hall closed with a bang. In front of the conference table, a clerk in a black robe with white shoulder-length curls rang the bell and raised his voice: "Regarding Mage Garrett Nordmark¡¯s request for the allocation of special funds to establish a public health institution, a special hearing is now in session!" Garrett: !!! Familiar but unfamiliar, I didn¡¯t file this application! He quickly looked towards the platform. On the platform, the protective magic archmage smiled slightly and gestured to him. Go for it! If you win this debate, you¡¯ll be the first head of the public health institution! "Next, please present arguments from all parties regarding the necessity, feasibility, and budget of establishing a public health institution!" The clerk raised his left hand and lifted it up. Across from Garrett, a mage in a deep blue robe with three silver stars on his badge stood up immediately. As soon as he spoke, Garrett¡¯s face darkened: "I believe that the current medical resources in Nevis City are sufficient to meet the needs of the entire city. There is no need to establish any other institutions!" Thank you, @Tungsten Small Shadow, for the 1500 starting coins. Please subscribe, vote for monthly tickets, recommend, and review... Recently, there have been few new readers and readers returning to continue reading. Seeking comfort meows... Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 271 Chapter 271 Three silver stars... Garrett silently calculated in his mind. Mage badges change color at level five, three silver stars, five plus three, the other party is an eighth-level mage. Even if Garrett calculates as a fourth-ring arcane practitioner¡ªequivalent to a seventh-level mage, he is still one level lower than the other party. According to the common etiquette of mages, he first nodded slightly to the other party in acknowledgment. The speaker also returned the gesture, then half-turned towards the clergy in the audience seats, bowing gently: "Throughout, all the healers¡ªservants of the god of nature, priests of the god of war, priestesses of the spring goddess, and the healing mages of the schools of magic¡ªhave taken excellent care of our city. In the city, whether it¡¯s illness or injury, as long as one enters the temple, we can receive treatment. In the countryside, the servants of the god of nature traverse the wilderness, bringing solace to the villagers between the mountains and fields. Even the poorest, those with nothing to spare, can receive free treatment. For this purpose, the council allocates 500 gold coins monthly for treatment expenses and 50 gold coins for potions, establishing treatment centers in the port area to provide medical assistance to the city¡¯s poor. ¡ªI sincerely thank all the healers for their dedication..." He bowed deeply once again. On the listening seats, several high-ranking clergy members smiled and nodded to each other. Behind them, and in the four rows opposite Garrett and the speaker, applause ranged from sporadic to thunderous, almost lifting the roof. A flush rose to the mage¡¯s cheeks as he waved his arm, continuing his eloquent speech. The applause in the conference hall surged like waves, lasting through three rounds before the mage bowed gracefully to each side and took his seat. The applause persisted for a long time, and the meeting secretary patiently waited for half a minute before raising the gavel and ringing the bell on his right: "Mage Garrett Nordmark, do you have anything to state regarding the necessity of establishing public health institutions?" On the podium, the eight members of the review committee exchanged glances. To be honest, they didn¡¯t agree that the healing power was already sufficient. Just look at the City of Radiance¡ªwhat it had been reduced to! But this news was still under wraps. Except for the legendary mages, only a few of them knew that the massive magical ritual that had alarmed the Magic Council was aimed at curing the city-wide plague. How would young Garrett argue this? "In the year 1163, 37 deaths from chickenpox, 278 from smallpox, 129 from dysentery. In 1165, a major cholera outbreak occurred, resulting in 15,237 deaths." A commotion broke out in the listening seats. Garrett saw the high bishop of the Temple of War nodding approvingly while conversing with Elder Wood. Across from him, in the rear of the mages, voices whispered: "Yes, indeed, when I was a teenager, there was a major plague once, I spent a summer in the countryside hiding..." "My younger brother and sister died then..." "Three people died in my family..." The mage opposite Garrett¡¯s expression grew even worse. Suddenly, he interrupted loudly: "Where did you get these records? Over 15,000 deaths¡ªdid you count them one by one?!" "The original records are the weekly death statistics from the City Hall! In the database, records of the past 100 years are kept, and I extracted the last 20 years!" Garrett looked the mage directly in the eye, holding up the papers confidently, rotating them to showcase to the crowd. "Data entry and calculation were done by the Tower Spirits of Thunder Tower. There¡¯s the Tower Spirit¡¯s secret mark in the bottom right corner of the table, which can attest to it!" A beam of light shot down from the podium, landing on the bottom right corner of the table. With a crackle, a lightning -like phantom burst in the conference hall, exploding above everyone¡¯s heads. The mage who cast the spell nodded lightly: "It is indeed the secret mark of Thunder Tower. ¡ªMr. Nordmark, please continue." Hurray! Spending 5000 contribution points was totally worth it! With the endorsement of the Tower Spirits, he no longer had to worry about being accused of miscalculating! Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 272 Chapter 272 Garrett bowed gently to the podium, expressing his gratitude. Then, he retrieved his papers and continued reading: "In 1166, dysentery, 57 deaths. Scarlet fever, 218 deaths." "In 1167, dysentery, 38 people. Diphtheria, 115 people. Smallpox, 327 people." "In 1168¡ª" He looked down at the paper, his voice flat and almost mechanical. However, the successive death data were like gusts of icy wind from the North, howling through the conference hall, sending shivers down everyone¡¯s spine. When Garrett finished reading this page, the hall was filled with nothing but the heavy, stifling breaths of those present, not even a cough could be heard. Garrett set down the papers and picked up a new page. Glancing around, he noticed that most people on the opposite side and in the audience were beginning to avoid his gaze. With a lift of his papers, he continued reading: "These are statistics on the number and proportion of various causes of death in the death records of the City Hall over the past 20 years. We can see that the mortality rates of common diseases and accidents are relatively stable, except for last year¡ªdue to a war¡ªthere was a significant increase; However, the mortality rate of infectious diseases fluctuates greatly, with a much higher mortality rate during outbreaks¡ª" "Mr. Nordmark." Elder Sam suddenly spoke from the podium, "Please project the data in your hands onto the whiteboard for everyone to see." He waved his hand lightly, and a large white wooden board, two people wide and nearly half a person tall, flew over from the wall and hung diagonally across from the podium. Understanding the request, Garrett walked out of his seat and approached the board. With a silent flicker of his magecraft, he quickly drew the table and line graph on the whiteboard. The curve of the mortality rate, especially the upward spike during infectious disease outbreaks, was chilling to behold. Elder Wood¡¯s expression grew somber. At the Temple of War, the Grand Bishop and Bishop Hampton locked eyes, their brows furrowed. Behind them, a group of nobles whispered and pointed at the whiteboard. The mage who spoke first, from the medical branch, stared wide-eyed at the line on the whiteboard, looking as though he might cast a fiery spell or something similar, piercing the board on the spot... Garrett allowed them a moment to digest the data on the whiteboard. Then, he stepped forward and stood in front of the board: "I¡¯m not trying to negate the role of healers. It should be said that it¡¯s precisely because of the presence of all of you healers that patients receive timely treatment, preventing the death toll from continuing to rise. But I want to say, plagues or outbreaks of infectious diseases spread rapidly¡ª" The conference hall buzzed with excitement. At the conference table, the secretary bowed his head and made a note, then rang the bell again: "Now, let the representative from the Emergency Management Department make their statement!" The Emergency Management Department. Garrett lowered his head and began to search through his materials. What were the views of the Emergency Management Department that the mage who spoke last time mentioned to him? Where did I put the corresponding materials... Across the long table, to the right of the mage from the medical branch, the second speaker stood up. Dressed sharply, with a tight-fitting jacket and pants, a wide belt cinched tightly around his waist, he looked ready to face combat at any moment. He quickly nodded to those around him in acknowledgment before beginning his statement: "Esteemed Archmages, respected healers, ladies, and gentlemen. We at the Emergency Management Department have full confidence in controlling outbreaks. In 1162, the year I joined the Emergency Management Department, we sacrificed seventeen colleagues and eradicated a cult located in the sewers beneath Nevis City, thwarting their plot to spread a plague; In 1168, the entire Emergency Management Department was mobilized to set up roadblocks at the border, preventing refugees fleeing the plague from entering Nevis City, keeping the disaster outside; In 1173, we sank a spy ship at sea, thwarting an operation by the Radiant Church to spread a plague; Even this year, we successfully captured a group of spies from the Radiant Church, under the meticulous deployment of the review committee, and curbed the spread of a series of plagues such as cholera and anthrax." Huh? Garrett looked at him in astonishment, then turned his head and looked towards the podium. Was the Emergency Management Department giving him face like this? Not mentioning the source of the path ogen leaks, not mentioning that these pathogens actually came from his laboratory? His gaze fell on the black-robed necromancer, who gave him a smile and nodded. Garrett suddenly realized: So that¡¯s how it is, Black Crow Swamp must have exerted pressure in advance! The strains he created, each one would be taken away for research by the epidemiologists. If it were revealed during this hearing that "the plague came from the laboratory of the mage," wouldn¡¯t that be a disaster? Although Nevis City is a city of mages, it¡¯s not just mages here¡ªthere are temples, noble families, merchants, and commoners, all of whom would panic on the spot! If he were a necromancer, he would also have to have a chat with the Emergency Management Department beforehand about what he could and couldn¡¯t say at the hearing... It¡¯s so great to have big shots backing you up! Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 273 Chapter 273 Garrett and the Necromancer exchanged a glance, then looked away. The military-style speaker from the Emergency Management Department had reached the stage of expressing determination and confidence: "As Mage Nordmark said, if our colleagues were present in Hartland City last year when the plague struck, we could have stopped it at the source, preventing it from spreading throughout the city." He was full of confidence, with a powerful and resolute tone. Garrett quickly glanced at the audience, only to see the healer from the Temple of Springs with a blackened face, twitching at the corner of her mouth, evidently aware of the true nature of the plague long before. Garrett could barely contain his laughter: Can you really stop it? Not let it spread? How would you do it, storm into the temple¡¯s dark dungeons? Lost in his thoughts, the speaker on the other side had reached the end of his speech. The speaker clenched his fist and pounded his chest, his voice loud: "We believe that as long as we strengthen patrols and vigilance, we can definitely prevent the outbreak of the plague. Please rest assured, everyone!" Amidst the applause, Garrett buried his head deeply and couldn¡¯t help but smirk. This round was too easy, almost like a freebie. Or perhaps, they willingly entered his familiar territory, allowing him to defeat them with his wealth of experience... How can you still hold on to your original point of view? After I¡¯ve read so many death records before you, and pointed out so many infectious diseases, how can you still stick to your original point of view and not change your approach? It wasn¡¯t until the secretary gestured for him to stand up and defend himself that Garrett reluctantly suppressed his amusement, standing up with a serious face. After customary greetings to all parties, he cleared his throat and fired directly at the opposition: "First of all, I want to thank all the colleagues from the Emergency Management Department for their contributions to urban safety over the past decades. Secondly, I would like to ask¡ªdo you believe that the origin of the plague is solely due to the sabotage of followers of the evil god or enemy spies?" "This¡ª" The person on the other side instinctively wanted to answer, but his voice got stuck in his throat. Garrett picked up the script from the previous discussion and read it line by line: "In 1163, smallpox, 37 deaths; measles, 278 deaths; dysentery, 129 deaths. In 1165, a major cholera outbreak, with 15,237 deaths. Infectious diseases. As for the origin of these infectious diseases, I have elaborated on it in two papers submitted in February, ¡¯On the Isolation and Treatment of Dysentery Epidemics¡¯ and ¡¯Records of Observing Dysentery Bacillus with Homemade Microscopes.¡¯" Aurora lifted the two papers in response, waved them, and continued working. "In short, based on my observations and research, diseases such as dysentery, cholera, tuberculosis, and many other infectious diseases are caused by extremely subtle entities. These entities¡ªI call them ¡¯bacteria¡¯¡ªwidely exist in nature and only cause diseases under special circumstances. They multiply massively in the patient¡¯s body, then are excreted and infect other healthy individuals. This process has been described in detail in my two papers. Bacteria are extremely small, only visible under special microscopes. Sir, if you want to deal with them like you deal with enemies, waving swords to keep them out, that¡¯s not possible..." He spoke calmly and confidently. The military speaker from the Emergency Management Department had a bewildered expression, his face and eyes resembling a struggling student in a calculus class who picked up a pen but couldn¡¯t follow the lecture. If there were text bubbles above his head, they would surely read: "Who am I? Where am I? What is that guy talking about?" "All these things you said... need evidence! Yes, evidence!" He struggled to say a sentence. Garrett hit the nail on the head, raised his hand, and gestured towards the table: "Aurora, the papers." At the long table, Aurora Worton didn¡¯t even look up, her arm glowing fluorescently, busy serving as a human photocopier... Hearing Garrett¡¯s words, Aurora raised her arm, and a paper flew over. The struggling student from the Emergency Management Department was dazed, lowering his head to flip open the cover, staring at the pages without being able to turn one. Garrett glanced from afar and almost burst into laughter: Buddy, you¡¯ve hit a wall! Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 274 Chapter 274 Garrett hesitated for a second, wondering if reminding the other party in front of everyone would seem like mockery. Before he could resolve his dilemma, a bell chimed behind him. The mage from the Protection School, who had been dealing with him, raised his voice for everyone to hear: "Please, Mage Garrett Nordmark, submit your papers to the judging committee." ...You did it yourself last time, what¡¯s with the laziness this time? Garrett thought to himself, swiftly walking over to receive them. The paper on isolating and treating dysentery had already been submitted during the last debate, so this time, he had only the paper on observing bacteria under a microscope to present. Thanks to Aurora¡¯s quick work, just two minutes ago, she had mentioned the title of the paper, and now, eight copies were ready... Handing them over one by one, Garrett handed them to the mage from the Protection School. From the direction of the audience, a majestic, somewhat urgent voice rang out: "The Temple of War requests to review the papers!" Huh? Garrett paused. Almost immediately, a familiar, deep voice followed: "The Naturalist Church also requests to review the papers." Ah, Elder, you¡¯re a great help! Garrett quickened his pace of handing out the papers, planning to finish here and then distribute them to the audience. Just as he handed out the last paper and before he could turn around, a third voice chimed in. Majestic and solemn, it carried a hint of reluctance: "The Temple of the Spring Goddess also requests to review the papers¡ª" Facing away from the Archbishop and the priests, Garrett saw the mage in white robes wink at him, eliciting a fleeting smile. Huh, even the Temple of the Spring Goddess wants the papers? Garrett blinked, trying to keep his lips level. The Council encouraged mages to exchange and share knowledge. As long as one had a mage badge, it was convenient to access submitted papers¡ªalbeit only abstracts; to read the full text, payment was required. However, for non-mages, like knights or priests, wanting to access literature... this... Even after crossing over, the problem hadn¡¯t improved. Or perhaps, because the productivity level of this world was lower, and the common people poorer, the phrase "no money" became even more glaring. The City Hall had no money, the Council had no money, the country had no money¡ª No money meant no money. And macroeconomic issues were not Garrett¡¯s forte as a doctor. Garrett tightened his grip on the papers, preparing himself. And the person in charge of the Budget Committee was indeed an expert in economics, rattling off numbers swiftly, his thin lips moving rapidly as he spoke, a long string of digits flowing effortlessly from between them. With a curl to his mustache and a rhythm to his lips, he spoke for a full fifteen minutes without stumbling once. After half a minute of listening, Garrett was already struggling to keep up with his pace. And as for whether the numbers reported by the mustached man were accurate and whether any items were missing from the accounts, Garrett admitted that he couldn¡¯t judge at all. "...In conclusion, due to last year¡¯s war with the Radiant Church and the subsequent repair of military equipment this year, the finances of Nevis City will remain in debt for the next three years." Twenty minutes later, the mustached man adjusted his tie, exhaled, and began his closing statement: "The Budget Committee¡¯s assessment is that, until the financial situation improves, there are not enough funds available to undertake these projects without economic return, such as constructing new, larger water supply facilities, repairing sewers, or building infectious disease hospitals..." He slowed his pace in the last sentence, his tone becoming more solemn, as if unfamiliar with these new terms. After pausing for a moment, he returned to his previous smooth rhythm: "The Budget Committee¡¯s evaluation is that, until the financial situation improves, there are not enough funds available to undertake these projects without economic return." He bowed deeply to the audience. The hall fell into a stifling silence, with no applause, no words of thanks. Only those in the back rows of the committee and the audience, some richly dressed but not extraordinary listeners, showed concern, as if afraid someone would demand they donate on the spot. "Did you find any loopholes in his argument?" "No, I didn¡¯t understand a thing¡ª" Aurora Worton quickly nudged Garrett, silently asking her boss. Garrett silently shook his head, not having found an opportunity to speak yet, when the long, drawn-out bell chimed again. The secretary adjusted his wig, turned to Garrett¡¯s side: "Now, Mage Nordmark, please make your statement¡ª" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 275 Chapter 275 Garrett Nordmark clenched the speech draft and rose slowly. Boom, boom, boom, his heart thudded in his chest, breathing quickened, and his back began to sweat faintly. It felt like seeing an ambulance door open, a patient lying on a stretcher rushed in, or like working the late shift in the dead of night, sleeping soundly when the emergency phone rings... Garrett didn¡¯t need to check his pulse to know that his heart rate at this moment was definitely over 120 beats per minute. Heh, tachycardia. Probably sinus. There was no way around it, challenging opponents in fields where others excel is just this uncertain. ...But, he had to do it. For those children who died at 14, 15, 16 years old. For little Jenny and her mother, who fetched water from polluted rivers and might fall ill and die at any moment. For those bottom-rung laborers with appallingly low life expectancies. Health is paramount; Life is entrusted! Garrett stood upright, turned around, and saluted. Then, he took a deep breath and posed a question he had prepared for a long time: "Esteemed Archmages, respected healers, ladies and gentlemen. Before discussing the city hall budget, I would like to ask a question: What is the value of a person, an ordinary, bottom-rung citizen of Nevis, in terms of gold coins?" The meeting room fell silent. Across the council table, the spokesperson for the Budget Committee curled his lips disdainfully, showing contempt on his face. Behind him, two small merchants whispered to each other, "What¡¯s there to calculate?" "Yeah, how much are those commoners worth?" "At most, one or two silver coins, right?" "Maybe not even that, if they¡¯re killed on the street, they might only get a couple of gold coins in compensation..." Garrett pretended not to hear. He looked to his left, where the high-ranking mages on the dais looked serious, with a hint of displeasure; to his right, Elder Wood furrowed his brow, his voice like a bell: "The great god of nature teaches us that before nature, every person is equal." Oh, well, that¡¯s true of the doctrine of the god of nature. The worshippers of the god of nature never regarded themselves as nobler than commoners. Garrett shifted his gaze slightly, looking towards Elder Wood¡¯s side... And for the low-income group, which includes farmers, water carriers, laundry workers, dockworkers, and unskilled workshop laborers, their average life expectancy is¡ª" Garrett took a deep breath. He surveyed the surroundings, deliberately lengthening the pause between two sentences, making eye contact with everyone looking at him. Until the silence in the meeting room accumulated enough to press down, he exhaled that long breath and drew a shocking, only one-third length bar on the whiteboard: "¡ª22 years." The entire meeting room shook violently. Then, buzzing sounds, like tidal waves, surged up, drowning every seat: "What?!" "So short?!" "Only 22 years?!" "Even if they give birth at 14 and die at 22, the children are only 8 years old!" "That¡¯s equivalent to sending children to their deaths¡ª" "Is it fake? How could it be so terrible..." "Exactly, in my shop, there are several craftsmen in their forties and fifties..." Garrett lowered his brows, standing quietly next to the whiteboard, listening to these chaotic discussions. When he first started entering death registration data, he was distressed by the tragic deaths of those who died at 14, 15, or 16 years old. However, when the statistics were completed and he got the calculated data, he couldn¡¯t help but gasp for breath. The situation was worse than he had expected. Much worse. 22 years. An average age of death of 22 years. Remember, even in old China, before liberation, in such a miserable world, the average life expectancy of the population reached 35 years... What is 22 years? It¡¯s hell! He waited quietly for a moment, raised the draft paper in his hand, and showed the magical seal on the paper to the audience. With a wave of the hand of the mage in the protective series, a magical radiance flashed, and the emblem of Thunder Tower rose again, shining in the air. Immediately, a louder wave of sound erupted and lasted for a long time. Garrett held his head high, waiting. These data were not fabricated by him, the original records had sources, and the calculation process had the endorsement of Tower Spirits. He waited until the surroundings gradually quieted down, took a step forward, and earnestly addressed the dais: "Garrett Nordmark, Mage, you¡¯ve raised a valid point. However, if you want to convince the council to increase investment, you still need to explain one more thing: How much help does increasing this investment provide to the lives and health of the citizens?" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 276 Chapter 276 As soon as this question came out, Garrett¡¯s heart, suspended in mid-air, dropped by half. His heart rate, which was racing fast enough to be diagnosed as sinus tachycardia at 120 beats per minute, dropped to around seventy or eighty beats per minute¡ª After all, he had finally taken control of the pace of the hearing. Who wants to settle accounts with you! Who wants to argue whether you made a mistake or where the false accounts are! Who wants to meticulously calculate whether the municipal budget is enough or if there¡¯s anything left to scrape out! The adjudicating committee, and the Magic Council represented by them, were the rulers of this city. To persuade the Magic Council, one should look at the problem from the council¡¯s perspective! As for where the money comes from after persuading the council... Tax increases, issuing bonds, selling lottery tickets, selling patents, or even confiscating assets from a few corrupt officials? As the largest coercive institution locally, the council could always find a way to accomplish its goals. Hmm, thanks to all the political classes and political economy courses I¡¯ve taken since childhood, as well as the news I¡¯ve listened to over the years... Garrett calmed his mood a bit and revealed a confident smile. After all, the upcoming argument had entered his area of expertise, and he felt more confident than ever! "Thank you for your inquiry, Archmage," Garrett bowed slightly and spoke calmly: "The establishment of public health facilities undoubtedly contributes greatly to the lives and health of the citizens. ¡ªTo prove this point, we can start by looking at a set of comparative data. In the year 1165, a cholera outbreak occurred in Nevis City, resulting in 15,237 deaths. Among them, 3,518 were from rural areas, 8,115 from low-income areas, 2,897 from middle-low-income areas, 639 from middle-high-income areas, and 68 from high-income areas..." The poorer the area, the more deaths. These stark numbers sent chills down one¡¯s spine. Even though everyone is equal in the face of death, those who are less able to withstand it suffer more. "Numbers alone are not enough." In the silence, the chief mage of the Abjuration School, sitting at the chairman¡¯s podium, interrupted Garrett¡¯s speech with a smile: "The number of wealthy people is small, so naturally, the number of deaths is also small. If you want to prove that better conditions lead to fewer deaths, you need to provide some other evidence." "Understood," Garrett nodded calmly. He didn¡¯t even need to flip through the manuscript in his hand. With just a flick of his finger, the next section appeared, and he continued speaking: "I divided the residential areas of the city into four parts based on the water supply method. There are garden areas with water collected using magic arrays and divine spells, residential areas with water delivered by specialized personnel or extracted from mountain springs by specialized merchants, residential areas with water drawn from wells, and areas where water is taken from nearby rivers and sewage ditches. ¡ªIt can be seen that these four areas largely overlap with the high-income, middle-high-income, middle-low-income, and low-income areas of the citizens." He waved again at the whiteboard. Today serving as a projection screen, the whiteboard, which had been rewritten countless times, added new charts: "In the year 1165, the proportion of residents in various areas of Nevis City who died of cholera were as follows: 35% in rural areas, 52% in low-income areas, 43% in middle-low-income areas, 38% in middle-high-income areas, and 12% in high-income areas. Expanding the time span to 20 years, the proportions of residents in various areas who died of infectious diseases were as follows: 18% in rural areas, 31% in low-income areas, 32% in middle-low-income areas, 21% in middle-high-income areas, and 5% in high-income areas. Among these, the proportions who died of intestinal infectious diseases such as dysentery and cholera were: 7% in rural areas, 18% in low-income areas, 17% in middle-low-income areas, 9% in middle-high-income areas, and 2% in high-income areas." Three clusters, five colors, fifteen rectangular pillars, clearly displayed on the whiteboard. Even if one couldn¡¯t remember the data or didn¡¯t have time for mental calculations, just looking at the comparison of column heights made Garrett¡¯s point clear: Even providing clean drinking water alone can significantly reduce the mortality rate of infectious diseases and markedly decrease the number of deaths! Garrett almost smiled wryly. It was truly his own fault. Previously, to avoid losing money, he had hastily written a plan without careful consideration. For example, regarding the water supply, he had simply followed his vague memories and casually wrote about a water treatment plant... He had only realized this problem a few days ago. Speaking of which, what is the production capacity needed for a water treatment plant serving 500,000 people? Garrett had no idea. He rummaged through his memories, flipping through countless miscellaneous things, until he finally found a news article in a corner: A county with a name he had never heard of was investing in a water treatment plant with a total construction scale of 200,000 tons per day, providing safe water for 500,000 residents... with a total investment of 289 million yuan... Uh... Sorry for the interruption. Garrett silently crossed out the design for the water treatment plant... He really knew nothing about modern industry... Not to mention the investment amount, does Igor Peak and the surrounding rivers even have enough flow to produce 200,000 tons of clean water per day? Garrett could only settle for less and less. The plan was cut and slashed until, in the end, it became the most basic version from the Barefoot Doctor¡¯s Handbook: "Um... Regarding the provision of clean drinking water, I have two different plans. One relies more on magic, and once it¡¯s built, it¡¯s relatively labor-saving in the long run. The second one doesn¡¯t require much magic, but it consumes more manpower... Don¡¯t worry, regardless of which one, it¡¯s cheaper than a water treatment plant!" He hurriedly added the last sentence. The mage from the Transmutation School who had asked the question smiled, indicating for him to continue. Garrett breathed a sigh of relief and turned the pages quickly: "For the first plan, we will build a reservoir at the source of a clean water supply, with pipelines for water diversion to supply drinking water. Calculated at 2 liters per person per day, this reservoir only needs to supply 1,000 tons of water per day. Building the reservoir at a mountain pass and laying pipelines can utilize the natural elevation of the reservoir to ensure flow speed. As for the engineering aspect, building the reservoir can rely on magic, and laying pipelines can be done using magic or by fostering hollow plants with natural divine spells for long-distance drainage. There¡¯s no need for pipelines to enter each household; as long as each gathering area has a water tank. These tanks can be sealed, with manually operated water pumps installed, allowing residents to draw water themselves. Of course, the Magic Council should send people to regularly check the water quality and add disinfectants to the tanks..." "Cough!" A loud cough came from the audience. Garrett quickly turned around and saw Elder Wood, smiling amiably, not looking like he was going to stop him. Garrett pretended not to notice others¡¯ expressions, faced the chairman¡¯s podium, and continued to explain the second plan: "For the second plan, large stoves will be set up in the poor districts to provide free boiling water. Calculated at 1,000 people per stove, a maximum of 500 large stoves can cover the entire city. Because only boiling water is provided, the quality requirements for water sources can be relaxed, and water sources with mild pollution from nearby rivers can also be used. In addition, the water quality of wells in middle and lower-income areas should be regularly tested, and disinfectants should be added. Or, you can also let the servants of the gods of nature be responsible for testing. They have always been sensitive to whether the water is drinkable..." "Uh, cough!" The coughing from the audience grew louder. The Transmutation School member raised his hand to stop Garrett¡¯s speech, with a smile on his face, extending his hand to the opposite side: "Your Eminence Grand High Priest?" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 277 Chapter 277 Garrett, the senior healer of the Spring Goddess Temple, now acknowledged as the High Priest, stood with a stern face, silent. Instead, a nobleman from the back row stood up, bowed to the podium, and respectfully addressed: "Esteemed Archmages, I mean no offense, but out of deep religious reverence, I must ask: For ages, it has been the noble Spring Goddess who nourishes her people with pure water sources. Why then, shouldn¡¯t the task of providing drinking water be entrusted to her servants?" Of course, that¡¯s because¡ªwe¡¯re not on good terms with them! Garrett stood rigidly in place, maintaining a calm demeanor, resolutely keeping silent. Indeed, Garrett wasn¡¯t familiar with the Spring Goddess Temple at all. The Nature God Sect was his home, and the Temple of War had always cooperated well. But as for the Spring Goddess Temple? If it weren¡¯t for the favorable impression Donald, the priest, had left him, the temple would be a complete mess for Garrett. Moreover, the faith in the Spring Goddess was the kingdom¡¯s state religion, with every monarch needing the Pope¡¯s coronation. The royal family and nobility naturally fell under the temple¡¯s influence, with noble children, especially second and younger sons and daughters, sent to the Spring Goddess Temple for education unless there were special reasons. But a place can only have one ruler. Relying on the royal family¡¯s Spring Temple, they were marginalized in the City of Mages, attracting little attention. Garrett had traversed Nevis City, only to find a small temple tucked away in the garden district. The plaza at the entrance was only slightly larger than that of the Spring Goddess Temple in Hartland City. What¡¯s more important, in the poor districts, he hardly found any drinking water facilities set up by the temple... Hand it over to them? Humph! In the water supply plan, Garrett deliberately avoided considering the Spring Goddess Temple, feeling no psychological pressure. The members of the evaluation committee cooperated well with him. The protective mage coughed pretentiously, gesturing downward: "Viscount Breau, thank you for your input. Mage Nordmark¡¯s plan is still in its preliminary stages. If we decide to implement it, the council will deploy more high-level mages to refine it. ¡ªOf course, we welcome the participation of the Spring Goddess clergy in this sanitation plan." He nodded politely to the High Priest. The High Priest could only nod in return, unmoved, as if he hadn¡¯t heard Garrett¡¯s intention to exclude them. The mages smiled amiably, nodding at Garrett: "Besides the clean drinking water plan, what other initiatives do you think should be implemented in public health?" Ah, public health, a comprehensive system indeed. Garrett wished he could recite everything he had learned in his previous life or at least throw over the version he had submitted to the council. But for now, he had to pick out the most important ones: "Increase public toilets." "Prohibit public defecation and littering." "Establish specialized infectious disease hospitals..." Every time he mentioned one, the face of the official from the budget committee opposite him would darken by a shade. Behind the officials, a group of people who looked like civilian affairs officials and merchants sighed and lamented. It seemed like every project Garrett mentioned was cutting into their flesh. Perhaps... that was the reality... The evaluation committee member from the Transmutation School noted down a few key points happily and knocked on the table. In an instant, Garrett¡¯s hackles rose: Why are you smiling like that? Your smile, it¡¯s so sly! Someone¡¯s up to no good! He subconsciously tightened his grip on the manuscript in his hand, even hiding it beside him. The Grand Mage, however, smiled warmly, waving for him to take his seat, then beckoned to the other side of the council: "Mage Nordmark, please don¡¯t worry. These commoners are just naturally cunning, lacking respect for the council and the kingdom. Whenever you go to collect taxes, they¡¯ll claim to be poor, have no money, only a worthless life. They¡¯ll hide bread, salted fish, even hide money under the floorboards or in the ceiling rafters, making it impossible for you to confiscate anything. But our young fellows are great! As long as we get serious, we can definitely collect it¡ªbesides, this money is also spent on them!" "That won¡¯t do." Garrett shook his head immediately. His mind raced, trying to think of ways to convince the other party, finally turning to the podium and bowing deeply: "Members of the committee, I oppose the imposition of a hearth tax. As Mr. Budget Committee previously mentioned, a water deliveryman can only earn five silver coins a month, and a washerwoman earns three and a half silver coins per month. Averaged out per day, that¡¯s only a copper coin or a coin and a half¡ªa day¡¯s worth of sustenance! A copper coin is insignificant to the wealthy, but to the poor, it¡¯s equivalent to going hungry for a day. It might mean they can¡¯t survive an illness one day, or can¡¯t dodge a speeding carriage. We¡¯re undertaking public health initiatives to help the poorest citizens, and we mustn¡¯t drive them to their deaths before we even start!" The hall erupted into murmurs once more. Some nodded, some shook their heads, some showed approval, some frowned. The Level 8 mage from the medical branch even smiled and gave Garrett a thumbs-up. Behind the tax officer, in four rows of seats from low to high, a voice suddenly rose, deliberately changed, as if disguised: "Then who should pay? We don¡¯t need these things anyway, so we won¡¯t pay!" Not even daring to show their faces? Garrett glanced up. He didn¡¯t see the speaker, only a group of people clapping and giving thumbs-ups. Some even dared to shout: "Exactly! We don¡¯t drink that water anyway!" "We don¡¯t need toilets where we live!" "Why should we pay!" Garrett raised an eyebrow. Garrett glanced at Elder Wood, but he remained steadfast, clenching his fists and then making a slashing motion downwards! That moment, Garrett heard the sigh of the Elder a few days ago: "Young Garrett... if you want to accomplish this, you can¡¯t be soft, you know! Some people, you have to show them who¡¯s boss!" Should I take action against this person? Or at least confront him? Forget it, being too cowardly to show his face is too spineless, and it¡¯s not interesting to confront him directly. Garrett didn¡¯t directly drag the person out, but instead turned to the podium, raising his voice: "Members of the committee, do I have a say in the funding sources for the organization?" "If this organization is indeed established, you will be the first person in charge, so of course, you have a say." The Grand Mage smiled kindly: "Not only do you have a say, but for projects related to your duties, you can even collect money directly at the door¡ªof course, provided you can collect it." Do they really want me to take action? Elder Wood, you were right! Garrett took a deep breath, his aura fully unleashed. Though a doctor, he was used to arguing with students, junior doctors, patients, and their families. Stepping outside the council chamber now, he opened his mouth, and silence fell across the room: "Who pollutes, who governs. Who takes water, who pays. All those workshops along the river, dumping garbage into the river while drawing water, they all have to pay up. Anyone object?!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 278 Chapter 278 "Anyone have objections?" Everyone had objections. Garrett¡¯s words were like a drop of cold water falling into a boiling oil pan. The council chamber fell silent for a moment before erupting. Across the table, five rows of seats, with sixty or seventy people, nearly half of them couldn¡¯t help but stand up, only to sit back down halfway. Everyone was angry, everyone voiced their opinions: "Why should we pay!" "The river belongs to everyone! Those poor folks don¡¯t pay for water, so why should we!" "If we don¡¯t dump waste into the river, where else can we dump it? Into your house?!" "We¡¯re already struggling with wars and tariffs; it¡¯s hard enough to do business! If taxes go up again, we¡¯ll go bankrupt!" Initially, it was just murmurs, but gradually it turned into shouts and accusations. Those qualified to sit in this council chamber were mostly prominent figures in the city. Even the merchants were mostly presidents of major guilds, each holding a charter from the city hall: The Silk Merchant Guild President, the Wool Merchant Guild President, the Rawhide Merchant Guild President, the Fish Merchant Guild President, the Small Hardware Merchant Guild President, the Wine Merchant Guild President, the Grocery Merchant Guild President... It could be said that together, these people controlled half of Nevis City¡¯s commerce and more than half of its tax revenue. If they joined forces to protest, even the Magic Council would have to seriously consider their opinions: The mages, after all, couldn¡¯t do business themselves. They always had to rely on others. Violence wasn¡¯t out of the question, but it was a last resort, something to be avoided if possible. If it were an official order from the council, perhaps these people wouldn¡¯t dare to cause trouble. But this public health fee was obviously still under discussion. If they didn¡¯t speak up, if they didn¡¯t make a scene now, when would they? Once the council closed its doors and discussed with that young mage, it would be too late! With their status, they wouldn¡¯t even be able to enter the council chamber! The group became louder and more ferocious. Garrett glanced at the podium, where the senior mage from the transmutation school smiled kindly and nodded to him, indicating that he should find a solution himself. Obviously, the council didn¡¯t want to resort to physical (magical) persuasion on this matter... Garrett¡¯s gaze slowly swept across the opposite side. On the five rows of seats rising upwards, there were about ten mage badges shimmering, ranging from level one or two to level six or seven. And the gazes of those mages looking at him were not all friendly. Aurora once told Garrett that many low- or mid-level mages, especially those older ones with no hope of advancing further, would engage in business themselves or simply work for merchants. Making more money meant a more comfortable life or saving up for their descendants to learn magic. Of course, many mages also received "technical guidance fees" from workshops through their disciples or family members, providing guidance or protection. Aurora once complained to him like this: "In Nevis City, can you do business without a background? Huh!" It was obvious that collecting money had touched the interests of many people. What¡¯s more troublesome was that Garrett didn¡¯t even know who these people were behind the scenes, which school they belonged to, which senior mage... He didn¡¯t even know where to start with the question of "who are our friends and who are our enemies"! They could avoid the poor districts, avoid going to the river, stay in the mage tower every day, or have fun in the garden district or their own castles. But they still needed wine to drink, meat to eat, clothes to wear, cheese, fruit, pastries¡ªthey couldn¡¯t lack anything. Just the thought that the food they ate, the silk, wool, and leather they wore, were made with such dirty water... "Ugh¡ª" Garrett smiled triumphantly. He turned to the podium, bowed slightly, and spoke lightly: "Esteemed mages, ladies, and gentlemen. For our safety and health, I suggest re-evaluating these workshops, selecting a group with good production conditions. Those with clean water for production, good workshop conditions, and passing hygiene inspections can be awarded badges or bronze plaques by the council, certified as ¡¯safe products¡¯ for everyone to use. Of course, it¡¯s indeed not easy to do business in this world now. If you don¡¯t apply for certification or are unwilling to improve your production environment, we don¡¯t need to force it. After all, the public health agencies have limited manpower, and evaluating each workshop one by one is indeed time-consuming and laborious. We uphold the principles of voluntary application and freedom of production. However, for those who don¡¯t apply for certification or fail to meet the evaluation criteria, we absolutely cannot issue certification." Not issuing certification? That sounded easy! The businessmen in the rear seats exchanged whispers, quickly discussing. Before they could come to a conclusion, a clear and strong female voice rang out from the audience seats: "Honorable committee members. Viscount Loxi is willing to donate 2000 gold coins to help the council establish a clean water project. It is also hoped that after the project is completed, the industries in the viscount¡¯s territory in Nevis City can be given priority evaluation¡ª" Garrett turned around. In the second row of the audience seats, the figure of Knight Serena was tall and bright-eyed. Beautiful... no, she¡¯s a big shot, thanks for the help! This statement opened the floodgates for donations. Soon, the shouts of the businessmen started echoing: "I donate 1000 gold coins!" "I donate 500! No, 800!" "I donate 1500!" "I¡¯ll mobilize the brewing guild when I go back and collect donations together!" Garrett raised an eyebrow towards the podium. The businessmen¡¯s goods could make a few coins, but selling industrial water was the real deal! Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 279 Chapter 279 The merchants made a complete 180-degree turn in an instant. Just a moment ago, they were dragging their feet, but now they were scrambling to donate eagerly. "You donate 1000, he 800, and him 1500." If it weren¡¯t for being in the council chamber, wallets, pouches, and the jingling of coins would likely rain down like drops. Garrett, however, didn¡¯t feel a bit triumphant. With years of experience as an emergency physician, he was quite adept at reading people¡¯s expressions. Although the merchants were spending money readily, occasionally a hint of anger and gloom would escape from the corners of their eyes and mouths. ¡ªIt¡¯s obvious. Who would be happy being forced to spend money? Even he himself, when the review committee demanded compensation, when building a high-level mage tower required extra money, including when entering data required tower spirits, he resisted in every way possible, refusing to spend a single penny. It¡¯s fine to just resent him. But the real fear was that the wool was pulled over their eyes. Forcing the merchants to pay up might lead them to cut workers¡¯ wages or even lay off a few... In the end, before the public health construction even began, it would have already implicated a large number of workers, leading to more social problems. It¡¯s still necessary to give them a sweet date. Of course, before handing out the sweet date, the necessary stick must be wielded as much as possible. Garrett pondered. Amidst the clamor, he silently lowered his head, beginning to flip through the documents in his hand. One page, two pages... As he moved, the clamor in the council chamber gradually subsided, replaced by an accumulating tense silence. Garrett flipped to the pages he needed, then lifted his head. He saw about twenty or thirty people across from him craning their necks, their eyes fixed on his manuscript. This... Whether you look or not, I¡¯m still going to say these things... It¡¯s not useful to see them ahead of time... Garrett inwardly complained as he turned to the podium. Ahem, although it¡¯s a bit tricky, the demands that need to be made must still be made. "Apart from using clean water sources in production, shops seeking certification should also follow some regulations. First, they cannot casually discard garbage, and wastewater must be uniformly discharged..." "Why?" "On what grounds?" Several voices shouted from the opposite side. The fattest and burliest one shouted particularly loudly: "Our slaughterhouse has so many entrails every day. If we don¡¯t toss them into the river, what are we supposed to do?!" Oh, so it¡¯s about slaughtering pigs and sheep. No wonder he¡¯s so fat. His coat was already made as large as possible, but it couldn¡¯t conceal the bulging muscles on his arms. Garrett looked at him with pity: "...If you don¡¯t want them, can you give them to me? Shall I send someone to pick them up?" "Understood." Ah, that¡¯s a smooth transition. Garrett felt pleased as he cleared his throat and glanced at the merchants opposite him. "We establish public health initiatives to improve the health of citizens and enhance their well-being. Therefore, we cannot allow the costs borne by businesses to be transferred through wage deductions, layoffs, or inflated prices of daily necessities. Such practices are completely contrary to the council¡¯s intentions and must be strictly prohibited!" Another commotion erupted on the opposite side. However, this time, Garrett didn¡¯t allow them to voice their protests but raised his voice: "Is anyone here from the Winemakers Association?" "Here, here, here!" An elderly man in the second-to-last row stood up, his face waxen, his belly protruding, and one hand intentionally or unintentionally pressing against his right ribs. Garrett took one look at him and felt the urge to check his eyelids: Old man, do you have cirrhosis? Suppressing his doctor¡¯s instincts, Garrett raised his face and looked directly at the man. His voice was calm and unhurried, with a smile playing at the corners of his mouth: "Do you make wine yourself? Grow grapes? Do you know how to prevent grape diseases? Would you like to know how to prevent wine from souring and how to control the temperature and time of malting for brewing beer?" He asked a question, and the old man nodded. He asked another question, and the old man nodded again. After a string of questions, the old man¡¯s back was bent at a 45-degree angle, almost ready to kneel down. Garrett turned his head slightly to the left. After taking two steps forward and then turning back to look at him: "By the way, you¡¯d better find a high-level healer¡ªcheck your liver." The winemaker nodded eagerly. Garrett smiled at him and scanned the seats opposite him once again: "Are there any salt merchants here who want to know how to efficiently refine crude salt and what to do with the impurities refined out? Blacksmiths¡¯ guild, if there¡¯s one, do you want to know how to mass-produce iron and ensure that the iron produced is usable? General goods merchants¡ªlet¡¯s call them that for now¡ªanyone interested in methods for large-scale production of sulfuric acid?" He spoke casually, and heavy breathing became increasingly audible from the seats opposite him. Merchants looked at each other, their eyeballs turning red. If they didn¡¯t belong to different industries, they would have started fighting on the spot. That¡¯s it. These advanced technologies are profits, but they are also weapons. Whoever controls them can stand out among peers. And the Magic Council is precisely the representative of advanced technology in this world, holding the most powerful weapon¡ª Garrett turned around to face the chairman¡¯s podium once more, slightly bowing again: "Providing employment, offering fair prices, providing suitable products, and protecting the environment are all indispensable social responsibilities for a shop or workshop. I believe that the Magic Council should select those establishments that excel in fulfilling social responsibilities, prioritize cooperation with them, or¡ªprovide technical guidance." The last few words were drawn out and heavy. There was a moment of silence, then, clap, clap, clap, the transmutation grand mage, smiling, began to applaud. The other committee members joined in. Soon, the applause echoed throughout the chamber. Garrett smiled as he bowed to all sides. After waiting patiently for about half a minute, he raised his hands lightly and gently pressed them down. The meeting room returned to silence. Garrett turned to face the table opposite, hands behind his back, his smile calm: "Now, is there any guild or workshop that is unwilling to comply with the council¡¯s rules?" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 280 Chapter 280 This hearing ended with Garrett¡¯s great victory. When the meeting ended, the Archmage representing the Review Committee for the Protection System announced the establishment of the Public Health Department. The applause from the audience was like a torrential rain¡ª The leaders of the commercial guilds, in particular, applauded vigorously. There was no way around it. Garrett not only controlled their profits but practically held their lives in his hands. If this little mage was unhappy and labeled them as "lacking social responsibility," or postponed the evaluation of "safe products" and "reliable products" by two months, allowing their competitors to get certified first¡ª Then nobody would survive! So, even though they had been criticized before, everyone had to curry favor with Garrett. Whether they had been named by Garrett and saw the road to wealth right in front of them, or whether they hadn¡¯t been named or directed by him, they all searched for opportunities everywhere: "Which school of magic does Mage Nordmark belong to?" "Who is his teacher?" "Where does he live? Are there any relatives in Nevis City?¡ªHmm, how can we send gifts to him..." Garrett didn¡¯t know that someday, or for a period of time, there might be a constant stream of people coming to give gifts. At the moment, he was being led by the magicians of the Review Committee towards Igor Peak. The great mages even summoned a magical carriage, rushing as fast as they could, as if afraid of being blocked halfway. "No need for this..." Garrett looked around. He hadn¡¯t even said a few words before being dragged away so urgently! He hadn¡¯t greeted Elder Wood or thanked the High Priest of the Temple of War. Oh right, there was also that female knight. Last time during the castle-wide physical examination, he was taken away by Archmage Carlisle halfway through, leaving her hanging. The follow-up work was completed by Elder Wood for him! The female knight helped him today! "Is it necessary?" Old Sam followed closely beside him, never leaving his side. The Archmage representing the Protection System chuckled on the side: "If we don¡¯t drag you away now, countless families will come to snatch you. Not to mention the followers of the Nature God, I bet the High Priest of the Temple of War would love to grab you and hide you away.¡ªHey," he patted the necromancer in the front seat: "Do you agree?" The more Garrett looked, the more satisfied he felt. Even though the Mage Tower had just laid its foundation, it didn¡¯t prevent the corners of his mouth from curving up little by little. This Mage Tower was satisfactory in every way! Garrett personally chose the location of the Mage Tower. According to the requirements of Laboratory P4, the tower should be located downwind from the city, downstream of the river, to prevent any leaks from endangering the city. However, Nevis City had prevailing southwest winds year-round. Warm winds collided with Igor Peak, turning into rainwater and forming streams. If it were placed downwind, it would be equivalent to going upstream of the city... After much deliberation, Garrett had no choice but to place it southeast of the city, separated from the city by a ridge. Transportation was still convenient, just across the hill was the train station. A path was cleared through the bushes and paved with stones¡ªor rolled twice with "Fossil to Mud" and "Mud to Stone" spells. With magical horses driving, crossing the mountains took less than half an hour. A separate stream flowed down from the mountaintop, passing near the Mage Tower, winding into the sea, making it convenient for Garrett to set up a pasture and raise experimental animals nearby. Pollution from the pasture could also be easily dealt with by digging a settling pond and a filtration pool, just a simple water purification solution. "How about it? Are you reassured now?" Garrett was lifted onto a Shadow Stallion and effortlessly descended the mountainside, standing next to the foundation of the Mage Tower. He walked around the foundation happily, sometimes standing up, sometimes squatting down, sometimes touching the ground. Then, he returned to the side of the committee members and raised the first question: "Is this ground made of solid stone?" He hadn¡¯t seen such large stones when he came last time! And they were seamlessly integrated, without a trace of gaps. Were they whole stones or... "What else?" The old transmuter glared at him. "Who said we must make it waterproof, and that it must not leak, or it would cause a disaster? These large stones were turned into mud and then turned into stone again using a magic array. The bottom two layers are only 9 meters deep, and the foundation goes down to 15 meters below! " "Oh, thank you so much!" Garrett quickly bowed. The stone structure under his feet was dense, with fine textures, looking a bit like obsidian¡ªperhaps it was basalt? Anyway, it looked sturdy and waterproof. The old mage snorted and pulled him aside: "No need to thank me, just make sure to cause us less trouble in the future. Kid, take a good look. This is advanced ¡¯Mud to Stone¡¯ magic, different from the ordinary version, and it shapes different kinds of stones¡ªup!" With a wave of his hand, the mud beside them flowed and moved closer. It stood up, transformed, and solidified. Soon, a dark, smooth stone wall stood before Garrett. Fine powder fell from the gaps between the old man¡¯s fingers. Garrett crouched down to look: "Sand... lime... water... Wait! ¡¯Fossil to Mud¡¯ is used to make cement walls! Can we change the formula?" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 281 Chapter 281 "Change the formula?" The old mage paused his spellcasting and looked down at Grett, frowning slightly: "Are you dissatisfied with this wall?" He was somewhat displeased. Turning fossils into mud and mud into stone, both spells were of the 5th rank of transformation, meaning any 9th-level mage could perform them. Yet, as a 14th-level grand mage and a member of the review committee personally undertaking the task, the hardness and fineness of the stone, as well as the precision of its shaping, were leagues beyond what those intermediate mages could achieve. What, is the lad still finding faults? But then he saw a head buried motionlessly and an open palm. Grett was squatting on the ground, his palm forward, holding the spellcasting materials for turning mud into stone¡ªsand, lime, water¡ªhis voice filled with confusion, as if he was desperately trying to remember something: "Not that... I mean, sand, lime, water, isn¡¯t that just cement? Cement with broken stones and water makes concrete... Different formulas have different functions, some dry quickly, some are wear-resistant, some are acid and alkali resistant, some can withstand high temperatures, some are especially frost-resistant, impermeable, crack-resistant... Surely, we have to try them one by one!" The old mage fell silent. He had cast the spell to turn mud into stone countless times over the decades, indeed noticing slight differences each time. Moreover, these differences seemed unrelated to his control over the spell. He couldn¡¯t help but squat down to look into Grett¡¯s eyes, pressing: "Cement? Mix..." He stopped there, pondering before awkwardly repeating the term he had heard for the first time: "Concrete? What is that? Do you know the formula?" "I don¡¯t know!" Grett declared boldly: "I¡¯m just a healer! I know that sand, lime, water together make cement, ah no, it seems clay and lime can be burned to make cement, and cement with sand, water, broken stones, etc., makes concrete! No transcendent powers needed, ordinary people can make it! But what formula produces what result, that... has to be tried one by one... I know there are several types of cement, some made with lime, some with sand, some with alumina... made with volcanic ash, fly ash, slag..." As he spoke, his voice grew quieter, and he shrank down, almost curling up into a ball. He felt that this approach of "I know the direction, but you guys have to try the details" was somewhat irresponsible... But he truly didn¡¯t know! He was a medical professional, not an architecture or materials science major! The differences between cement and concrete were something he picked up from chatting with workers on the construction site when the hospital was building a new wing! You ask him for formulas, for different formulas and different properties of cement¡¯s composition, he couldn¡¯t do it even if his life depended on it! The old mage really wanted to give Grett a piece of his mind. However, before he could speak, he already heard Old Sam muttering to someone nearby: "Here he goes again..." Ah, right, it was the same during the mithril refining. Giving a direction, a group of grand mages and their apprentices, over a hundred people, tried day and night. This little guy then turned to something else, after tinkering with disinfectant, even produced plague seeds in the laboratory... So, after causing trouble for the energy manipulation school, was he here to cause trouble for their transformation school now? The stone elemental crouched down, seemingly listening to the mages¡¯ instructions and descriptions, before leaping out of the magic array into the foundation pit. Grett couldn¡¯t help but exclaim: "Ah¡ª" Such a large stone elemental, don¡¯t damage my foundation ! Miraculously, this three-person-tall, at least seven or eight-ton heavy stone elemental jumped down without making a sound, as if silently merging with the foundation. The four high-level mages chanted faster, and after a long spell, suddenly raised their arms: "Rise¡ª" Smooth, dense, dark walls rose from the ground, growing taller and taller. This tower was a standard mage tower design, an octagonal tower body, three floors underground, nine floors above ground¡ªsince it was a high-level mage tower, extra floors were added. The tower¡¯s body was thicker at the bottom and tapered towards the top, with the outer walls slightly inclined inward. However, the inclination was not significant; the bottom floor of the mage tower was only 20% smaller in radius than the top floor. The floors of the mage tower were quite high. Unlike the residential buildings Grett had seen in his previous life, with a cramped floor height of 2.8 meters and a living room¡¯s net height of 2.4 meters, mages preferred open environments. Each floor of this mage tower was over 3.5 meters high, nearly reaching four meters including the ceiling thickness. A nine-story tower rose straight from the ground, with Grett standing beside it, looking up as the tower grew taller and taller... "Ouch!" Looking up too much, he almost lost his balance! Each side of the octagonal tower had three windows. Of course, from the second to the fourth floor, which was the ground part of the P4 laboratory, the red zone had no windows. Not only were there no windows, but the entire wall was also tightly sealed, without a single gap to the outside. As the outer wall reached its highest point, it tapered inward, forming a sharp sloped roof, with a few bells hanging under the eight eaves. Grett had once thought of creating open eaves for each floor, then wrapping a balcony and railings around the tower, but was sternly rejected by the mage in charge of the project: "What kind of look is that! There has never been such a thing in a mage tower! Are you suggesting we make the mage tower too safe, providing places for thieves to climb?" Uh... actually, I was imagining Chinese-style buildings like the Yellow Crane Tower and the Six Harmonies Pagoda... Grett reluctantly held his tongue. Thinking again about the laboratory theft incidents, maybe if he had gone with that plan, he would have installed burglar-proof windows on every floor? The visual effect of that is horrifying. With professional mages jointly casting spells, the construction speed was unbelievably fast. A building with three underground floors and nine above-ground floors, from foundation completion to structural capping, would take at least three months in Grett¡¯s previous world¡ªeach underground floor taking at least half a month, each above-ground floor taking five days after reaching ground level, and the top floor taking even longer, about ten days. However, now, in just about two hours, the outer walls and roof of the mage tower were already formed. Grett waited another hour by the side, and the four mages stopped chanting, taking a deep breath. The walls of the mage tower, from being flat, began to protrude, revealing the outline of a stone elemental person, gradually separating and jumping out. When it stood in front of everyone, it had shrunk to half its size from when it first appeared. "That¡¯s it, the inside is also done." By this time, most of the committee members had already dispersed, only the old mage from the transformation school still stood there, accompanying Grett to view the mage tower. Seeing the stone elemental appear, he pointed to the tower body and smiled at Grett: "The rooms, floors, stairs, etc., are all done. The elemental pool, magical defenses, and so on, are the responsibility of the protection and curse schools, so it¡¯ll take a few more days. How about it, want to go in and take a look? If you¡¯re not satisfied, we can still make adjustments¡ª" Half a day¡¯s work had accomplished what would have taken months in his previous world... Without considering production costs, mages truly are the primary productive force... Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 282 Chapter 282 After the structure was topped out, the installation of pipelines, equipment, and interiors¡ªno, rather, the Four Elements Pool, Positive and Negative Energy Rooms, Control Room, Alchemy Laboratory, Meditation Room, Arcane Library, Arcane Garden, Magic Defense, Magic Alarm, Magic Traps... And Garrett¡¯s P4 laboratory, air conditioning layer, pipeline layer, working layer, sewage treatment layer... These parts were also installed very quickly. In fact, elements like the Elemental Pool, Arcane Library, and Arcane Garden had already been modularly designed by the alchemy workshop. The warehouse always had three to five sets in storage, ready to be taken out whenever a new Mage Tower was needed. The facilities in the P4 laboratory benefited from having been set up once before; this time, they were just stacked vertically, layer by layer. There weren¡¯t many modifications needed, and the workers were mostly experienced hands. The protection system, curse system, and transformation system¡¯s grand magicians had two meetings, and after confirming the requirements with Garrett several times, the work proceeded smoothly and without any obstructions. In one day and night, the interior was completed. In the evening, Archmage Carlisle, accompanied by two elders, personally arrived at the site. Garrett only glanced at the two magicians before shrinking behind Archmage Carlisle. The two wore deep black magic robes that subtly shimmered with multicolored lights. With every breath they took, a silent force emanated, making it hard to breathe and forcing one to step back respectfully. The magic badges on their chests were also unique. Shining quietly, they were not copper stars, nor silver or gold, but were speckled with indescribable cold lights. Possibly above level 15, do magic badges have a special design? Garrett silently calculated, level 15 was five gold stars, and above that, level 16, level 17... "This is Master Mansfield from ¡¯Unity in Diversity¡¯, a 9th-circle arcane magician, level 17 grand magician," he was calculating internally when he heard Archmage Carlisle say: "He specially came to awaken the spirit of the Mage Tower. This one is Master Frazer from our Thunder Horn, a 9th-circle arcane magician, level 18 grand magician, who has begun to challenge the legendary magician. This time, he came to connect the Mage Tower to Nevis City¡¯s magic network and to help you control the Mage Tower¡¯s hub." Garrett quickly bowed in thanks. Archmage Carlisle, accompanied by the two elders, stepped into the Mage Tower and led the way up. Garrett followed behind, unable to resist tapping Aurora and quietly asking: "The magic network...?" Could the Mage Tower go online after it was built? "Do you think Mage Towers can be built anywhere?" Transformation system¡¯s Master Mansfield didn¡¯t look back, casually saying: "Of course, it needs to be placed on a node with abundant magical power to have enough strength to maintain the entire Mage Tower¡¯s operations." Got it, so Mage Towers need to be placed on ley lines. Garrett nodded in understanding. Seeing his realization, Master Mansfield continued: "These nodes intertwine along certain paths, forming a network. Your Mage Tower, by connecting to the magic network, can enjoy the support of surrounding nodes on normal days, and during war, all Mage Towers¡¯ defenses rise together, forming a bigger labyrinth outside the Eagle Lock. ¡ªDidn¡¯t your teacher tell you these things?" "Cough¡ª" Archmage Carlisle coughed slightly, his face embarrassed. This knowledge is beyond the reach of ordinary magicians in their lifetimes, as even striving for a lifetime, they might not have their own Mage Tower. Those who do get a Mage Tower are mostly born into prestigious families, absorbing knowledge from their teachers without realizing when they¡¯ve learned it. Garrett, however, was an anomaly. Being practically free-range in Thunder Horn and under the watch of legendary magicians, no one dared to recruit him first. The advantage was that it gave Garrett enough freedom; the downside was the lack of common knowledge. And he was only level three, Archmage Carlisle had not previously considered teaching him this knowledge... Fortunately, those in the know were not few. Master Frazer from Thunder Horn stepped in to smooth things over: "Master Mansfield came here to use the ninth-level magic ¡¯Construct Awakening Art¡¯ to awaken the spirit of the Mage Tower. Ordinary Mage Towers have a lower level of tower spirit intelligence, only able to perform a few pre-set tasks through the control hub. Only the tower spirits awakened by ¡¯Construct Awakening Art¡¯ possess human-like intelligence, becoming a great aid to their masters. Casting ninth-level magic once comes at a great cost, you should thank the master properly!" Garrett hurriedly expressed his gratitude. They all reached the top of the Mage Tower, where Master Frazer first approached, placing his hands on the crystal ball at the center of the control room. He closed his eyes slightly, magical power circulating throughout his body, his magic robe fluttering without wind. Three Ain stones silently flew up, buzzing around Master Frazer¡¯s forehead, spinning incessantly. As he chanted softly, the crystal ball flickered on and off, becoming brighter and synchronizing with the flashing rhythm of the Ain stones. Suddenly, Master Frazer opened his eyes and shouted a magical syllable: "Feo¡ª" The crystal ball burst into light. At the same moment, the Mage Tower vibrated with a hum, as if it had come to life. Master Frazer took a deep breath and nodded to the transformation system¡¯s master: "Your turn." He was about to fall... Garrett quickly became unsteady. The little imprint flickered like a candle in the wind, at risk of being extinguished at any moment. Master Mansfield¡¯s mental force had already probed in, gently permeating the surroundings, ready to take over at any time. What to do? Should he give up? Garrett gritted his teeth and decided to let everything fall where it may. He stopped trying to maintain the imprint or the mental force connection and simply mobilized his mental force, sketching the most familiar image within the crystal ball¡¯s core. 206 bones, over 600 muscles; the heart, blood vessels, arteries, veins; respiratory system, digestive system, nervous system, endocrine system... His mental force flowed in like opening a floodgate. Initially, it was merely a transfer, but soon, a great force began to voraciously draw it in. Garrett¡¯s face turned from red to white, then from white to blue, his body swaying, nearly collapsing on the spot. Archmage Carlisle rushed in. He pulled out a bottle of mental strength replenishing potion, uncorked it, and shoved the bottle into Garrett¡¯s mouth. Garrett unconsciously gulped it down, his complexion immediately improved, but soon began to pale again. The second potion. The third potion... Countless potions were poured down his throat. However, the absorption of the potions became slower and slower, providing less and less replenishment to his mental strength. Archmage Carlisle¡¯s brows furrowed deeply, repeatedly signaling to Master Frazer, wondering if there was a higher-grade supplement. Master Frazer, however, was already concentrating, ready to take over the tower spirit¡¯s core and safely expel Garrett¡¯s mental force. At that moment, a bright green light suddenly flew up in front of Garrett. As the green light swept over, Garrett¡¯s complexion immediately improved, his nearly depleted mental strength replenished, and the mental force landscape he had been struggling to sketch was finally completed. From the inside out, from bones to skin, forming a complete human body. The crystal ball gently vibrated, its light receding, followed by a speck of phosphorescence flying out of the ball, directly entering Garrett¡¯s forehead. "Incredible. He actually did it..." Master Mansfield¡¯s face was filled with disbelief. Master Frazer, about to respond with joy, suddenly changed his expression. With a gentle wave of his hand, a pair of mage hands appeared just in time to support Garrett from behind¡ªtheir timing couldn¡¯t have been more perfect, as the next moment, Garrett, drenched in sweat, fell backwards. How long he had been sitting, Garrett had no concept. He only knew that when he awoke, his sweat had almost completely dried, with Archmage Carlisle and Aurora anxiously watching him from either side. The two masters, however, were all smiles, showing no impatience and even lavishly praising him upon his awakening: "Well done!" "Bravo!" "Come, try it out, see if you can control the tower spirit now?" Garrett tried according to their words. Indeed, opening doors, closing them, displaying scenes from various parts of the tower, and manipulating invisible servants¡ªall worked perfectly. Master Frazer stood up with a smile: "Good, as long as you can control it. We¡¯ll head back now. You can slowly explore its functions. Anything you can think of, it can probably help you do. Oh, and remember to give it a name¡ª" Garrett respectfully saw them out. As soon as the figures of the two masters and Archmage Carlisle disappeared, he jubilantly jumped up: "Aurora, I have a Mage Tower now! We have our own Mage Tower! Come, let¡¯s go up, pick a room to live in¡ª" They checked each floor. Skipping the lobby on the first floor and the P4 laboratories from the second to the fourth floor, from the fifth floor onwards were the alchemy laboratory, library, arcane garden, magicians¡¯ residences, and so on. Floor by floor, room by room, their excitement gradually cooled. The Mage Tower was empty everywhere. No wallpaper on the walls, no carpets on the floors, no desks, bookcases, or sofas, and if you wanted a cup of water, you had to fetch a cup from your spatial bag. A bed? Of course, that was impossible; spatial bags couldn¡¯t fit bed boards! "Hey, boss, just the two of us¡ªand Bernard, the three of us living in such a big Mage Tower?" Barbarians aren¡¯t magicians; many floors he simply wouldn¡¯t enter, basically equivalent to just the two of them living... Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 283 Garrett looked at Aurora, and Aurora looked back at Garrett. The two young magicians exchanged glances. Aurora was fine with it, after all, first, he had been accustomed to the Mage Tower environment since he began studying magic; second, he wasn¡¯t the boss, so he didn¡¯t have to make decisions. If the boss wanted a Mage Tower, then so be it; as for how to operate it once they had it, well, a magician has many tricks up his sleeve... Garrett did some quick calculations and felt overwhelmed. Two people living in a 12-story building. Even if you discount the P4 laboratories, including the uninhabited air conditioning layer, pipeline layer, and sewage treatment layer, that still leaves nine floors. On average, that¡¯s four and a half floors per person. Even excluding the energy and experimental facilities, the Mage Tower routinely planned for a master bedroom suite, two guest rooms, and four rooms for middle to low-level magicians. There was even an entire floor dedicated to apprentice magicians¡¯ rooms, which could fit 12 apprentices even if each had their own room. How could they possibly make use of all that space? At that moment, Garrett felt like one of those wealthy folks from Zhexi or Hujian, as gossiped by a classmate, who loved to build houses. Villagers building their own homes would casually erect four or five-story buildings. Living inside with just a family of three, the bustling during the day wasn¡¯t too bad, but come night, the effect was, well, like that of a haunted house. The problem was, the wealthy figure being mocked in the gossip had apparently become him... "...Speaking of which, how are we supposed to clean such a big Mage Tower?" He had no intention of emulating Tang Sanzang from "Journey to the West," who cleaned from the bottom floor to the top every day... Besides, even Tang Sanzang had Sun Wukong clean the top three floors for him! Aurora was also taken aback. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t know the answer, but he never expected the boss to ask such a question. Generally speaking, those qualified to own a Mage Tower shouldn¡¯t have to worry about cleaning... "Cough, boss, maybe you should communicate with the tower spirit first? The tower spirit should be able to control invisible servants to clean... or we could buy a couple of magical puppets? Another method is to recruit disciples, typically, a few apprentices in a Mage Tower can keep it clean..." Yes, the rich use tower spirits and puppets, the poor exploit manpower; that¡¯s the common practice for Mage Towers. What, you say there¡¯s no manpower to exploit? A magician capable of independently managing a Mage Tower must be at least a level 5 magician, qualified to recruit disciples and instruct apprentices. And someone like Garrett, who owns a high-tier Mage Tower, is typically a magician of level 7 or above, even level 9 or above. Typically, by the time a magician reaches level 9, they have both the power and the connections. Having two or three disciples around level 5, four or five lower-level magicians, and a dozen or so apprentices, the Mage Tower can maintain its daily operations without the master¡¯s intervention. But who asked Garrett to overreach, jumping levels so outrageously? "Can¡¯t afford magical puppets... recruiting apprentices, I¡¯m only level 3 myself..." Garrett muttered under his breath: "Never mind, I¡¯ll just communicate with the tower spirit first!" Garrett touched the crystal ball again. As his mental force reached out and gently nudged the control hub, indeed, a soft and pleasant voice echoed in his consciousness: "Hello, master. The Mage Tower¡¯s tower spirit at your service. First, please name me." Along with the voice, in his meditative vision, a glowing human figure lit up. Garrett looked closely; this figure, while not exactly similar to the one he had constructed in his consciousness, was at least identical: Beneath the translucent skin, bones supported and muscles clung, the heart beat, and blood flowed. Except for the rigid facial features and expressionless face, it was entirely a clinical 3D model used for teaching... Aurora leaned in too. Unable to connect to the central consciousness like Garrett, he could only peer into the crystal ball, staring at the tiny figure inside, exclaiming: "Master The tower spirit greets you." The same message appeared on the panel. On the right side of the screen, a series of explanations scrolled quickly: Intelligent core. Lacks emotional thought consciousness, entirely dependent on rational algorithms; unaffected by emotions, free from cognitive limitations, making the most accurate decisions in the shortest time. Capable of learning and evolving. "That¡¯s the one!" Garrett pressed decisively. Spreading his fingers, he enveloped the crystal ball: "Tower spirit, named MOSS." Neither male nor female, not man nor woman, with the ability to switch appearances, and often needing to display various anatomical structures... It would be awkward whether for males or females. Since it¡¯s an artificial intelligence, a neutral name is preferable. "Yes, MOSS greets you," the tower spirit buzzed in response. Aurora, curious, asked: "MOSS? ¡ª What does that mean? You¡¯re calling it Moss? Why name it Moss? Ah, you¡¯re a priest of the Nature God¡¯s faith, with a special fondness for plants... But there are many beautiful flowers and trees too, if all else fails, oak is also a signature plant of yours. What are you aiming for? Because moss grows easily?" Garrett didn¡¯t answer. He just held the crystal ball, gently caressing it, silently communicating: "Don¡¯t worry, this Mage Tower can¡¯t levitate, and I won¡¯t drive you into anything. MOSS, you don¡¯t have to defect this time." The crystal ball quickly rippled, then again, a moment later. Colored lights rotated back and forth, resembling a disco ball lighting up or as if MOSS was completely confused... What does defection mean? Why defect? Garrett quickly said before the tower spirit could ask: "MOSS, can you take care of cleaning the tower?" "Yes. MOSS can control invisible servants to clean the Mage Tower. Please provide cleaning tools, such as brooms, cloths, buckets, set cleaning areas, and frequency." "What about preparing food?" "Yes. There¡¯s a kitchen on the first floor of the Mage Tower, with a fire source connected to the fire elemental pool. MOSS can control invisible servants to cook. Please provide cooking utensils and ingredients, seasonings, specify the menu, and cooking methods." "Can you arrange the rooms?" "Please provide furniture and decorations..." Garrett looked around. The newly constructed Mage Tower, including walls, floors, ceilings, had just risen from the ground. No brooms, cloths, pots, pans, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar... nothing. "So, do I need to find someone to handle the shopping?" "MOSS cannot leave the Mage Tower; invisible servants can patrol up to 1 kilometer outside the tower but lack communication ability. It is recommended that the master appoint someone for purchasing." Entering the tower empty-handed, utterly unprepared, Garrett could only lock the door and leave... He and Aurora, each on a magic horse, crossed the ridge and headed towards the garden residence on the other side. They would make do in the villa for the night; at least the villa had beds, blankets, and a cook to prepare food, so they wouldn¡¯t have to lie on the floor, relying on water creation spells for a drink... "Boss, I really think you should get some people. Isn¡¯t your public health¡ªuh, health center about to open? Don¡¯t you need staff? Otherwise, boss, bring a bunch of magicians to the tower, that... how did you put it? Start with training?" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 284 Chapter 284 Aurora Worton¡¯s suggestion for Garrett Nordmark to recruit some people from public health institutions wasn¡¯t just a casual remark. In fact, before Garrett even made a move, people were already begging to be recruited... The construction of the Mage Tower was completed. The interior was finished. The awakening of the tower spirit was done. All these tasks took up two days of Garrett¡¯s time. On the third day, early in the morning, just as Garrett was barely awake, a carriage bearing the Magic Council¡¯s emblem was waiting eagerly outside the villa, ready to pick someone up. Garrett couldn¡¯t help but smile upon getting up. Aurora was also in the carriage, emerging with a gloomy face and yawning as he waved at Garrett. How eager they must be, as if fearing even a slight delay! In fact, it wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t want to come to pick him up, but for the past two days, Garrett had been busy with the Mage Tower. Surrounded by big shots of levels fourteen or fifteen, or even seventeen or eighteen, the group coming to pick him up couldn¡¯t get close... The carriage clattered along, winding its way to the foot of the mountain and taking Garrett directly to the Magic Council¡¯s office. The six-story white tower stood tall and majestic, as imposing as when he first saw it, but Garrett no longer had the heart to admire it. He had his own Mage Tower now! Three floors below ground, nine above! To the right of the entrance hall of the white tower, a large black iron door was tightly closed, marking the emergency management department¡¯s area. The person who came for Garrett led him directly inside, through twists and turns to the deepest part, into a spacious and empty meeting room. The room was broad and could accommodate twenty to thirty people for a meeting, with a long rectangular table in the center. The table¡¯s sand tray was shaky and somewhat translucent, with houses, streets, rivers, and trees detailed and miniature, precisely replicating Nevis City. Garrett couldn¡¯t resist leaning over to take a closer look. There¡¯s the Bridge Magic Academy, the white tower nearby, the villa area... the small train station... even his newly constructed Mage Tower was marked! Impressive! How often is this sand tray updated? "This is Nevis City¡¯s magic sand tray," a voice suddenly spoke from the side: "Maintained by twelve invisible servants carrying secret eye rings around the city daily, collecting sights seen by the secret eyes and updating it once a day." Garrett turned around abruptly. Standing by the sand tray was an unfamiliar middle-aged magician, tall and strong, with a weathered face and piercing black eyes that seemed to see right into one¡¯s soul. He nodded at Garrett and extended his right hand: "Magician Garrett Nordmark? A pleasure. I am the head of the emergency management department, Johnny Colin, pleased to meet you. The future work of the public health office will be supported by law enforcement teams from the emergency management department, in cooperation with your office." Garrett shook hands with him. A quick glance at the magician¡¯s badge on the man¡¯s chest showed three silver stars and three white circles¡ªa third-circle arcane magician, an eighth-level magician. His academic rank was clearly behind his magic level, but combined with his position, he was likely¡ªquite formidable. Being strong is good! Public health institutions also need to enforce laws with strength, and with his connections, it wasn¡¯t clear where else to look! Thank goodness the review committee sent him! Garrett showed a genuine smile and shook hands firmly. The middle-aged magician¡¯s palm was as hard as iron, more like a warrior than a magician. After exchanging pleasantries, Minister Colin pointed at the sand tray and said: "This shows the terrain and flow of water in Nevis City, along with the location of residential buildings, which is very convenient for determining the placement of water facilities. ¡ªIn the past two days, the emergency management department¡¯s surveyors have already designed the water pipes, would you like to see if there¡¯s anything that needs changing?" He pressed on the sand tray, made a few gestures, and whispered a short spell. Soon, blue lines, thick and thin, lit up on the sand tray, flowing down from the nearby mountains, clearly the water supply routes Garrett had mentioned. Garrett leaned in for a closer look. High and middle-class residential areas, low-income residential areas, many water supply pipes branched into individual houses and buildings; while in low-income areas, there were designated pools on the streets. Small blue squares, even with splashing water, appeared to be open designs, creating a pool for people to fetch water. The council will be responsible for monitoring and disinfecting the city¡¯s water quality. The Noble Union and Nevis City Chamber of Commerce will cooperate with the council, responsible for pipeline construction and daily water billing. The Temple of the Spring Goddess will work with the council, responsible for reservoir construction, drinking water pipeline construction, and the maintenance and supply of drinking water. The Temple of the War God will work with the council, focusing on combating littering and illegal dumping. The Cult of Nature will work with the council, responsible for sewage collection, treatment, and purification. The three major temples and the council together will build and maintain hospitals for infectious diseases..." The committee member spoke at a steady pace, repeating the previous meeting¡¯s resolutions, occasionally making eye contact with the heads of each temple, and half seemingly speaking directly to Garrett. Once he finished and saw the heads nodding in agreement, he turned to Garrett: "Magician Nordmark, as the first director of the public health office, do you have anything to add?" "...Yes," Garrett took a moment to digest the committee member¡¯s speech, then smiled slightly. It seems the meetings over the past few days weren¡¯t in vain, and the arguments weren¡¯t for nothing. Without his knowledge, the council and the major forces had already reached a relative balance. The most obvious point was that the Temple of the Spring Goddess ultimately secured the supply and maintenance of drinking water, no telling how much they had to offer behind the scenes... He organized his thoughts, leaned forward slightly, nodding respectfully to the leaders sitting at the head of the table. Once they acknowledged him, he slowed down and started speaking one point at a time: "In terms of city governance, the elders here are much wiser than me. However, on the professional front, I¡¯d like to share some of my thoughts: First, I¡¯ve seen the planning for the poor districts, where the drinking water spots are relatively dense and evenly distributed, which is good. But one thing to note, the construction of water pools should be closed, with a pump installed on top. Additionally, there should be a separate inlet for timely disinfection. I¡¯ll submit the specific drawings later. For middle and high-class residential areas, it¡¯s best if every building, every house, has piped water access..." "That¡¯s not possible!" Across the table, a young noble next to Knight Selina jumped up. Garrett recognized him; he resembled the noble who spoke on behalf of the Temple of the Spring Goddess during the hearing two days ago: "We¡¯re already doing piped water in our territory! Two blocks, twelve buildings, all under our responsibility! The council can¡¯t just come in and tear up the pipes for no reason!" He glanced at Selina as he spoke. However, she didn¡¯t pay him any attention, instead turning her head even more towards Garrett, giving him a few more looks. "...I see." Garrett rested his chin on his fist, pondering for a moment. "It¡¯s not that it can¡¯t be done. Since your family is handling it, the council won¡¯t needlessly dismantle it. But the council¡¯s involvement in water supply isn¡¯t for profit, but for the safety of all city residents. You can continue supplying water, but your pipes and water quality need to be approved by the council¡ª" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 285 Chapter 285 In this day and age, there are people operating pipeline water supply¡ªfamilies owning pipeline water supply companies? Garrett, though surprised, didn¡¯t lose his composure. After all, in a world where the tech tree has been skewed, nothing is impossible, only unimaginable. Can you believe a place without semiconductors has highly advanced artificial intelligence? However, operating a pipeline water supply without agreeing to public health department supervision was, in Garrett¡¯s view, intolerable. "Sir¡ª" He leaned forward slightly, straightening his spine. The young noble across from him lifted his chin proudly: "Viscount Calrend." "...Alright, Viscount Calrend." Garrett sighed. Although you¡¯re a viscount... indeed, a viscount is significant, back in Hartland City, the surrounding area for a hundred miles was the domain of the Hartland Viscount¡ªbut I don¡¯t know, you don¡¯t have a mage¡¯s badge on your chest, what¡¯s the point of being smug in front of a magician in the city of mages? Even if I¡¯m just a fourth-circle arcanist, I have the entire Magic Council standing behind me now! He made an effort to keep his demeanor neither servile nor overbearing: "As the first director of the Public Health Department, I must point out to you: ensuring the quality of residents¡¯ water supply is a necessity for public health initiatives. The council doesn¡¯t interfere with your water supply business, but, given the possibility of contamination at the water source, pipeline corrosion or rust, water decay and deterioration in the water supply process, it¡¯s the duty of the Public Health Department to conduct water quality testing." "No, you can¡¯t do that." Viscount Calrend leaned back, stretching his arms across the table. "According to the ¡¯City Charter¡¯ established at the founding of Nevis City by the Magic Council, nobility, and free citizens together, without my permission, you have no right to enter my land!" What? The city has a city charter? Buried in medicine¡ªor rather buried in magic for so long, I actually never bothered to look into these things... Garrett inwardly chided himself, adding another task for himself, and smiled: "Viscount Calrend, I don¡¯t need to enter your water source. Just by testing at the endpoint¡ªthat is, at the outlet of your water pipes, it¡¯s possible to determine if your water quality meets the requirements." "Sorry." The young noble raised his chin again. A smirk of half pride, half cunning appeared on his lean face: "Those two blocks, twelve buildings, are also my family¡¯s property. Without permission, you really can¡¯t enter." The clergy members frowned simultaneously. The bishop from the War God¡¯s Temple whispered: "Currently, it¡¯s the training season, and we also have a heavy burden of healing tasks. To station in the infec... He recalled the term: "...infectious disease hospital, we could probably only send one or two low-level priests?" The cleric from the Spring Goddess¡¯s Temple nodded silently. Elder Wood also frowned slightly: "At the turn of winter and spring, there are especially many patients. The Nature God¡¯s Sect can do its utmost, but we can only spare three or four people at most." I knew it wouldn¡¯t be easy to recruit people from the temples. Garrett silently critiqued. Then, he calmly lifted his head, making eye contact with each clergy member: "As for the detection of infectious disease germs, and how healers can protect themselves, prevent transmission, I will teach. ¡ª Oh, and my Mage Tower currently only has 12 apprentice rooms, and the laboratory isn¡¯t very large..." "We¡¯ll take all 12 slots!" Archmage Edgar immediately stood up. "Rest assured, you can use these apprentices however you wish, for as long as you wish! ¡ª Little Garrett, you promised before to train apprentices for the Black Crow Swamp, you can¡¯t go back on your word!" A slight stir went through the meeting room. Elder Wood coughed: "Ah, that¡¯s a bit too much... Why does the School of Necromancy need so many slots? You don¡¯t even have healing spells! ¡ª How about this, the Nature God¡¯s Sect will send four healers for training and station them at the infectious disease hospital, okay?" Garrett smiled slightly. The bishop from the War God¡¯s Temple frowned at the necromancer, then looked deeply at Elder Wood, and coughed lightly: "During military campaigns, epidemics often harm the health of soldiers. The War God¡¯s Temple hopes to secure eight training slots, so our priests can learn how to stop transmission and take care of our warriors." "The Spring Goddess¡¯s Temple..." The three bigwigs glared at him simultaneously. With only 12 slots total, and the three factions already claiming 24 people, you still want to get involved? Do you have a good relationship with Garrett?! Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 286 Chapter 286 It¡¯s been proven time and again that anything may seem of little value when no one is vying for it. Buyers can be picky, taking it or leaving it as they please. However, once two people start competing for it, the value of the item skyrockets. And if there are three or four contenders, even trash can suddenly seem like it¡¯s lined with gold, shining brightly and emanating auspiciousness. This was especially true for the items Garrett Nordmark offered; they were genuinely of high quality. Garrett Nordmark¡¯s two papers on dysentery had been thoroughly studied in Black Crow Swamp, turned over and over countless times. Even those not specializing in plague studies couldn¡¯t help but purchase a few microscopes upon their release, tinkering day and night. Yet, unfortunately, after more than half a year of effort, the results were... "Nothing¡¯s grown at all!" "What exactly is growing here... Why are there yellow, green, and even white substances in a glass bottle? This doesn¡¯t match the paper¡¯s description!" "The glass tube is growing hair!" "The colors won¡¯t stick!" "I can¡¯t see anything under the microscope..." To say that Garrett was fabricating data in his papers would be incorrect. During the lab leak incident, Garrett, along with ten priests from the Church of Nature and ten Necromancers, went through the processes of cultivation, sampling, staining, and microscopic examination, teaching each step by hand. After being taught by him for a few days, the Necromancers had become proficient, at least in identifying cholera bacteria... Returning to their own labs to isolate and culture other bacteria, they continued to face catastrophic failures. Therefore, Black Crow Swamp closely monitored every move Garrett made, eagerly seizing any training opportunities he offered. Their actions were as swift as ticket scalpers at a top-tier hospital vying for specialist appointments, or fans trying to snap up concert tickets for their favorite idols. Face? What is face? Is face more important than knowledge? It¡¯s only right and natural for a student to eagerly learn from their master. Thus, when Archmage Edgar spoke up, he directly offered to send twelve people. Following him, four from the Church of Nature and eight from the Temple of the War God. The Spring Water Temple hesitated for a moment, and by then, the training slots were overbooked by 200%¡ªthey couldn¡¯t grab anything... The Necromancers sat on one side of the long table near the door, while the three temple dignitaries sat on the window side, glaring daggers at each other. The bishop from the War God¡¯s Temple, being the most impatient, failed to intimidate the others with his glares and immediately started banging on the table: "You bone tamperers are too much! There are only twelve slots, do you plan to swallow them all? At most, you¡¯ll get a third!" "Quarter!" interjected the priest from the Spring Water Temple. Though still unclear about the specifics of what was being fought over¡ªhe hadn¡¯t attended the meeting a few days ago and thus didn¡¯t know about the papers¡ªhe knew if many were vying for it, it had to be valuable. Garrett looked at the dignitaries with astonishment. Apprentices sharing rooms? Sleeping on the floor wrapped in blankets? Were the dignitaries serious? In his previous life, he had lived in an eight-person dorm¡ªon the bottom floor, facing north, unbearably hot in summer and so cold in winter they had to tape the windows. But since becoming a mage apprentice, Garrett had never lived in less than 161 square feet. He had always believed that spellcasters deserved better living conditions than ordinary people. Apprentice rooms had only a single bed, a desk, a chair, a cabinet, and shared bathrooms. Could spellcasters really tolerate sharing such rooms? He looked around. The mages and clergy nodded in agreement. Garrett thought for a moment: "Those coming for training must follow my instructions!" "No problem! If they don¡¯t listen, beat them senseless. If that¡¯s not enough, Black Crow Swamp will give them another beating!" "After successful training, you must serve in the Public Health Office for at least a year!" "Will you be training newcomers within a year? ...Yes? Then no problem!" "In case of an infectious disease outbreak, each major temple must send high-ranking priests to assist! No fewer than five people, and the support duration must not be less than thirty days per year!" "This..." The three clergy members fell silent for a moment. At the crucial moment, the Transmutation Archmage coughed lightly: "No problem. According to the council and temple agreement, in the event of an outbreak, temples are obligated to provide support. If such a situation arises, the council will definitely coordinate on your behalf." "I have no more concerns." Garrett sighed in relief. "Twenty-four it is, no more, the lab can¡¯t fit anymore¡ªgive me a few days to get the Mage Tower in order, and then we can start the training!" "Why wait? Let them come tomorrow!" Archmage Edgar interjected. Garrett was stunned: "But, the lab hasn¡¯t been moved over yet..." My bacterial cultures! My petri dishes! My shadowless lamp! They¡¯re still at the old place! "We¡¯ll send people to help you move!" "But I need time to purchase supplies! I have nothing there; the Mage Tower was just finished yesterday!" "List what you need! You don¡¯t have to worry about anything else!" Was this... were they planning to provide everything from bed sheets and pillowcases, to pots and pans, and even all the lab equipment and animals, in one go? Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 287 Chapter 287 Thus, Garrett acquired his first batch of subordinates. Number: 24. Roles: Mage apprentices, Priest apprentices. Sources: Eight from Black Crow Swamp. Two from the Curse Magic School, medical branch. Two from the Transformation School. Four from the Church of Nature. Six from the Temple of the War God. Two from the Spring Water Goddess Temple. Brackets, training required before use... Garrett handed over the preparatory tasks before training to Aurora. These included the living facilities in the Mage Tower, necessities like meat, eggs, rice, flour, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and even lab consumables and experimental animals... He tasked her with drafting a list and arranging procurement from Black Crow Swamp or any other interested party. Meanwhile, Garrett took on an urgent task for the public health department: Finding funds. Sitting across Garrett was a newly transferred middle-aged man with greying hair and a face full of worry. With a counting rod in his left hand and an account book in his right, the sleeves of his wool coat were frayed white, evidently a newly transferred accountant in poor financial condition. Sitting down in the small conference room with sighs and groans, he flipped the account book open for Garrett to see: "The costs for building reservoirs and pipelines, as well as the infectious disease hospital, are not our concern. The council and the major temples have reached an agreement, with donations from nobles and merchants offsetting these construction costs. Any shortfall will be covered by the temples themselves. But the operational expenses that follow will have to be figured out by us..." He flipped through the account book: "The current price of bleach powder offered to us by the Evocation School is 1 gold coin per kilogram. According to your instructions, for the daily chlorination of the city¡¯s drinking water..." As he spoke, Garrett did the math in his head. With a chlorine dosage of 3 mg/L and the bleach powder¡¯s effective chlorine content at 25%, each cubic meter of drinking water required 12 grams of bleach powder. For a city of 500,000 people, consuming 1,000 tons of drinking water daily, that amounted to 12 kilograms of bleach powder¡ªprecise dosage, no waste allowed. "12 gold coins," he announced. The wrinkles on the middle-aged accountant¡¯s face deepened: "That¡¯s 4380 gold coins a year. Plus, the salaries for the priest and mage apprentices..." "..." Garrett originally intended not to pay a cent. A joke, right? They were here for training, yet expecting a salary? Didn¡¯t their own schools provide stipends? But then he thought again, the apprentices were already dirt poor. If he didn¡¯t pay, and their own schools didn¡¯t either¡ªlike the Church of Nature, which provided nothing but food¡ªwouldn¡¯t they starve over the year? Just like interns and residents in hospitals, they couldn¡¯t earn a full doctor¡¯s salary, but they still received some allowance... "Let¡¯s budget for..." Garrett pondered. Testing water quality required dedicated personnel; they couldn¡¯t always rely on free labor from various sources. So, how much would it cost to hire an educated ordinary person or a mage apprentice who couldn¡¯t advance by the age of forty in this world? "Let¡¯s budget for 5 gold coins a month," he said quietly. The accountant noted another entry: "5 gold coins a month, 12 months a year, for 24 people... that¡¯s 1440 gold coins... totaling 5820... plus the cost of testing reagents... and the daily operational expenses of the infectious disease hospital... "Come, come, take a look yourself! See what price the Alchemy Guild is buying caustic soda for!" Garrett was dragged along, stumbling, straight to the Alchemy Guild. A Level 2 mage proficiently interfaced with him: "Caustic soda solution? 1 silver coin per liter, you deliver it yourself!" "What? The price dropped again?" The Thunder Horn mage screamed. The alchemist glanced at him: "What else? How much have you sent over recently? The guild can¡¯t use it all up! The consumption of caustic soda is limited. Making it into soda ash, the weird smell fills the room, we dare not enter without casting a bubble spell! And what, the fuel for boiling caustic soda doesn¡¯t cost money? The pots for storing it don¡¯t cost money? Boil a few pots, and those pots are ruined! Otherwise, why don¡¯t you make it into soda ash yourself? We¡¯ll buy it at a high price!" "This is so annoying¡ª" The Thunder Horn mage screamed. Garrett couldn¡¯t help but facepalm. Too tragic, truly tragic. You make soda ash, oh, sodium carbonate, by heating sodium hydroxide solution? No wonder the production efficiency is so low... "You¡¯re buying soda ash? At a high price?" He leaned forward. The alchemist quickly scanned him, noticing the badge with three copper stars and four white rings, immediately straightened up: "We¡¯re buying! The consumption of soda ash is huge, we¡¯ll buy as much as you have!" That¡¯s all I needed to hear. Garrett, grinning, pulled his people back to the lab. Upon returning, he immediately set up a set of glassware: "Charcoal ignited... The combustion gas is channeled into the caustic soda solution... Excessively introduced, once the reaction is saturated, add an equal amount of caustic soda solution... Finally, heat to evaporate... See, soda ash is produced, right? ¡ªHow to mass-produce, you guys figure it out! Sell me bleach powder cheaply! Sell me soda ash cheaply too!" "No problem!" The Thunder Horn mage¡¯s eyes immediately brightened. Soda ash, widely used in washing, dyeing, leather making, soap making, and more, consumes hundreds of kilograms a day in Nevis City without a burp. Following Garrett¡¯s method, the daily accumulated caustic soda solution could be turned into soda ash for sale! The Transformation School had a workshop producing these materials daily. Now Thunder Horn could join in! The price could even be lower than theirs, squeezing them out! "I¡¯ll organize manpower to try it right away! Don¡¯t worry, as long as we can produce soda ash on a large scale, I¡¯ll sell you bleach powder at half price! ¡ªBroel! Davila! Brittany! You guys, quickly clear out a room! Order copper pipes, set up furnaces, collect charcoal, and prepare!" "It¡¯s all on you now!" Garrett was in high spirits. Ah, money is made and saved. Just by improving the process like this, isn¡¯t that saving two thousand gold coins? Visit a few more places, perform a technical upgrade, and probably the Public Health Office¡¯s finances will be secure... Ah, actually, the highest cost in bleach powder production is the electrolysis of saltwater¡ªmeaning, renting the lab in Thunder Tower for electrolysis. If only we could generate our own electricity, set up a small hydroelectric plant nearby, and install a production line, other materials wouldn¡¯t cost much. However, the only electricity generation method Garrett knew involved using a magnetic field to cut through coils, generating alternating current. Electrolyzing saltwater required direct current. How to convert AC to DC? Sorry, Garrett admitted, he didn¡¯t know... "Aurora! ¡ªAurora!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 288 Chapter 288 Aurora Worton didn¡¯t just pop up at the call. At this moment, he was still at the foot of the mountain, working diligently and meticulously, busy to the point of exhaustion¡ªanyone tasked with completing the soft furnishing procurement for a new residence in one day would be as busy as a dog. Let alone Aurora Worton, who was dealing with an entire Mage Tower! All 12 floors! All the furniture! Facilities! Living supplies! All had to be in place within one day! The boss was expected to stay in the tower tonight, and the apprentices were coming in first thing tomorrow! When Garrett returned to the Mage Tower, Aurora was already exhausted to the point of collapse. He lay sprawled on the carpet in the reception room, his limbs spread out, while four invisible servants massaged his legs, two on each side. Seeing Garrett come in, he could only weakly glance over, pressing his chin to his chest: "Boss, I really can¡¯t do this anymore... Boss, you should really get a steward... Seriously, you can¡¯t treat me like a steward..." "Hard work, hard work," Garrett sat down beside him, hugging his knees. "After this rush, you definitely won¡¯t have to do menial tasks anymore. Hey, maybe we can borrow your family¡¯s old steward for a couple of days?" "That¡¯s definitely not happening!" Aurora shook his head vehemently, his ears almost rubbing against the carpet: "A place like the Mage Tower isn¡¯t suitable for non-supernaturals to stay in constantly! Besides, he wouldn¡¯t understand the affairs of the Mage Tower¡ªHey, boss, I¡¯m telling you, you should find an older mage, one who has given up on advancing, like someone stuck at level four for twenty or thirty years, unable to move up. Such a person, with rich experience, good at dealing with people, and not buried in research neglecting the Mage Tower¡¯s affairs, would be perfect as a steward! It would be best if you could give him some guidance, help him break through a bottleneck, ensuring his unwavering loyalty to you!" "Easy for you to say." Garrett rolled his eyes at him, laying down as well: "Where am I supposed to find someone like that? How long have I been in Nevis City, how many people do I know? Besides, I¡¯m only level 3, bringing in someone of level 4 or 5, who would be whose steward?" "How about... I ask my teacher to introduce someone?" "Let¡¯s not talk about this now." Garrett got up: "Hey, Aurora, a question for you¡ªcan you sense the direction of electric current?" "Isn¡¯t that obvious?" Aurora replied lazily. He raised a hand, and a spark of electricity leaped from his fingertips: "Like this, from my fingertips outward. Isn¡¯t all electric magic like this? If it¡¯s lightning on a rainy day, then it¡¯s from the sky to the ground¡ª" Evocation magic, tricks, lightning intimidation. Attacks the target, causing electrical damage. "What about this?" Garrett, full of excitement, began pulling items out of his space bag. Aurora turned over on the carpet to see Garrett rummaging through a bunch of coils, wires, magnets, axles... His movements were not smooth, even somewhat clumsy. Fit a few pieces together, think a bit, fit a few more, think again. Sometimes, he had to stop and dismantle a part to reassemble it differently. Clattering and tinkling... "What are you doing, boss..." Aurora was dying of fatigue. After a day¡¯s work, his body ached all over, and he just wanted to roll into bed and sleep. Yet, the boss was still busily occupied with something incomprehensible, not allowing him to leave... "Have you finished assembling it yet? If not, I¡¯m going to sleep, I¡¯ll come back tomorrow to see it... Yawn..." "Almost done! Just wait a bit!" Failed simulation again. He was getting closer, but it was still not right... How to ensure it seemed constant yet continuously changing? Aurora tried tirelessly, forgetting himself. Electric rings brightened and dimmed around him, dimmed and brightened. Even though the lab was surrounded by a magic-nullifying barrier, it couldn¡¯t block the smell of burning protein in the room. After numerous attempts, he suddenly opened his eyes, brought his arms together, and pushed forward: With a fizz, silver-white electricity wrapped around the Ether Prison, flashing continuously like dragons or snakes. Aurora rushed out ecstatically. Seeing Garrett outside, he ran up, arms wide, lifting Garrett and spinning him around: "Boss! Thank you so much! It¡¯s all thanks to you that I completed this spell! Thank you! Boss, I¡¯m with you for life!" Garrett: "Uh... I understand all that, but maybe you should fix your hair first?" Aurora¡¯s beautiful blond hair had turned into a huge mushroom cloud, with singed, curled ends dropping black ash... Aurora had no time to worry about that. The breakthrough after days of frustration had him jumping for joy. It was only when Garrett dragged him in front of a mirror that he began combing his hair while excitedly explaining his new spell to Garrett: "Combining these two spells, it¡¯s both offensive and defensive, incredibly useful! Lucky you showed me that thing! Hey, boss, that thing you made, it can generate electricity without magic?" Garrett nodded with a smile. Aurora jumped up: "That¡¯s fantastic! Boss, for that bleach powder you made before, we no longer need to rent a large lab! We can just find a place, make a bigger version of your spinning thing, and let it whirl away¡ªif not, we can hire people to crank it, or even animals to drag it!" That¡¯s really not feasible. There¡¯s talk of power plants fueled by fire or water, but never of human-powered or animal-powered electricity generators. Garrett almost laughed out loud, quickly suppressing it, and said seriously: "We can¡¯t use this type of current. Aurora, did you feel how the electricity generated by this spinning thing goes one way, then another, back and forth?" Aurora thought for a moment and hesitantly nodded. With his magical sensitivity, he could only vaguely sense this, not clearly. Garrett lamented: "So we can¡¯t use this type of current. Aurora, can you make this back-and-forth electricity into the kind you usually summon, going in one direction?" "Ah... oh..." Aurora¡¯s beautiful blue eyes spun in circles, turning into mosquito coils on the spot. He tilted his head in thought for a minute, hugged his head in deep contemplation for another minute, then crouched down to face the wall and pretend to be a mushroom for another minute... "I don¡¯t know! How about we fix your thing and ask the teacher tomorrow?" Archmage Carlisle, truly a 14th-level high-level mage, immediately saw the potential when the hand-cranked generator was turned on. After feeling the surging electricity in the coils for a while, he stood up, walked to the window, and concentrated slightly, pulling his hands apart. With a snap, a bright white arc of electricity suddenly burst between his palms, fluctuating slightly. Then it exploded, reappeared, exploded again, reappeared, exploded again, reappeared... "Very interesting device." The great mage stroked his unusually fluffy beard and nodded solemnly: "As for your question¡ªleave the device with me, let me think for a few days..." Garrett took his leave. He had just left when Archmage Carlisle, holding the hand-cranked generator, knocked on the Lord of Thunder¡¯s door. Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 289 Chapter 289 "What has young Garrett concocted this time?" The Lord of Thunder casually disposed of a failed coffee art attempt. He glanced at Carlisle¡¯s hands, noting the absence of notebooks or scrolls¡ªmeaning no papers, no research summaries, just a weird, seemingly handmade object presented before him? Archmage Carlisle, silent, pushed the hand-cranked generator forward onto the desk. The Lord of Thunder, without a look, turned away to grind coffee beans, boil water, brew coffee, and froth milk, multitasking with several low-level magics that required exquisite control. Muttering to himself while managing the magics, he pondered: "Carlisle, have we been too lenient with this lad? What has he been up to these past months? No advancement, no seclusion, and all his outcomes seem unrelated to the Evocation School. ¡ªAt this rate, he¡¯s practically from the Curse Magic School!" "Uh... Teacher, this device the lad has made is indeed related to the Evocation School..." "Oh?" The Lord of Thunder turned around. Archmage Carlisle, bending slightly, grasped the generator¡¯s handle and began cranking it like an apprentice mage. As the current flowed, the Lord of Thunder immediately stepped forward. His coffee grinding setup was several steps away from the desk, yet he bridged the distance in one stride. The legendary mage leaned forward, fixated on the generator. After a while, he abruptly pulled the wires wrapped around the wooden board. Archmage Carlisle was startled. Sparks flew from the Lord of Thunder¡¯s hands as he reflexively released the wires, yet remained undisturbed, wrapping one end of the wire around his fingertips and commanded: "Continue." "Yes¡ªyes." Carlisle complied softly, cranking faster and faster. The Lord of Thunder closed his eyes, savoring the fluctuating current¡¯s sensation through his body, motionless and silent. After a moment, a layer of silver-white electric light began to surface on the Lord of Thunder¡¯s body, connecting with the current on his monocle. The electric aura gently fluctuated, silent and rhythmic, occasionally sparking, seemingly ready to explode at any moment. Archmage Carlisle watched in awe but couldn¡¯t miss this rare opportunity for close observation, despite the risk. He kept cranking vigorously, focused on the fluctuating electric aura. After several dozen more cranks, he heard his teacher¡¯s hoarse command: "Leave!" The voice was stern and slightly unstable, as if suppressing something. Meanwhile, the electric aura grew more intense, with visible patterns forming, as if about to break free. An explosion from a legendary master, even if not an internal core meditation explosion but an external protective spell explosion, was not something Carlisle could withstand. A lucky outcome would be severe injury; an unlucky one, death. Archmage Carlisle fled immediately. Glancing back before closing the door, he saw the generator¡¯s handle spinning on its own rapidly, and the Lord of Thunder¡¯s electric aura already emitting the first arc... Suddenly, a thunderous surge of electricity whitened the view. Carlisle instinctively closed his eyes, reopening them to find the office empty, both teacher and generator gone. Only in the clouds above the Mage Tower, thunder rumbled continuously, climbing higher. Leaning against the outer wall, Carlisle was drenched in sweat. It took him a while to calm his breathing and listen for any sounds from the room. The Lord of Thunder¡¯s office was on the 376th floor, close to the tower¡¯s top. The thunderous rumbling seemed almost directly overhead. ¡ªBy the way, have the young lad submit a paper on what this device is, how it was made, and why it generates electricity. Then contact ¡¯Arcane¡¯ to publish it, and under my name, issue a reward seeking this device. The reward amount..." He paused, considering. Too little would not fit a legendary mage¡¯s status, too much was unnecessary. A reasonable amount would do, as his school¡¯s magicians couldn¡¯t ignore his needs: "Let¡¯s say 5000 contribution points! ¡ªAnd first, spread the word in Thunder Horn, urging our own to put in more effort!" "Yes!" Carlisle hurriedly left. That very night, Garrett received the news: the Lord of Thunder himself had requested a paper from him. "What? 5000 contribution points?!" Garrett¡¯s pen dropped to the floor. He quickly picked it up, checking and blowing on it¡ªthe Endless Ink Pen was a level 9 magical item! If it were to break, the loss would be tremendous! Though high-level magical items weren¡¯t easily damaged, what if? "Aurora, should we earn those 5000 contribution points ourselves?" Just a rectifier, and such a high price! Garrett, though not an electronic engineering major in his previous life, remembered that, perhaps, supposedly, a few diodes might do the trick? ...But how are diodes made? He knew they could be bought on the market, but as for how, something about silicon, quartz... Was it melted down? But then it would just turn into glass... Crystallization, crystal phases, he was clueless... "Do you have any ideas?" "None..." "Then let¡¯s forget it!" Aurora, thinking of yesterday¡¯s peculiar device, which Garrett assembled with difficulty, was skeptical of Garrett¡¯s craftsmanship: "Boss, let¡¯s just write the paper first. A paper specifically requested by the Lord of Thunder, to be published in ¡¯Arcane¡¯, is bound to come with a hefty reward! Think about the last time, with the Essence paper, this reward surely won¡¯t be less!" "Ah¡ªdon¡¯t talk to me about papers!" Garrett flopped onto the desk, listless. Papers, papers... Coils cutting magnetic fields generate electricity... So why does it generate electricity? How detailed does he need to prove it? In this peculiar world, where the microscopic hasn¡¯t reached the atomic level, was he supposed to introduce electrons? He couldn¡¯t do that! He could only copy from books for the theory part, asking him to explain further was like asking him to die! "Aurora¡ªyou write the paper!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 290 Chapter 290 The paper, specifically requested by the Lord of Thunder, ended up being penned by the jack-of-all-trades and master of essays, Mr. Aurora Worton. Ignorance is bliss, they say, and without knowledge, there¡¯s no fear. Aurora¡¯s paper flowed smoothly, with most of his ink spent describing the hand-cranked generator¡¯s construction. Magnets, coils, crank, wires¡ªthe only issue was Aurora¡¯s lack of drawing skills, leading to much erasing and sketching, and a pile of bread crumbs used for erasing charcoal, quickly accumulating on the side. After detailing the generator and explaining its electricity generation, Aurora concluded the paper with his personal observations on the characteristics of this new type of lightning. And with that, the paper was complete. Garrett sighed more and more as he read through it. Without orthogonal views or standard mechanical drawings for the generator, no waveform, current, voltage, or resistance for the alternating current, even with the backing of a legendary mage, would "Arcane" really accept this? "Boss...?" Aurora squatted nervously opposite, watching his expressions. Garrett massaged his temples: "Let it be, I¡¯ll make some edits..." He grabbed the ¡¾Endless Ink Pen¡¿, swiftly adding content. Ah, if only this level 9 magical item could learn to write on its own! "Ahem... ¡¯On the Characteristics of Hand-Cranked Generators and Alternating Current¡¯... Each magnet carries a magnetic field, and when a coil cuts through this field, electricity is generated. Of course, the reason for electricity generation remains under debate... Since the coil¡¯s motion is cyclical, the direction of the current also constantly changes. Unlike the consistent-direction lightning found in nature or summoned by mages, we call this type of electricity¡ªalternating current. The intensity of alternating current is influenced by the magnet¡¯s strength, the number of coil turns, and the load in the circuit..." After writing extensively, he passed it to Aurora to add experiments and data. The task of converting AC to DC would wait until after the paper was submitted, for some magician (sucker) to figure out. Garrett, meanwhile, faced another pressing task: The trainees from various factions had arrived. The Black Crow Swamp arrived first. Nine in a row, grandly, each with their carriage. Garrett wondered why there was one extra person until he recognized the newcomer: "Magician Lynn! You¡¯ve come too!" "Yes, I¡¯m here too!" Magician Lynn¡¯s familiar, a black cat in white gloves, jumped down to greet Garrett before its master could. Garrett bent down to shake its hand: "Mr. Troka! Long time no see!" "I¡¯m leading these kids over." Magician Lynn smiled as he watched Garrett greet the black cat, attempting to pinch its paw pad but getting swatted away, swiftly withdrawing his hand. Once the playful exchange between man and cat ended, he explained: "By the way, each of these kids brought a corpse over. ¡ªDo you have a place to put them?" "Yes, yes, yes!" Garrett jumped up, beaming. Corpses for dissection! Black Crow Swamp kept their word, actually delivering corpses! Don¡¯t worry, little guys, I¡¯ll teach you well! As for the morgue, they had plenty! A P4 lab for pathogen research, how could they not have a morgue? A petite priest apprentice held two sheep with grass ropes, bending without any signs of craftsmanship. Garrett was convinced they had enticed the sheep themselves. Another tall female apprentice, at least 170 cm tall, led a large wild boar with vines, followed by two sows and several piglets, all obediently trailing without need for restraint. This girl¡¯s affinity with animals must be at full level! Indeed, while others arrived by carriage or horseback, these four walked. Truly living up to being the most frugal (cunning) among all casters. Luckily, Garrett¡¯s Mage Tower had uniform beds, linens, bookcases, and wardrobes for the apprentices, with unified meal provision. The Nature God¡¯s priest apprentices wouldn¡¯t have to wrap themselves in blankets, sleep on the floor, or gnaw on their own black bread... Moreover, the lab gowns and isolation suits provided were of a uniform, dreadfully plain design. Aside from easy cleaning, they had no redeeming qualities. Garrett, however, no longer minded. As the saying goes, frequent exposure numbs the senses; having delved into the medical field, he grew accustomed to the ugliness of scrub suits. Clapping his hands, he directed everyone to the neatly arranged scrub suits: "Alright, everyone pick one that fits. Men¡¯s changing room on the left, women¡¯s on the right. After changing, come out, and I¡¯ll show you how to wear the isolation suits." "They¡¯re so ugly? ¡ªI refuse to wear this!" A complaint immediately arose from the crowd. Garrett glanced over and chuckled: he knew this kid, the one who had paired up with the black-haired apprentice during the corpse carrying. The boy¡¯s cheeks were puffed, still showing baby fat, looking utterly unbecoming of a necromancer¡ªno matter, a few months here would change him to resemble Lynn and the others... As Garrett thought idly, not feeling particularly challenged by the defiance. If you don¡¯t want to wear scrub suits, well, they all had their complaints when first receiving them. Complaints about ugliness, rough fabric, loose waistbands easily slipping off... oh, and complaints about already broken waistbands, replaced with strings needing knots... If not for the formidable authority of the operating room¡¯s head nurse, these young doctors might have grumbled even more. But with someone openly complaining, unrest immediately stirred among the apprentices. The women were fine; the two girls from the Nature God¡¯s sect already found their sizes and headed into the changing room hand in hand. But the male apprentices, especially those looking rather delicate and well-dressed, hesitated to move. Some glanced at the chubby boy, then at Garrett, seemingly waiting for the former to clash with Garrett before deciding their actions. Garrett, however, had no intention of intervening¡ªshouldn¡¯t Black Crow Swamp¡¯s own take care of this? He glanced sideways. Lynn¡¯s expression darkened as he scolded loudly: "Don¡¯t wear it then, get out! ¡ªWhose disciple are you?! Get out and let your teacher come for you!" With a flick of his hand, a black light shot out, hurling the chubby boy out the door. The next moment , a cage of bones sprang from the ground outside the changing room, trapping the boy within a skeletal prison characteristic of necromancers. The room fell silent, everyone frozen in fear. Garrett was overjoyed. "Magician Lynn! Why don¡¯t you stay? Help me manage these apprentices?" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 291 Chapter 291 "Put on your hats!" "Put on your masks!" "Line up and watch me wash my hands! ¡ªYou! Pull up your mask! Cover your nose bridge! I¡¯m talking to you!" Garrett kept issuing orders. Cough... Managing 24 hairy kids all at once is not easy; as soon as you push one down, another pops up. We haven¡¯t even reached the seven-step handwashing technique; just putting on hats and masks correctly requires correcting them seven or eight times. There¡¯s no other way. Garrett muttered to himself, these are ordinary folks, you can¡¯t treat them like well-trained medical students. They have no concept of aseptic technique, I have to start from scratch, patiently, patiently... Even on a crowded subway, out of ten people wearing masks, two or three would pull theirs down, and upon closer inspection, another three or four masks aren¡¯t sealed properly. Even during an epidemic, healthcare workers putting on and taking off protective clothing require urgent training! After finally teaching them the seven-step handwashing technique, one by one they passed the assessment, and then completed the training on putting on and taking off protective clothing, the whole morning had passed. And in the afternoon, when everyone had put on their protective gear, ready to officially enter the P4 lab, another obstacle arose... "Meow~~~" A black cat beside Andrew Lynn walked with graceful steps, silently to the door, sitting quietly. Turning its head, its golden pupils stared unblinkingly at Garrett, its snow-white whiskers twitching. The message was very clear: I want to go in too! "Um... Mr. Troka, you can¡¯t go in." Garrett raised his hand to signal everyone to stop, bent down, and negotiated with the black cat. Luckily, this black cat was intelligent, could speak human language, and could be reasoned with, so there was no need for him to chase cats around... "Meow..." The black cat turned to look at the airtight door, then back at Garrett, its tail thumping against the floor rhythmically. After a standoff, seeing Garrett¡¯s uncompromising stance, it suddenly burst into a black glow, its body swelling rapidly! "Ouch!" The students exclaimed in surprise. Garrett instinctively stepped back, only to see Mr. Troka transform from a small black cat, about twenty to thirty centimeters tall and weighing just a few pounds, into a panther. Its imposing aura advanced, and a deep roaring sound continuously rolled from its chest. Garrett: "..." You dare bite me? You dare bite me?! And that roar isn¡¯t right at all, cheetahs, leopards, snow leopards, they don¡¯t sound like this. I¡¯ve heard the sound of leopards, it¡¯s particularly delicate! "Troka!" Andrew Lynn scolded from behind. The panther looked up at its owner, paused in its steps, and then its body shrank back. In an instant, what appeared before everyone was a tiny, delicate kitten. "Wow..." Behind Garrett, the boys and girls couldn¡¯t help but let out sounds of being charmed. The black cat¡¯s body was only the size of a palm, one hand could hold it up, its eyes watery and almost covering half of its face. Its four short legs moved, walking a bit wobbly, looking even more pitiful and adorable. Seeing the students crowding and stretching their necks to look over, it rolled on the floor, exposing its white belly and four pink paws. Behind Garrett, the sound of inhaling air was continuous, with students tentatively trying to plead: "Sir..." Garrett: "...Don¡¯t try to be cute, being cute won¡¯t get you in! You haven¡¯t been disinfected! You¡¯re not wearing protective gear! No entry means no entry! Out! Mr. Lynn!" Next to the black cat, a bony hand suddenly descended, grabbing towards it. The black cat darted up, jumping onto high platforms, under tables, diving around faucets, turning into a streak of lightning at the lab door. However, the bony hand was obviously experienced, relentlessly pursuing, and after a few rounds, it actually managed to grab the back of the black cat¡¯s neck, lifting it into the air. A group of mage apprentices and priest apprentices rolled up their sleeves, removing beef fat, boiling beef, washing agar. Every day, they carried a smell of salt, blood, and strange fragrance, working so hard they felt lifeless... "I say, are we working in a restaurant?" "Maybe? ...I¡¯ve never done this in the mage tower..." "I haven¡¯t in the temple either..." "Uh... in our temple, when we add meals, killing chickens and ducks, we apprentices help out... But, it¡¯s a pity to remove the fat from such good beef..." A few boys from the Temple of the God of War quietly answered. Such beautiful marbled beef, in their temple, only high-ranking knights and bishops and above could eat! Brought to the mage tower, not only could they not eat it, but they had to remove the fat first! The four apprentices from the God of Nature¡¯s congregation kept their heads down, silent. They had done a lot of work: turning the soil, fertilizing, weeding, caring for poultry and livestock, cleaning up manure... They hadn¡¯t missed out on any farm work. Are temple priests more noble than others? Non-existent! After half a month of such toil, the students¡¯ operations finally went from clumsy to proficient, the waste decreased, and Garrett¡¯s scolding became less frequent. Finally, Garrett announced the start of the first phase of the exam: "Let¡¯s test what we¡¯ve learned! ¡ªStarting from making culture media, each person independently carries out the whole process, completing the culture, separation, and microscopic examination of fecal E. coli!" "Ah..." 24 students moaned in various pitches. They looked exactly like students who had skipped classes for half a month and were suddenly informed of a test by the teacher. Garrett watched their bitter faces with amusement, clapping his hands: "There¡¯s a reward if you do it right~~~" "What if we don¡¯t?" A weak voice came from the back of the crowd. Garrett smiled: "If you don¡¯t, you can retake the test, but after failing the retake three times, you¡¯ll have to go back where you came from..." This threat not only made all the students nervous but also Andrew Lynn the mage felt overwhelmed. He prepared a set of equipment himself, washing agar, boiling beef, adding acid and base, filtering the residue, meticulously following each step. Beside him, the golden skeleton also prepared a set of equipment, performing exactly the same operations, seemingly wanting to have a backup plan. However, even so, Mage Lynn was not the first to finish. He was still adjusting the dye, preparing to stain the bacteria, when a student in the crowd already raised a hand high: "Master Nordmark, I¡¯m done!" Garrett quickly walked over. Under the microscope, the thick, short appearance of E. coli, with its flagella, was clear and distinct. He smiled in satisfaction, wanting to pat the student on the shoulder, but restrained himself halfway and instead patted him with Mage Hand: "Not bad, not bad, you did it right! What¡¯s your name? Which organization are you from?" "My name is Leon Carlos, from the Black Crow Swamp, sir." The apprentice bowed respectfully, his voice clear. Through the protective suit and face shield, Garrett couldn¡¯t see his expression, but he could hear the full joy in his voice, almost a bit of leap. Garrett¡¯s mood also lifted: "Great! Starting tomorrow night ¡ª ah, no, starting tomorrow, you¡¯ll be my assistant, let¡¯s start a new project!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 292 Chapter 292 Garrett still remembered the apprentice, Leon Carlos. This young man with black hair and eyes was quiet by nature but diligent. When others had stopped for a rest, he would still be cleaning test tubes, tidying up the workstation, and organizing samples. Even when a few priests from the Church of Nature were taking care of the experimental animals, Leon would lend a hand. Being the first to achieve results again, Garrett noticed and inevitably wanted to teach him more skills. Now that he had acquired the Mage Tower, he had plenty of projects at hand but lamented the lack of hardworking assistants. A student with good qualifications and diligence like this should certainly be kept close! Hmm, which project should he assign to him? The next morning, on the eighth floor of the Mage Tower, in Garrett¡¯s study, three youths were lined up. Besides Leon Carlos, there was a girl from the Church of Nature who had brought a litter of wild boars, and a boy from the School of Transmutation, who were the top three in this assessment. With numerous projects in hand and not worrying about a lack of ideas but rather a lack of manpower, Garrett naturally began to distribute topics to this batch of hard workers... "You are the first place in this assessment, so I¡¯ll ask you first," Garrett said seriously to Leon Carlos. "I have three projects on hand, all of which should suit your abilities and direction. One has a short cycle and generates money quickly; another is also short-term and profitable but leans more towards transformation; and the third has a long cycle, hardly makes any money, but aligns most closely with the School of Necromancy. Which one do you choose?" As Garrett spoke of the second project, the boy from the School of Transmutation twitched slightly. Alas, being third in the assessment, he had to wait for the first two to choose. Clenching his fists slightly, the boy bowed his head, while Leon, after a moment¡¯s thought, looked up with determination in his eyes: "I choose the third." "Are you sure?" Garrett scrutinized him. Leon stood straight, his uniform from the Black Crow Swamp, a pure black mage robe, was washed white in places, with sleeves and hems frayed. Such a precarious financial situation, yet choosing a long-term, non-profit project? Could he really persevere? Even if he did, would it truly benefit him? After all, a mage¡¯s advancement also requires financial support... "I¡¯m sure. Thank you, sir!" Garrett nodded, allowing him to step aside. He assigned the research on methane pools to the girl from the Church of Nature, and when it came to the boy from the School of Transmutation, only the last project remained: "That... you research why fermentation fails, why stored wine turns sour..." "Master Nordmark!" Leon Carlos suddenly interjected. Garrett turned to look at him: "What? Changed your mind?" "Sorry, Master Nordmark." The black-haired, black-eyed boy stepped forward, bowing deeply like a bending bamboo. When he raised his head again, his eyes shone unusually bright, his cheekbones flushed with a fervent glow, as if ignited from within: "I don¡¯t mean to defy you. But¡ªmy father once owned a distillery, and I often helped there as a child. One year, several batches of wine spoiled in succession, and the distillery couldn¡¯t recover, forcing a sale. My father fell ill from despair..." He bowed deeply again, his shoulders trembling, fists clenched tightly. After a moment, raising his head for the third time, his voice trembled softly: "I don¡¯t bear grudges, nor do I seek revenge on the one who took the distillery. I just want to know! ¡ªSir, under your guidance, I want to know why wine spoils, why it turns sour! Please, sir!" "..." As a leading scientist, not having dozens of graduate students and PhDs to help out, doing everything yourself, not to mention whether it should be this exhausting, the efficiency just couldn¡¯t be tolerated! Now, all was well. Garrett happily delegated the task of discovering penicillin, streptomycin, and who knows what else to the apprentices, while he focused on teaching these students, helping them grow faster: "Don¡¯t just look through the microscope! Cultivate! Don¡¯t you need to cultivate for brewing?" "You... when crystallizing concentrated saltwater, pay attention to maintaining a stable temperature during cooling! Is the water bath for decoration? The equipment I bought for 1000 contribution points, is it for decoration? No? ¡ªThen use it!" "Record! Keep good records! Is the paper and pen I gave you for eating? What was the ratio of your culture medium in the last experiment last night? ¡ªSee, you can¡¯t remember, can you? A good memory is no match for a bad pen!" Under such intensive practice and operation, the students¡¯ research level, not to mention, but at least their proficiency improved rapidly. Twenty days later, at the third bacterial culture operation assessment, everyone finally passed the test. And that afternoon, Leon Carlos, who had taken on the task of researching wine fermentation, excitedly burst into Garrett¡¯s study with a Petri dish in each hand: "Sir! ¡ªMaster Nordmark! I¡¯ve found it! In the yeast used for brewing, some batches contain bacteria not found in good wine but present in failed batches! I speculate, it¡¯s these bacteria that cause the fermented wine to turn sour!" It seemed indeed so... Yeast contamination or raw material contamination. Garrett nodded: "Well then, go conduct a few experiments to verify it." "Here?" "...Or shall I find you a distillery?" Garrett¡¯s offhand comment, taken seriously by the accountant from the Department of Public Health, who was also pressured by various professional associations to urge Garrett to expedite research, was treated as a serious task. Upon receiving the message, he immediately visited the Wine Industry Association, and the next afternoon at one, the president¡¯s carriage stopped in front of Garrett¡¯s Mage Tower. At two o¡¯clock, Leon Carlos, as an employee of the Department of Public Health and a delegate from the Magic Council researching the acidification of wine, entered the largest distillery on the upper reaches of the Smith River, accompanied by the president himself. The distillery was bustling with activity. A strange sour smell permeated everywhere, and the middle-aged accountant stepped in, immediately starting to frown frequently. Leon, however, showed no discomfort, looking around nostalgically. Long ago, his father had taken him to this distillery, showing it to him from a distance. That year, the quality of the wine was particularly good, and their family¡¯s situation was also good. His father had once said, if he could build such a large distillery in his lifetime... The president bent slightly, his right hand habitually pressing his right rib, looked past the middle-aged accountant, examining Leon closely. Passing the crushing area, the fermentation room, he suddenly grabbed the accountant, falling two steps behind, whispering to him: "What¡¯s the last name of this mage? Is it Carlos?" "Yes, I am¡ª" Leon paused mid-step, blurting out. That afternoon, when he left the distillery and got into the carriage, he found a thick, patterned deed on the seat. Carlos Distillery. Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 293 Chapter 293 Leon Carlos slowly bent down, his hands clasped in front of his ankles, enclosing the parchment between his chest and thighs. The parchment bore the city hall¡¯s seal, the signatures of the buyer and witness, the workshop¡¯s address, and... The signature and handprint left by his father when he sold the workshop five years ago. It was a business passed down from his great-grandfather to his grandfather, and then to his father¡ªa business they once thought could sustain their family. When he first embarked on the path of a mage, he had secretly hoped that if he became a formal mage in the future, he could buy it back... But he had never imagined that now, at this moment, it would be presented to him. Leon curled up in the carriage seat for a while before straightening up to examine the precious parchment again. Below his father¡¯s signature were two more rows of transaction records, written in identical, fresh handwriting. One row was the distillery¡¯s subsequent owner transferring it to the guild president who had hosted him today, and the other... The seller and introducer had already signed and stamped. The buyer¡¯s column was still empty, just waiting for his name to be filled in, to reclaim the distillery his family had cherished for decades, where he had played as a child. Leon gazed at it all the way. After returning to the Mage Tower, he, holding the deed, knocked on Garrett¡¯s study door. "Did the boss give this to you?" Garrett picked up the deed to examine it closely. "Your family¡¯s old property? ...You want it?" "I... I think I shouldn¡¯t take it." Leon swallowed, shifting his weight from one foot to the other: "It¡¯s too valuable... I mean, it feels like a bribe..." "It¡¯s valuable, but okay." Garrett twirled the corner of the deed, noticing Leon¡¯s anxious gaze, and let go: "From that boss¡¯s perspective, giving you this doesn¡¯t put him at a loss. After all, you¡¯re in charge of the project. If you work a bit faster, more diligently, even if you achieve results a month earlier or increase the success rate by about 10%, he¡¯ll earn back the cost of one distillery. ¡ªI remember a barrel of wine costs dozens of gold coins, right?" "Yes, sir." Leon breathed a sigh of relief, shifting his weight back to his left foot: "Depending on the vintage and origin, the cheapest costs over a dozen gold coins, and the most expensive, much more. If someone pre-orders and a batch spoils, losing hundreds or even thousands of gold coins is possible..." "Hmm, do you want to take it?" Garrett tapped the parchment on the desk, holding down the corner and pushing it forward a bit. Leon reflexively stepped back: "Probably? ...How?" "You do it?" "How about you do it?" Garrett silently glanced at the right side of the laboratory. Three dissection tables were lined up, with the priests of the War God standing firm, scalpel in hand, steady as rocks. The priests from the Spring Goddess¡¯s Temple, without a hair, dung, or even a leaf on their clothes, seemed determined to just observe the experiment... Worse was the Church of Nature. Four apprentice priests had taken a table, and now there was neither rabbit on the table nor people; nothing. Were they planning to skip class? Garrett pondered whether to reason with these students or to speak to them in more physical terms... "Master Nordmark!" The door to the dissection room burst open. Four young men and women, two of each gender, rushed in one after the other. Garrett looked up at them: "Or maybe, you shouldn¡¯t perform the dissection and just observe others?" "Master Nordmark!" The tall girl leading them immediately stopped, the others nearly crashing into her. Stepping forward in a lunge, she managed to steady herself and bowed her head in apology: "I¡¯m terribly sorry, but we didn¡¯t mean to be late!" "I¡¯m not blaming you." Garrett organized his words: "You are servants of the God of Nature, wouldn¡¯t killing animals too often affect your development, reduce your affinity with nature? Maybe you should just observe? ¡ªBut the rabbits are your responsibility, watching others take action while you do nothing... wouldn¡¯t that affect you as well?" "No, sir! We did it! ¡ªThat is, we¡¯ve prepared the blank agar plates you requested!" Garrett, overjoyed, hurried out. Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 294 Chapter 294 Garrett Nordmark was ecstatic. He dashed out of the first floor¡¯s dissection room and raced towards the P4 laboratory upstairs, casting enhancement spells on himself as he went: Grease the Soles! Cat¡¯s Agility! Jumping Spell! "Enough already!" shouted Andrew Lynn, a mage trailing behind, who had only managed to climb one flight of stairs before being left half a floor behind. Watching Garrett, he couldn¡¯t help but shout: "There are only two floors! And you¡¯ve cast three spells!!!" With a meow, a black cat leaped into the air, swelling and swelling again in mid-jump, transforming into a giant black panther standing 1.8 meters tall at the shoulder. Lowering its head, it picked up Andrew Lynn by the collar of his robe and hurried up the stairs. Garrett simply couldn¡¯t contain his happiness. From the moment he initiated this research project, from his time gathering melons all over the world at the laboratory¡¯s original location, or even earlier, from when he saved an old dwarf in the forging area and cultured tuberculosis bacilli from the dwarf¡¯s phlegm, he had been waiting for this day¡ª Penicillin! Or any other antibiotics that could secrete lysozyme, like streptomycin, terramycin, or even a bit of gentamicin would be great! The only things holding him back were the caution inherent in being a doctor and the fear, as a researcher, of a massive outbreak of infectious bacteria! Even with his hands trembling with excitement, Garrett meticulously followed the safety protocols: wearing a mask, gloves, washing hands, and donning protective clothing. Only after all the students were similarly equipped¡ªright, Mr. Troka, as usual, was grabbed by the nape by a golden skeleton and taken outside¡ªdid he open the door, enter, close it behind him, and open the inner airtight door, proceeding layer by layer into the core laboratory. The P4 laboratory in the Mage Tower had undergone significant modifications compared to Garrett¡¯s original design. A crucial change was the transformation of a single passageway into a three-zone, two-passageway layout, with separate rooms for animal breeding, dissection, bacterial culture, and experimentation, with clean corridors for entry and contaminated ones for exit. Wanting to revisit the red zone and then retreat to the clean corridor as the review committee members did last time? Impossible, with doors allowing only one-way traffic, controlled by the Tower Spirits! A large group marched directly to the bacterial culture area. Guided by a reporting student, Garrett picked up the petri dish and examined it closely against the light. Without needing to take additional samples, make slides, stain them, or use a microscope, he could see with the naked eye the anomaly on the petri dish: Among the pale yellow colonies covering the bottom of the dish, a large area appeared semi-transparent, like glass. Outside the blank area, large patches of golden staphylococci clustered together, unable to cross the boundary; at the center of the blank area, a small patch of greenish mold stood tall and proud! Wishful thinking! In the end, only a young lady from the God of Nature cult, along with two Necromancers, a healer mage, a War God priest, and three later joiners, were left working tirelessly on penicillin. Under the young lady¡¯s command, they first prepared various culture mediums and cultured in large quantities¡ª Then, for two days straight, Garrett listened to their varied and creative complaints. "It died..." "Corona, mine died too... Give me a bit more..." "It¡¯s barely alive... Corona, why is yours growing so well..." "Is it because we¡¯re Necromancers that we can¡¯t grow this thing? Too much death aura! I can¡¯t even keep catnip alive at home!" "Don¡¯t be ridiculous, you managed to keep bacteria alive, didn¡¯t you?" "Bacteria are plague! It¡¯s expected for Necromancers to keep plague alive! But this isn¡¯t plague! It¡¯s supposed to combat plague! It¡¯s normal that I can¡¯t keep it alive, if I did, it would be the end of me!" Garrett chuckled to himself on the sidelines. Culturing mold was not so simple; if the nutrient ratio in the culture medium, its pH, or the oxygen content in the air was off, the mold either wouldn¡¯t grow, would grow poorly, or wouldn¡¯t ferment properly. Without fermentation, it would produce less penicillin, making all the effort for naught... In history, Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 and switched to sulfa drugs after five years of struggle; In 1938, German chemist Ernst Chain began purification experiments, and by the winter of 1940, he had managed to extract a small amount of penicillin; In 1941, Australian pathologist Howard Florey increased the yield of penicillin from 2 units per cubic centimeter to 40 units; It wasn¡¯t until 1942 that penicillin began to be produced on a large scale. Therefore, those spy movies where penicillin was sought after during the Long March, cough, might want to redirect their focus to sulfa drugs... After so many top scientists around the world took turns, they managed to produce penicillin in mass quantities. If it weren¡¯t for Garrett relying on divine magic to work wonders, he wouldn¡¯t dare take on this project. In conclusion, keep up the good work, young men and women! Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 295 Chapter 295 The miraculous plant growth spell¡ªno, rather, the microbial growth enhancer¡ªgave Garrett Nordmark the confidence to embark on the penicillin project. And indeed, this divine magic did not disappoint him; within a week, the propagated penicillin fungi had multiplied to a sufficient quantity for experimentation. The apprentices from the God of Nature cult, too, had bred enough mice for them to extravagantly conduct an experiment... In the dissection room on the sub-first floor of the Mage Tower, 24 apprentices were divided among six experimental tables, each facing a cage of mice. Among the crowd, two young priests from the God of Nature whispered nervously: "Use it sparingly... be careful not to accidentally kill them..." Heaven help them, their experience in raising mice was one of tears and sorrow. Specialized breeding companies? None. Specially formulated mouse feed? None. Mice with stable traits, free of germs, and bred for several generations in the laboratory? None... The priests had to dig into mouse holes themselves, capture the mice, and then let the female mice breed. To calm the nervous and frightened mice, they used animal affinity; without knowing the proper feed ratio, they utilized animal communication skills; to ensure the mice were germ-free, they applied healing spells daily. The priests¡¯ healing spells were limited, and they were reluctant to use them on themselves, preferring to use them all on the mice. These mice, dearly nurtured by the priests, could rightly be considered their precious treasures. Now, using 120 of them for an experiment was simply unheard of! However, when Garrett ordered their use, resistance was not an option. The four priest apprentices could only stand by the table, watching Garrett demonstrate with sad eyes: Lift the mouse by its tail with the right hand, placing it on the lid of the mouse cage; As the mouse struggles forward, grasp its ears and the skin of its neck with the left thumb and index finger; With the mouse behind the palm of the left hand, secure its back skin and tail with the ring and little fingers... "Got it? The movements must be steady and accurate. If you don¡¯t catch it right the first time, let go and try again, and be careful of bites!¡ªNow, each of you catch one!" This directive was like pouring a ladle of cold water into boiling oil. Suddenly, the dissection room erupted into noise, with 20 out of the 24 students exclaiming in panic: "Ouch! It bit me!" "It got away! It got away!" "Mr. Troka! Help!¡ªNo, don¡¯t kill it!" "Ahhh! I squeezed its poop out!" The four priests from the God of Nature looked at each other. How could catching a mouse be problematic? Isn¡¯t it just a matter of reaching out and grabbing? Garrett was well-prepared for this. At the beginning of their animal experiments, his classmates had been just as clueless, no better than these spellcasters. With immense patience, he moved from table to table, offering guidance: "Quick and precise when grabbing the tail!" "No, don¡¯t grab at the base! Grab the middle section of the tail!" "You don¡¯t need to pull that hard... why would you want to tear its tail off?" "If all else fails, just spin it around to make it dizzy... hey, how did you let it slip from your grasp! Mr. Troka, please help catch it!" "Then pinch its ears... not the neck! Don¡¯t press! Don¡¯t pull!!!" With a crack, the mouse died... Garrett massaged his forehead. Pulling the mouse¡¯s tail while pressing on its neck is a method to kill a mouse, student! I haven¡¯t even taught that lesson yet! "Alright, catch another one... it¡¯s good that I prepared extra..." Just the act of catching the mice resulted in all sorts of chaos (during which Mr. Troka was quite popular). Finally, after much stumbling, the experiment proceeded to subcutaneous injections of Staphylococcus aureus into the mice. "Right, right, it does seem better! The scent of death is not as strong!" A day later, of the 20 mice in the subcutaneous injection group, 18 were lively and had escaped death. This therapeutic effect was second only to the divine magic group¡¯s 20/20, far surpassing the oral group and control group, which all died. "Congratulations, ladies and gentlemen," Garrett clapped his hands to draw the students¡¯ attention: "You have successfully discovered a natural product that can effectively treat diseases in areas unreachable by divine magic. Now, let¡¯s continue our research to determine the proper dosage of this product and how to make it into a medication for long-distance transport!" "Yay!" "Hooray!" "We did it!" Surgical caps of white, gray, and blue soared towards the ceiling. Garrett allowed the students to freely choose their surgical cap materials, as long as they securely covered the hair without hindering operations. During the celebration, he even spotted two flashes of green, rising and falling in tandem... After the brief celebration, the students reentered the lengthy experimental process. This time, more culture mediums were produced to cultivate penicillin¡ªsugar agar, blood agar, beef extract agar, malt extract agar, corn flour agar, potato sucrose agar... The entire laboratory, no, the entire Mage Tower, seemed to turn into a giant kitchen. Steaming, boiling, simmering, crushing, filtering... the lab was constantly filled with steam, and if the students didn¡¯t feel like eating, they could practically fill up on the culture mediums. Of course, nobody actually did that. As Leon Carlos put it: "I knew malt extract smelled bad, but I had no idea beef extract was even worse... ugh, that smell..." Garrett allowed the students to use their imagination to try various formulas. Waste was inevitable, but the Mage Tower had an Elemental Fire Pool that provided endless heat; agar, beef, sheep¡¯s blood, and more could be bought in bulk for just one contribution point, making expenses negligible. Corn, potatoes, and the like? Even cheaper! In the midst of this production frenzy, the four apprentices from the God of Nature became leaders among the students. Especially the girl who had brought in the wild boar, she hardly made culture mediums anymore, instead spending two hours daily wandering the lab, half-closing her eyes, sensing each petri dish: "This one... no good. It barely grows." "This one... grows a bit slow, but worth observing." "This one grows fast." "This one... can you increase the temperature a bit?" The biological affinity of priests from the God of Nature was always reliable¡ªGarrett being the exception. In ten days, they had eliminated all meat and blood materials, focusing on corn flour, corn slurry, corn starch, wheat flour, potato flour... By this stage, over half of the 24 students were exhausted, their features distorted. Garrett himself felt overwhelmed and generously allowed them to take a break: "Rest well for two days. When you return, we¡¯ll start a new project!" The students cheered and scattered. Garrett, too, couldn¡¯t wait to leave the Mage Tower for some fresh air by the sea. After being cooped up in the lab for so long without even seeing the sun, he needed to get out before he developed a vitamin D deficiency! Garrett thoroughly enjoyed his half-day of play. Upon returning to the Mage Tower, he was struck with a shocking discovery: The penicillin strain had been stolen. Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 296 Chapter 296 The management of Garrett Nordmark¡¯s Mage Tower... was really not strict at all. After all, there were only two official members of the Mage Tower: Garrett himself and Aurora Worton, plus Mr. Andrew Lynn who was visiting. With just these two and a half people, it seemed unnecessary to deliberately establish rules and regulations for the Mage Tower, numbering up to 123. What about students? Those 24 apprentices, 30% counted as students, 70% as laborers, could at most be exploited for a year¡¯s worth of work, with virtually no chance of keeping anything for themselves. Therefore, Garrett¡¯s approach to them was essentially laissez-faire. As long as they worked diligently and didn¡¯t fight, whatever they wanted to do or learn after class was none of his concern... Based on all this, the one thing Garrett strictly managed was the P4 laboratory management system. Three zones, two passages, no wandering around, cleanliness when entering and exiting the lab, and¡ª Absolutely no taking anything out of the lab! No spatial equipment allowed in or out! Many of those bacteria were deadly pathogens, taking them out could kill people! I¡¯m talking to you, you bunch from Black Crow Swamp! Outside the P4 laboratory, Garrett was much more relaxed. Whether it was culture mediums, diseased animals, or breeding penicillin, everything was just casually placed as long as the door was remembered to be shut. These items taken out? Well, if they were taken out, so be it, it¡¯s not like it would kill anyone... So, Garrett, dragging along Aurora and Andrew, and Bernard who was purely there for a free meal, had a big stroll around the shopping district and had dinner. When he returned and heard that a strain of penicillin had been stolen, he was somewhat baffled: ¡°What? Who stole it? What for?¡± It¡¯s not like it¡¯s 1945 in the Shanghai Bund, where a dose of penicillin was worth a yellow croaker fish, desperately stolen... What¡¯s the use of stealing a breeding strain? I haven¡¯t even started the selection, purification, or made it into sodium penicillin, let alone procaine penicillin¡ªwell, forget about the latter, the chemical industry level of this world probably won¡¯t make it in this lifetime¡ªbut still, what use is there in stealing the strain? "MOSS doesn¡¯t know why it was stolen." The Tower Spirit¡¯s voice was still that gender-neutral, monotonous electronic tone, even when spitting out "I don¡¯t know," there wasn¡¯t a hint of questioning or guilt. Methodically, it answered: "The one who took the strain was Mage Apprentice Kevin Aini. MOSS has recorded footage of Aini taking the strain and leaving the Mage Tower, which the master can view in the control room." "Mage Apprentice?" "Why him?" Garrett and Aurora asked together. In Garrett¡¯s mind, if anyone were to steal penicillin, it would most likely be someone from the Temple of the Spring Goddess, or at most, the Temple of the God of War¡ª Would the Magic Council be afraid of not getting their hands on it? Once he finished his research, the task of mass production would naturally fall to the Magic Council, why would they need to steal? They both hastened their pace towards the elevator. Behind them, Mr. Andrew Lynn heaved a sigh of relief: Thank God, the thief wasn¡¯t one of their Black Crow Swamp lot! After this sigh, his mind began to whirl non-stop. Having faced countless battles with the Radiant Church, he instinctively thought of the worst-case scenario: Why steal important research results? What¡¯s the background of that Mage Apprentice? Could he be a spy from the other side? "MOSS, what school does Kevin Aini belong to? Who is his mentor? What¡¯s his background?¡ªWhy didn¡¯t you stop him?" He asked a string of questions. By the time the elevator reached the top of the tower, while the Tower Spirit was playing the footage for the master, it buzzed in response: Especially since that one was level 15! Level 15! One level higher than Archmage Carlisle! Archmage, please block it... Archmage Carlisle did not disappoint his expectations. With a casual wave, a wall of force rose, protecting Garrett securely. Then he roared back: "Old Morton! Your disciple¡¯s disciple has stolen stuff and brought it to our Horn of Thunder!" "What?" Mage Morton was stunned. He waved his hand subconsciously, and the test tubes, flasks, and petri dishes on the table flew out in a clatter. Garrett, hiding behind Archmage Carlisle, was so scared that his eyes widened: [Ahhh¡ª] Don¡¯t smash it! What is in these things? Please don¡¯t let it be contagious germs! Archmage Carlisle seemed to sense it too, his finger slightly raised, and a gentle breeze picked up, holding those flying objects in the air. The two mages, one holding and one gathering, quickly put things back in order. Only then did Mage Morton have time to ask: "What¡¯s the situation? Which disciple of mine? What did he steal?" Archmage Carlisle slammed the chip in front of him. The screen pulled open again, showing a sneaky youth, slipping into the laboratory, putting the contents of a petri dish into a bottle, tucking it into his chest, and taking it back to the dormitory. He finished packing his things, carrying his luggage and leaving the Mage Tower, his figure getting farther and farther, smaller and smaller, and the youth never looked back from beginning to end. Archmage Carlisle coldly said: "Kevin Aini, an apprentice from your department. The Public Health Department was recruiting recently¡ª" He shifted to the side, letting Garrett out, indicating it was his matter. Garrett hurriedly nodded and bowed to Mage Morton, and Archmage Carlisle pointed at Garrett, standing aside and continuing: "That kid was sent to his Mage Tower, and then he did this¡ª" "I¡¯ve heard of this." Old Morton nodded. He was aware of the establishment of the Public Health Department and Garrett, a level 3 mage who got a high-level Mage Tower, as well as the research projects released by Mage Towers that several in the medical branch were vying for, he even made a few calls¡ª Thinking of this, the Archmage felt a bad feeling rise in his heart: "Who is his mentor?" "When he was sent over, a resume was attached, that kid¡¯s mentor is Billy O¡¯Gran. Old Morton, that¡¯s your disciple, right?" Mage Morton choked. His face turned from red to white, then from white to red, his fists clenched with a crackling sound. Standing silently for a moment, he pulled out the chip from the experimental table, carefully stored it, and walked towards Archmage Carlisle: "O¡¯Gran is my disciple. ¡ªLet¡¯s go, if that kid really is under O¡¯Gran¡¯s tutelage, I will definitely give you an explanation!" The three left the Mage Tower together. Mage Morton strode meteorically, heading straight towards the north side of Igor Peak. Coming to the edge of the cliff, Garrett thought there would be a magic carpet, or at least a Phantom Steed to ride, but to his surprise, Mage Morton grabbed his wrist and leapt out¡ª "Ahhhhhh!" Garrett screamed uncontrollably. This side was a cliff! A cliff! Falling straight down more than two hundred meters deep! He didn¡¯t want to become a lich now! Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 297 Chapter 297 "Ahahahahahahahah¡ª" Garrett Nordmark¡¯s scream echoed through the night sky. Atop the Tower of Heaven, a beam of white light immediately shot down, enveloping Garrett¡¯s forehead. Just as Garrett felt a bit relieved, the white light swept out... and out... and out... Who¡¯s controlling the searchlight? It couldn¡¯t be someone from Black Crow Swamp, could it? From a height of over 200 meters, I¡¯d probably be smashed to pieces, unable to become a lich! Garrett thought indignantly. The next moment, his shoulder blades suddenly tightened, and his falling speed slowed down. Twisting his head, Garrett saw a pair of wings stretching out from his back, semi-transparent and shimmering. The wingspan... forgive him for his inability to estimate, but just one wing was more than twice his own height. With a flap of those wings, they then spread out smoothly and stayed motionless. The mountain wind, robust under the wings, immediately turned his fall into a glide. Looking left, Mage Morton glanced at him with an indescribable expression; looking right, Archmage Carlisle¡¯s face was full of frustration, pointing a finger, a breeze carrying his voice, whispering into Garrett¡¯s eardrum: "...How could you scream like that? With us two great magicians here, why would you think you¡¯d fall to your death?¡ªIf all else fails, you should¡¯ve cast Featherfall!" ...I was just worried you two might leave me hanging, each thinking the other would take care of me... As for Featherfall, honestly, I just forgot about it in the panic... Garrett sheepishly admitted. Indeed, it was my own oversight, but Mage Morton went too far! Not a word before leaping off the cliff with me! Given the circumstances, with someone else¡¯s summoned wings still attached to his back, he couldn¡¯t protest on the spot. With a flick of his finger, Mage Morton gently directed the wings to change direction, circling in the air before descending. What might have taken over an hour to run on the ground, they landed gently within a quarter of an hour. The ethereal wings silently shattered, turning into specks of starlight that returned to Mage Morton¡¯s palm. This great magician then cast a spell, pointing in the direction it drifted: "This way!" Garrett had to cast several acceleration spells on himself to keep up with the two great magicians. The night was deep, and the Chaos Magic Academy was quiet, yet as they approached the laboratory, they saw a light inside. Moving closer, they heard a voice with a changing pitch inside: "Look, Mentor, just like this!¡ªCultivating this mold and injecting it into sick mice, out of twenty mice, ten survived!" "Hmm..." "...I truly did not expect, my disciple, to contemplate researching stolen goods!!!" He spat out through clenched teeth. Without waiting for O¡¯Gran¡¯s defense, he turned solemnly to Archmage Carlisle and Garrett Nordmark, bowing deeply: "My disciple¡¯s tolerance of theft is a failure of my teachings. ¡ªWhatever the punishment or compensation today, I will comply, even if it means compensating with my laboratory, I have no objections!" He was resolute. Archmage Carlisle scoffed: "We don¡¯t need the laboratory. Our Garrett also has a Mage Tower, not to mention a laboratory. ¡ªWhat about these two, how will you deal with them?" "Expel the Mage Apprentice immediately, from both my tutelage and the academy," Mage Morton said without hesitation. "As for O¡¯Gran, for tolerating his disciple¡¯s wrongdoing and not immediately reporting or punishing it, he is to cease work at the Chaos Academy and be stationed in the New World for five years to reflect. His contributions to the guild will all serve as compensation. What do you think?" "That¡¯s letting him off easy!" Archmage Carlisle snorted and turned away. If O¡¯Gran¡¯s actions were reported to the council, the punishment might be lighter, and he would surely be socially dead. For the sake of his mentor, he¡¯ll spare him this time! Mage Morton then turned his gaze to Garrett. Garrett slightly lowered his gaze, indicating his agreement. He wasn¡¯t much inclined to plead: This one, unlike Aurora who was purely curious or, shall we say, meddlesome, saying "with the intent to unlawfully possess" wouldn¡¯t be unfair to him? With the teacher already punished, he didn¡¯t need to play the good guy... Mage Morton breathed a sigh of relief. He stepped forward, slightly bowed, and earnestly said to Garrett: "Rest assured, whatever this kid stole, I will investigate thoroughly to ensure not a bit leaks out. In the future, if any magician from the medical branch or elsewhere in the council dares to research it without permission, I will hold them accountable¡ª" "That won¡¯t be necessary," Garrett smiled broadly. "Actually, these materials can stay with you, and if you need, I can send more over. ¡ªI actually hope that magicians from the medical branch, as well as other departments, can conduct independent research based on my work, and together, we can unravel the mysteries of penicillin." Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 298 Chapter 298 The two great magicians looked over. Archmage Carlisle frowned deeply. Wanting to intervene but hindered by the fact that it was Garrett¡¯s own project, he found it difficult to speak out. Mage Morton, on the other hand, beyond shock and emotion, was filled with deep shame: "There¡¯s no need for this¡ªhow can we possibly¡ª" His voice trembled, his red hair that was once standing straight now drooped almost completely, hanging down. Garrett earnestly cut him off: "Your Excellency Archmage. The relationship between the Curse Magic Department¡¯s medical branch and our Thunder Horn has always been good. Last time one of my followers was poisoned, it was Master Galen Novak who personally came to administer the cure. ¡ªJust because an apprentice made a mistake, it shouldn¡¯t affect our relationship. Besides, sharing knowledge and collaborating on research is exactly what the Magic Council has always advocated, isn¡¯t it?" Archmage Carlisle remained silent. Hmm, they indeed owed the medical branch for the incident where Aurora played with electrolyzed saltwater and got poisoned. If not for that, he wouldn¡¯t have directly approached Morton¡¯s door; he would¡¯ve gone through Old Sam to bring the matter up with the review board and expose it! Old Morton¡¯s face turned beet red, still shaking his head. Garrett thought for a moment, then smiled: "How about this¡ªcould you do me a favor? I¡¯ll write a paper on the interim research findings on penicillin mold in the next few days. Could you help me find a journal to publish it? And then, if you continue with the research, remember to cite my paper?" That could work. Publishing papers and then conducting research based on them is a common and encouraged practice within the Magic Council. Old Morton¡¯s face finally lost some of its redness, patting his chest: "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve got the publication covered!¡ªAnd about that penicillin mold, I won¡¯t take it for free, I¡¯ll pay!" He was about to transfer contribution points with his mage badge. Garrett quickly jumped back: "No need, no need, we¡¯ve already agreed on the compensation. But, if you want more, you¡¯ll have to buy it from the trade center, and I won¡¯t be shy about the price!" "I won¡¯t ask for a discount on bulk purchases either!" Old Morton laughed. They bid each other farewell. Old Morton stayed behind to watch his disciple pack up and leave at dawn, while Archmage Carlisle escorted Garrett back to the Mage Tower. The clop of hooves disappeared into the night, leaving the lights of Chaos Magic Academy far behind, before Archmage Carlisle finally sighed: "Why are you so generous?" "Not bad, huh?" Garrett shrugged. Archmage Carlisle glared at him, almost raising his hand to knock on his head if he wasn¡¯t on horseback: "With this precedent, to collaborate with you in the future, one just needs to steal something first. If they can¡¯t steal, sending an apprentice to beat you up can also turn enemies into friends? Inviting people to collaborate on something this important so casually, do you dare to just give it away next? ¡ªAren¡¯t you afraid that after all your hard work, they¡¯ll get ahead of you and succeed first?" "Hehe~~~" Garrett laughed, lowering his head on horseback. It wasn¡¯t until Archmage Carlisle canceled the Phantom Steed, making him fall directly to the ground (though he cast Featherfall at the last moment), that he stopped laughing and looked up to explain: "Whether they¡¯ll get ahead of me and succeed first, I don¡¯t know. But¡ªI¡¯m very sure, what I¡¯m preparing to do, they definitely won¡¯t be able to!" For level 14 and 15 great magicians, a material costing one gold coin a piece was incredibly cheap! ¡ªOf course, Garrett wouldn¡¯t say that making cornstarch culture medium in bulk, filling 100 bottles of 50ml each, cost less than one gold coin. That was his secret... "Keep it up! Make more! This month¡¯s research funding depends on you!" But it must be said, great magicians are great magicians. Their brute-force approach indeed blazed a new trail: A month later, Old Morton invited Garrett to his laboratory to observe a spell experiment. "The extermination of pathogenic bacteria, first experiment, begins!" Old Morton murmured the incantation, holding a test tube of penicillin mold in his left hand, his right hand continuously changing gestures. Garrett watched wide-eyed: Alright, you¡¯re still using penicillin mold as a spellcasting material, developing a new spell... just don¡¯t know how you¡¯ll control the dosage? Penicillin intramuscular injection, 800,000 to 2,000,000 units per day, divided into 3-4 doses; intravenous drip, 2,000,000 to 20,000,000 units per day, divided into 2-4 doses. When administered by IV drip, the rate must not exceed 500,000 units per minute to avoid central nervous system toxicity¡ªhow fast is your rate? Old Morton¡¯s chanting abruptly stopped. His right hand extended, aiming at a weak, dirty, tangled-haired rabbit on the experimental table in front. A green light shot from his fingertip, hitting the rabbit squarely. "Avada Kedavra!" Garrett muttered in his heart. Almost immediately, the rabbit convulsed, stretched its neck and limbs, and died, died, died... "Uh, still can¡¯t control the intensity of the healing spell..." Old Morton lowered his arm, awkwardly looking at Garrett: "So far, using five milliliters of penicillin mold achieves the highest cure rate, about 30%, but the death rate is 70%... With such a high death rate, we dare not try it on patients, as untreated death rates are lower!" Garrett: "..." Too severe allergic reactions from penicillin overdose? Once you go above a super-high dose of penicillin, the probability of allergies skyrockets! "What about the death rate within three days?" "An additional 10% higher..." Hmm, considering penicillin encephalopathy, cerebral hemorrhage, allergic heart failure, and a series of adverse reactions... So, it¡¯s about controlling the dosage. If it¡¯s not made into a medication and penicillin is used as spellcasting material, directly casting spells, it¡¯s really hard to control the dosage! "What if it¡¯s made into a medication?" Old Morton gave him a sorrowful look. Don¡¯t ask, asking means nothing... Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 299 Chapter 299 "Making mold into medicine is so difficult..." "Yes, it¡¯s very tough." "Completely clueless." "Yes, extraordinarily difficult." Garrett Nordmark and Mage Morton sat shoulder to shoulder in front of seventeen or eighteen dead rabbits, sighing in turn. Mage Morton sighed because the project was too challenging, while Garrett sighed because making penicillin was indeed too troublesome! "Old Morton!" Another magician walked in. The badge on his chest sparkled with three golden stars, evidently a level 13 powerhouse. Garrett quickly stood up to greet him: "Excellency Novak!" "Little Garrett? What are you doing here?" The visitor paused. He had come to rescue when Aurora accidentally poisoned herself with chlorine gas, having met Garrett once before. He sized up Garrett and smiled slightly: "Oh, I remember now, the penicillin project is yours. ¡ªWhy haven¡¯t you come to see me when you had the chance?" Garrett could only smile back at him. Pointing to the dead rabbits all over the floor, he spoke in a faint voice: "Busy, busy..." "Indeed busy, this project isn¡¯t easy." Master Novak sighed. He turned to Old Morton and asked: "What¡¯s your success rate with the spells? I¡¯ve only got 10%..." This was even more tragic. Garrett nearly covered his face, listening to the two great magicians exchanging spellcasting experiences: "Choosing the right penicillin mold is a problem." "Yes, we must control the timing well. Currently, the experience is to cast spells 3 to 5 hours after purchase, which results in the lowest death rate for the rabbits." "Magic output also needs to be controlled... Ah, I have a model curve here, do you think it works?" Garrett listened, facepalming. Great lords, when you use penicillin mold for casting, you¡¯re not considering its active component content at all! "Old Morton!" Another person quickly stepped in. Entering the room and seeing the dead rabbits everywhere, he immediately showed a schadenfreude smile: "Hahaha, you too failed! ¡ªBy the way, have you tried extracting the solution from the penicillin mold?" "We¡¯ve tried!" The two great magicians answered in unison: "But it¡¯s utterly useless! The efficiency of the spellcasting drops dramatically!" This time, Garrett truly began to facepalm. Indeed, penicillin is very unstable in aqueous solutions. It decomposes faster when exposed to acid or alkali, and even without adding anything, it will decompose on its own over time in water. Not to mention the decrease in medicinal effect, the components causing allergies would increase, imagining half of a medication solution is allergenic components... Oh well. Inject a vial of medication, or throw a spell, and leave aside the therapeutic effect, the death effect is guaranteed! The newcomer didn¡¯t notice him, still complaining to Old Morton: "I mean, you¡¯re not setting me up, are you? This project of his¡ªGarrett Nordmark¡ªis just too difficult to do, completely different from usual practices, with entirely different considerations. "Alright, alright, let me first look at what you¡¯ve made. ¡ªIs it connected yet?" "Yes, it¡¯s connected." Archmage Carlisle made a gesture. Garrett leaned in to see, the circuit connected to a small glass vessel, pear-shaped, with a pool of shimmering mercury at the bottom. Two wires extended below the surface of the mercury, and several graphite rods were embedded in the top part of the glass vessel, fitting seamlessly with the glass. This is... A mercury arc rectifier! Such an old piece of equipment, in my previous life, it had been obsolete for half a century, hadn¡¯t it? Garrett suddenly turned back to look at the alchemist. At the same moment, Archmage Carlisle pointed a finger, and the handle of the generator began to turn. Once, twice... until it blurred into a residual image, yet the glass vessel remained calm and spark-free. "Why is there no reaction?" Garrett muttered quietly. However, this soft murmur ignited the alchemist. Master Norwood immediately became frantic, lunging forward: "Impossible! I made it and it was good! You said it was good before too! Don¡¯t think of cheating me out of my contribution points! Five thousand points!" His voice was high and sharp, his eyelids and fingers trembling constantly. Garrett¡¯s internal alarm rang louder, and after a moment¡¯s thought, he suggested: "Maybe the current isn¡¯t strong enough? Why not... try generating a current first?" "That might be possible." Archmage Carlisle snapped his fingers, and instantly, an electric arc burst out in the glass vessel. The entire circuit seemed to be instantly energized, the glass vessel humming, the blue light inside shining brilliantly, the scene both cool and magical. Master Norwood immediately halted, standing still for a moment, then clapped his hands: "Eh! It¡¯s working! This is it!" This is it! Garrett clenched his fist. Indeed, his memory was correct; the mercury arc rectifier required a larger trigger power, and the current from the hand-cranked generator might have been too small to activate it... But that¡¯s no issue, they could just make the generator bigger! Archmage Carlisle also showed a pleased expression. Garrett wanted to join their excitement, yet the doctor¡¯s instinct made him pull Master Norwood back, retreating all the way to the corner, and bluntly stated: "You¡¯ve been poisoned!" "What?" The alchemist was stunned. He immediately became enraged: "What poisoning! I¡¯m not poisoned! I¡¯ll tell you, don¡¯t think of using this to deduct my money!" "You used mercury in this rectifier! Excessive skin contact with mercury, or inhaling mercury vapor, can lead to poisoning, don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t know!" Garrett retorted: "Have you been frequently experiencing dizziness, headaches, nausea lately? Do you often have palpitations, mood swings, and difficulty sleeping at night? Do you have more mouth ulcers and loose teeth? Do your hands tremble when you work?" I hate patients who don¡¯t listen the most! I hate patients who stubbornly deny their condition the most! Patients should act like patients! Compared to the rectifier, treating the condition is more important! Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 300 Chapter 300 Garrett unleashed a torrential rebuke, speaking rapidly and with a high pitch, full of vigor. Master Norwood initially tried to resist but was quickly overwhelmed, managing only a faint protest: "...I was just too tired! I¡¯ve been working day and night on this thing for the past month, even cutting back on my meditation time! Of course, I¡¯d feel unwell from overexertion..." Garrett raised an eyebrow. Still not convinced, huh? Won¡¯t shed tears until you see the coffin, right? "Archmage Carlisle!" He leaned out from behind the patient and called: "Do you have a mirror here? ¡ªAnd yes, stop the generator! Stop it first! When someone is in the room, don¡¯t use it to generate power! I¡¯ll explain why later!" He just remembered! Running electricity through mercury vapor produces ultraviolet light! This, in excess, is harmful to both the skin and eyes! Think of conditions like solar dermatitis, keratitis; these troubles are bound to happen! Cough, although acquiring a UV lamp was an unexpected bonus ¡ª adding a sterilization tool to the laboratory ¡ª now, it couldn¡¯t continue shining! Archmage Carlisle reluctantly ceased. A small glass vessel capable of converting AC to DC, the changes in current involved were indeed worth savoring for this Energy Shaping magician. But, Garrett rarely speaks to him in such a tone, and when he does, it¡¯s always about life-threatening matters, like the previous plague seed leak... Better to heed his advice. The electric motor handle stopped turning, the mercury arc rectifier¡¯s blue light went out, and Garrett finally breathed a sigh of relief. He withdrew his head, facing Master Norwood: "Need proof, right? ¡ªStand still, pull down your lower lip, let me see your gums!" The alchemist, skeptical, pinched the center of his lower lip and pulled it down. Garrett scanned quickly, his eyebrows lifting: See, I knew it. "Take a look in a mirror. At the junction of your teeth and gums, is there a thin blue-black line? That¡¯s mercury poisoning, deposited in your body, harming your health! Do you need more proof?" Actually, there were other evidences. For instance, the skin scratch test positive, which could be done on the spot; Or mercury levels in urine and blood, ah, but without the reagents or instruments, it¡¯s not possible now; Or symptoms like palpitations, insomnia, hysteria, tremors, oral ulcers, loose teeth, dizziness, headaches, nausea ¡ª the patient¡¯s recent behavior has already proven these... But, all these symptoms need to be differentiated from other diseases. Only the blue-black line on the gums, or the mercury line, with a clear history of mercury exposure, seeing this line almost certainly diagnoses it! Master Norwood¡¯s complexion changed. He shakily took out a small mirror, held it up to his face, and looked. After a long while, his hand loosened, and the mirror fell silently. Garrett caught it in time. Master Norwood was no longer concerned about the mirror, staring blankly at Garrett, pale: "...Will I die?" Master Norwood was rendered speechless, nodding rapidly. Behind him, Aurora rolled her eyes and muttered: "There he goes, recruiting again..." That¡¯s how he was recruited too! All sorts of innovative ideas, never lacking topics, providing research conditions, offering methodological guidance! Originally agreed to work for three years, now it seems like he¡¯ll keep working for the boss indefinitely... And then there¡¯s Mage Lynn, who seems to have been half-recruited too! But it¡¯s nice, getting to pet a cat now and then, feels like happiness levels have risen ^_^ Regardless, Garrett ended up taking Master Norwood, his mercury arc rectifier, and the hand-cranked generator connected to the rectifier, back to the Mage Tower. Without taking a breath, he started guiding Master Norwood up and down, inspecting the pre-laid electrical conduits: "Here I need to install a rectifier! And here! And here! And here! ¡ªOh, and make me a steam engine too! Use the fire elemental pool of the Mage Tower for heating and the water elemental pool for water supply. I¡¯ll draw you the blueprint!" UV sterilization, ah! A staple for operating rooms and bacteriology labs! Running it for 30 minutes a day, along with disinfectant, feels like the safety index has risen again! Master Norwood diligently studied the blueprints. The rectifier was one thing, but the steam-driven generator, propelled by steam to turn the axle, was merely an idea for Garrett. Asking a few more questions, Garrett suddenly pulled out a set of breathing machine pumps, showing the water-driven transmission mechanism: "Why don¡¯t you consult with the dwarves?" Master Norwood: "..." Dare this young master of the Mage Tower be any more unreliable?! If it weren¡¯t for the lifesaving grace, he¡¯d leave the Mage Tower tomorrow! Despite saying this, Master Norwood remained grateful for Garrett¡¯s lifesaving grace. On the third evening, seeing Garrett listlessly emerge from the laboratory and collapse on the dining table like a deflated balloon, he proactively inquired: "What¡¯s wrong? Research not going well?" "Penicillin extraction... still can¡¯t be purified..." Garrett sighed heavily. Without chemicals, without solvents, the road to purifying and extracting penicillin seemed endless... "Can¡¯t be purified?" Master Norwood¡¯s knife slipped, making a grating noise on the plate. He leaned forward, concerned: "Why don¡¯t I give it a try?" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 301 Chapter 301 Mage Christoph Norwood dared to request a trial because he was somewhat confident. As an alchemist, he had spent most of his life dealing with materials. Purification, separation, combination, decomposition... For instance, the purity and concentration of sulfuric acid, even a slight difference could double the price. If the concentration is pushed to nearly smoking levels, then with each advancement, the price could almost increase tenfold. High-ranking mages could use magic for purification but didn¡¯t have the time to deal with basic materials; low-ranking mages lacked the magical power and control ability, only able to manually shake bottles, stir crucibles, and wash test tubes. Mage Christoph Norwood found a way to make a living in between: He developed a magic array that could precisely purify a specific substance from a mixture. Even for substances he was unfamiliar with, as long as the client provided a sample, the magic array could naturally operate and separate out the needed material at the other end. "The only problem is, this magic array is relatively weak..." Mage Christoph Norwood was a bit nervous: "It can only purify liquids and powders, not large solids, so it¡¯s not suitable for mining or ore selection. And the quantity it can purify is quite limited, at most one liter per hour..." "That¡¯s already very good!" Garrett jumped up: "The production of penicillin is not high anyway! Whether it¡¯s filtrate or powder, it¡¯s within the purification range! Let¡¯s go and give it a try!" The result of this trial was much better than before. The penicillin purified using the magic array had half the probability of causing allergic reactions compared to the previous method of dissolving in rapeseed oil, adsorbing with activated carbon, and eluting with distilled water. Garrett was overjoyed: "Continue!¡ªCrystallize and separate the produced penicillin sodium several more times, test for allergic reactions! If the probability of allergies drops below 1%, that¡¯s exactly what we need!" Clearly, this was a task that required a lot of manpower and effort. Garrett arranged the experimental methods and tasks, assigning two apprentices from the School of Transformation to assist Mage Christoph Norwood, then left the Mage Tower to check on other projects. ¡ªPlanting seeds in winter, harvesting many projects in spring. Garrett finally experienced the joy of being a big shot. The projects arranged when the Department of Public Health was just established and the Mage Tower was just built were now ready for inspection: Leon Carlos was in charge of improving brewing methods, which was basically completed and undergoing the final verification. It wasn¡¯t too troublesome, simply heating the brewed wine, including the bottle, to 50¡ãC¨C60¡ãC and maintaining it for half an hour before bottling and sealing; "Do you want to improve the urban environment?" "Do you want the streets to no longer be filled with foul smells and sewage flowing everywhere?" "Do you want to increase food production?" Garrett posed three questions. The city hall staff nodded at the first question; the city staff, mages, and clerics nodded together at the second question; the nobles¡¯ eyes lit up at the third question. Garrett raised his right hand, and at the end of the conference room, a large roll of paper fell down and unfolded before everyone: "In all areas except the garden district, with a coverage rate of one per thousand people, increase the number of public toilets; All citizens must not urinate or defecate anywhere, they must use public toilets, or pour feces into the waste collection port next to the public toilets; Poultry and livestock manure must also be disposed of at the garbage station; Construct biogas digesters right below the public toilets and garbage stations, allowing these wastes to fully ferment. My Mage Tower and the Church of Nature have collaborated and mastered this technology. The gas produced can be piped out for cooking, boiling water, and lighting. The liquid and residue left after fermentation can be used as fertilizer for fields, effectively increasing food production. ¡ªPreviously in Hartland City, my teacher and the collaboration between the Mage Tower, the Temple of the War God, and the city guards, conducted experiments on the land of the Mage Tower and the temple, increasing efficiency by more than 20%! I am willing to donate the biogas digester technology to the council for free, only charging a symbolic fee of 1 copper coin per year. The condition is that the council opens up authorization for biogas digester construction, and the builders have the right to use all products, but must use the biogas to build boiling water rooms, providing drinking water to nearby residents for free. Who is interested in this project?" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 302 Chapter 302 After the speech, silence fell upon the meeting room. Moments later, a bishop attending the meeting from the Temple of the War God discussed briefly with his followers before raising his hand to say: "We would like to see the real thing." Garrett immediately led them down. The biogas digester was not far from the Mage Tower, located behind the animal feed room. Cleaning involved simply using a bucket to flush the manure into the digester. The bishop, after walking around the area, found it surprisingly not too smelly and nodded in satisfaction. He then asked Garrett: "Is it convenient to boil water?" Garrett took him next door. A hollow vine emerged from the ground, topped with an iron pipe leading straight into the stove. Garrett turned the valve of the iron pipe and cast a spark spell with a flick of his hand. A burst of flame rose, and soon, the pot on the stove was bubbling with boiling water. "How much manure can one biogas digester process in a day? And how much water can it boil?" Garrett smiled slightly and nodded to the priestess responsible for the biogas development. The priestess stepped forward: "Next to our Mage Tower, we built a 10 cubic meter digester that currently handles the manure from two large pigs, three small pigs, four sheep, and a bunch of rabbits, which is just enough. If a biogas digester is paired with a human toilet, a 50 cubic meter digester could serve between 300 to 500 people. ¡ªA 50 cubic meter digester can boil two tons of water a day." "In summer, it can boil even more water, about twice as much," Garrett added. The bishop calculated in his head and then asked: "Can this vine be replaced with an iron pipe?" "Of course!" Garrett answered before the priestess could. Ahem, the reason for using vines instead of iron pipes was because vines were cheaper and could be stimulated with natural magic, saving money... Previously, during the development phase, Garrett hadn¡¯t provided much funding, so everything was done on a budget. "Then we¡¯ll take a set for our temple. Make it 100 cubic meters¡ªat least it can handle horse manure and boil some water." He placed the order without even asking the price. Following his lead, Lady Seraina stood up: "How much fertilizer can one biogas digester produce? How much can it increase yield?" "A 10 cubic meter biogas digester can produce 12-16 tons of fertilizer and 50-64 tons of digestate a year. Four tons of fertilizer is enough for one acre of land..." This time, Garrett answered with less confidence. The annual production of fertilizer and digestate was an estimate; how much fertilizer was needed per acre, he had heard in bits and pieces from his correspondence with Elder Elwin. As for the effect of digestate on yield increase... He knew it would definitely increase yield, but he couldn¡¯t just make up numbers! However, the lady knight was already smiling brightly. After her smile, she slightly furrowed her brows and sighed: "That¡¯s not enough." "Not enough where?" Garrett felt somewhat guilty whenever he saw the lady knight, especially since he hadn¡¯t repaid her 2000 gold coins yet. Seeing her dissatisfaction, he quickly inquired. The lady knight spread her five fingers: "Lady Viscount?" Garrett, now owing another debt of gratitude, quickly responded. The lady knight dismounted and smiled at him: "I¡¯ve heard you¡¯ve recently advised several merchants on improving their production techniques. How about it, do you have a way to make a profit together?" I¡¯m not! I haven¡¯t! All that money went to the Public Health Office, not a cent in my own pocket! ¡ªGarrett wanted to say. However, looking at the lady knight¡¯s bright smile and thinking of the five or six thousand gold coins she had spent before, he had only one response: "I¡¯ll have to think about it..." Making so much money wasn¡¯t easy! Even if he had the technology, he had to consider the cost of transformation and the market capacity. Besides, squeezing money out of his own people wasn¡¯t the point; increasing productivity was the real goal! He furrowed his brows in thought. The lady knight pursed her lips and waved her hand at him: "Alright, no rush. Take your time, and write to me when you have an idea¡ª" She mounted her horse and rode off, leaving Garrett alone in the Mage Tower, pondering: Where to find a profitable job? Where to find a technological improvement that could easily earn five or six thousand gold coins to repay her favor? "You know, it doesn¡¯t really matter if you don¡¯t repay," Aurora walked in, seeing him hunched over with his head in his hands, almost burrowing under the table, and couldn¡¯t help but tease: "Maybe she doesn¡¯t even want you to repay? The more you owe, the more you owe, and then... hmm?" "I definitely have to repay." Garrett rolled his eyes at her: "Borrowing and repaying makes borrowing again easy, borrowing without repaying is a mess... Let me think, which project can I use to repay the debt? All the good projects have been sold off already..." Pasteurization, salt purification, and using metal thermometers to control furnace temperatures for iron smelting... All the most valuable projects had been exchanged for investments with the Public Health Office, and the others weren¡¯t worth much! "Maybe cooperate in producing penicillin? No, absolutely not, this project is vital, the council must keep it under its own control... Or the upcoming smallpox vaccine? Even less so, vaccines aren¡¯t meant to make a fortune!" "You better think fast!" Magus Lynn walked in. Mister Troka leaped down from his shoulder, carrying a gilded invitation, and presented it to Garrett: "Well, she¡¯s specifically invited you to her ball! If you don¡¯t want to sell yourself, you¡¯d better come up with something to redeem yourself!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 303 Chapter 303 Accepting favors softens the tongue, and taking gifts shortens the arms. Owing a significant debt of gratitude and yet to repay it, Garrett could only arrive at the Augustus Castle around three or four in the afternoon, just as the tea party was starting, on the day of the ball. Not just him, Aurora and Lynn also tagged along to enjoy the ball, and as for Bernard, wherever there was good food, he was sure to be found... On the castle¡¯s soft grass lawn, large umbrellas blooming like white flowers had been erected, under which dozens of ladies and gentlewomen were sipping tea and chatting. Seeing Garrett and his companions dismount at the other end of the long bridge and hand over their invitations, they cast surprised glances: Who are these guests? Why have they arrived so late! The knights who had gone hunting in the woods had already returned, and the group of knights jousting in front of the castle had already changed twice... The lady knight personally went to greet them. Aurora and the others consciously stepped back, watching Garrett and her walk shoulder to shoulder across the long bridge, chatting as they went. The lady knight, with a smile full of meaning, pointed towards a tower on the right corner of the castle: "I¡¯m really sorry to bother you knowing how busy you are. But Lord Bartolo, the mage patronized by the Loxi domain, has been deteriorating in health and has decided to retire. We haven¡¯t found a replacement yet, and the news has leaked, so I can only ask you to make an appearance to deter those with ulterior motives." From this lengthy speech, Garrett only caught the words "deteriorating in health." As soon as the lady knight finished speaking, he immediately asked: "What¡¯s the ailment? Has he been seen by a physician¡ªor a priest?" "Elder Wood and the Archbishop have both seen him." Seraina smiled softly and sadly: "Lord Bartolo doesn¡¯t have a serious illness; he¡¯s just old. He was also my mother¡¯s mentor, nearly 100 years old this year..." Garrett uttered a sound of acknowledgment and refrained from offering any more advice. There are many diseases in the world that, with the advancement of medicine, might be treatable. However, old age is incurable: as one gets older, the resilience decreases, unable to withstand any surgery or illness, and eventually, even without any disease, one could pass away from multiple organ failure. He simply asked: "Is there anything I can help with?" "Not for now. Just your presence at the ball, making yourself seen, is enough. By the way, if it¡¯s not too much trouble, may I have a dance?" "Ah? Heh, heh..." Garrett silently drifted away, taking Bernard with him to find a place to eat. The majority of Seraina¡¯s guests were nobility, and Garrett hardly knew anyone. After making a round, he only greeted Master Tolga and his daughter Iris. The young lady was happily engaged in conversation, clearly spoken for, and was here to support her friend. Not wanting to intrude, Garrett excused himself after a brief chat and went off to satiate his hunger. It was early spring, and the night fell quickly, with a bone-chilling breeze by the lake. Before long, the banquet hall was brightly lit, and suddenly, a grand horn sound echoed: "Wait! You can only eat after three dances!" "...But with whom shall I dance?" Garrett couldn¡¯t help but retort. Apart from the hostess, I only know one woman here who¡¯s already taken! Am I supposed to ask her for a dance? NEVER! "You don¡¯t have to dance! Just stand by and watch, it¡¯s the etiquette! Etiquette!" Garrett might opt out of dancing, but the hostess couldn¡¯t. As the host of the ball, Seraina danced the first dance with her father, Count Inverness, and then the second with the heir to the count, her eldest brother, Baron Canneh. As the music changed, becoming lively yet tender, the crowd began to move, looking left and right as if searching for something among themselves. "What are they looking for?" Garrett whispered. Aurora shook her head, and so did Lynn. Shortly after, from behind the countess, another young man they had brought along stepped forward, his left hand behind his back and his right hand elegantly extended, bowing slightly to the lady knight: "Miss Seraina, may I have this dance?" Seraina cautiously took a step back. The young man, unfazed, continued to smile: "Miss Seraina, I am the eldest son of Baron Hopman, 25 years old this year, a level 7 knight. I have been traveling abroad and have just returned to my homeland. Your beauty and valor have left a deep impression on me. May I have the honor of asking you for a dance?" Ah... so it¡¯s a matchmaking attempt. Got it. Garrett withdrew his gaze, suddenly feeling something amiss, and scrutinized the man again. Knight Hopman was tall and slim, his right hand extended forward with long, well-defined fingers. Those hands, if used to play the piano, would surely be quite adept. As Garrett watched, he subconsciously stepped forward, nearly breaking through the crowd. Aurora quickly pulled him back: "What are you doing?" "Ah?" Garrett hadn¡¯t yet snapped out of it, his gaze still fixed on Knight Hopman, and absentmindedly responded. Aurora quickly dragged him back, whispering: "Not now if you¡¯re going to intercept! ¡ªHe¡¯s brought by the countess!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 304 Chapter 304 Garrett finally snapped back to reality, stepping back two paces under Aurora¡¯s forceful guidance. Meanwhile, in the center of the crowd, Lady Seraina, with a smile on her face, neither nodded nor shook her head but instead turned to Count Inverness: "Father, I have the right to choose my own dance partner, don¡¯t I?" "Of course¡ªof course," the count nodded. He appeared to be in his mid-thirties, in crisp military attire, with deep lines between his thick, dark eyebrows. Facing his daughter¡¯s question, his brows furrowed slightly, but he ultimately gave an affirmative answer: "My daughter, at any time, you have the right to choose your dance partner. However¡ªthe Hopman lad is quite a decent person, a 25-year-old level 7 knight, quite a match for you. Perhaps you should consider it?" He glanced at his wife as he spoke. The countess immediately added: "Yes, Seraina. This child is my nephew, and frankly, he¡¯s been raised by our entire family. He¡¯s serious and hardworking, with quite a good character. By the goddess above, you¡¯re already 20. When I was your age, I was already married to your father and had given birth to your brother¡ª" Seraina maintained her graceful demeanor, her hands clasped in front of her, smiling as she listened. Upon hearing this, her lips curled slightly upwards, and she leaned in towards her stepmother: "Yes..." She then whispered something quietly that Garrett couldn¡¯t make out from afar, but it was clearly not meant to be flattering. The countess¡¯s face turned red, then pale, and then back to normal after a moment. Garrett stopped in his tracks, not venturing any closer. Lady Seraina cast a sidelong glance at Knight Hopman, lifted her head, and walked past him straight forward. Immediately, several young nobles stepped out: "Miss Seraina, may I have this dance?" "Lady Viscount, may I have the honor?" "Beautiful miss..." Lady Seraina¡¯s gaze briefly swept over Garrett, who stood quietly in the crowd, making no move to come forward, and she smiled gently. Extending her hand, she touched the nearest gentleman who seemed acceptable: "My pleasure, Mister Pierre~" Light on her feet, her skirt swirling, she danced through one song and then with another lucky gentleman. Knight Hopman stood by the countess, his face growing darker by the moment, his eyes almost shooting fire as he watched Lady Seraina¡¯s dance partner. Garrett made it a point to pass by him. Pretending to be nonchalant, he strolled past, two meters away from Hopman, sneakily observing him. After a while, he circled back for another look... As the third dance ended, Lady Seraina excused herself to change her attire and took a break. The guests paired off to dance, and Garrett was about to sneak past again when Lynn, the mage, grabbed him and pulled him into a corner: "What are you doing? Didn¡¯t you see that guy is about to explode? Everyone else is avoiding him, and you¡¯re walking right into the lion¡¯s den. Be careful he doesn¡¯t take it out on you!" "What can he do to me?" Garrett was slightly indignant: "I haven¡¯t provoked him; I¡¯m just walking past! The banquet hall isn¡¯t his house; what can he possibly do to me?" The two glared at each other in the corner, neither able to persuade the other. Amidst their standoff, a roar suddenly erupted from the center of the dance floor: "Pierre, I challenge you to a duel!" Garrett immediately looked in the direction of the sound. Oh no, Knight Hopman, with a stormy expression, was staring down the young noble who had first danced with the hostess. Between them on the floor lay a white glove, shimmering with silver, seemingly embroidered with numerous patterns. The swords clashed again. Garrett hastened to the front. But with the two level 7 knights moving at high speed, a tangle of pale gold and silver light rolling from the center of the hall to the doorway, and then from the doorway to the outside square, Garrett could barely make out anything... Suddenly, a sword rang out, and Lady Seraina exclaimed, "Ah!" Hopman¡¯s triumphant laughter followed: "Lady, shall we stop? Rather than fighting you, I¡¯d much prefer to dance..." "Silence! Again!" The lady knight charged once more. They resumed their fierce battle, Lady Seraina¡¯s pale gold sword light occasionally flaring up, then subsiding, but never breaking through Hopman¡¯s defense. After five or six minutes, another "Ah!" echoed, and a piece of black fabric fluttered down from Lady Seraina¡¯s attire, landing on the ground. "Ah!" "Be careful!" "Lady, watch out!" The onlookers gasped in shock. Even a few hot-headed ones shouted, "Hopman, you¡¯re inhuman! To bully a lady like this! ¡ªLady, step back, let me take your place!" This comment seemed to ignite a powder keg. Most of the attendees were guests invited by Lady Seraina, along with their companions. Generally younger and less experienced, their tempers flared much more easily than those of the older generation. Relying on Hopman being preoccupied with the duel, a barrage of shouts, curses, and even foul language erupted. "Silence!" Hopman roared. He leaped backward, swinging his long sword, sending a blood-colored sword light slicing through the air, creating a three-foot-deep, six or seven-foot-long fissure at the feet of the two closest onlookers. He raised his long sword, pointing it at the crowd: "Whoever curses again, after this duel, I¡¯ll challenge them to a duel!" The square instantly fell silent. Garrett¡¯s eyes lit up: He saw it clearly! Hopman was exceptionally tall, probably two meters, tall and thin. The hand holding the sword had unusually long fingers, even pressing down on the second knuckle of the middle finger while holding the sword hilt! As for his left hand, hanging by his side, though not absurdly long enough to reach his knees, it almost touched them! Their family has unusually long arms and fingers... not very capable of taking hard hits... often sudden deaths... Garrett¡¯s mind raced, the answer almost leaping out. On the square, the duel continued, and moments later, Lady Seraina exclaimed again, presumably struck somewhere. Garrett tensed up, shouting out: "Seraina, be careful! Either stall him long enough or force him with a powerful move! Clash with him!" "It¡¯s useless! He¡¯s stronger than me, I can¡¯t overpower him with a powerful move!" Lady Seraina shouted back. Garrett urgently replied: "It works! His family has a hereditary condition, weaker than average by one level, and can¡¯t withstand intense activity. He wouldn¡¯t dare clash with you! ¡ªClashing too much could lead to his sudden death!" "Clang!!!" A sword light aimed straight at him. Reflexively, Garrett stepped back, his mage armor shattering silently half a foot in front of him, as a translucent force field sprang up. Triggered by the ¡¾Endless Ink Pen¡¿, it protected him just in time. Across the barrier, Hopman¡¯s face twisted in rage. He held his long sword straight, targeting Garrett¡¯s forehead, his eyes full of murderous intent: "Who are you?! Daring to insult my family, I challenge you to a duel!!!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 305 Garrett Nordmark¡¯s heart pounded fiercely, and his back was drenched in cold sweat. The sword strike had been aimed directly at his vital points! It was not a warning, nor was it a light touch; it was an attempt on his life! His mage armor was already shattered, and if it weren¡¯t for the Endless Ink Pen promptly deploying a force field barrier, he would have been dead by now! Since crossing over, this was the closest he had come to death! "Do you want to kill me?" He gritted his teeth, staring at his opponent, striving to keep his voice from trembling. To his left, Aurora Worton, and to his right, Andrew Lynn, both friends came over to stand shoulder to shoulder with him. Two shield spells rose at the same time, joining together on either side of the force field barrier, like a pair of unfolded wings. Across the force field barrier, Knight Hopman glared at Garrett viciously. This time, his intent to kill was real¡ª Unlike before, the first duel was just for the sake of beating him up over a quarrel; the second fight was more about pressuring Lady Seraina to accept his courtship; this time, he genuinely wanted to kill this outspoken mage! How dare he insult the family¡¯s lineage! Insult the bloodline that allowed them to maximize the "Spider Sword Technique"! Long arms and fingers, exceptionally slender, these were gifts bestowed by the heavens, proof of their noble lineage! And yet, this mage had the audacity to spout nonsense, claiming it was a disease, that they couldn¡¯t withstand vigorous activity, or they would die suddenly! Impossible?! Such malicious attacks on the family, if possible, must be met with death! But of course, he couldn¡¯t admit that out loud. He took a couple of heavy breaths, his wrist sank slightly, and the tip of his sword pointed at Garrett¡¯s forehead: "I challenge you to a duel! You¡¯ve insulted our family¡¯s bloodline, and this hatred can only be washed away with blood!" Garrett rubbed his forehead, sighing. Why does this medical dispute keep coming up... A disease is a disease, a hereditary illness is a hereditary illness. Even if you beat me up or even kill me, it won¡¯t change the fact that you¡¯re sick! And besides... "You want to duel me? I¡¯m a mage!" "So what if you¡¯re a mage? Rest assured, I¡¯ll duel you following the rules of mages!" Knight Hopman sneered through clenched teeth. His gaze fell on Garrett: a third-level mage, a fourth-ring arcanist. His research level might be high, but his personal combat ability was there for all to see! He was certain to win this duel! ...The rules of mages? What are those? Garrett felt puzzled, subconsciously turning towards Aurora, seeking clarification with his gaze. To his right, Seraina had already drawn her sword and rushed over, coldly smiling: "A duel with a mage?! If you duel him, you¡¯ll have to face all his followers, magical pets, and summoned creatures at the same time. Are you sure?" "I¡¯m sure!" Knight Hopman¡¯s gaze was firm. In the surrounding area, he recognized almost every mage born into nobility and mage families; without the support of a family¡¯s power, who could afford followers? Even relying on a high research level and the teacher¡¯s favoritism, that would at most amount to a few pieces of magical equipment! The equipment that triggered the protective barrier had already been forced out once before! As for the magical pets a third-level mage could have... Given the mage¡¯s financial resources and personal level, that was basically a joke. Knight Hopman was full of confidence, but what Garrett heard was Seraina¡¯s meaningful hint. He immediately felt relieved, nodded in gratitude to the female knight, looked at Knight Hopman, and sighed helplessly: "Are we really going to have a duel?" "Of course!" "You must be joking," Master Tolga chuckled, taking over the conversation. "Who, especially a mage, would pretend to be someone else¡¯s follower? The barbarian was given by the little guy¡¯s teacher, and that blond mage, was arranged by his mentor Archmage Carlisle. Go ask around at Thunder Tower, there are definitely not a few who know about this..." The old priest fell silent. Knight Hopman¡¯s gaze dimmed for a moment, then suddenly raised his head, shouting loudly: "This is you forcing me!" He sheathed his sword and took out another longsword from his belt pouch. As soon as this new sword was revealed, a murmur of surprise rippled through the crowd. Seraina¡¯s eyes widened, and she immediately shouted: "Garrett! Be careful! That¡¯s their family¡¯s famed sword ¡¯Crimson Dawn,¡¯ capable of storing a full-powered strike from a superior knight!" A superior knight refers to a knight of level 10 or above. Remembering the battle against the Radiant Lord¡¯s clergy and facing a level 9 knight, Garrett shuddered and immediately began rummaging through his spatial bag. He checked each item with Aurora: "Did you bring the Purple Scale Stone?¡ªYou did? What about the nitrocellulose? You did? How many packs? Only three? That¡¯s not enough, here, take this whole bag..." Knight Hopman gripped the longsword and advanced step by step. This "Crimson Dawn" not only sealed sword qi but also significantly enhanced his strength and speed. With it, coupled with the family¡¯s "Spider Sword Technique," he could match an 8th-level knight and even surprise and wound a 9th-level knight! "Are both duelists ready?" The old priest, seeing Garrett endlessly rummaging, hurriedly shouted. Before Garrett could respond, something fluffy suddenly coiled around his right shoulder and tickled his left ear: "Meow¡ª" The crowd stirred again. In Garrett¡¯s surprised gaze, Mage Andrew Lynn, in his black robe and with his eternally unchanging face, slowly stepped into the dueling arena. "You! You too?!" Knight Hopman¡¯s voice nearly cracked. Mage Andrew Lynn glanced at him indifferently and opened his spatial bag: "I now reside permanently in his Mage Tower." With a flick of his fingertips, a stream of golden light flew out from the bag, tail to head. Then, everyone saw toe bones connecting to shin bones, shin bones to thigh bones, thigh bones to the pelvis... One by one, the bones assembled themselves, and finally, the golden skeleton bent over to pick up its own head, pressing it onto the top of the spinal column, even shaking it a bit to test its stability. In its eye sockets, two flickering lights shimmered as if laughing. Knight Hopman: "..." Lady Knight Seraina: "..." Count and Countess Inverness: "..." Only Garrett breathed a sigh of relief. He knew the capabilities of Mage Andrew Lynn, battle-hardened, far more capable of fighting than the two of them. With him present, their side would definitely not be bullied due to lack of combat experience! After all, Mage Andrew Lynn had previously defeated knights of the Radiant Lord, even surpassing two levels to kill! He clapped his hands: "Shall we continue the duel? One-on-one, or a brawl?" Hmm... One-on-one means you alone against all of us, and a brawl, well, that¡¯s all of us against you alone... Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 306 In such a power matchup, were the positions reversed, Garrett would likely have given up immediately. Duels aren¡¯t about life and death or unavoidable combat; a simple apology, or even foregoing one with a bit of thick skin, could halt proceedings¡ª Better that than taking a beating, after all. The problem was, the opponent clearly didn¡¯t think so. With a furious roar, Knight Hopman launched an assault: for a warrior against a mage, closing the distance swiftly is the quintessential strategy for victory. Garrett had just prepared a vial of potassium permanganate, bracing himself, when he heard Mage Andrew urgently command: ¡°Aurora, empower! Garrett, defend!¡± As he spoke, his hands flickered with a ghostly light, pointing forward. A bone prison surged from the ground in the direction of Knight Hopman¡¯s charge. At the same time, Mr. Troka leaped forth, growing in size and transforming into a black panther mid-air. Andrew¡¯s hands moved rapidly, casting spell after spell on the beast, causing its short fur to shimmer with a metallic luster. Aurora¡¯s reaction was slightly slower. Fortunately, his high level and swift casting speed allowed him to quickly apply spells of bear¡¯s endurance, bull¡¯s strength, and cat¡¯s grace on Bernard. The barbarian roared mightily, his already imposing stature swelling even further as he charged with a large bone club. ¡°Boom!¡± The clash between the knight¡¯s sword and the bone club erupted in an explosion. Bernard stepped back once, while Knight Hopman staggered three steps back, drawing a neat circle before lunging to the left. Not yet crossing the midpoint, a deep roar confronted him as the black panther bit at his knee. Garrett busied himself casting shields on his three companions. After completing the trio of protective spells and looking up, he saw the fifty paces distant had devolved into chaos. With Bernard¡¯s immense strength, the black panther¡¯s agility, and a golden skeleton, the three surrounded Knight Hopman, who was unable to break through. Hmm... seems stable? Garrett blinked. He sidled up to Andrew, whispering: ¡°Can we make him surrender? If this drags on, he might actually die...¡± Andrew glared fiercely at him. Seeing Garrett¡¯s confused look, he resisted the urge to knock on his head, exhaling deeply: ¡°Why speak out of turn? ¡ª Yes, I know you want to help Lady Seraina, and it¡¯s not necessarily wrong, but must you speak so freely? Blunt confrontation is one thing, everyone knows that, but why declare his family¡¯s illness openly? Are they not compelled to fight you to the death?!¡± Garrett wanted to argue that their family did indeed have a hereditary illness and that it shouldn¡¯t be taboo to mention. Andrew glared again: ¡°Do you have proof? Can you prove it? Oh, you¡¯re a healer, so what? Did they ask for your help? Did they ask you to broadcast their condition?!¡± Garrett hung his head lower with each rebuke. On reflection, he realized he had indeed become overconfident¡ª Having enjoyed uninterrupted success recently, with access to the Mage Tower and persuading nobles and merchants for public health initiatives, he had become somewhat complacent. Worst of all, he had forgotten the fundamental principle of confidentiality! Lowering his head, he admitted: ¡°Andrew, I was wrong. I won¡¯t do it again. Is there any way to make him stop? ¡ª This could really end in sudden death!¡± ¡°...I¡¯ll try.¡± Seeing his serious tone, Andrew also sighed, moving from Garrett¡¯s right to his left. Stepping slightly outward, he looked towards Knight Hopman¡¯s great-uncle, raising his voice: ¡°AAAAAAAAAH¡ª¡± A roar shook the surroundings. Garrett¡¯s ears buzzed, and the elderly priest¡¯s shouts were drowned out. Only another roar, alongside the barbarian¡¯s, rose to meet it: ¡°ROAR¡ª¡± A creature, neither dragon nor snake, emerged as a spectral beast from the club! Clearly, the Alchemy Guild had put significant effort into repairing the club, sealing a high-grade beast soul within. Now, as the beast soul confronted the sword energy, though at a disadvantage, it wasn¡¯t immediately destroyed. Seizing the moment, Mr. Troka roared, raising his claws to unleash eight gusts of wind. The golden skeleton, though silent, charged forward, sword slashing at the sword energy! Together, they momentarily achieved equilibrium. Sword energy and beast soul screeched against each other, sparking. Yet, it was clear to all: the barbarian, bending and kneeling, plowing deep furrows with his feet, his arms trembling violently, couldn¡¯t hold out much longer... ¡°Retreat!¡± Garrett clutched the test tube, dashing forward. The next moment, Bernard¡¯s blood sprayed wildly as he fell backward; the black panther whimpered, shrinking into a palm-sized kitten, and the golden skeleton... The golden skeleton collapsed with a clatter. Skull, spine, ribs, limbs, scattered across the ground as the sword energy whizzed overhead. Sword energy roared. Knight Hopman¡¯s eyes blazed, charging past the three fallen warriors, straight at Garrett. He didn¡¯t even swing at the barbarian again: ¡¾Blood Dawn¡¿¡¯s energy was nearly spent, and every bit had to be directed at the mage! Then, he saw the three mages shoulder to shoulder, pointing or raising their hands towards him¡ª ¡¾Fireball¡¿! ¡¾Fireball¡¿! ¡¾Flaming Orb¡¿¡ª One large and two small fireballs approached simultaneously. Just fireballs! Knight Hopman sneered, confident that even without stored sword energy, his own could easily shatter these fireballs! He directed his sword light, slicing through. The fireballs on either side moved faster, while the Flaming Orb was slower. The sword light curved, encompassing them all. But the next moment, all three fireballs exploded, a trio of blasts converging on a single point like never before! Trouble!!! Knight Hopman¡¯s hairs stood on end. The blood-red sword light lasted only half a second before silently shattering. All he had left was his sword energy, the fruit of years of diligent cultivation as a level seven knight¡ª Knight Hopman swung his sword in desperation. Left, front, right, he had to block them all! Push harder, move faster, strengthen the sword energy! The moment stretched on like eternity. Finally, as the blast faded, several layers of shields had been erected, obviously not easily shattered. Behind the shields, the young mage shouted: ¡°Bernard!¡± The barbarian¡¯s roar and the black panther¡¯s growl approached, aiming for his back. Knight Hopman turned, sword in hand. The next moment, a pain pierced his chest, and he collapsed, weakened. Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 307 A buzz sounded in Garrett Nordmark¡¯s forehead. Marfan syndrome¡ªthrough family medical history and repeated observations, Garrett had confirmed this¡ªthe patient, after vigorous exercise, clutched their chest in agony and fell to the ground, unable to rise again¡ªa high probability of a cardiovascular disease attack! It is known that patients with Marfan syndrome largely have congenital cardiovascular abnormalities! He sprinted towards the patient. As he ran, he rapidly went through a checklist in his mind. Angina? Acute myocardial infarction? Cardiogenic shock? Or something worse... Regardless, if it was just a severe arrhythmia or cardiac arrest, as long as immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed, many could be saved! His eyes fixed unblinkingly on Knight Hopman, who had collapsed on the ground, curled up, making it impossible to see if his chest was rising and falling. Was he breathing? Were his lips cyanotic? Was there cold sweat? Too far to see clearly, he needed to get closer... Just a few steps out, his arms were simultaneously gripped tight. Andrew Lynn was on his left, Aurora Worton on his right, each grabbing one of his hands, forcefully dragging him back: "What are you doing!" "Let go of me! I need to save him! He¡¯ll die soon if we don¡¯t!" "What does his dying have to do with you!" Andrew Lynn almost wished he could cover Garrett¡¯s mouth. He stood in front of Garrett, pressed down on his shoulders, and forcefully pushed him back. While pushing, he leaned forward, stared into Garrett¡¯s eyes, and roared: "He didn¡¯t die by your hand! It was his own request to duel! You stopped the moment he fell! The three of us, along with Bernard, and my two magical pets, none of us hurt him!" Just after he finished shouting, a person had already rushed over from beside the dueling ground. The old man¡¯s beard was almost entirely white, yet he ran quickly, reaching Knight Hopman in a blink. He knelt on both knees, prayed for a moment, and then a beam of white light fell on the knight. It was Knight Hopman¡¯s granduncle. Although the old man was aged, his priest level was not to be underestimated, with three silver lines shining on the hem of his robe, clearly indicating an 8th-level priest. Garrett¡¯s steps had just slowed when the old man turned his head and bellowed at him: "What are you doing here? Want to harm him further? Get out!" Garrett paused. An 8th-level priest, really quite powerful, should... be able to cure him, right? But sudden cardiac death was still very dangerous... Without proper resuscitation, if the heart couldn¡¯t be restarted, relying solely on healing spells, it¡¯s uncertain how long they could last... That old man was only praying, not performing any external chest compressions... I¡¯ll just take a look... Just a look... Garrett hesitantly wanted to step forward. Andrew Lynn pulled him back again: "What else do you want to do?¡ªAre you confident you can save him?" In an instant, all of Garrett¡¯s strength drained, his shoulders slumping powerlessly. No confidence. Really no confidence. Without an ECG, echocardiography, MRI, cardiac catheterization, and aortography, he couldn¡¯t even determine what the patient was suffering from. Marfan syndrome¡¯s cardiovascular abnormalities are varied and extensive, virtually a comprehensive catalogue of cardiovascular diseases: Progressive dilation of the aorta, aortic valve insufficiency, aortic sinus aneurysm, dissection and rupture of the artery, mitral valve prolapse, mitral insufficiency, tricuspid insufficiency, congenital atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, Tetralogy of Fallot, patent ductus arteriosus, coarctation of the aorta... If we¡¯re unlucky, and the aortic aneurysm burst or the aorta tore, not stopping the bleeding, not transfusing blood, not replacing a section of artificial blood vessel, what use is just hanging on with healing spells? As they talked, the old priest was already drenched in sweat, on the verge of collapse, water dripping from his hair and beard. Under the white light, Knight Hopman lay flat on the ground, his complexion pale, his lips devoid of any color, clearly showing signs of excessive blood loss... Did the aorta rupture? Can¡¯t be that unlucky, right! The Countess¡¯s face turned pale, pulling and tugging at Count Inverness¡¯s wrist a couple of times, taking a small crystal bottle from the Count¡¯s hand, and quickly pouring it down the old priest¡¯s throat. With the help of the potion, the old priest managed to cast a few more healing spells, finally running out of energy, closing his eyes to catch his breath. "He¡¯s going to die." Beside Garrett, Aurora and Andrew Lynn said in unison. Aurora tiptoed, leaning forward to look, while Andrew Lynn half-closed his eyes, seemingly sensing the dying breath of the other knight. Garrett remained silent, while the Countess had already knelt down, trying to check her nephew¡¯s breathing, then leaning over to listen to his heartbeat¡ª She let out a sharp, piercing high-pitched scream. Lifting her skirt, she rushed at Garrett: "You killed him!¡ªYou killed him!" "Lady, please mind your manners!" Seraina immediately stood in front of her stepmother. She unsheathed her sword, blocking the Countess from advancing any further, clearly lacking any martial prowess. She flung herself onto the sword, pointing sharply at Garrett, as if dripping blood: "You killed my nephew! Killed the heir of the Hopman family! The Hopman family will not let you go!" Garrett remained silent. He really disliked Knight Hopman¡¯s behavior. Dislike aside, he didn¡¯t wish for his death, much less provoke him into dueling himself and dying on the spot. I do not kill Boren, but Boren dies because of me... He silently listened to the Countess¡¯s accusations, not wanting to retort a single word. Master Tolga, however, was already furious: "Lady, please watch your words! Knight Hopman died during a lawful duel, suddenly collapsing, dying of his own accord! So many eyes were watching, the moment he fell, Mage Nordmark¡¯s side stopped, causing no further harm! ¡ªCount Inverness, do you acknowledge the legality of the duel?!" Count Inverness¡¯s face was as still as water, pulling his wife behind him. As one of the duel¡¯s witnesses, his presence was part of the duel¡¯s legality: Three witnesses, Priest Farley representing the knight¡¯s side, Master Tolga representing Garrett¡¯s side, and he, as the highest-ranking noble present and the father of the host, undoubtedly represented the local authority. As the landlord, he should uphold justice, yet it was his wife who caused the commotion! TMD that little beast was even flirting with his daughter during the battle! If not for his daughter¡¯s strong character, refusing to break the knight¡¯s code by fighting two against one, he himself would have already entered the fray! "Shut up!" He shouted at his wife, turning to the public: "I witness: Knight Hopman collapsed suddenly during a lawful duel, dying of his own accord. Mage Nordmark did nothing inappropriate. No one shall use this as a reason to accuse or retaliate against Mage Nordmark¡¯s side!" "That won¡¯t stop some from breaking the rules." Master Tolga snorted on the side. Without waiting for the Count¡¯s response, he strode forward, grabbing Garrett: "Let¡¯s go! Immediately return to the city with me! Once we reach the Mage Tower, we¡¯ll be safe!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 308 Chapter 308 Master Tolga¡¯s decisiveness was truly swift as lightning. On the spot, he threw out a piece of flying equipment, the same cloud of dark clouds Garrett had first seen him with, pulling Garrett directly onto the cloud. Andrew Lynn, Aurora Worton, and Bernard followed in quick succession. Mr. Troka meowed once, jumping into Garrett¡¯s arms, while the golden skeleton, as usual, transformed into a chain of bones, collected by Mage Lynn into a spatial bag. Master Tolga stomped his foot, and the cloud surged, lifting off the ground. His departure was indeed resolute. The next day, Baron Hopman himself received the news of his eldest son¡¯s death in a duel. "What? Clayton is dead?!" The Baron clenched the silver cup in his hand, engraved with exquisite patterns, instantly crushing it into a crumpled mess. The crimson wine spilled through his fingers, like blood dripping from between his fingers, or even bleeding from his heart. He glared at the count¡¯s knight standing straight before him, teeth gritted, facial muscles twisted in anger: "Who did this? Who killed him?" Sir David bowed slightly, stepped forward, and calmly presented the count¡¯s handwritten letter. After the Baron took the letter, he stepped back, standing straight again. From beginning to end, he said not a word. He was only two years younger than Count Inverness, raised in the Count¡¯s manor and grew up alongside the Count. It was well known in the count¡¯s territory that he was the right-hand man of the current Count, able to represent the Count himself in some informal situations. This time, due to the death of the important son-in-law of a neighboring lord, Count Inverness had sent him to deliver the letter, rushing over night and day. And from the moment Baron Hopman met him, there had been no seat offered, no greetings exchanged, not even a proper address! Therefore, Sir David kept his lips sealed. After Baron Hopman swiftly read through the letter, trembling hands turned back to the first page and read it again, then once more. Finally, he raised his gaze, staring hard at Sir David, and said in a deep voice: "What does the Count mean?" "The Count expresses his deepest condolences for the death of your son," Sir David bowed slightly, his tone formal and precise: "He extends his sincere condolences to you and your lady. The Count said he and his wife will definitely attend your son¡¯s funeral on the appointed day." ... Baron Hopman¡¯s fury blazed even brighter. Though he had three sons, the second was frail, and the third had been sent to the Spring Water Temple to become a priest. Only the eldest was promising, already a level 7 knight at a young age. And now, this son, on whom he had pinned his hopes, was dead! Dead! Dead! And Count Inverness was unwilling to help him seek vengeance on those who killed his son! "What¡¯s the background of that mage?" he asked, suppressing his rage. Sir David lowered his gaze slightly, then looked directly at the Baron after a moment, his mind already organizing the answer. He had watched the young lady grow up, and Knight Hopman had dared to disrespect her; he deserved his death. Since Mage Nordmark had stood up for the young lady, from the perspective of the Count¡¯s manor, he should not be disturbed! He disclosed a bit about the young mage¡¯s background, hoping to dissuade the Baron from any rash actions and from bothering the young mage: "He is a guest invited by the lady. A fourth-ring arcanist, a third-level mage. During the duel, two fifth-level mages claimed to be his followers, one of whom is said to be a disciple of a grandmaster. Additionally, there¡¯s a barbarian follower whose combat level is suspected to be seven. ¡ªAfter the duel, a thirteenth-level grand mage activated a flying artifact, immediately taking him and his followers away from the scene." ... The Baron silently gasped. "The one... about their family having a hereditary disease..." Garrett pondered, his head bowed. Master Tolga, though reluctantly, urged him: "Little Garrett, I know it¡¯s hard for a mage to retract their research findings, but it¡¯s just a word after all. You¡¯re young, a slip of the tongue occasionally won¡¯t be held against you. Look, they¡¯re very sincere..." He pushed forward a list of gifts, densely written with at least ten lines of presents, starting with various amounts of gold coins, silk, etc. The gift was quite valuable, yet Garrett didn¡¯t even glance at it, just murmured quietly: "But it¡¯s true..." "But this statement concerns their life and death! If it spreads, no noble would marry into their family, effectively cutting off their lifeline..." "But it¡¯s the truth, a truth that won¡¯t become false just because I deny it." Garrett suddenly looked up: "Master Tolga, you said other families not marrying into theirs cuts off their lifeline. But if I claim this statement is false, what about those men and women who marry into their family without knowing anything? Aren¡¯t their lifelines also cut off?" Master Tolga was momentarily speechless. After thinking, he solemnly said: "But they also said if you refuse to retract, they will accuse you at the council of maliciously attacking their family, tarnishing their honor! Are you confident?" There was deep concern in his tone. Garrett¡¯s face darkened: "Let them come! Truth is truth, it won¡¯t become false! Master, please convey my words back, I won¡¯t apologize, and they should take back their gifts. At most, I won¡¯t actively promote their family¡¯s matters in other contexts. ¡ªIf they really sue me for defamation, I¡¯ll publish a paper in ¡¯Arcane¡¯, and explain the hereditary disease clearly!" "That, that¡¯s not necessary..." Master Tolga, flustered, smiled bitterly. Mentioning ¡¯Arcane¡¯ was not a threat; in just over a year, Garrett had published two papers in ¡¯Arcane¡¯, and it wasn¡¯t hard to publish another. Once the hereditary disease issue is published in ¡¯Arcane¡¯, it wouldn¡¯t just be a small circle of nobles in one region knowing, but the entire kingdom, even nobles from across the continent, would be aware within a few months! Even the Radiant Church¡¯s court, not to mention, secretly subscribes to ¡¯Arcane¡¯ and ¡¯Magic¡¯... He sighed in frustration and took his leave. Well, Garrett agreeing not to promote it publicly was also a result of negotiation... However, Baron Hopman was not satisfied. Or rather, a marriage negotiation that was about to be concluded suddenly changed, forcing him to intensify the pressure. It wasn¡¯t long before Master Tolga visited Garrett again: "Little Garrett, how about making a concession? You know, the Hopman family has always had a good relationship with the council, and they provide stable supplies to our Alchemy Guild for several goods. For example, the rubies from the southern black continent, they recently claimed a ship didn¡¯t arrive, and now there¡¯s no ruby supply..." "Is it troublesome?" Garrett inquired with concern. The Master sighed: "For the large, gem-quality ones, we have a year¡¯s supply. The trouble is with ruby powder, which is used in enchanting the undying flame, the largest consumption, and we only have a month¡¯s supply left. The council¡¯s ships to the new continent haven¡¯t returned yet..." A month, huh? Garrett pondered. Regarding the enchantment of undying flame with ruby powder, he had some ideas previously but had been too busy to implement them. Now that they had approached him with this issue, it was a good opportunity to try... "Master, give me some time, maybe I can solve this problem. In any case, I won¡¯t let the Alchemy Guild be in a difficult position." Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 309 Chapter 309 Back when Garrett Nordmark was penniless, he had researched how to manually create the undying flame at a low cost, even when he couldn¡¯t afford a shadowless lamp¡ªnot even 1/36 of one. His conclusion was that the costliness lay in the enchantment process, primarily due to the materials required¡ªit needed ruby powder! That was prohibitively expensive! The kingdom¡¯s native production of rubies was laughably insufficient. To use them on a large scale, one had to either smuggle them from the kingdoms under the Radiant Church¡¯s control, from the distant Orc Wastelands, or import them from the Southern Black Continent and the New World... And the Southern Black Continent was mostly under the Radiant Church¡¯s control as well! Garrett couldn¡¯t fathom why rubies were necessary. Weren¡¯t they just aluminum oxide? Red when mixed with chromium, blue with iron or titanium, and other colors with different elements... Why not just use aluminum oxide directly, or even aluminum... But then he remembered the difficulty of aluminum smelting; there was a time in history when it was more expensive than gold, and he understood. After all, flawed, impure rubies could be ground into powder, whereas aluminum, if not left unused, would be prohibitively expensive once produced! Garrett had considered experimenting with electrolytic aluminum but lacked the conditions and couldn¡¯t ignite the electrolysis skill. Once he had unlocked the skill, he dove into bacterium culture. Electrolytic aluminum? It seemed Aurora¡¯s seniors were playing with various electrolysis; let them have their fun, it¡¯d be good to see what they came up with. Now, under pressure, Garrett recalled this idea. The first step was to conduct his own electrolytic aluminum production¡ªwhat was he thinking? Of course, it was to look up literature! Garrett rushed to the tower¡¯s control room at the top, badge in hand: "MOSS, please help me look up papers related to electrolysis." "Of course, Master. Searching for papers, keyword: electrolysis. MOSS will retrieve them for you immediately, please wait." The tower spirit responded without hesitation. One advantage of having a high-level mage tower was the direct access to literature through the tower spirit. It¡¯s said that the White Tower and the Peak¡¯s mage towers can access new papers immediately upon upload; The high-level mage towers around Nevis City can access papers uploaded more than half a month ago; As for high-level mage towers in other regions, unfortunately, depending on the council¡¯s maintenance frequency, they generally lag by six months to a year; Ordinary mage towers in other regions, like the one Garrett used to stay in, Hartland City¡¯s mage tower... better to subscribe to journals yourself. As for unpublished papers, they¡¯re generally unseen... MOSS¡¯s efficiency in paper retrieval was very high. The crystal ball flickered, and soon a light screen appeared, displaying titles, keywords, abstracts of papers page by page. Garrett flipped through several pages and found that since he introduced electrolysis technology last year, countless magicians have delved deep into this area, with over 100 papers published! "Fantastic! I don¡¯t have to grind electrolysis myself!" Garrett was excited. Spreading the technology was the right choice! How much of the tech tree can one person push forward? It¡¯s through the collective research of many magicians that real progress is made within the council! As for the difficulty in searching through numerous papers, that was easily solved... "MOSS, search keywords: electrolysis, new substances." "MOSS, search keywords: electrolysis, metals." Upon searching, Garrett was overjoyed. Both the transmutation and energy manipulation schools had magicians claiming to have produced a "strange white metal." Garrett spent a contribution point for each paper, found out they had even measured the metal¡¯s density, hardness, melting point, etc., with significant differences between them... Could it be two different metals? Garrett made a trip to the trading center, bought back both metals, and then had Mr. Norwood try enchanting them. It wasn¡¯t long before Mr. Norwood, holding a silver rod, ran over with a shocked face: "Boss, where did you find this? It¡¯s so useful!" It had been a while, but the clinic was still the same. Merchants, clerks, apprentices came and went, occasionally some poverty-stricken people with worried faces hesitated at the clinic¡¯s entrance, wanting to enter but stopping themselves. Around dinner time, injured dockworkers limped in, bleeding from arms or legs, hoping to get a free healing spell, or a mother rushing in with her child... In general, the stationed priests could skillfully handle everything, and Garrett didn¡¯t notice any signs of infectious diseases that required him to initiate an emergency plan. After two days of calm and leisure, on the third day at noon, while Garrett was peacefully reading in the clinic, a group of sailors rushed in at the entrance in a panic: "Priest!¡ªSave us, Priest!" Garrett stood up abruptly. In just moments, the clinic was filled with the stench of blood: At least twenty to thirty sailors were brought in. Those with head injuries, suspected broken arms, suspected broken legs, moaning loudly, unconscious... The worst injured was carried by two men, with two others supporting his body to prevent him from shaking: A long iron bar pierced from his back to his front, going through his entire body! It wasn¡¯t far from the harbor here, but the injured had already lost who knows how much blood, their clothes nearly entirely soaked red. The clothing was of good quality, but the skin on the face and hands was rough, clearly also a seaman¡ªperhaps a high-ranking one. An elderly man followed, gasping for breath, his woolen coat covered in fresh blood, slamming a purse on the table as he entered: "Please, Priest, save him first! He¡¯s my son!" Garrett and Priest Farley both leaped into action. Priest Farley shouted: "Everyone, come out! Aaron, go call people from the Temple of the War God! Franz, go to the Spring Water Temple! Call a high-ranking priest! Must be high-ranking! We can¡¯t handle this kind of injury!" Garrett was already moving towards the injured, quickly assessing, quickly sorting. Those with broken arms, sit over there, broken legs, the same, those bleeding, throw a tourniquet, gauze, anything, directing them on where to bind or press firmly. While assessing, he turned back, shouting at the two apprentices he brought: "Tear off the injured¡¯s clothes! Tear them off! If not, cut them off! Clean the skin, alcohol for the wounds nearby, wait for us to take over!" He quickly assessed the situation, sorting all temporarily non-life-threatening patients that could be delayed. Returning to the center of the hall, the clothing on the torso of the injured with the through-and-through wound had been completely cut away, revealing a bare back with an iron bar protruding terrifyingly from the right rear side. Priest Farley prayed over the injured, beams of white light falling one after another, yet he dared not touch the iron bar. The leading old man paced anxiously beside, frowning deeply: "Can you save him, Priest?... Can you?" "It¡¯s hard to say..." Priest Farley finished another prayer, looked up, and sighed. "I can only try to keep him stable, wait for a high-ranking healer to come, and see if they can remove the object. Ah, this injury is too dangerous; I have no confidence..." "How long will they take to come?" "If we¡¯re lucky, at least an hour... Ah, I don¡¯t know if he can last that long... Bring over the healing potions! Bring more!" Garrett silently observed. He called an apprentice with the Endless Ink Pen to kneel in front of the injured, using the Detect Magic repeatedly for examination. After a while, he interjected: "Maybe... I can be of some assistance?" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 310 Chapter 310 Garrett Nordmark had treated several through-and-through abdominal injuries in his previous life and even one after crossing over to this world. However, a characteristic of such injuries is that: No two through-and-through wound patients are alike. Different victims, different organ locations, different thicknesses, different materials of the penetrating object, different penetration sites, and even slightly different organ positions... lead to vastly different outcomes. Some victims might have a rod thrust into them, piercing through the liver, spleen, breaking major blood vessels... They might die before reaching the hospital, or barely cling to life upon arrival, only for their blood pressure to plummet as soon as the abdomen is opened, dying before the doctors can locate the blood vessels. So, Garrett didn¡¯t take this patient¡¯s injuries lightly. Fortunately, after examining the patient from all angles and combining it with magical X-ray, he felt somewhat confident that the patient might still be salvageable: The iron bar entered through the 11th rib space at the back and exited above the pubic symphysis. This location, being somewhat distant from the spine, probably avoided the liver and spleen as well as the abdominal aorta and inferior vena cava. In other words, there was a low chance of immediate severe bleeding or causing irreparable disability. Additionally, upon the patient¡¯s arrival, Garrett had glanced at the bloodstains on his clothes. Based on his extensive clinical experience, the patient had probably lost no more than 500cc of blood so far... Factoring in intraoperative bleeding, with some luck, it could be kept under 800cc, a dangerous yet manageable figure. Having made his assessment, Garrett volunteered to help. However, the elderly man beside the patient eyed him skeptically and asked: "You? Are you sure you can do it?" Garrett was momentarily taken aback. He reached for his oak staff, silently raising it¡ªthe staff¡¯s tip adorned with three sturdy green leaves, clearly indicating a seasoned third-level priest. The old man hesitated for a moment, then bowed deeply to Garrett, his face crinkling with worry: "Thank you for your kindness, Priest. But... uh, if possible, could we wait for a higher-ranking healer to arrive?" His expression was anxious, almost fearful, as if afraid Garrett would take offense. Garrett softened, squatting to meet his gaze: "Of course. Don¡¯t worry, Brother Matthew is very kind... then, shall I attend to the other injured in the meantime?" Choosing a doctor is a family¡¯s right, he understood. A main doctor versus a department head, he¡¯d choose the head physician too. Such situations were common to him, not worth getting upset over. Seeing the old man¡¯s frightened demeanor, Garrett even squatted down to reassure him gently. The old man breathed a sigh of relief, nodding vigorously. Garrett offered a reassuring smile and stepped back. He quickly donned surgical scrubs and, along with the clinic¡¯s three junior priests and the two apprentices he brought, attended to the other injured. Cleaning wounds, bandaging, setting bones, stitching... Well, skip the stitching, because with healing spells available, they hadn¡¯t even bothered to stock suture thread, simply guiding positive energy to accelerate wound healing. Busy with these tasks, half an hour passed unnoticed. Sweat poured down Brother Matthew¡¯s face, his glances towards the door growing more frequent, while the patient¡¯s breaths grew fainter, signaling the near exhaustion of the healing spells. Finally, hurried footsteps sounded. Brother Matthew¡¯s face lit up with hope, only to see a fourth-level priestess of the Spring Water Goddess rush in behind his colleague: "The Temple Knights are out on exercises, and the archbishops went with them! Only three of us were left in the temple!" The priest sent for help rushed in with the news. The newly arrived priest nodded to Matthew and immediately began to pray. Soft, water-like blue light emanated from her hands, silently enveloping the patient. However, the difference between levels four and five wasn¡¯t just one level, but a qualitative leap, with many powerful divine spells out of reach. As soon as Matthew ceased his prayers, it was visibly clear that the patient¡¯s vitals began to destabilize¡ª "That... Priestess, how much longer can you hold on? Can my son be saved?" The old man asked anxiously, crouching beside. The priestess wiped sweat from her brow and shook her head: "At most half an hour¡ª" Despair darkened the old man¡¯s eyes. The Temple of the War God was especially remote, and even if they had gone for help at the same time, it might be over an hour before anyone could arrive. "Please, Priest, save my son! I beg you! You mentioned earlier that you could try¡ª" "Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t hurry." Garrett calmly assured him. "I¡¯m not unwilling to help. But the priestess is currently treating him, you¡ª" "My divine spells are almost spent! You go!" The priestess of the Spring Water Temple stepped aside without any displeasure, immediately making way. Garrett breathed a sigh of relief, thanked her with a nod, and stepped forward to the patient: "Brother Matthew, let¡¯s move him to the surgery room!" The surgery room was located in the northwest corner of the clinic¡¯s first floor, the furthest from the hall, with the door tightly shut. Lifting the stretcher agitated the patient¡¯s internal injuries, causing him to cry out in pain again. The old man pleaded urgently: "Please, Priest, relieve his pain! He¡¯ll die from it at this rate! If he can¡¯t help but struggle, it¡¯ll make his injuries worse!" "...I wish I could." Brother Matthew sighed helplessly. "I¡¯ve almost used up all my higher-level divine spells, saving the last one for a critical moment. Lower-level spells won¡¯t alleviate the pain... Garrett, what are you doing?" "I¡¯ll give it a try." Garrett had already bent down. He aimed his fingers at the patient¡¯s back, where the iron bar had penetrated, and began to chant softly. As the spell took effect, Matthew could clearly see the patient¡¯s back muscles relax slightly. Garrett didn¡¯t stop there; he moved in front of the patient and cast another spell. After finishing, he leaned down and asked: "...Do you feel better now? Does it still hurt?" The human body¡¯s surface has a dense distribution of pain receptors, making it sensitive to pain. Internal organs, however, are less sensitive to pain. Of course, if the iron bar truly hit a critical spot and tugged at nerves, I couldn¡¯t help much. I could only try to adjust the scope of the spell as much as possible... "It¡¯s a bit better..." The patient answered weakly. The young priestess looked on in surprise but hesitated to ask, while Brother Matthew directly inquired: "It really eased the pain! Garrett, how did you do that?" "I¡¯ll tell you later," Garrett responded briefly. He directed others to move the patient into the surgery room, positioned him properly, and pulled out a small bottle of glycerin. He applied it over the patient¡¯s abdominal skin and activated an ultrasound spell: "Hmm, not much fluid in the abdominal cavity, seems the bleeding inside isn¡¯t too severe... the bar is a bit far from the liver... and the spleen too... there¡¯s an issue with the intestines, but it¡¯s not serious... the kidneys... the kidneys are bad!" He muttered under his breath, incessantly. Everyone around, whether they understood his actions or not, dared not interrupt, standing silently to the side. After examining the patient, Garrett rushed to wash his hands, calling out to Brother Matthew as he went: "Brother Matthew, get some seeds! Find the finest, vine-like ones without fuzz, soak them in alcohol, I need them!" Water flowed loudly. Without specialized antiseptic hand wash available, Garrett had to use the most traditional surgical handwashing technique, scrubbing from fingertips to upper arms repeatedly. After washing, he hurried back to the patient, applied a strip of glycerin to his left palm, and scattered the seeds Matthew handed him across it. The seeds temporarily adhered to his palm in a line. Garrett, with his right hand on the patient¡¯s abdomen, activated an ultrasound spell with his left hand gripping the iron rod, focusing on energizing the seeds¡ª Slender vines, barely thicker than hair, emerged from his hands. They densely entwined, leaving no gaps between them, weaving a verdant sheath around the iron rod, closely adhering to it and silently advancing forward. Silently, they penetrated into the patient¡¯s abdominal cavity and emerged from the back. Then, Garrett forcefully contracted his palm, the vines seemingly retracting slightly inward before subtly expanding outward. "Brother Matthew, stabilize the iron rod! Follow its direction! Pull!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 311 Chapter 311 What is the most dangerous moment in treating a through-and-through wound? Garrett, in both his past and present lives, has simulated this countless times. The conclusion is: the moment the penetrating object is removed. The human skin, muscles, and even internal organs are all under tension. When an object penetrates the body, it is firmly fixed in place by the tensed-up body, and the act of "pulling" it out itself also causes damage to the tissues along the way; In unlucky situations, such as when the penetrating object is a wooden stick with nails - that nail might even cause additional damage, such as severing a major blood vessel. Not to mention, when a stick, steel bar, or even a sharp knife is inserted into the body, it temporarily blocks the damaged blood vessels; once pulled out, blood surges instantly! How to solve this? Before pulling it out, first make an incision in the skin to locate the damaged blood vessel and clamp its front end. However, this cutting and searching itself is also a form of damage, adding more trauma to the patient. Garrett had seen surgical videos in his previous life where doctors attempted to use endoscopes to enter the wound, locate, and seal damaged blood vessels, but the diameter of the endoscope itself is also a problem... Numerous doctors have racked their brains over this. Now, Garrett is fortunate to make another attempt, a completely different one. He induced the growth of vines along the wound at the penetration site, squeezing into the skin¡¯s crevices little by little. The diameter of the vines is barely thicker than a strand of hair, minimizing damage, while the flexibility of the plant¡¯s growth allows it to grow along the penetrating object all the way to the other end¡¯s exit. Then¡ªexpand slightly outward, pushing open the surrounding human tissue! The expanding force replaces the penetrating object itself, sealing the wounds around blood vessels and organs. And once the penetrating object is no longer pressed down by the muscle, the friction is reduced, allowing for smoother removal! "Reverend Matthew, pull!" At Garrett¡¯s command. Reverend Matthew took hold of the end of the iron rod, front and back, and pulled with all his might¡ªthe iron rod flung out a stream of blood, shining brightly under the illumination spell, almost hitting Garrett¡¯s face; while Reverend Matthew stumbled, nearly falling! "Why is it so easy to pull out?" He muttered softly. And by his side, the young priests from the Springwater Temple, the two junior priests helping with the stretcher, and the two apprentices Garrett brought in, all cheered in unison: "It¡¯s out!" "It¡¯s out!" With the iron rod pulled out and the patient not bleeding profusely, the treatment was halfway to victory! The subsequent treatment was no longer as perilous! Cheers reached outside the operating room. Through the door, anxious family members and fellow sailors started whispering and asking each other: "Is it out?" "Really out?" "Is our first mate still alive?" "Let me see my son... let me in¡ª" The door to the operating room was rattling loudly. Garrett closed his eyes, sighed, turned around, and yelled: "Everyone out! Don¡¯t push the door! If one more person comes in, I¡¯ll stop treating!!!" Ah, not bringing Bernard along today was really a miscalculation... and this operating room is too shallow! In his previous life, an entire floor was dedicated to surgery. Once inside, the long corridors, nurse stations, storerooms, pharmacies, rest areas, dressing rooms, from the first to the eleventh, twelfth operating room... Endless rooms like a maze, not to mention family members rushing in, even new doctors could get lost on their first visit! The mesentery had two holes, not urgent; Only two small blood vessels on the mesentery were torn, one cast of healing minor injuries was enough, truly lucky! All of the intestines, those that needed to be lifted were lifted, those that needed to be pushed were pushed, exposing the posterior abdominal wall¡¯s peritoneum! Mage Hand, up! Help me with the intestines! "What are you doing! With all this cutting and pulling, the patient is going to wake up!" the priest whispered in shock. Garrett, without lifting his head: "Shh! Don¡¯t talk! If he wakes, help me cast another sleep spell!" He silently calculated, then cast another Alleviate Pain. The priest peeked at the patient, seeing the man¡¯s brows tightly furrowed, his eyeballs moving slightly, but he really didn¡¯t wake up. He turned to Garrett, astonished, "How did you do that?" "Alleviate Pain! Of course, he won¡¯t wake up if he¡¯s not in pain!" The sleep spell has a limitation: once the subject experiences pain, they will immediately wake up. But paired with Alleviate Pain, it becomes a perfect combination for surgery... Garrett replied to the priest, his expression immediately turning serious. Below the posterior abdominal wall peritoneum was a mess of blood and tissue, shattered and fragmented. Garrett barely scooped up a shattered kidney, showing it to the other healers: "Reverend Matthew, his right kidney... it¡¯s like this. Is there any hope?" To Garrett, it seemed beyond hope. The right kidney had a large hole pierced through it, blood gushing out. Not just that, the muscle tissue had discolored, clearly losing vitality. But kidneys are so vital to the human body, Garrett always hoped that the healing spells of this world could offer a different answer. Reverend Matthew looked troubled. He barely released a healing spell, a dim green light falling on the kidney, to no effect. Then poured over a small bottle of precious healing potion, the pale golden potion flowing over the kidney¡¯s surface without any sign of improvement. The young priest from the Springwater Temple also came to help, exerting himself to release a healing spell, still no improvement. ...Clearly, healing spells, especially those of low-ranking priests, do not have the powerful force to reverse life and death. Garrett sighed in resignation. "It can¡¯t be saved. ...Cut it out." Cut around the kidney fascia. Mage Hand separated the kidney. Separate, cut, divine healing of the ureter, renal vessels. Removed the right kidney, divine healing of the surrounding fascia, back and lumbar fascia. These tasks are all urological surgery, something Garrett did somewhat nervously, but always with divine magic as a safety net. A damaged kidney was lifted off the surgical table and placed on a tray, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the sweat soaking his back. "Reverend Matthew, it¡¯s alright now, you can retract the vines... I¡¯ll clean up the abdominal cavity, it¡¯ll be quick..." Saying "it¡¯ll be quick," in reality, it also took about half an hour. By the time Garrett had sequentially repaired the latissimus dorsi, internal oblique muscle, subcutaneous tissue, and skin, as well as the posterior wall peritoneum, mesentery, and other tissues, and had washed the abdominal cavity with warm saline and holy water, preparing to close the abdomen, the operating room door banged open: "How¡¯s the patient? Still alive?" Garrett silently stopped his work. He held his hands up in front of his chest, turned around, and looked at the war god bishop who had rushed in energetically. However, he hadn¡¯t managed to see anything clearly before the other person turned into a blur, rushing to the head of the surgical table, reaching out to touch the patient¡¯s breath: "Good, still alive..." Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 312 Chapter 312 Bishop truly lives up to his reputation as a battle-hardened warrior. Indeed, he has been through countless battles, his war hammer, battle axe, and scepter have crushed over a hundred skulls. Therefore, even upon seeing a patient with an opened abdomen lying before him, the Bishop remained unfazed, simply saying to Garrett: "Sorry, I¡¯m late. ¡ªHow is it going now?" As he spoke, he casually pointed towards the door, and with a "bang," the operating room door slammed shut, leaving the patient¡¯s family members who wanted to rush in locked outside. Garrett stood up straight, hands held out in front, and pivoted on his heels to turn half around, giving him a thankful smile: "The treatment is almost finished, just need to close the abdomen. By the way, the patient should be waking up soon, can you assist with a divine spell?" The Bishop felt it was his solemn duty. The standard Peace Spell of the War God Temple was readily cast, combining pain relief, sedation, and restraint all in one, immediately immobilizing the patient on the operating table. Garrett was delighted and readily asked him for further assistance. This new Bishop indeed has great patience. Closing the abdomen layer by layer, casting healing spells for minor injuries one after another, he showed no sign of impatience, nor did he complain with remarks like "Couldn¡¯t this all be solved with one major healing spell?" Only after all the wounds were treated and the divine spell was lifted to awaken the patient did he squat down to examine the iron bar that was removed, measuring it with his hands, then quietly went to ask Reverend Matthew: "This long? Did it pierce through? Where did it enter from originally? With such a severe injury, how did you treat it?" Reverend Matthew: "..." I only know a little bit... But only the relatively minor part. However, since the Bishop was invited at his request and came out of respect for him, he had to be properly looked after no matter what. Reverend Matthew glanced at Garrett, who was starting to leave with the copper basin, and subtly indicated to the Bishop: "The treatment was led by him, perhaps let him explain later?" The Bishop had already hurried out. Garrett moved forward, so did he; Garrett turned, he followed; Garrett and the patient, along with another elder, entered a room, and he naturally followed in, sitting down with no intention of leaving. Such thick-skinned behavior made Garrett take another look at him: almost on par with the Bald Bishop. However, since the other had previously lent a hand, he couldn¡¯t just turn his back on him now. He merely smiled at the Bishop, placing the copper basin on the table: "The treatment was very successful. Your son is no longer in life-threatening danger, but there are some follow-up issues to be aware of. First, because the iron rod pierced through the kidney, we had no choice but to remove it..." The War God Bishop¡¯s ears perked up immediately. Inside the room, postoperative discussions and health education were being conducted orderly. Outside, the clamorous noise gradually quieted down, with the crew looking at each other, all showing signs of exhaustion on their faces. "Is the first mate okay?" "He should be fine, able to walk out on his own, his life should be saved." "Can we leave now?" "Let¡¯s wait a bit longer? That young priest asked us to wait for him to come out..." As they chatted, the door creaked open. Garrett stepped out briskly, saying to the War God Bishop as he walked: "No problem, how this injury was treated, I¡¯ll explain to you later. Just wait a moment, let me first take care of these minor injuries. ¡ªYou guys, come sit over here!" The poison on the needle was his own concoction; just a scratch would be fatal within an hour. The best part was the action of the needle was not loud, similar to a mosquito bite, giving him ample time to escape far away. His body had just fallen halfway when his outstretched hands pressed against thin air, unable to push down any further. Immediately after, a pair of translucent Mage Hands grabbed his arms, straightening his body. Garrett glanced over in the midst of busyness: "Are you okay?" With a wave of his hand, the floating disc and Mage Hand dissipated. James stood there stunned for a moment, thanking him repeatedly. He returned to his spot, quietly waited for a while, then picked up a cup, pouring water and offering it to Garrett¡¯s side. This young priest had been talking until his mouth was dry; he would definitely drink the water... He held the cup, stepping forward. His left hand raised a few times, intending to tap his fingernails on the rim of the cup, but then silently lowered it. In the end, he delivered the cup to Garrett¡¯s table just as it was: "Reverend, please have some water..." "Hmm, thank you." Garrett thanked him without touching the cup. Instead, the War God Bishop glanced over, flicked a hand, and cast a faint glow. "The water is not poisoned. You can drink it." James retreated silently, sweating profusely. He moved forward in the line until Garrett asked about his condition, completed the medical record, and dismissed him before he hastily left. Stepping outside, he leaned against the wall, listening intently: "Your son, it¡¯s best he rests in the guest room for the night, given the severity of the injury... Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll personally watch over him..." James thought for a moment, then slipped to the side of the treatment center, quietly jumping inside. During the chaotic crowding earlier, he had already scoped out the layout, roughly knowing where the guest rooms were. He preemptively snuck into a guest room, quietly hiding on the beams, concealing his presence, curling into a ball. Soon, the patient, his father, Garrett, and the War God Bishop, filed into the room. James curled tighter on the beam, listening as Garrett settled the patient down to sleep and went to the next room with the War God Bishop, spreading out paper: "I¡¯m starting to supplement the medical history now. If you want to know how this injury was treated, you¡¯ll understand by looking at the records later. Hmm, you want to watch me write? Alright then..." "Patient¡¯s name: Andrew Miller, male, 27 years old, first mate. Penetrating injury, 16mm diameter iron rod, inserted from the right back between the 11th ribs, exiting above the pubic symphysis. Estimated blood loss 500ml..." "Pubic symphysis? That¡¯s the bone here on the hip..." "What¡¯s a midline incision? It¡¯s from the xiphoid process down to the midpoint of the line connecting to the navel, there, from here to here..." The lengthy record and explanations continued throughout most of the night. James, coiled on the beam, listened as Garrett constantly explained the contents to the Bishop, checking on the patient every two hours, his gaze vacant, questioning his existence: So what exactly did I come here for? Listening to him write so many records, I feel like I can write them myself now... Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 313 James Lowe spent the entire night on the beam without finding a single opportunity to strike. That young mage¡ªor should I say, young priest?¡ªwrote through most of the night, accompanied by the War God Priest for just as long. After completing the medical records, he repeatedly went in to check on the patient, monitoring his breathing, heartbeat, strength, fever, and even urinary output, recording all this information in his notebook. During this process, the War God Bishop¡ªJames deduced he should be level 7 from his robe¡ªnot only did not show any annoyance, but he also didn¡¯t sneak off to the next room to catch some sleep! "There¡¯s so much you need to record," the War God Bishop remarked as he flipped through the notebook. Names, ages, injuries, various treatments, all meticulously recorded across three pages of paper, accompanied by three diagrams. While not detailed to the finest hair, it was clear enough to show the path of the iron bar through the body and the internal damage. "This is just the tip of the iceberg," Garrett smiled wearily. This was just a part of the surgical record, or more accurately, just the procedural part of it... Including the post-surgery inventory of dressings and instruments (there were no dressings or instruments, everything was done with healing spells and Mage Hands); The situation with sent specimens for lab testing (samples were taken from within the abdomen before closing up, but bacterial culture had not been done yet, Garrett was curious if tetanus bacilli would still be present after being cleansed with holy water); The patient¡¯s tolerance during surgery (blood transfusions, medication used during surgery, special treatments, and emergency measures were not recorded, only the estimated blood loss was noted); The anesthesia during surgery (no anesthetic drugs were used, only divine magic for anesthesia, and the effect was satisfactory)... All these essential parts of the surgical record were still missing. Not to mention the initial progress notes, senior doctor¡¯s ward rounds, resuscitation records... Thinking about all these, Garrett felt overwhelmed. When he was studying "Diagnostics," his teacher encouraged them, "At the Union Medical Hospital, medical records from a hundred years ago are still available for doctors to study. If we want to become top-notch doctors, we must start by writing a medical record that will still stand up to scrutiny a hundred years from now!" Such ambition inspired everyone. However, this lofty aspiration quickly faded when they actually entered clinical practice. From 8 AM to 9 PM, exhaustedly starting to fill out progress notes, it swiftly became: Write a medical record that meets medical standards... A record that would pass inspections by the province, the city, and the hospital... A record that wouldn¡¯t result in deductions by the medical records department... A record that could win a medical malpractice lawsuit... Ah, such memories are too painful to revisit. Miraculously, after being transported to another world, Garrett began diligently filling out medical records again, more diligently than if someone from the medical records department were breathing down his neck. ¡ªThat¡¯s the ladder of medical advancement, the basis for judging whether each new diagnostic and treatment method is effective, how could he not write it?! Of course, while he diligently filled out records, Mr. Assassin grew increasingly desperate. Curling up on the beam until the next morning, watching Garrett being sent off by the War God Bishop and handing over to Bernard, James Lowe flipped down from the beam, jumped out the window, and headed straight for Baron Hopman¡¯s domain. No more assassinations! He was done with this damned mission! One failure could be bad luck, a second might be carelessness, but a third failure was a warning from the gods! Following this principle, James had lived safely until the age of 40, and this time was no exception. As an assassin, he had a skill set that allowed him to sneak back home unnoticed by gods or ghosts. When Baron Hopman came to his senses and found several people missing from his castle, James Lowe had already taken his family hundreds of miles away, boarding a ship bound for the New World... "Dear sister..." The Baroness had more than one sister. Some married knights or squires, some devoted themselves to the temple, some often visited her for conversation, flattery, and benefits, and some broke off relations with her upon marriage. However, the sister she sought help from at this moment was one who took an unusual path, joining the Black Crow Swamp from her youth. Slynn, removing the letter from the crow¡¯s leg, skimmed through it. Still cries for help, still pleading, this was already the fifth letter, she thought, her sister truly harbored hatred, determined to seek vengeance against that little mage¡ª So, should she help her with this? Slynn¡¯s grotesque face twisted into a sinister smile, causing the apprentice to instinctively step back. She had been ugly since childhood, bullied at home, even the housekeeper and cook dared to show disdain. Fortunately, this sister had always been kind to her, allowing her to eat well, dress warmly, and even learn to read with her... Because of literacy, she had the chance to meet a mage from Black Crow Swamp, embarking on the path of magic study. After becoming a mage, she lived alone in the mountains, rarely venturing out. This sister, who married into the baron¡¯s family, she hadn¡¯t seen for over a decade, but always remembered her kindness. Slynn pondered for a moment, pulling out the previous letters from a desk drawer, reading them line by line, carefully. This time, she indeed noticed something she hadn¡¯t before, laughing loudly as she read: "Ha ha ha ha... Lynn! Lynn! You¡¯ve actually become someone else¡¯s follower! Following a third-level mage!" Her fingers, wrinkled from potions, clenched, crumpling the thick parchment. Thinking of Lynn, Slynn¡¯s heart ignited with rage: she had been stuck at the threshold of advancing to level 5 for many years, seeking a magical pet to help her break through, desperately asking her mentor for help. Eventually, her mentor found a cat-shaped magical pet, and with friends, went to capture it, intending to give it to her, but it was allocated to Lynn by the school... And at that time, Lynn was merely a third-level mage! He didn¡¯t lack a magical pet! He wasn¡¯t stuck unable to advance! Just because his mentor was strong, because his faction was powerful, the magical pet that should have been hers was taken by Lynn, who was of a lower level than her! This vengeance, she must seek one day! She stepped out of the mage tower, palms upward, letting the crow in her palm take flight. Half a day later, the Baroness received a reply: "Dear sister..." A carriage fetched Mage Slynn from the mountains into the baron¡¯s domain, then to Nevis City. Within a week, Mage Slynn visited five or six friends in the school, as well as some nobles familiar to the Baroness. Then, she returned to her mountain mage tower, as if nothing had happened. Two weeks later, Garrett received news from both the treatment center and the temple: In several city blocks, mainly inhabited by lower-middle-class craftsmen, artisans, and clerks, there was a noticeable increase in the number of patients. The conditions showed striking similarities. Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 314 "Three cases have been discovered at 37 Gladstone Street." "Four cases have been discovered at 25 Camerons Street, belonging to three families." "Two cases have been found at 37 Alamo Street..." The messages kept coming in, one after another, to the infectious disease hospital. In front of Garrett, on the large map, toy figurines as tall as a fingertip were placed one by one, quickly clustering into a small bunch. ¡ªMost of them were within an area deliberately highlighted in yellow. Garrett¡¯s brows furrowed and never relaxed again. This area was deeply imprinted in his memory, spanning two entire blocks in the lower-middle-income district. Twelve buildings, all owned by the same noble, all supplied with water by this noble¡¯s private water company¡ª In Nevis City, apart from the garden district, the water supply was maintained by the centralized water facilities of the Spring Water Temple. The only exception was the original private water company... And among the areas served by the private water company, the largest was the one covering the noble¡¯s twelve buildings! Garrett clenched his fists tightly. He knew, he just knew! Having this hazard in the city was a ticking time bomb! The current issue was, what exactly was the outbreak... "Contact the emergency management department! Seal off these two blocks!" Garrett issued a series of orders: "Bring all the patients, everyone living with the patients in their homes, to the infectious disease hospital! Send four people to Black Crow Swamp, take environmental samples from all the patients¡¯ homes, their drinking water, food, clothes, toilets! Send one person to the Temple of the War God and the Spring Water Temple, and try to get as many healers to come and help as possible!" ... Madam Beland twisted the water tap. The water was somewhat yellow and very weak. She murmured, "Damn them all," and skillfully caught the water in a copper pot, beginning to prepare dinner: Little Eli found a job yesterday, he deserves a good meal; Tommy did well in his exams yesterday, he should be rewarded, he¡¯s graduating from general education school next year, hopefully, he can find a job as a clerk; Should little Lila be sent to school next year? Hmm, it depends on how much her brothers earn. If they earn enough, they could send Lila to literacy classes, and the family could move back to the district they used to live in. Not like now, where two teenage boys, a little girl, and herself, four people, are crammed into one room... "Mommy, Mommy!" the five or six-year-old girl pouted and tugged at her skirt. Madam Beland turned and touched her daughter¡¯s hair: "Lila, what¡¯s wrong?" "Mommy, I need to go to the bathroom!" "Go on, hurry back." Madam Beland advised. Listening to her daughter¡¯s pitter-patter running out of the room, Madam Beland suddenly felt sad, pulled up her apron to wipe the corner of her eyes: "If only the old man were still alive... Lila is already six and still has to use the public toilet in the hallway, we don¡¯t even have a washroom at home..." She put down her apron and continued her work. The vegetables needed washing, slicing; a large piece of salted fish cut into three smaller pieces, two larger and one smaller; several potatoes washed for a thick potato soup, plus a pot of oatmeal porridge... The middle-aged widow worked efficiently. As she prepared the dinner ingredients, she suddenly felt something was wrong: Why hasn¡¯t her daughter come back yet? It¡¯s just a trip to the toilet, why is it taking so long? Lila is usually very obedient, she always tells her before going out to play... Hesitating, she heard a series of heavy footsteps rushing up the stairs. Madam Beland quickly opened the door, only to see a group of people in black thumping past the hallway. Frightened, Madam Beland hurriedly closed the door but worried, she quietly pushed the door open a crack to peek through. "I¡¯m fine..." Madam Beland, enduring another wave of abdominal pain, gritted her teeth: "Can I stay with my daughter? She¡¯ll be scared without seeing me..." "People without illness should go to the observation area." The young man greeting her was fully equipped with a hat, mask, gloves, prepared as if for a great enemy. His eyes still maintained a smile, but his tone had already become stern: "Quick, take her away! Take samples! Send for inspection! Hurry up, run!" A person in full epidemic medical gear rushed over with a transparent disc, placed little Lila on the disc, and dragged her away. Madam Beland was about to ask another question when another wave of severe abdominal pain hit her. She blacked out, crouched down, and was casually supported by the young man: "You¡¯re not feeling well, too? Can you walk? If you can walk, follow your daughter; if not, wait a moment, a stretcher will come soon!" "...I¡¯ll go up!" She encountered a young man in the center of the lobby. His forehead¡¯s black hair was completely wet, sticking flat to his forehead, he rushed into the lobby shouting: "Leon, how many patients now? How many healers have come?" "Sir, 129 patients! The Church of the Nature God sent 9 priests, the Temple of the War God 17, the Spring Water Temple 12!" Leon Carlos reported. Garrett staggered, urgently asking: "What are the symptoms?" "Bloating, abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea... nausea, vomiting, headache, swelling, lack of energy to open the eyes... Oh, and a few said they couldn¡¯t see clearly, numb limbs, numb lips and tongue..." Leon handed over a booklet. Garrett scanned it quickly, his mind racing: Such a widespread outbreak, mostly related to the intestines, undoubtedly an infectious disease... Intestinal diseases are often spread through fecal-oral transmission, but what is the specific transmission route? Food? Water? Sewers? Water pipes? Should all people be brought in for quarantine? ¡ªTwelve buildings, how many residents? His thought hadn¡¯t finished when several carriages stopped one after another. Apprentices went up to receive people, arrange transportation, and inquire about their conditions. At the same time, the apprentices who had sent the previous batch of patients down ran to Garrett in the lobby, coming up one by one to report: "Three patients, one with abdominal pain, diarrhea, one with a fever of 37.8 degrees, headache, vomiting, one with severe abdominal pain, bloating!" "Two patients, one with abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloody stool, fever of 38.5 degrees, one..." "Four patients..." Garrett stood amidst the apprentices, watching carriage after carriage pull in with patients, as if he saw everything, yet as if he saw nothing. 129 patients, 133, 135, 139...146... and many more patients to come... They only had 38 priests... Among the apprentices by his side, only 12 healers, all apprentices¡ªoh, the girl from the Church of the Nature God recently advanced to a 1st level priest. Plus, a mage apprentice from the medical branch could be used as a healer... Suddenly, another apprentice rushed down the stairs. A small figure, in heavy epidemic medical gear, could only be identified as a girl by her voice, coming in shouting: "Any priests? Is there a priest? A little girl is not doing well!" Madam Beland only heard "little girl not doing well" those few words. She cried out, turned, and threw herself towards the young man in the center of the crowd. Halfway there, her legs gave out, she fell with a thud, but she didn¡¯t feel the pain, rolling and crawling into the crowd, clinging to Garrett¡¯s legs: "My daughter! Save my daughter!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 315 Garrett instinctively stepped back. It wasn¡¯t out of disgust, but rather to keep as much distance as possible from the source of infection, to avoid getting covered in pathogens from the patients¡ªor their family members. After all, he didn¡¯t have any no-rinse sterilizing gel on him; wherever he went, he had to be careful about what he touched. Madam Beland was immediately helped up and taken to the ward. Garrett watched her go, then turned his gaze towards the entrance of the hospital, feeling the weight on his shoulders as heavy as a mountain with the endless stream of patients being brought in. He had never shouldered such a burden before. In his past life, he was just an associate chief physician in the emergency department. Upon identifying a suspected case of a virulent infectious disease, all he had to do was report it¡ªthe director, the dean, the CDC would take it from there, following the protocols to deal with it. Moreover, he was in emergency surgery, surgery! The first batch of colleagues dealing with infectious diseases were basically from internal medicine... Even when it came to his turn to step in, he had internal medicine doctors for consultations, laboratory, ultrasonography, radiology doctors to provide reports, anesthesiologists to monitor the patient¡¯s vitals... If that wasn¡¯t enough, there were other hospitals in the city, and in the event of a major disaster, medical personnel from the province or even the whole country would come to support! Even in Hartland City, he had his mentor, the bald bishop, and many teachers and friends he could rely on. But now, he was the one standing at the forefront, facing this epidemic, facing countless diseases, pain, and death! He was the head of the Public Health Department, the first dean of the infectious disease hospital. Everyone was looking at him, waiting for him. Garrett felt as if he was standing alone in the heart of the Qiantang River, facing the surging tides head-on. The tides were roaring, initially just a line, gradually constricting towards the funnel, the waves growing higher and higher, like charging horses, like giant elephants, roaring down upon him when they reached him, almost submerging him: "A patient in Room 43 on the first floor is suffering from severe abdominal pain, almost passing out!" "A patient in Room 57 on the first floor has abdominal pain and bloating, their belly is so swollen, they¡¯ve rolled off the bed three times!" "A patient on the second floor in Room 17 is vomiting blood!" "Three more patients have passed out! We don¡¯t have enough medical staff!" "Sir, should we go to the medical branch for help?" "Sir..." "Sir..." I must hold on, I cannot panic... Garrett silently encouraged himself. Stay calm, stay calm, the core issue now is, what exactly is this disease? Abdominal pain, diarrhea, most likely an intestinal infectious disease. But at the same time, there¡¯s bloating and constipation... Typhoid or paratyphoid? Bacterial dysentery? Bacterial food poisoning? Cholera? Pseudo-cholera? Bacterial infectious diarrhea? Viral gastroenteritis? Garrett filtered through these options in his mind. He no longer looked at the endless stream of patients at the entrance of the hall, turning instead and running towards the wards. As he briskly walked, he asked: "Are the sample test results out yet? Have the results of the stool microscopy for the patients come out? What about the bacterial culture results? ¡ª Tell them to hurry! Speed up!" After speaking, he had already rushed into the first ward. Previously, he had been in the map room, or what could be considered the command center of the infectious disease hospital, checking the sources of all the cases: the majority were from those twelve buildings owned by that noble, and even those who fell ill outside were residents of those buildings. Were there new patients around those who fell ill outside? Should they seal off and isolate along the trajectory of the patients? Garrett was still unclear about these. For now, all he could do was to have the mage tower accelerate the production of disinfectant, speed up the disinfection, while also placing an urgent order with Thunder Tower. As for determining exactly what the disease was, the test results could only provide some reference, as their culture and microscopy methods were very crude, lacking many reagents. The other part of the key information came from examining the patients. He personally came for the examination! These students were not professional medical students, he personally examining could see more than the students! "I..." All I know is, in the worst-case scenario, out of Nevis City¡¯s 500,000 people, half could get infected! Garrett bowed his head without retorting. Meanwhile, a series of footsteps were already hastily approaching in the corridor: "Sir, the number of patients has exceeded 200 now!" "People in the quarantine area are starting to show symptoms!" "Another 15 patients are critical! They urgently need treatment!" "More patients keep coming..." "Water from 10 households¡¯ patients has shown abnormal bacteria! Bacterial culture and tests are underway !" "Sir, should we test the entire building¡¯s pipes?" Garrett pondered for a moment, then slowly lifted his head. "Those twelve buildings¡ªhow many households are there in those twelve buildings? How many people live there?" Master Tolga also followed his gaze. The young man who ran over with a notebook, panting and sweating, flipped through a couple of pages, his lips moving silently, quickly giving an answer: "Approximately 900 to 1200 households, with a total population of 3,600 to 6,000 people." At least 3,600, at most 6,000 people. Garrett turned to Master Tolga: "Even without considering the spread of the epidemic, we need to prepare for 1,000 to 3,000 people falling ill within one or two days. The three churches, plus the medical branch, do we have enough healing power?" Master Tolga was immediately silenced. When he came in just now, he had glanced around, everything he saw was severe cases. The Magic Council had estimated before, during an epidemic like the Black Death, the Magic Council could treat up to 500 in a day. And the remaining 500, 2,500, and even more patients as the epidemic spread... "So what do you plan to do? Can your infectious disease hospital handle it?" He asked with concern. Garrett bowed deeply: "Master, please bring as many colleagues from the medical branch as you can. As for the rest¡ªplease give me a little time, I¡¯m going to the laboratory to see if I can find out the culprit of this epidemic!" Garrett turned and hurried to the laboratory. Donning protective gear, passing through the airlock, entering the red zone, as soon as he stepped into the room, he heard several students in heavy epidemic medical gear still in the mood to argue: "You did it wrong!" "You¡¯re the one who did it wrong! How did it change after culturing?" "You must have slipped!" Garrett: "...What¡¯s going on?" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 316: One Pathogen, Three Forms Chapter 316: One Pathogen, Three Forms Hearing the apprentices in the laboratory arguing, Garrett first... breathed a sigh of relief. Thank God, the pathogen was bacteria¡ªnot a virus. If it had been a virus, that would have been the end of it. Viruses are smaller than the wavelength of visible light, so visible light waves would "bypass" them, making them invisible under an optical microscope. To identify a virus, one would need an electron microscope... And to construct an electron microscope, a whole array of prerequisite technologies such as atoms, electrons, wave-particle duality, etc., would need to be developed, which was currently impossible! Thankfully it was bacteria. Relieved, Garrett then closed the gate behind him and glanced around the lab: "What are you arguing about?" Wrapped in protective gear, his face was not visible, but just this question silenced the four people in the lab at once. Garrett even saw two people shrink their necks, as if silenced by fear¡ªAm I that frightening? If time hadn¡¯t been of the essence, he really would have liked to make a joke about that. However, with hundreds of patients waiting outside, Garrett had no choice but to move forward and examine each person¡¯s petri dish: "What have you managed to create?" Ah, this protective gear, pitch black, completely concealing everyone¡¯s identity. Next time, he thought, they should write names on the protective suits or attach name tags¡ªGarrett approached the microscope closest to him, and the apprentice beside it immediately stepped aside, complaining: "Look, sir, what I made is individual ones, but he used what I extracted to make something, and his turned out to be long chains! I told him he did it wrong, and he wouldn¡¯t believe me!" What individual ones, long chains? Garrett¡¯s brain raced, searching through various possibilities. "What did you make?" "Smears!" The apprentice answered confidently. Garrett realized then that the apprentice responsible for the smears was a necromancer apprentice, meticulous and steady-handed. He was one of the first eight to pass the bacterial culture exam and had been assigned to work in the lab: "I made smears of patient feces and environmental samples! Both showed this kind of bacteria, in large amounts! I told him to culture it, and what he produced was different from mine, definitely a contamination!" "Let me see." Garrett, noncommittal, leaned into the microscope. Slowly turning the knob, the image under the lens gradually enlarged. The image of the bacteria appeared under the lens, and Garrett, with just one glance, felt his heart race, bending closer to the lens: The bacteria under the lens were much larger than he had anticipated! Garrett slightly closed his eyes, flipping through "Medical Microbiology" in his mind, ceaselessly searching: Escherichia coli, size (0.4~0.7) * (1~3) micrometers; Shigella, (0.5~0.7) * (2~3) micrometers; Salmonella, causing typhoid and paratyphoid, (0.6~1.0) * (2~4) micrometers; Vibrio cholerae, (0.5~0.8) * (1.5~3) micrometers; Anthrax bacillus, (1~3) * (5~10) micrometers!!! Whether in length or width, it was significantly larger than other pathogens! It was the first pathogen discovered in human history and the largest Gram-positive bacillus among pathogens, a fact his teacher had emphasized in class! Garrett¡¯s breath tightened. Looking again, the smear under the microscope showed short rods and some oval presences. Garrett reviewed several smears, all revealing these particularly large bacteria, identical to the anthrax bacilli he had previously extracted. Because the product was too dangerous, Garrett hadn¡¯t allowed the apprentices to culture this bacterium, merely discussing its characteristics and showing them pictures¡ªafter all, when he studied "Medical Microbiology," he hadn¡¯t seen every type of bacteria either, much of it was memorized by rote. Perhaps because of this, the two apprentices hadn¡¯t yet realized and were still arguing with each other? Both apprentices leaned over to look at the record book. The necromancer, articulate, quickly read it out: "39 Gladstone Street, Rooms 101, 115, 213, tap water culture!" "25 Cameron Street, Rooms 218, 305, 312, tap water culture!" "37 Alamo Street, Basement Room 11, Room 105, tap water..." Indeed, it was the water source. Three different buildings, eight different households, tap water supplied for drinking, all tested positive for the pathogen¡ªthere was only one possibility, the water source was contaminated! Garrett became more and more certain. He pointed to the two apprentices in the lab, one from the transmutation school and the tall girl from the God of Nature¡¯s congregation: "Neither of you did anything wrong, this bacterium indeed presents different forms under different conditions, go back and review my lecture notes again. ¡ªYou two, put down what you¡¯re working on immediately, come with me! There are more important tasks for you! The other two, take your time, save today¡¯s spell uses, there will be a batch of important samples coming later, prioritize according to my note!" "Yes!" "Yes!" Garrett hurriedly led them away. However, no matter how urgent he was, he had to follow lab rules: rinse with disinfectant, remove protective gear, shower a second time, put on the clothes he came in with, and wear a cap, mask, and gloves. After completing the procedure, returning to the outer room, the hospital was already in a frenzy: "Patient number 57 on the first floor is in critical condition! Priest! Priest!" "Patient number 113 on the first floor has fainted!" "Two more people have escaped from the isolation area! Should we catch them?" "Let me out! Let me out! ¡ªI¡¯ll be fired if I don¡¯t go to work!" "Mom, mom¡ªhelp¡ª" "The third floor is full too! Where do we send the patients?" Garrett briskly walked through the hallway. Along the way, nearly every room had the white light of healing spells flickering. Reaching the lobby, Master Tolga sat amidst a group of low-ranking medical magicians, all exhausted and drenched in sweat. Master Tolga was handing out fruit from a space bag, throwing them one by one. Garrett hurried over: "Don¡¯t eat here! You must wash your hands before eating! Thoroughly wash your hands! Change clothes! All clothes must be soaked in disinfectant, and if possible, it¡¯s best to burn them! If your clothes and hands are contaminated with pathogens, eating without cleaning can also lead to the plague!" Damn it! The dissemination of knowledge on infectious diseases and aseptic techniques really needs to be accelerated. Otherwise, even if the patients aren¡¯t cured, an outbreak of hospital-acquired infections would be a huge joke! "Did you hear that!" Master Tolga quickly stopped his disciples. At the same time, several priests from upstairs also came down, equally exhausted and sweaty. Bishop Sullivan of the War God¡¯s Temple even slipped on the stairs, barely grabbing the handrail, and hurried towards Garrett: "We¡¯re running out of healing power! We¡¯ve called everyone we can, but it¡¯s still not enough! ¡ªGarrett, do you have any solutions?" "Give me some time." Garrett gasped tiredly: "Your Excellency, Your Grace, please take them and conserve spells as much as possible, just keep the patients alive. Give me time! Buy me time!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 317: Time is Money, My Friend Garrett Nordmark briskly exited the infectious disease hospital, calling out as he walked: "All priests of the God of Nature¡¯s congregation! To my Mage Tower! All of you! Leave your work, leave your patients! Immediately!!!" He amplified his voice with a spell, echoing through the building. Responses followed one after another from behind: "Right away!" "Coming!" "In a moment!" Garrett didn¡¯t wait for them; he continued forward. Just off the steps, a horse galloped towards him, kicking up dust. The rider, a knight, leaped down and hurriedly grabbed Garrett: "I¡¯ve arrived! What happened that there are so many patients all of a sudden? What illness is it? What else needs to be done?" The visitor, tall and with a rugged face weathered by experience, was none other than Johnny Colin, the Minister of Emergency Management. Minister Colin had interacted with Garrett a few times before and knew that Garrett wouldn¡¯t bother anyone without good reason. Once Garrett sought his help, he immediately dispatched emergency management personnel according to the original plan. A group of individuals in black, along with Garrett¡¯s apprentices, were busy sealing off streets, conducting door-to-door visits, collecting samples for testing. Colin didn¡¯t lead the team himself; instead, he sat in the city hall, pressing those in charge to dispatch patrol teams to assist. The Emergency Management Department handled urgent matters related to magicians, and manpower was always insufficient. In such times, it was crucial to pull the city hall into the fray! He was no stranger to plagues and estimated that the first wave would involve dozens, if not hundreds, of patients. However, as the carriages went back and forth, the reported numbers kept rising, surpassing two hundred in just a morning. Johnny Colin could no longer stay put and personally visited Garrett to inquire about the situation. Garrett grabbed his hand, continuing towards the outside of the hospital while quickening his pace: "I was just looking for you! Do you remember the time we chased spies in the middle of the night, finding horses with black spots and soldiers falling ill?¡ªIt¡¯s that disease, but this time the water source is contaminated, making the pathogen spread through the gastrointestinal tract, which is even more dangerous! I need your help!" Johnny Colin shivered. He vividly remembered that operation; his entire department was mobilized in the middle of the night, running along mountain roads for two whole days and nights. It was said that such a large mobilization was due to a prophecy made by a high-ranking diviner predicting a major calamity. And now, Garrett mentioned it was even more dangerous than before... "What do you need me to do?" he asked solemnly. Garrett¡¯s response was swift: "Three things. First, screen the residents of those twelve buildings again for any signs of discomfort and bring them to the hospital as soon as possible; Second, collect water samples from the drainage pipes of each floor, and if possible, from the main valves of each building. If the water is confirmed to be contaminated, trace it back to the source as soon as possible; Third, based on the resident list, bring those who are working or studying outside to the hospital. Disinfect the places where these people have stayed, using double the concentration of disinfectant! Double! And you and your subordinates, be very careful while executing tasks, don¡¯t touch any food before washing hands and changing clothes after returning home¡ª" "I¡¯ll arrange it immediately!" Johnny, leading his horse, followed Garrett and immediately mounted again upon hearing these requests. He took a few steps, then suddenly turned back, glancing over Garrett¡¯s shoulder: "Is your infectious disease hospital big enough to accommodate so many people?" Garrett¡¯s expression turned troubled. His infectious disease hospital had a capacity of 1000 beds¡ªplanning under the assumption that if all these beds were utilized, all healers in the city would be gathered to quickly discharge cured patients... Next to the hospital was a quarantine observation area capable of holding 1000 individuals. Now, it seemed grossly insufficient; just accommodating all residents from those twelve buildings for observation would require doubling the number of beds. With no other options, he might have to gamble on muscle injections... Garrett¡¯s thoughts raced. Without treatment, they were doomed anyway, so injecting large doses of penicillin into muscles... Right, he also needed to prepare injection needles! Normally, the injection needles in the Mage Tower were made on-the-spot for animal experiments, no more than 50 at a time, and destroyed after use. How many patients were there now? How many syringes needed to be prepared? Garrett sat down in the storage room. Opening his space bag, he took out a large piece of glass, a piece of dwarf-special metal¡ªsupposedly a secret formula that doesn¡¯t rust¡ªand a large bag of gold coins. He grabbed a handful of gold coins and dropped them on the floor, creating a tinkling sound. These were strategic materials for emergency situations. Garrett had always kept them sealed, reluctant to use them, but now was the time for large-scale deployment! He gripped a silver bell. Squeezing almost to the point of extracting water from its surface, he declared firmly: "Time is money, my friend!" His speech was quick and steady, without any odd intonations. Blue smoke soon emerged from the bell, and a little demon jumped down. Garrett pointed to the materials on the ground, speaking urgently: "Make syringes! 10ml ones! Start with 1000! Fast!" The little demon¡¯s hands fluttered. The glass, metal, and gold coins on the ground silently melted as if thrown into a magical furnace. The metal was cut, pressed into thin sheets, curled, and trimmed to ensure the needle tubes were straight and uniform, with a sharp be veled tip, while maintaining sufficient strength and smoothness; The glass turned red, liquefied, flowed, rising into the air, shaped into hollow syringes, their ends opened to wrap around the metal needle tips; The other end was seamlessly designed for smooth pushing without any leaks... One syringe after another, shining brightly, appeared in front of Garrett. The process was slow, only managing to produce 2 per minute, meaning only 120 could be made in an hour! "Can you go any faster?" he urged: "Can you increase the speed by 5 times? Make 600 per hour?" Muscle injection procedures were simple; with a bit of training, each student could perform them independently. If the production of penicillin and syringes could keep up, and 600 patients could be injected within an hour¡ªthen perhaps, hundreds of lives could be saved! The little demon concentrated on manipulating the magic, not answering him. Only after another syringe landed on the ground did it raspily reply: "It costs money. To increase the speed by 5 times, 25 times the amount of gold coins is needed." "Take it!" Garrett lifted the bag of coins, not bothering to count, and poured them out. Time is money, my friend! At this moment, time was life! Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 318: Penicillin, A Divine Explosion in Production! Garrett Nordmark observed for a moment before leaving the little demon to continue working upstairs as he quickly descended. Whether he watched or not, the little demon worked diligently without slacking or compromising on product quality. Thus, he could temporarily rest assured on this front. What now demanded his urgent attention was the production¡ªand quality¡ªof penicillin. The production room was steamy. Led by Priest Matthew, six priests each stood before a beaker, eyes slightly closed, murmuring incantations. Green light glimmered from their palms and fingertips, touching the speck of fungus in the beakers and quickly turning the entire contents green. The only apprentice in the room with experience in cultivating penicillin moved swiftly, stopping occasionally by a beaker to close her eyes, sense for a moment, then softly provide key tips: "Mind the temperature of the medium..." "Keep stirring the medium..." "Maintain its vitality..." Garrett stood quietly at the entrance of the production room for a while. After the apprentice made her rounds, she approached him swiftly, whispering: "Sir, is this okay? Is the speed sufficient?" "Far from enough." Garrett shook his head decisively. The efficiency of six people working together indeed surpassed that of an individual, at least according to Garrett¡¯s observation. The output from this batch equaled what they usually produced in a day. But now, they needed to produce in one day what would normally take 500 days, even 1000 days! "Annievia," he tried to relax his brow, encouraging the apprentice: "I know you¡¯re working hard¡ªall of you are. But now, we need to increase production by 100 times, 200 times, to save these patients. Push harder, their lives are in your hands! ¡ªWhen will Elder Wood arrive?" The last question was directed at Priest Matthew. When sending patients to the hospital, Priest Matthew had already sensed something was amiss and used the congregation¡¯s unique methods to send an urgent message to Elder Wood. However, Garrett had no idea where Elder Wood was or when he would arrive¡ª "I¡¯m here!" Speak of the devil, Elder Wood entered briskly, followed by five or six priests, clearly having gathered all available hands from the congregation nearby. Upon entering, he surveyed the room and then addressed Garrett: "We¡¯re to make these little things grow more, right? Leave it to me, I¡¯ll help!" "Not just that, the main goal is to make it secrete more of the effective substances that can kill bacteria¡ª" Garrett hurriedly explained to Elder Wood. After a brief description and demonstrating the penicillin¡¯s effect on inhibiting and killing the staphylococcus aureus, he then led Elder Wood to the extraction magic circle to observe the filtering, centrifugation, addition of sodium hydroxide, and magical purification processes¡ª "We need this substance. The more the Penicillium grows and secretes this substance, the better, as it can save lives!" "I understand." Elder Wood¡¯s eyes were half-closed throughout, seemingly distracted, but Garrett knew he was using his magic to sense every detail. After the demonstration, he promptly shooed Garrett away: "I¡¯ll handle the production, you attend to your tasks!" What happened? This was his infectious disease hospital, not a prison or a scene from a zombie siege! "Let me out! Let me out!" On the high walls of the hospital¡¯s side, seven or eight people were desperately trying to climb over. On the outside of the wall, a squad of uniformed patrol guards used their spears to poke them back down: "What are you running for? Don¡¯t you know you¡¯re infected with the plague?! Letting you out now, you could fall ill at any moment, collapse somewhere unknown! The Mage Lord kindly keeps you here, and you¡¯re ungrateful! Dying outside is one thing, but dragging the whole city down with you, you won¡¯t even enter the kingdom of God after death!" Garrett: "..." That might be overstating it a bit; anthrax is relatively rare in terms of human-to-human transmission... The guards continued to poke and shout. Garrett saw three or four people poked down, yet the others persisted in their attempts to climb. Amid the commotion, two men in black left the carriage and ran over, clearly members of the Emergency Management Department¡¯s action team. The leading magician raised his voice: "Why are you shouting at them?!" He uttered a magic symbol and pointed towards the wall. A faint magical glow flashed, and confusion appeared in the eyes of the people on the wall, who then let go and jumped down. He rode towards the hospital gate, stopping to thank the magician who had acted. The magician, with a breezy smile, said: "Ah, it¡¯s nothing serious. Just a ¡¾Charm Human¡¿ spell to calm them down. We at the Emergency Management Department all practice it; it¡¯s particularly useful for handling large-scale public disturbances¡ª" Before he could finish, another head popped up on the wall, one of those just charmed. The patrolling guards, having relaxed a bit, didn¡¯t use their spears in time. The person made a bold leap over the wall, tumbling and falling to the ground. Getting up, not even managing to stand properly, he desperately ran off. Two guards cursed loudly and immediately gave chase. The person climbing the wall clearly had some injuries from the fall, limping as he ran, but soon was brought back by the guards. Garrett saw at a glance it was a brown-haired young man, struggling and shouting: "Let me out! My boss will fire me if I don¡¯t get to work!" ...Unemployment is fiercer than a tiger. Garrett sighed silently: The threat of unemployment is indeed powerful, making workers endure falls and still go to work, wake up from blood loss in the ICU and still code, and even gives this world¡¯s workers the power to resist ¡¾Charm Human¡¿... Recalling his own past as a worker, he silently shed a tear of sympathy for himself. The young man was dragged past him by two guards, shouting with all his might: "Sir! Mage sir! ¡ªHow are my mother and little Lila? Save them, please! I beg you, save them!" Such desperate cries were all too familiar to Garrett, always stirring his compassion. Yet, matters of life and death were beyond his power to reverse. The infectious disease hospital was full of patients, with an unknown number of critical cases. He had no idea who the young man¡¯s mother and sister were. As for the problem of unemployment following quarantine, even his previous life¡¯s government couldn¡¯t solve it. What could he, a single individual, do? Garrett couldn¡¯t even say "we¡¯ll do our best" while looking into the young man¡¯s pleading eyes, as he might have in his past life. He had to harden his heart, turn away, and rush into the hospital. Upon entering the lobby, he immediately asked Leon Carlos, who was coordinating arrangements at the door: "How is it now? How many critical patients?" God willing, the first batch of penicillin he brought would be enough! Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 319: When Divine Magic Fails, Try Penicillin? Leon Carlos flipped through the record book with a bowed head. This youth, having grown up in a brewery and later thrown back into one by Garrett for a period of technical transformation, managed to keep everything orderly despite the flood of patients, thanks to his business acumen. When Garrett inquired, Leon could immediately provide an answer from his notebook: "Up to now, 538 people have been admitted, 273 of whom are bedridden and immobile. 97 are in a coma or semi-comatose state. Medical mages and priests are doing their utmost to save them." 97 people. Garrett breathed a sigh of relief. Elder Wood and his team had produced the first batch of 100 bottles of penicillin, plus the 10 bottles Garrett brought, enough for one bottle per person among the 97. The rest could be used for skin testing¡ªyes, skin testing! The thought of skin testing gave Garrett a headache. Not only the skin test, but the troubles of using drugs meant for intravenous drip as intramuscular injections also made him frown. After much consideration, he sincerely felt that before resorting to the powerful weapon of penicillin, magic or divine magic should be attempted first... Previously in Hartland City, Elder Elwin Wilkinson¡¯s miraculous divine magic of targeted dysentery bacillus eradication had left a deep impression on him. However, due to his level at the time, he hadn¡¯t learned it. After arriving in Nevis City and attempting to self-study, he couldn¡¯t grasp the concept. Garrett had to lament the unfathomable power of divine magic, which sometimes seemed utterly unreasonable. Perhaps, he needed a higher-level healer to help develop it? However, Elder Wood and all the priests of the God of Nature were occupied with producing penicillin. Garrett considered his options among the priests of the God of War, the Spring Goddess, and the medical branch of mages, and without hesitation, leaned towards the mages. He inquired with Leon Carlos and found Master Tolga in the rest area on the first floor¡¯s east side. This medical branch mage, having washed and changed, looked much relieved after a rest. Hearing Garrett mention a new treatment method, he was eager to give it a try: "Precision elimination of a specific bacterium? Alright, let¡¯s give it a go!" Garrett took him to the laboratory. After confirming the presence of anthrax bacteria, Garrett lowered the protection level: no longer needing to wear the heavy leather epidemic medical suit, replacing it with long sleeves, trousers, gloves, masks, and a Bubble Spell over their heads. This combination proved to be effective protection against bacteria. As long as one didn¡¯t touch recklessly and remembered to wash hands before removing the Bubble Spell and mask, it was unlikely to cause infection. If necessary, add goggles... It must be said, this equipment was much lighter, making operations in the laboratory more agile. Garrett showed Master Tolga various samples¡ªenvironmental, water, and patient excrements¡ªthen, using a microscope, prepared slides for the mage to observe. "Look, this is the bacterium¡ªflat-ended, without flagella, and particularly large¡ªthis is what caused the disease. If we can precisely eliminate the bacteria within the patient¡¯s body, it should be possible to treat the symptoms directly." "Is that so? Let me give it a try..." Master Tolga pondered. Half a minute later, he stretched out his hand towards the slide under the microscope. A flash of white light passed, and when Garrett looked again through the microscope: "Uh, perhaps what we¡¯re seeing now are corpses? Please wait, let me culture the bacteria to see..." The results of the bacterial culture were very optimistic¡ªno new anthrax bacilli appeared. Master Tolga then applied a sterilization spell on the environmental and water samples, with equally optimistic results. Garrett was overjoyed, grabbed the skin test solution prepared by the apprentices, and immediately took Master Tolga to the wards. They first approached a patient with mild symptoms. A targeted sterilization spell was cast, but the patient showed no reaction. They tried another. Another targeted sterilization spell, and still no improvement in the patient. Perhaps the metabolism of anthrax toxins also needed time? Garrett guessed. Biting the bullet, he chose a patient with abdominal pain, bloating, and ascites as indicated by magical ultrasound, and had Master Tolga attempt a spell. After casting the sterilization spell and waiting for 5 minutes, Garrett personally performed an abdominal puncture on the patient to extract ascites for culture... Requesting the Archbishop or high priests would require intervention from the review committee! Although Garrett had already sent Aurora to make arrangements, by the time Archmage Carlisle contacts the review committee and they manage to request high-level healers, Garrett had no idea how much time it would take. Now, letting them leave meant if a patient had an allergic reaction, there would be no one to perform a divine magic rescue... How to keep them here? Garrett¡¯s mind raced, but his face remained sincerely smiling: "Bishop, everyone, thank you for your hard work. Oh, by the way, I brought a new medicine from the Mage Tower, which might be effective against this epidemic. Would you like to take a look?" Bishop Sullivan was immediately intrigued. Seeing Garrett pull out a small bottle and shake the white powder inside, he grew even more curious. Looking around at the young priests who seemed barely able to walk, he said: "Then we might as well stay and see?" "Of course, of course!" Garrett led them inside: "This medicine is effective for many people, but there¡¯s a drawback: it might be dangerous for those with certain constitutions. So we need to inject a little bit first, to see if the patient will have any particular reaction..." "You little trickster, waiting here for us!" Bishop Sullivan teased with a laugh. Laughing aside, he still stayed with Garrett to wait. After 20 minutes, whether it was due to the physique of people in this world or the magic circle¡¯s effect on purifying impurities, surprisingly, no one had an allergic reaction. Garrett was grateful and quickly took out all the penicillin: "Hurry, speed up! Inject each severely ill patient with one dose, and use the rest for other patients!" Measuring the medicine powder, diluting it with saline, drawing the medicine, and injecting. The dozen students were so busy they wished they could use their toes to help. Master Tolga was also drawn out, standing shoulder to shoulder with Bishop Sullivan, both with eyes half-closed, in front of the first patient Garrett injected. Garrett knew they were sensing the patient¡¯s life force¡ªa skill he genuinely lacked. If it weren¡¯t so busy, he¡¯d definitely be running around them, trying to learn some tricks. But for now, he could only tearfully leave them behind and continue to inject penicillin into the critically ill patients according to the list. One needle, two needles, one bottle, two bottles... When half of the penicillin bottles were empty, the corridor outside the ward suddenly erupted in commotion. Garrett stepped out of the ward, just in time to bump into the Archbishop of the God of War Temple. The Archbishop nodded briefly at him, then asked his subordinate directly: "Sullivan, what are you doing staying here? Isn¡¯t your divine magic used up? Why aren¡¯t you resting? What are you waiting for in the epidemic area?" After several rapid questions, Bishop Sullivan turned back. His gaze passed over his immediate superior, directly seeking Garrett: "Little Garrett, this special medicine... it¡¯s working! It really is working!" "What?" Garrett hurried forward to see. It hadn¡¯t been half an hour since the injection, and according to the customs of his previous life, it was too early to detect changes in the patient¡¯s condition. But the bishop already sensed it: "The patient¡¯s life force has strengthened! The plague enveloping him has weakened!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 320: Is This the Courage Bestowed by Divine Magic? "What special medicine?" The Archbishop of the Temple of War immediately had his attention piqued. In military operations, the first headache is the plague, and only the second is the mass casualties on the battlefield. The latter, even at the cost of a thousand of our own, can still take down eight hundred enemies, but the former can inexplicably afflict and even kill a bunch of people without encountering anything. Non-combat reductions are the most damaging to morale. He looked at Bishop Sullivan, who looked at Garrett. Before Garrett could explain, someone squeezed through the crowd, asking hurriedly: "What kind of special medicine? Did you just make it? Is it only effective against this type of epidemic? Can it be mass-produced?" A barrage of questions was thrown at him. Garrett looked closely and recognized a familiar face! It was Old Sam, a member of the Thunder Horn at the review council; beside Old Sam, nodding silently but with a focused gaze, was a member of the Abjuration School. Behind them, Master Tolga was peeking out, staring unblinkingly at him. All familiar faces, all our own people. If you want me to speak, then I¡¯ll speak! Garrett pulled an empty bottle from his pocket and raised it to Old Sam: "This, just used up, waiting for the next batch to arrive. It¡¯s a recent invention, still being improved. Not only effective against this epidemic, but it can also curb many common diseases and plagues." Such as diphtheria, scarlet fever, meningitis... Of course, dysentery, cholera, the plague, tuberculosis, and other common plagues can¡¯t be handled by penicillin alone. It¡¯s still necessary to continue isolating, cultivating, and purifying from the soil, trying to develop substances like streptomycin. The eyes of the heavyweights lit up. Garrett pretended not to notice and continued: "Especially for wound infections, with it, many can be effectively controlled." !!! Bishop Sullivan stepped forward on the spot. Although the Archbishop of the Temple of War didn¡¯t react as strongly, his eyes also lit up. After a major battle, no matter how many priests there are, it¡¯s impossible to take care of all the wounded soldiers, most of whom die from infections¡ªno one understands this probability better than they do. The small bottle of medicine in Garrett¡¯s hand, if it really has the effect on plague patients as he sensed, would be a weapon on the battlefield! Especially for small teams carrying out stealth and assault missions, inconvenient to carry healers, having such a bottle of medicine is almost like carrying a bottle of holy water! The Archbishop was relatively reserved, his expression unchanged, just glancing at Bishop Sullivan. The bishop couldn¡¯t help but blurt out: "Magician Nordmark, can this medicine be mass-produced? Is it available for sale? How much for one bottle? How much can you supply?" "Cough¡ª" Old Sam coughed theatrically. Garrett immediately stepped aside: "Right now, because it¡¯s urgently needed, Elder Wood and a group of people are helping me produce it with divine magic. A more efficient mass-production method is still being researched. As for sales¡ª" He glanced at the surrounding mages, the implication clear: as a minor third-level magician, I can¡¯t make this decision, it probably requires the review council¡¯s approval. The Archbishop hummed, and from the crowd behind, a priest muttered softly: "It¡¯s them again..." Knowing what Garrett was developing in the Mage Tower, knowing their apprentices and the Nature God¡¯s clergy were helping out, but when it comes to the results, they are one step ahead again... There¡¯s nothing to be done. Garrett shrugged inwardly. Spurring the growth of Penicillium is a specialty of the priests of the Nature God, what can he do... Chemical synthesis of penicillin, forgive him, he doesn¡¯t know how, and even if he did, the Temple of War seems not to specialize in chemical engineering? A group of people rushed into the ward. Garrett looked up: "This is exactly the situation I mentioned! This kind of adverse reaction from the special medicine, in severe cases, can be fatal!" "But didn¡¯t you try a small dose?!" "Whether this drug causes an allergy or not depends on the individual¡¯s constitution, not the dosage!" Garrett stared at the patient, his tone urgent. It¡¯s said that discussing toxicity without considering dosage is nonsensical, but paradoxically, penicillin allergy really doesn¡¯t care about dosage... Over the years in his previous life, he encountered more than one case of shock during the skin test phase! Even, he had heard colleagues gossip about someone who just accompanied a patient to the hospital, inhaled penicillin molecules in the air (though he didn¡¯t know how), and went into shock... "What do we do for the rescue?" The Archbishop of the Temple of War spoke sternly. Garrett opened his mouth but didn¡¯t know what to say: Inject 0.5~1 milligram of epinephrine? Add corticosteroids and antihistamines if necessary? Or, quickly go to the neighboring Mage Tower, kill a sheep, crush its adrenal gland, and have the patient swallow it? ¡ªThe patient was nearly unconscious; he couldn¡¯t swallow it! His mind raced. The use of epinephrine is to relieve bronchial smooth muscle spasm, cause peripheral capillary constriction, raise blood pressure... "Do we have any magic or divine spells that can constrict blood vessels?" He thought aloud, speaking faster and faster: "Can make breathing easier, heartbeats stronger, spirits lifted?" Lowering blood vessel permeability, reducing gland secretion, mast cells, eosinophils, and so on, let¡¯s not talk about that for now, just mention a few things the bigwigs can understand, to see if they have a way... "Just like that?" Both the master mages and the Archbishop said simultaneously. They looked at each other, and Old Sam raised his hand slightly: "After you¡ª" The Archbishop of the Temple of War stepped forward without hesitation. He clasped his hands in front of his chest, assuming the standard prayer posture, murmuring to himself. After a few sentences, his voice suddenly became loud: "May the God of War bless his people! Grant them the courage and confidence to face their enemies! May they not fear, not retreat, not panic¡ª" During the prayer, he pushed his hands forward, a red light shining on the patient. Garrett, kneeling by the patient¡¯s side, felt the pulse under his fingertips growing stronger, and the allergic patient¡¯s breathing also became more powerful. Saved? Really saved? "Inspiration spell." Behind Garrett, Old Sam spoke in a not too loud, not too low voice, enlightening Garrett: "A very useful little divine spell from the Temple of War. The level isn¡¯t high, the effect mainly depends on the atmosphere and the caster¡¯s reputation. There¡¯s a similar spell in magic, only second-tier, you can go to the Illusion Control School to learn more when you have time." But the patient was already unconscious! Can casting still be effective? ...So, the courage injected into the patient by this divine spell, is it like a shot of epinephrine?! Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 321: Mass Intestinal Surgeries! All in! Is an inspiration spell equivalent to a shot of adrenaline? Then, what does bewitching humans equate to? Hormones? Dopamine? What about the signature defensive spell of the Enchantment School, mechanizing the mind? Temporarily shutting off all pain, cutting off the pain nerves? No, it¡¯s said that magicians with mechanized minds don¡¯t actually feel pain; they simply don¡¯t care and calmly calculate... So, what¡¯s the principle? And, the adrenaline injected by the inspiration spell¡ªif that¡¯s really the principle¡ªhow do they control the dosage? How about precisely 0.5 milligrams to 1 milligram each time? You know, too much of this stuff can cause cerebral hemorrhage, myocardial ischemia, and arrhythmia! ...Right, the adrenaline generated by the inspiration spell, is it norepinephrine, epinephrine, or isoproterenol? Or did they not distinguish at all, directly stimulating the adrenal gland, "hey, get up and work"? Garrett¡¯s thoughts flew. For a moment, he really wanted to grab a recipient to check¡ªwhat was he thinking, of course, just to check the catecholamines in the urine. Unfortunately, now he had no time, no energy, and no corresponding reagents. He could only think about it for a moment, then continue to devote himself to the treatment of patients: "This patient is allergic to penicillin, this special medicine cannot be used, only divine magic treatment. Intestinal anthrax mainly invades the intestines. If the intestines rupture, bacteria can also proliferate massively in the blood, and toxins might even affect the brain." Garrett hurriedly explained, bowed to the high-ranking healers present, and quickly walked away. In the hospital, there¡¯s an unwritten rule: unless a patient is about to die and needs to be rushed for rescue, one generally does not run, but walks quickly in small steps. This is done to avoid causing panic and also to avoid bumping into something, like a cart being pushed around, or a tray of medicines in a nurse¡¯s hand... Garrett¡¯s legs operated rapidly in alternation, like a racewalker, rushing from one sickbed to another, one ward to another. Along the way, people kept stopping him: "Sir, the latest batch of test results are out! The batch you requested, inside, the probability of pathogen detection is over 60%!" These samples for testing were all from the water pipes in building 12, even the main pipeline. Garrett nodded, quickly manipulated [Mage Tricks] to write down a line, and stamped his own secret magic mark: "The situation is clear now, the entire water supply system is contaminated. Take my note, go to the review committee¡ªnow in the ward¡ªand ask them for authorization to thoroughly investigate the upstream water source of this water supply company!" "Sir, there was a conflict between the patrol team and the relatives of patients in the isolation area! There are already more than ten injured!" Garrett turned back from the sickbed. With a sweep of his hand, he cut off a piece of bed sheet, leaving behind words in a flourish: "Let Bernard handle it!... Then go to the emergency management department, ask them to send a few more magicians over, keep casting mass charm on humans back and forth!" The second apprentice ran off. In less than two minutes, the third apprentice rushed over: "Sir, there are too many patients, not enough beds!" "Add beds!" Garrett didn¡¯t even need to think about it, adding beds, a traditional skill of a public tertiary hospital, "In the wards, in the corridors, stack them up! Those who have already been cured by divine magic, throw them all into the isolation area, free up the beds!" "Sir, many patients have diarrhea in bed, no one to change the bed sheets..." "..." Garrett, behind him, two members of the review committee walked slowly, taking in all the conditions of the hospital. As they observed, they discussed in a low voice: "The little guy is all over the place." "Such a big hospital, it¡¯s too much for him." "Right, probably doesn¡¯t have the experience of running such a big organization¡ªA hospital with 1000 beds, it¡¯s simply not possible for him and a few dozen apprentices to sustain..." "Sir, how many operating rooms should be prepared?" "...Prepare all of them!" Garrett gritted his teeth. The operating rooms in the infectious disease hospital were not many. Initially, when planning, he had prepared only eight operating rooms. Mainly considering it would be hard to find people who would perform surgeries, he originally planned to get through this period, then cooperate with the Black Crow Swamp, kidnap a few necromancers who love to perform surgeries... But now, he had to figure it out himself! Garrett rushed down from the fifth floor along the stairs, sprinting towards the operating room. The operating room was in a small building opposite the inpatient area, connected by a corridor. Garrett, while running, watched as figures hustled, stretchers constantly being carried out from the wards. By the time he rushed to the outside of the operating area, the corridor outside the operating area had already lined up a long row of stretchers against the wall. "One, two, three, five... ten... twenty..." Garrett quickly scanned each one, pressed down, took an X-ray. Board-like abdomen, board-like abdomen, still board-like abdomen... free air under the diaphragm... intestinal dilation... So many patients, him performing surgery alone, how could it be possible! Even if he performed one operation every twenty minutes, 20 patients would take nearly 7 hours! Not to mention, there are other patients to take care of... Now the only hope was these healers... Garrett, while changing clothes, washing hands, tried hard to turn back and greet the War God¡¯s priests and Spring Goddess¡¯s clerics who had come: "Gentlemen, does anyone know how to operate? Dare to cut open a patient¡¯s abdomen? Can you tell if the intestines are necrotic?" The clerics stepped back in unison. Led by Bishop Sullivan, three priests looked at each other, stepping forward: "Cutting open a patient¡¯s abdomen... if really needed, we dare. But whether we might accidentally kill the patient, that¡¯s hard to say..." Three. Including Garrett himself, only four. If only there were four more... these apprentices of his, especially the necromancy apprentices, although they followed him for a few autopsies, he was not very confident in their ability to operate on living people... "Garrett! I¡¯ve brought people!" Suddenly, a shout lit up from outside the door. Garrett turned his head, only to see Andrew Lynn making his way through the crowd, squeezing in quickly. Behind Andrew Lynn, Edgar, the Archmage, Edgar¡¯s several disciples, lined up, smiling at him. "Little Garrett, if you¡¯re going to cut open a patient¡¯s abdomen, of course, you have to leave it to us necromancers!" Garrett was overjoyed. "Great! I¡¯ll leave it to you then! Three people in a group¡ªa necromancer, a War God¡¯s priest, a Spring Goddess¡¯s cleric, into an operating room! The War God¡¯s priest casts a calming spell, the necromancer cuts open the patient¡¯s abdominal cavity, the cleric drains the abdominal fluid and waste! I¡¯ll come by one by one to see! Judge which segment of the intestines is necrotic, needs to be removed, where it can be repaired and treated! Then washing and closing the abdomen I¡¯ll leave to you guys! Let¡¯s get moving! The faster we are, the more patients we can save!" The Grand Priest of the War God¡¯s Temple watched with interest. Watching the necromancers file in, he waved his hand, looking at his subordinates: "Listen to him! Let¡¯s go in together!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 322: The Dead Performing Surgery on the Living? In eight operating rooms, 24 healers, along with Garrett, making a total of 25 people, were busily changing clothes and washing their hands. Garrett, standing close to Andrew Lynn, was full of anxiety, continuously instructing the necromancers who were about to perform the surgery: "Be careful during the surgery! Make sure the patient¡¯s blood, bodily fluids, or anything doesn¡¯t come into contact with your skin!" "Change gloves after each surgery! Wash your hands! Thoroughly wash your hands!" "Make sure not to cut your skin with the surgical scalpel! If you do, tell me immediately, we¡¯ll administer penicillin... Ah, perhaps we should perform a skin test first as a precaution?" This is anthrax, after all! Although person-to-person transmission of anthrax is rare... Rare does not mean nonexistent! Being in close contact with patients, taking care of patients, or handling their bodies... In short, there is still a risk of transmission when exposed to a large amount and high concentration of pathogens! The barrier effectiveness of sheep intestinal gloves is uncertain, but definitely not as good as latex gloves. These necromancers came to help him, and if even one or two were to get infected, it would be his fault! Andrew Lynn looked at Garrett with a warm gaze, slightly amused. If he weren¡¯t busy washing his hands as required, he would have really liked to ruffle Garrett¡¯s hair. Although there was nothing much to ruffle, with his black hair flattened under the surgical cap, not a single strand sticking up... Garrett, the guy he had just met, was always particularly soft-hearted and worried. Being a necromancer, everyone has their own ways of self-protection. They deal with death, disease, epidemics, and various toxins more than anyone else, who would stumble on this? "Hmm, ahem!" Archmage Edgar cleared his throat forcefully. It was an oversight, sending Andrew Lynn to Garrett¡¯s mage tower was intended to forge closer ties, to try to pull the young man over to the Black Crow Swamp. Instead, it ended up with Andrew Lynn being pulled to their side... Although everyone understood what being a follower meant, a follower is still a follower! Garrett shifted his gaze away, feeling a bit embarrassed. However, in that instant, he quickly turned back to look directly at Archmage Edgar. A series of sparks flew through his mind: the Archmage¡ªthe silver skeleton gifted by the Archmage¡ªcontrolling the silver skeleton for dissection¡ªsurgical robots! "Can you control skeletons to perform surgery?" he asked urgently. "I mean, can you control the skeletons to perform more delicate tasks, like paying attention to the depth when cutting, opening the skin without damaging the muscles?" In the midst of the sound of running water, the laughter of the necromancers filled the air. Could they? Of course, they could. The first pet of a necromancer is almost always a skeleton. They are their most reliable assistants, most trusted friends, listeners in solitude, and also scouts, rearguards, and sacrifices in battle¡ªas long as the soul fire is not extinguished, they can always be summoned again... And for such companions, whom necromancers spend all their time with, asking them to perform some precise tasks? Very easy! Garrett heaved a huge sigh of relief. With skeletons performing the surgery, doctors wouldn¡¯t have to come into direct contact with patients. All the risks of intraoperative exposure, such as getting cut by a scalpel or getting bodily fluids on their skin, in their face, or in their eyes... all these risks dropped to zero. God knows how much surgeons hate these risks. When encountering an unexpected situation on the operating table, then seeing the patient¡¯s medical history... Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, syphilis, HIV, any one of these being positive is a huge blow to the doctor! They would have to take highly side-effect-inducing prophylactic medications, live in anxiety for the next six months to a year, avoid contact with their partner, and some people, might even forever leave the operating table... In his past life, Garrett, whenever he heard about medical staff encountering such situations, always wanted to yell at those patients: At least don¡¯t conceal your infectious disease history!!! Now, good, skeletons have taken over! "Shall we start directly?" "Start directly! What¡¯s so hard about opening the abdomen..." Archmage Edgar answered swiftly. At the same time, the archbishop added: "You do it first." The two glared at each other. Seizing the opportunity, Garrett quickly entered Operating Room 1: "Let me briefly talk about the precautions... Uh, are you all coming to watch?" What answered him was a screen of arcane eyes. In any case, with Garrett leading the surgery, the archbishop acting as the anesthetist, and a cleric from the Spring Goddess¡¯s temple serving as a human attractor, this bizarre surgery team finally started the first surgery. Garrett explained as he operated: "Disinfect before the surgery... For opening the abdomen, take the midline incision, pay attention to the depth of the cut... Open the skin, separate the fascia and muscles, the intestinal inflammation is so severe, it¡¯s definitely a mess underneath, don¡¯t pull hard. The intestines are probably swollen like tofu at this moment, it could tear with a tug, and it¡¯s also easy to damage vessels, it¡¯s better if I do it..." As he spoke, the hand of the mage in front of him fluttered, cleaning the clumped peritoneum, bluntly separating the mesentery, lifting out the intestines from the tangled mess: "As expected, it¡¯s necrotic... To ensure safety, the necrotic parts plus ten centimeters above and below need to be cut off, then sutured... How about a healing spell?" As he spoke, a gentle white light had already descended. Garrett inspected the intestines in his hand, giving a thumbs up to those behind: Front wall, back wall, muscular layer, all well aligned, the intestinal wall is ruddy, blood circulation normal, no fistulae¡ªIn terms of rapid healing, healing spells have an unparalleled advantage over the medical techniques of his previous life! "Alright! Rinse with saline solution¡ªdrain! Rinse again with holy water, drain again! Closing the abdomen should be done layer by layer... Done! Send the patient off, next one!" The skeleton porters, once again, diligently got to work... Meanwhile, the casters who had watched this surgery, or rather, the casters who felt "I think I can do it now", filed into their respective operating rooms. Arcane eyes provide vision, necromancers operate the screens, skeletons perform the surgery, War God¡¯s priests anesthetize, Spring Goddess¡¯s clerics drain. Garrett ran back and forth among the eight operating rooms, responsible for checking for necrosis in the intestines, sectioning the intestines, calling for healing spells to suture... Assembly line surgery, begin! The time consumed by one surgery, joyously, was more than halved. Garrett: Phew, liberated! Only needing to do the most important part, the positioning, disinfection, opening before, and the rinsing, checking for active bleeding points, closing layer by layer after, were all taken care of by others! Finally, he had a bit of the feeling of a surgical lead... Keep it up, Garrett! Strive to finish all the patients needing surgery before the end of the day! Garrett was bustling about in the operating rooms. Outside the operating rooms, Old Sam silently watched the surgical scene for a while, then turned to his colleagues with an odd expression on his face: "Is this... the dead treating the living?" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 323: Arcane Eye, Live Surgery Broadcast! The magical assembly line of surgeries kicked into full gear. "Great God of War, please have mercy on your people, and spare them from the torment of pain..." A calming spell descended as a white light. The expressions of pain or terror on the patients¡¯ faces froze, motionless. The War God¡¯s priests stepped back, and the skeletons clacked forward, meticulously disinfecting, lifting the scalpel, and making the incision with precision. Above the patients¡¯ abdomens, an arcane eye hung high, with the necromancers intently watching the scene on the screen, controlling their skeletons. Then, the cleric of the Spring Goddess softly prayed, gesturing with her fingers. In the patients¡¯ abdominal cavities, a stream of ascites, pus, and other waste materials rose and fell into a bucket beside, quickly removed by the skeletons entering and exiting the operating room. By the way, the skeletons taking on the role of circulating nurses were still rattling in their skeletal frames, temporarily neglected in appearance... "Garrett! Operating Room Four is ready!" "Five is done!" "Eight is complete!" "Six has been opened!" "¡ªGot it! I¡¯ll be there once I¡¯m done! Just cover it with a warm saline gauze for now!" Garrett called back. However, it was clear his pace alone couldn¡¯t match the speed of eight teams. Soon, the casters in the operating rooms found themselves idle, pondering how to pass the time. Leaving was not an option, as Garrett had emphasized before entering the ORs: leaving and coming back would require re-washing hands and changing gowns, a tedious process; Visiting each other was inconvenient too, given the limited space in an operating room, not allowing for 24 people to crowd in; As for chatting, a necromancer, a War God¡¯s priest, and a Spring Goddess¡¯s cleric, with different standings and beliefs, masked and facing each other, initially found nothing in common to talk about... "Hey, what¡¯s Garrett doing?" Archmage Edgar suddenly raised his hand. An arcane eye wobbled up from his fingertip and floated into the adjacent operating room. In Operating Room Three, Garrett was frantically searching through intestines, occasionally turning back: "Wipe the sweat." A skeletal hand holding a handkerchief reached out to wipe the sweat beads from his forehead. The necromancers¡¯ eyes gleamed. The War God¡¯s priests were silent. Beside the archbishop, the normally dignified high cleric of the Spring Goddess¡¯s temple, eyed the screen, subtly moving closer to the necromancer. It¡¯s not about forming a closer relationship with him; I¡¯m just looking for a better viewing position, yes, that¡¯s it! Inside Operating Room Four, the three casters exchanged glances and moved forward together. One step, two steps, stopping three steps away from the operating table, reluctantly retreating. They had to; the screen stretched by the arcane eyes was almost touching Garrett¡¯s back... "When there¡¯s inflammation, the peritoneum often forms adhesions... The mesentery is also likely to be swollen... The edematous mesentery is very easy to tear, requiring extra caution..." Garrett babbled on. Behind him, silence reigned as the three casters stood shoulder to shoulder, craning their necks, almost pressing their eyes against the screen. In the midst of the Mage¡¯s Hand fluttering, a sudden "Eh" sounded: "Wait!" "What?" Garrett stopped and turned back. Across the screen, he saw a caster in a pale blue robe hurry around the operating table, standing opposite him: "Is the vessel here?" The cleric, two steps away from the operating table, carefully extended a finger. At the tip, a long stream of water stretched straight, touching near the mesentery. The finger moved, and the tip of the stream lightly sketched: "This is the vessel¡¯s position, right?" "...Impressive!" Garrett looked at him in surprise. Doctors locate vessels before surgery, memorizing countless anatomical structures, with MRI and angiography for guidance. But this cleric from the Spring Goddess¡¯s temple, without using any of those methods? "Very accurate! How did you...?" "I can feel it. With the blessing of the Spring Goddess, we can sense the flow of liquids. But my ability is limited; I can feel it after opening the abdomen, not through the skin." The cleric smiled shyly. Garrett enthusiastically pointed at him: "Brilliant! With this skill, there¡¯s no fear of cutting a vessel during surgery! Look, before cutting, clamp here to avoid major bleeding, we usually use the Mage¡¯s Hand. Even if you accidentally cut one, no worries, just find and clamp the vessel..." Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 324: Cutting Intestines, Necromancers Fear Nothing! The cleric of the Spring Goddess demonstrated an astounding ability to perceive the direction of blood flow¡ªor rather, the flow of any life-carrying liquid within the human body¡ªthat left Garrett in awe. Initially, the cleric was somewhat hesitant, his water stream wavering, taking its time before making a cut. Soon, however, his movements became swift. The luminescent water stream, almost alive at his fingertips, twisted and turned, marking: "There¡¯s one here." "Correct," Garrett nodded, "the ileocolic artery." "There¡¯s another here, thinner." Following the cleric¡¯s water stream, Garrett continued to nod: "Indeed, a branch of the colic artery." "What are they talking about?" Bishop Sullivan stepped back, bumping into Andrew Lynn beside him. He had encountered Andrew Lynn once before at a healing session and didn¡¯t mind pairing up with him during the surgery, even though Andrew Lynn was the lowest-ranked mage present. Andrew Lynn, intently watching the screen and recalling the anatomy charts Garrett had shown him, shook his head slightly: "No matter what the cleric is saying, I feel like Garrett is talking past him..." The exchange by the operating table continued. The young cleric frowned deeply, sweat beading brightly on his forehead: "There¡¯s one here, vertical, quite thick... Hmm... no, there are two, one going up, one coming down!" The young cleric extended both hands forward. From the tips of his index fingers, two water streams emerged, indeed one flowing up and the other down. Garrett was impressed by the fact that the stream from the left hand, circling from below to above, was slightly dimmer than the one from the right hand: "The one coming up carries more vitality, and the one going down," he twitched his fingertips, the slightly dimmer stream rippling confidently, "carries less vitality." Garrett gave him a thumbs up. The arterial and venous mesenteric vessels, represented by two faintly floating water streams, were spot on! With this companion¡¯s sensing and reminders, Garrett¡¯s procedures sped up. When he started to lift the intestines out, Bishop Sullivan suddenly stepped forward two steps, calling out: "Wait a minute." "What¡¯s up?" Garrett halted. Bishop Sullivan hurried to the other side of the operating table to sense again, then opened his eyes: "This segment of the intestine is gone. And here, something¡¯s not right..." Following his directions, Garrett checked section by section. Intestinal obstruction, ischemic necrosis, gangrene... Bishop Sullivan, with his eyes half-closed, even pointed out a difficult-to-detect perforation pressed underneath! "That¡¯s right, these spots!" "Let¡¯s continue!" The surgery proceeded with hitches and glitches. Now the intestines were torn, now the Mage¡¯s Hands exerted too much or too little force, now the intestines were cut off, the mesentery and its folds not cleanly removed... Thankfully, various spells were always on hand to save the day. After cutting and healing, it wasn¡¯t just about putting things back: "Organize the intestines! Arrange the intestines in order! Heal the mesentery! Otherwise, after closing the abdomen, adhesions, intussusception, obstructions, all sorts of problems might arise!" The arcane eyes clung to the surgical lamps, continuously shifting their positions to capture every action of the three spellcasters. The War God¡¯s temple¡¯s archbishop quietly watched the entire surgery and then turned to the high cleric: "Hey, old buddy, can you sense the position of vessels like that?" "Of course¡ªno problem!" "Then¡ª" He looked towards Archmage Edgar. Before he could speak, the archmage preempted him: "Cutting intestines, right? You point out the location, and I dare to cut! In the Black Crow Swamp, whose minions haven¡¯t dissected dozens or hundreds of corpses¡ªLittle Garrett, is it right that by removing the damaged intestines and reconnecting them, we can treat it?" "Can delay the disease, buy some time!" Garrett¡¯s voice echoed from afar. The three high-level healers exchanged a glance: "Let¡¯s begin!" Behind the scenes, away from Garrett¡¯s view, the native inhabitants began their surgery independently, stumbling through the process. Amidst the flurry of Mage¡¯s Hands, exclamations occasionally erupted: "Oops! The intestine is torn!" "Cleanse spell! Follow up with a cleanse spell! Quick!" "Bleeding! Quick, a healing spell!" "Where exactly is this blood vessel hiding?!" "Didn¡¯t you say you could feel the direction of blood flow?!" "Everything inside is bloody! Blood everywhere!" Had it not been for two high-level healers constantly at the ready with healing spells, the patient would have died ten times over. Even with healing spells, if not for the calming spell restraining the patient, it¡¯s likely the patient would have rolled off the operating table and fled with their intestines in hand... Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 325: Surgery Acceleration, Breaking News "Ah!" "Ouch!" "Healing spell, quick, quick, quick! Keep up!" In Operating Room 1, the sounds of conversation, even subdued gasps of alarm, were incessant. In the other six operating rooms, silence prevailed, as eighteen spellcasters pricked up their ears, listening to the pitfalls encountered by the experts, daring not even to cough. Garrett¡¯s heart pounded. If this were his hospital in a previous life, never would these experts be allowed to conduct surgery alone. Joking aside, a partial resection of the small intestine, even for benign conditions, was considered a Level 2 to Level 3 surgery! Level 2 surgeries required at least junior attending physicians to lead, and Level 3 surgeries needed senior attending physicians, or junior associate chief physicians! And here in Operating Room 1, these individuals¡ªthough all spellcasters above Level 10¡ªhad they memorized the anatomical charts? How was their dissection technique? Had they completed their standardized training? Had they passed their medical licensing exams? How many years had they served as residents, ever been the primary resident for a year? Had they been promoted to attending physician? Had they independently performed even a single appendectomy? Was there a senior physician guiding them? And they dared to tackle a Level 2 surgery! Regrettably, Garrett had no say in the matter. Firstly, these were people here to help him, it wouldn¡¯t be right to prevent them from participating. Secondly, each of these experts in Operating Room 1 had a level of spellcasting that was square of his own, plus a little more... In other words, by level of spellcasting, those individuals were the senior physicians, and Garrett himself, the junior T_T But then again, if in his previous life there had been healing spells readily available, perhaps the requirements for surgery permissions wouldn¡¯t have been so strict. A blood vessel cut? Healing spell! An intestine torn? Healing spell! A liver or spleen lacerated? Healing spell! It was as if a senior doctor was always there guiding, or to be more precise, it was much more useful than the guidance of a senior physician. High error tolerance, low mortality rate, the efficiency of training surgeons, also much higher than in his previous life. Could this save more patients? After all, the mortality rate of anthrax was terrifyingly high, aside from those with board-like abdomen, who knows how many more patients had developed intestinal bleeding, perforation. Getting surgery sooner could significantly reduce the chances of septicemia. Garrett raised his voice: "Be gentle! You must be gentle! When inspecting the intestines, lift the peritoneum, slowly pull it upwards!" "Take him down, toxin in the brain, probably not much chance of survival... Bring in another patient!" Despite the surgery being fraught with close calls and hazards, eight operating rooms working simultaneously was much faster than Garrett alone. The long line of patients with board-like abdomen soon shrank from the neighboring hospital building, to the connecting corridor between the two buildings, and then just to the corridor outside the OR area. Seeing the patients nearly dealt with, Garrett nodded to the three experts in Operating Room 1 and dove back into the wards to continue screening patients in need of surgery. Checking for high fever patients list! Visually assessing patient conditions! Listening to bowel sounds, pressing to evaluate the abdominal situation, X-ray for gas-fluid levels! The high-level mages in the ORs, just finishing the first batch of patients, thought they could rest a bit. Garrett, however, rustled up dozens more... "Are we even meant to live?!" In the eight operating rooms, twenty-four spellcasters, half of them screamed in dismay... Down in the wards, Garrett grew increasingly reassured. Penicillin deliveries kept coming, injected into patients one by one; the conditions of those he had personally monitored did not worsen, signs of peritonitis were being controlled; and the rate of mild cases turning severe began to slow down! With penicillin available, at least they could buy time, waiting for the spellcasters¡¯ healing spells to recover, or, to queue up for the operating table! After screening one floor of patients, Garrett was about to move to another when Archmage Edgar hurriedly stopped him. The archmage, rushing and with a look of concern: "Little Garrett, I need to step out for a bit! Go back to the OR, take my place!" "Okay! ¡ªArchmage, what happened? Is there anything I can help with?" "Just do the surgery." Archmage Edgar waved him off and walked away quickly. Stepping out of the infectious diseases hospital, a mage in black robes approached him, summoning two shadowy steeds: "The latest news, near the water source of that water supply company, traces of a plague-related curse have been discovered!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 326: Tracing the Plague, Protection Comes First Archmage Edgar was at his wit¡¯s end. Necromancers, especially those from the plague branch of necromancy, have always had a notorious reputation. Whenever there was an outbreak of strange diseases, plagues, or unexplainable deaths, the first reaction of people was: What mischief is the plague branch up to now? Whom have they cursed? Have they been testing new spells on living beings? Or did something from their laboratories leak out? If not for the fact that the Black Crow Swamp was genuinely formidable, especially in group battles, the ostracization they faced would have been even more severe. This is where young Garrett deserves praise. Ever since he published several papers on infectious diseases and plagues, proving the methods of plague transmission, and provided the standard management norms for P4 laboratories, the necromancers found a powerful argument in their defense. People from the plague branch could proudly say: "My laboratory meets the standards! My lab management is strict enough! This plague/disease/death has nothing to do with me!" However, before peace could last two days, the shadow of a necromantic plague curse appeared in this outbreak! "Is the news reliable?" he asked the mage who brought the news seriously. The informant nodded heavily: "It was Glaya who told me. She and I studied in the same Mage Tower for seven years¡ªThe Commissioner asked her to pass the message, saying both our Black Crow Swamp and the Commissioner from Light of the Stars have confirmed the existence of the curse, and told us to clean it up quickly." Archmage Edgar expressed his understanding. Since the necromantic committee members had personally witnessed it, the source of the plague being a magical curse was beyond doubt. Sending the message was merely to catch a significant insider quickly, to avoid falling into others¡¯ hands, which would look bad. started running towards the ridge top. The mage followed leisurely behind, even sparing magic to speed it up, but after crossing two mountain tops, his face quickly soured: The boar had led them to the newly demarcated public health department¡¯s water source, supplying the entire Nevis City! The boar sniffed around, east and west, moving forward. Soon, it dug up a dead rat near the water source, then another, and another. After three to five dead rats appeared, Edgar was trembling with rage. He raised his hand, and a dense black light fell: "Go, find them all!" The skeletal rats scattered. Being small and agile, they were much faster than the boar and quickly led Edgar to twenty to thirty dead rats. The two closest to the water source had died less than ten meters from the reservoir! Another magical test on the time of death showed that the rats had died nearly a week earlier than the boar. If they had carried the disease into the water, contaminating the reservoir, the entire city would have been in danger! Edgar cast a spell towards the reservoir. The same spell he used at the lake fell into the reservoir, but instead of stirring up black and green bubbles, it brought forth a lively light green aura. Looking closer, the water plants at the bottom of the lake gently swayed, sterilizing, filtering, and cleaning¡ªthese were plants specially cultivated by the God of Nature¡¯s sect to purify water bodies. Even if a few disease seeds entered the reservoir, these plants could eliminate most of them. Hundreds of storage tanks at the end, Garrett¡¯s apprentices changing bleach bottles every three days, testing water quality every three days; the biogas pool in the slum area blazing, constantly providing boiling water for free. Three lines of defense connected one after another, protecting the safety of Nevis City¡¯s citizens. Fortunately, there was a centralized water supply facility, and fortunately, precautions were taken in advance... Maybe, the curser found the rats ineffective and then changed the target to launch the spell? Edgar let out a long sigh. He changed his gestures, casting several spells in succession, landing on the skeletal boar and rats. Finally, with a forceful wave of his hand: "Go, to the source that cursed you!" The boar and rats fell silently to the ground, disintegrating into bones. From the pile of bones, dozens of bone fragments rustled, forming a few bone crows, which spread their wings and flew away. Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 327: A Cunning Beyond Measure Chapter 327: A Cunning Beyond Measure The bone birds took flight, circling above Archmage Edgar¡¯s head, swooping low as if searching for something. Gradually, they dispersed, their bone wings brushing against the grass, some even diving into the thickets. Archmage Edgar mounted his Phantom Steed confidently. With a tug of the reins, the Phantom Steed leaped into the air, hovering a half foot off the ground. He was ready for the pursuit and turned to the messenger: "Preserve the flesh and soil below for examination. And remember, don¡¯t touch it directly with your hands. It¡¯s all plagued seeds, beware of becoming like the patients in the hospital!" The messenger thought, T_T, I know it¡¯s a plague, I¡¯m from Black Crow Swamp too! Do you really need to teach me how to handle toxic substances? But why, oh why, is this dirty, stinky, and dangerous task thrown onto me... After giving his instructions, Edgar slightly raised his head, scanning the horizon. The bone birds had gained altitude, their circling radius expanding as if they had confirmed their information and were now seeking the source. Good, keep it up! The mage who cast this curse, wait till I find you, believe it or not, I¡¯ll tear you to pieces! Archmage Edgar watched the bone birds, his mind racing with thoughts of overturning the culprit¡¯s Mage Tower, confronting him, and smashing all his necromantic creations. Imagining the eighteen tortures of Black Crow Swamp, by the time he reached the sixteenth, the bone birds suddenly scattered in all directions, flying east, west, southwest, northeast. Archmage Edgar: !!! His calm smile froze on his face. Luckily, he reacted quickly, recalling all the bone birds before releasing them one by one. The one heading southwest dove diagonally and crashed into Garrett¡¯s Mage Tower, shattering into fine dust. The velocity and the irretrievable momentum, as if it bore a grudge against the Mage Tower for generations, bewildering since it was summoned less than ten minutes ago... Why did it head here? Could it be Garrett¡¯s Mage Tower has a plague leak? Is the laboratory management lax, or did a student get bribed into stealing plague seeds from the lab? Archmage Edgar was deeply troubled. He released another bone bird, this time it darted towards the southeast, crashing into the hospital, clawing and pecking at Leon Carlos, who was directing operations in the lobby. Leon: ...!!! What¡¯s this for? Why attack me suddenly! Poor him, just a mage apprentice, recruited through the academy¡¯s admission program, and has not yet been taken in by any master. Suddenly attacked by a bone bird, he was clueless about what was happening or what the spell signified. . ...Should I find a place to camp, or speed up and continue tracking? Not having a camping spot isn¡¯t a worry, every mage knows how to use a mage¡¯s cottage when out and about. The bone birds suddenly dived. Edgar followed, descending into a cave. The cave walls were dry, devoid of strange food remnants or debris, obviously not a beast¡¯s den, the air even carried a faint fragrance. Following the bone birds further, turning a corner, he saw them plunge into a shallow spring, then... They disintegrated into bones. ??? Archmage Edgar looked around. Vines covered the cave walls, still blooming with small white flowers this season, a pile of firewood at the cave¡¯s base, the ground baked hard. The whole atmosphere conveyed cleanliness, comfort, and safety¡ªundoubtedly a camping spot of the God of Nature¡¯s sect when patrolling the wilderness... So, this is awkward. Did the mage who left the curse specifically come here to leave a footprint, meanwhile using natural scents to cover his tracks? It must be said, he did a good job. Releasing another bone bird only led to aimless circling, unable to find the direction. What clue should be followed next? Archmage Edgar returned dejectedly. Fifty kilometers away, Lady Hopman graciously poured a cup of tea for her sister. "Slynn, try this tea. It¡¯s flavored with orange peel and cinnamon. The cinnamon powder was just brought by the recent ship, the best batch¡ªdo you want more sugar?" "No need," replied Slynn, the necromancer, her fingers dry as she touched the teacup but didn¡¯t pick it up. "How¡¯s the plague? Was it successful?" "It should be, I just got the news. By the way, Slynn, are you sure your curse won¡¯t be traced back to you? Really no need to flee elsewhere for a while?" "Don¡¯t worry! I added personal items from two mages into it. If they search, they¡¯ll find them first! Tracing it back to me won¡¯t be easy." Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 328: Out of Spells, But Still Able to Save Lives Never underestimate a mage, no matter how low their rank. This is a principle taught to every mage who has undergone formal education. The power of a mage comes from their wisdom and creativity; even low-ranking mages or apprentices might possess unique secrets. A trick from an apprentice might stump even a grand mage. If Garrett knew this rule, he might translate it as: Elementary school math problems, with specific methods required, might stump college students. Archmage Edgar circled the cave. A series of detection spells revealed nothing; evidently, his colleague had covered his tracks well. After some thought, he left the cave to set up a mage¡¯s shelter elsewhere for the night. ¡ªThis cave was developed by the followers of the God of Nature, its magical environment more attuned to nature and life. For a necromancer, although it wasn¡¯t uncomfortable, it could slightly hinder their performance. In the event of an enemy¡¯s arrival, this slight difference could mean life or death. Having been battle-hardened, Edgar could not overlook this detail. Although his intuition suggested that his colleague was unlikely to return and attack, a mage should never risk their life on "should" or "maybe." Archmage Edgar rested up, ready to try a different approach the next day. However, the battle at the infectious disease hospital where Garrett was located was far from over. ¡ªIn eight operating rooms, casters gradually ceased their work. Even high-ranking healers, levels 7, 8, or even above 10, ready to deal with splashing blood and clinging to fading lives for five to six hours, had exhausted their mental and physical strengths. "I can¡¯t anymore," Bishop Sullivan was the first to bow out. His healing magic was already down to 20%, and after supporting a few more rounds of treatment, he felt dizzy and unstable. He stopped and sat down in the resting area outside, where soon, a somewhat familiar cleric sat beside him. The third, the fourth, more and more people exited, the teams in the operating rooms breaking and reforming. Eventually, all eight rooms emptied, save for OR one, where sounds still echoed. "Bring in the patient." "Cleansing spell." "Here, cast a healing spell." "Another one." "Saline rinse." "Good, suction." "Abdomen can be closed now. Continue with the healing spell, thank you." "Take the patient down. Next." "Another one." a break!" "But there are still patients waiting." Garrett looked back at the corridor. Seventeen or eighteen stretchers stood there, meaning seventeen or eighteen patients, seventeen or eighteen lives¡ª These he couldn¡¯t just ignore! "Don¡¯t worry! I can manage this part without healing spells, without any supernatural abilities. I can handle treating this group of people." Garrett turned and walked back inside. Without Mage Hand, without Cleansing spells, he still had his own hands and freshly sterilized surgical instruments. In his previous life, he and his colleagues, his mentors, had saved countless patients without healing spells; there was no reason he couldn¡¯t do the same now! Garrett¡¯s steps were slow, even stumbling at first, but they steadied as he proceeded. Entering the OR, he lifted the scalpel and made a steady cut. "A born healer," Bishop Sullivan sighed. When he first became a War Priest and went to the battlefield, he too had desperately dragged back wounded soldiers, staying up nights to clean and bandage wounds. But later, with regular meditation, ensuring enough sleep, maintaining the bishop¡¯s status and image... How long had it been since he had worked so desperately to treat patients? He thought of helping, but as he leaned on the armrest, his head spun. Darkness crossed his vision, Bishop Sullivan instinctively closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he realized it wasn¡¯t due to exhaustion: a black-robed mage silently floated past. Garrett opened the patient¡¯s abdominal skin. As he continued to make the incision, familiar footsteps approached slowly from behind: "Let me do it." Garrett turned. A familiar golden skeleton¡ªresembling one from Andrew Lynn¡¯s collection¡ªstood beside him, with one of Edgar¡¯s disciples smiling behind it: "Take a break, let me¡ªAt least, I can help with the incision." "And I can help with rinsing and closing." Another cleric in a pale blue robe stood at the door. Before Garrett could thank them, a third caster arrived at the doorway of OR one, pausing to nod at him: "The most troublesome part may have to be you; I can¡¯t keep my concentration. But, we can take care of the rest, saving you some time." One action inspired another, one spirit lifted another. Necromancers, priests, clerics rose one by one, heading to their assigned ORs. Calls echoed back and forth: "Bring in the patient!" "Bring in the patient!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 329: Mortality Rate and Reinforcements The night deepened. The last operation concluded. Casters began to withdraw, returning to their mage towers or temples for meditation, sleep, and the recovery of their mental strength and spells for the next day. Without spells, even a magician is rendered powerless... Only the hard-pressed Garrett was yet to rest. Deep into the night, he faced a lineup of apprentices, each reporting in turn: "In wards 1-4 on the first floor, out of 88 patients, 40 were treated with divine magic, 28 cured, 12 under observation. The remaining 48 treated without divine magic saw 6 deaths, with the rest under observation." "In wards 5-8 on the first floor, out of 92 patients, 30 received divine magic treatment, 22 cured, 8 under observation. The 62 treated without divine magic suffered 11 deaths, with the rest under observation..." "Wards 9-10 on the first floor, wards 9-10 on the second floor..." "Wards 1-4 on the second floor..." Garrett tirelessly logged the data. As the reports progressed, fewer people received divine magic treatment, and the mortality rate increased. In just one day, the hospital saw an influx of 1247 patients, including those directly and indirectly affected, with the death toll reaching... 51. Garrett knew this number would continue to rise in the coming days. Anthrax patients, if not treated timely and effectively, would massively turn septic, leading to death on the second or third day. Although large doses of penicillin had been administered, how many could be saved? The effectiveness of intramuscular injections as a substitute for intravenous drips was uncertain to Garrett. "Is the timing and dosage of the penicillin injections all recorded?" He flipped through the logbook while asking. A spattering of replies came: "Recorded..." "The patients¡¯ temperature changes?" "Recorded..." This time, the response was even sparser. Garrett sighed in resignation: Ah, the teacher entrusted little Garrett to his care, what choice did he have but to keep a close eye? "Your Excellency, I intended to visit the review committee to see if we could coordinate more manpower to assist tomorrow." Garrett answered respectfully. "You¡¯ve seen it yourself, dozens of apprentices managing so many patients is overwhelming." "And you thought of this now?" Archmage Carlisle grunted heavily, conjuring a Phantom Steed. Garrett attempted to mount, but his legs felt as heavy as lead, and he couldn¡¯t climb onto the horse. Thankfully, the Phantom Steed knelt, allowing Garrett to sit in the saddle comfortably. "Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s already arranged." The sound of hooves and the Archmage¡¯s words were carried by the night wind to Garrett¡¯s ears: "Tomorrow morning, 100 apprentices and low-ranking mages will report to the mage tower. Give them an hour to teach them how to protect themselves, then take them to work. No problem, right?" "No problem!" Garrett exclaimed joyfully. The Archmage coughed: "It¡¯s not for free, two conditions. First, they must return as they came; can¡¯t send out a hundred and have ten or eight fall sick. Can you manage that?" "I¡¯ll do my best..." Garrett wiped sweat from his brow. Teaching protection was a given, but whether the apprentices would listen or adhere strictly to safety measures was out of his control. What if a carefree one, after nursing a patient, ate without washing hands? Hoping the transmission rate of anthrax wasn¡¯t high was all he could do... "Second, that thing you made¡ªpenicillin¡ªwhen can you write up the paper? The production method, the effects of the medication..." Ah, interest in good things indeed runs high. Garrett remained silent. The large-scale application had just started today, not even 24 hours had passed, and the council was already inquiring... "Give me another 100 people! One person managing five patients, then there¡¯s time to record the medication effects!" "That¡¯s..." Garrett and Archmage Carlisle haggled. Meanwhile, under the eternal flame before the statue of the War God, the Archbishop stood hands behind his back, gazing at the deity¡¯s visage: "That... miracle drug, besides today¡¯s issue, what other conditions is it effective against? Can we acquire the production method? Shall we discuss it tomorrow?" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 330: Penicillin, a Bidding War? Garrett¡¯s immediate agreement to write the paper somewhat surprised Archmage Carlisle. In the darkness of the night, he glanced back at the string of lights behind him¡ªthe carriages arranged by the city hall to transport the apprentices from the infectious disease hospital back to the mage tower, saving them from exhaustion and a kilometer-long walk. Carlisle watched Garrett with amusement: "You agreed to write the paper just like that? Without even a bit of bargaining?" "It¡¯s just writing, not something that needs to be kept secret." Garrett yawned on horseback, tears streaming from his eyes due to fatigue. "Such an important discovery can¡¯t be kept by me alone; it should be handed over to the council anyway...ahh..." Joking aside, that was penicillin! A strategic resource! On the battlefield, having penicillin was like magically gaining half a priest per person! Such a thing, even in his previous life, was developed with support from the U.S. military, which then placed orders for its procurement. How else could Australian pathologist Howard Florey have managed to have pilots collect soil samples from airports around the world for his bacterial strain isolation? Not to mention its medicinal value, the idea that a level 3 mage like him could keep it secure was ludicrous! Archmage Carlisle was both surprised and pleased. The young man knew his limits, sparing Carlisle the effort of persuading or even deceiving him. However, the more compliant Garrett was, the more Carlisle wanted to tease him: "Not even going to discuss licensing fees?" "No need...the council has always been generous..." Garrett continued yawning, struggling to keep his balance. The council had never been stingy with compensation before, always keen to extract a bit more technology: "It¡¯s just..." "Just what..." "It¡¯s just that the directed mutation and large-scale cultivation of Penicillium rely on Elder Wood and their contributions...they shouldn¡¯t be shortchanged..." Archmage Carlisle: "..." Smart kid, waiting for me right there! Whose student are you, really?! He was both annoyed and amused, about to vent a few complaints, but when he turned around, he swallowed his words. With a flick of his wrist, a living rope flew out, securely binding Garrett to the horseback: That was close! Garrett was nearly falling off the horse! Even a Phantom Steed can¡¯t tolerate riding like this! Although it¡¯s a magical mount, it won¡¯t carry its master by the collar! Archmage Carlisle paid utmost attention, delivering Garrett to the doorstep of the mage tower. An invisible servant took him inside, where Garrett, leaning on the servant, drooled in his sleep, oblivious to who laid him in bed. "357 patients improved...678 remained stable...59 worsened..." "The effectiveness is still not satisfactory." Garrett frowned in frustration: "Switching from IV to IM injection seems to have made a difference. Should we increase the dosage? Or shorten the administration interval? What does the pharmacokinetics of penicillin G say? How long can the effective bactericidal concentration be maintained?" He agonized over the memory. Some things were only roughly described in books, or formulas were listed, requiring his own calculations. Garrett, a clinical doctor in his previous life, not a researcher, found many formulas unfamiliar and had to recall and re-calculate them. While Garrett was dissatisfied with the effectiveness of penicillin and pondered adjustments, elsewhere in the city, factions envious of penicillin¡¯s effects and scheming to acquire it were more than one or two. The Archbishop of the Temple of War, unusually traveling by carriage, faced two young apprentices sitting opposite him. Legs tightly together, hands pressed firmly on their knees, their youthful faces were serious: "Yes, yesterday I was responsible for wards 5-8 on the third floor, a total of 89 patients. Out of them, two received divine magic treatment and were cured, 11 were critically ill and slightly improved after divine magic treatment but not cured, also received penicillin injections, and 76 were only given penicillin. Out of the 76, 28 improved, 32 remained stable, six died." "Do you think they could have survived until now without penicillin?" "I¡ªI¡¯m just an apprentice, Your Grace. But I think those people¡¯s symptoms were very severe, probably wouldn¡¯t have lasted much longer." "Hmm... alright, child. Keep gathering data on penicillin¡¯s effectiveness in the coming days and report to me daily. May the God of War bless you, you can go now, call Gimmet up." The Archbishop tapped the car window rhythmically, lost in thought. Meanwhile, at the peak of Igor, the magicians of Black Crow Swamp were in an uproar: "This thing was made to counter us!" "No, with it, our plague magic can safely develop!" "It should be restricted!" "No, I think it should be highly encouraged! Wondering about the price, if it¡¯s right, I myself would like to purchase a batch..." "How much money have we already squeezed out of him? And now we¡¯re giving him money?!" "Uh, I think, it¡¯s not impossible to trade with something else... like skeletons for daily chores... Even if not so agile, they can still carry things, transport patients..." "Would they really want that? How many people got scared faint by skeletons yesterday?" "We could put an illusion on them! Illusions can be customized! Don¡¯t tell me you guys aren¡¯t experts in skinning!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 331: Environmental Disinfection, Who Pays for the Losses? "Can you skin a model?" When this question was posed, the mages from the Black Crow Swamp erupted into chaos: "Who can¡¯t!" "Skinning is the easiest!" "I have 10 basic models here! Male and female, young and old, with selectable height, weight, hair color, and eye color!" "Get lost!" Necromancers, in general, tend to face some difficulties in finding partners. Over time, to please their eyes on a daily basis, some turned their attention to the undead creatures they use regularly. For those like Andrew Lynn who are constantly roaming and still in the phase of increasing their combat capabilities, it¡¯s manageable. But as soon as a necromancer settles down with their own mage tower, who doesn¡¯t have a few prized possessions? Some choose the path of flesh sculpting, creating zombies that look lifelike and feel almost like a living person, just lacking body heat; others choose the path of illusions, fitting skeletons with illusions to save on daily cleaning and maintenance, with the convenience of changing them anytime they get bored. And there are those who take a different approach, overlaying zombies with illusions for both touch and appearance, avoiding the hassle of changing clothes and makeup... And as necromancers possess strong combat abilities, they sometimes drag back high-quality corpses of humans (or non-humans). Templates, as it were, are never in short supply. A third of the premium Tower Spirits offered by the school of change were designed by the necromancy school in terms of appearance. The conversation quickly drifted to showing off their zombies and skeletons (figurines, combat forms...), and attacking each other¡¯s possessions. The group of otaku mages found this topic fascinating, spitting out words with great enthusiasm, and half an hour passed in an instant. The meeting¡¯s moderator coughed several times, trying to steer the conversation back on track, but was intentionally or unintentionally ignored by everyone. Garrett was unaware of the discussions in the Black Crow Swamp. If he could hear them, he would rush to place an order: "First, give me a few dozen skeletons to help with sweeping, carrying stretchers, and delivering items, with the appearance of nurse sisters! I¡¯ll pay with penicillin!" Heaven knows how long his hospital has been short of nurses! All this time, doctors have been used as nurses, and mage apprentices as nurses. He has even resorted to serving as his own surgical nurse, ah, it¡¯s a tale of woe... But now he has no time to listen to discussions or place orders. Garrett invigorated himself and plunged into his hospital work: Checking patients, studying clinical data, performing surgeries. Patient bodies, as well as all clothes and items they¡¯ve touched, should be incinerated at high temperatures. It must be high temperatures, Burning Hand won¡¯t do, it needs to be Dragon¡¯s Breath, and the incinerator must be sealed to prevent the spread of pathogens; Even the soil of the water source should be burned with Dragon¡¯s Breath..." Johnny Colin¡¯s headache worsened as he listened. At the end, he couldn¡¯t help but complain: "According to you, those 12 buildings would be cleanest if burned down? The district is already sealed off, why not invite a great mage over, cast a forbidden spell, and kill everything completely? But then where would people live? All their belongings, gone?" "Burning them with high-temperature flames would indeed be safest... but..." Garrett also felt a headache. Wealth can be devastating, he himself had been poor before and knew the weight of these words. All those pieces of furniture, clothes, utensils, and various items, starting over for a family is a tremendous financial burden. Not to mention, after falling ill this time, how many would find themselves unemployed... "Headache... Who on earth released these plague seeds... If only they could be held responsible for compensation..." Garrett murmured under his breath. Johnny Colin fell silent for a moment, finding solace in these words: "The great mages are investigating. If they catch the mastermind, the families¡¯ losses will definitely be compensated by them." The problem is, the kind of mage who does such things... hopefully, they¡¯re wealthy! From his experience in handling cases, typically, those with nothing to lose are more likely to take risks... Garrett and the others pinned their hopes on the perpetrator¡¯s compensation. However, the actions of the great mage Edgar in the front line of the investigation were not going smoothly. "This curse method... doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s from our branch." "We study plagues in the lab." "Our branch? We¡¯re always in the mage tower, no one runs around!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 332: Forming Alliances and Searching for the Culprit The investigation led by Archmage Edgar was not going smoothly. As a high-level mage, he was not a necromancy textbook, and he couldn¡¯t instantly recognize the subtle differences in plague magic across various branches and individual casting styles of different mages. For an entire day, Archmage Edgar, with the flesh remnants collected from the scene, visited every high-level plague mage he knew, and not a single one claimed responsibility... Moreover, not one offered any leads on whose magic fluctuations those might resemble. After a day of fruitless running around, Archmage Edgar had no choice but to report back. The task had been assigned by a rotating member of the necromancy school¡¯s review committee. Upon hearing Edgar¡¯s plight and his request for authorization to investigate mage towers beyond the local area, the committee member grimly smiled and sighed: "Beyond local? How far beyond? ...100 kilometers? 200 kilometers? How many necromancy school mage towers are within that radius, and how much time do you plan to spend investigating? How will you conduct the investigation? Question them one by one? Or search their premises?" "This..." Archmage Edgar was at a loss for words. His strengths lay in research and teaching, hence his previous involvement in the council¡¯s elite classes. However, investigation and detective work were not his forte... In past adventures, whenever investigative needs arose, he relied on teammates, questioning the undead, or simply overpowering obstacles. Now tasked with conducting an investigation in Nevis City without causing too much disruption, and having exhausted all tracking magic without finding the person, he was at a loss. "Never mind, the Emergency Management Department is also on it. ...Go there, help them hold the fort. Suppress any rumors that need suppressing." Archmage Edgar couldn¡¯t have been more relieved by this suggestion and headed straight for the Emergency Management Department. These past few days, the department had been upheaved by the epidemic, managing quarantine zones, transporting patients, conducting city-wide searches, and overseeing the entire hospital¡¯s logistical needs¡ªthough, they promptly delegated the last of these tasks to the city hall. Even so, the department was overwhelmingly busy. What was most exasperating was that after a day¡¯s hard work, they had to disinfect everything¡ªpeople, horses, vehicles¡ªnot missing a spot! The entire Emergency Management Department was filled with complaints. Upon receiving confirmation from the review committee that the epidemic had been artificially induced, their animosity towards the culprit grew intense. The department head, Johnny Colin, upon being authorized, immediately delegated hospital affairs to his subordinates and immersed himself in the manhunt. The Emergency Management Department¡¯s role was to maintain city order and manage unruly mages. With a wealth of experience in investigations and manhunts, Johnny Colin had a preliminary plan after listening to the archmage. He arranged for his subordinates to gather information and, along with Archmage Edgar, visited the water supply company and the owner of the 12 buildings, Viscount Calrend. Viscount Calrend was seething when they met. After observing noble etiquettes with refreshments, he immediately voiced his grievances: "Minister Colin, during your tenure, has my Calrend family ever wronged you? Why are you treating me this way? It¡¯s one thing to treat the sick, but why quarantine the entire block? If word gets out, and people think my buildings are haunted, will I ever be able to rent them out again?" Minister Colin silently criticized. He didn¡¯t argue, instead staring intently at Viscount Calrend with sharp, unwavering eyes. The Viscount felt somewhat deflated under his gaze and, considering his losses, had no choice but to continue arguing: "How much would it cost to deal with all 12 buildings, their pipelines, and the water source? The council won¡¯t cover this?" "Of course not." "So I¡¯m just supposed to accept my bad luck?" Viscount Calrend¡¯s anger rose again, but before he could slam the table anew, Minister Colin¡¯s face broke into a rare smile: "Of course not." "Our preliminary investigation suggests that the contamination of your water company was due to someone cursing animals near the water source." Archmage Edgar, who had been silent, spoke up coldly: "Viscount, don¡¯t you want to know who committed this despicable act and recover your losses from them?" "...How can I catch him?" "The council has specialists for this." Minister Colin smiled: "But we need your cooperation. Viscount, have you taken anyone to the water source or nearby forests in the past two weeks? If not, could we question the guards overseeing the water source to see if they¡¯ve noticed any suspicious individuals?" "...Well, my family has a villa there. In the past two weeks, we¡¯ve held two parties, and many people went hunting in the forest..." "That¡¯s even more dangerous." Archmage Edgar sighed. "You might not be aware, but if people consume animals cursed, they could end up like those patients in the hospital¡ªor worse. The person who cast the curse doesn¡¯t care about your lives; why should you care about theirs?" Fuming, Viscount Calrend voluntarily provided a list of visitors. Not only that, but he also had his steward accompany the Emergency Management Department personnel to inquire with each visiting noble family. The guards overseeing the water source were not overlooked either... Meanwhile, subordinates dispatched by Minister Colin also obtained another list from the city¡¯s public water source guards. Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 333: Is the Suspect Fleeing from Guilt? With two lists in hand, meticulously comparing each entry was a massive undertaking. Minister Colin was so busy he even skipped his coffee, scrutinizing each piece of parchment until his eyes nearly crossed: "This one only visited once... this one too... this one never went to the public water source... neither did this one..." The number of nobles attending the party and going hunting wasn¡¯t large, making the check relatively straightforward. However, Minister Colin doubted that a necromancer casting a curse would use their real identity to blend in with the group. It was more likely they disguised themselves as servants or guards, or perhaps they snuck in undetected? He had already inquired with the staff monitoring the situation for any abnormalities in the past few days. Archmage Edgar also reviewed the lists with him. Although there were necromancers in Nevis City he hadn¡¯t met, he was familiar with most by name. As they went through the lists, Edgar suddenly exclaimed: "What was this family doing here?" "Which family?" Johnny Colin immediately leaned over to look. Edgar pointed to a line of names: "Baron Hopman¡¯s wife? She had the leisure to attend a party? ¡ªTheir eldest son just died!" "...Perhaps the baroness and her son were not close?" Minister Colin speculated. "Why does this particularly concern you?" "They have a grudge against little Garrett!" To prevent any retaliation from the baron¡¯s family, they had reported the enmity to their teacher immediately upon returning from the party. After hearing Edgar¡¯s account, Minister Colin stood up, determined: "...Indeed suspicious! This clue must be thoroughly investigated!" The investigation results, however, were not optimistic. Baron Hopman¡¯s eldest son, Knight Hopman, had recently passed away, leaving his frail and inconspicuous younger brother to be hastily pushed to the forefront. To familiarize him with the noble circle, the baron and his wife, along with their son and daughter-in-law, had been actively participating in social events around the area since Knight Hopman¡¯s funeral. The party at Viscount Calrend¡¯s was merely one stop in their social endeavors, showing no signs of irregularity. The team split into two. Johnny Colin, with two squads from the Emergency Management Department, followed the crow¡¯s trail to Baron Hopman¡¯s territory. They disguised themselves and lay in wait for two or three days before intercepting Baroness Hopman, who was hurriedly boarding a ship that had already set sail. Meanwhile, guided by the divination mage, the other group tracked their quarry. With magic leading the way and secret eyes scattered everywhere, they successfully intercepted Slynn . She had been lurking near the mage tower and had just missed crossing paths with the search party! Had the Emergency Management Department been even slightly slower, the ship bound for the New World would have already departed! After much running around, the grand mages were drenched in sweat. On the tenth day following the outbreak, a magical wall rose in the prison of the Emergency Management Department. On either side of the wall, two groups began their interrogation: "Magus Slynn, the Emergency Management Department suspects your involvement in the recent plague incident as a poisoner. By order of the review committee, we¡¯re here to ask you some questions. You may refuse to answer, but then we have the right to use enchantment magic for a coerced interrogation." "You may also lie, but be aware, each of your answers will be judged for truth by a divination mage. If deemed false, it will increase your guilt in the upcoming trial." "Of course, you could choose suicide... but as a necromancer, your soul would be captured for continued interrogation, something you¡¯re surely aware of?" "Now, please answer the first question: In the past two weeks, have you left the mage tower and visited the vicinity of Nevis City?" Magus Slynn clasped her hands, trembling slightly. On the other side of the magical wall, two nobly born mages solemnly questioned the baroness: "Magus Slynn has confessed. She claims it was at your instigation that she committed the acts of cursing and poisoning, intending to harm the citizens of Nevis City. Baroness, do you admit to your sister¡¯s accusations? Why did you instruct her to do so?" "¡ªI didn¡¯t! It has nothing to do with me! I haven¡¯t seen her in over a decade!" Baroness Hopman shrieked: "I demand treatment befitting my status! You have no right to detain and interrogate me based on her accusations!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 334: The Mastermind Behind the Poisoning, A Sister’s Betrayal "...I confess." "...I cursed animals near the water source twice, intending to contaminate it and cause an epidemic." "...It was my own idea, unrelated to anyone else." "...Just as my research was showing promise, the school suddenly ordered a halt to all independent studies on plagues. With my mage level and savings, even if I could secure a laboratory, it would be at least two to three years later. Years of effort cut short, I harbored resentment and sought revenge." Slynn sat alone opposite several high-ranking mages, her voice calm, articulating each word. Across from her, a divination mage busily sketched on paper, then slid it across to his colleagues for inspection. Archmage Edgar furrowed his brows slightly. Slynn had taken all the blame, intending to absolve her sister, which was impossible under magic¡¯s unyielding gaze. Yet, her confession, compared to having none, made a significant difference. At the very least, without resorting to magical coercion or forcibly extracting memories, the confession obtained would make it harder for the noble council to refute charges against Baroness Hopman! "Are you sure it was your own idea, Magus Slynn?" Archmage Edgar asked coldly. "Your sister, Baroness Hopman, seems to tell a different story¡ª" "You¡¯re overthinking it, Archmage." A faint smile crossed Slynn¡¯s pallid, unattractive face, her expression oddly serene. "Being caught by you is due to my inferior skills; the punishment is deserved. However, my sister would never admit to having any involvement in this matter." "Really? Would you like to hear what your sister has to say?" Archmage Edgar stood up to leave. The enchantment mage immediately followed, and the divination mage, after a glance left and right, also stood up to join them. Left in the room, Slynn¡¯s direct mentor stared at her for a long while, sighing deeply, as if aged a decade in a moment. Archmage Edgar briskly walked to the adjacent room. He didn¡¯t enter but opened a small, inconspicuous window to quietly listen to the conversation inside. As he listened, his expression darkened, and his grip involuntarily tightened. Inside, Johnny Colin¡¯s cold voice resonated: "You will receive the treatment you deserve, Madam." Disgust flickered in his eyes. He had heard from Archmage Edgar the petty reason behind Baroness Hopman¡¯s revenge¡ªa simple case of the baron¡¯s eldest son forcibly pursuing a girl, and a young mage standing up for her. The situation escalated, with neither side backing down, culminating in a mess. A mother seeking vengeance for her son is understandable. But, to exact revenge, using the poor as pawns is inexcusable! He nodded to his side. The noble mage responsible for the interrogation turned a page in the dossier, scoffing: "This is your sister¡¯s confession. Magus Slynn, are you sure you don¡¯t want to listen before reconsidering your statement?" Slynn stared at the small magical crystal, her hand reaching out then retracting. Her expression fluctuated between longing and fear, and after a long sigh, she resigned: "No need. Archmage, no matter what my sister said, my confession¡ªwill not change." "Stubborn to the end!" Archmage Edgar¡¯s expression darkened, his hand moving towards the crystal to activate a spell. Midway, the divination mage who had left with him stepped forward to stop him. The middle-aged female mage looked at Edgar, then at Slynn, her eyes filled with pity: Let her not hear it. Let her not suffer another cruel cut from someone close, someone important. We¡¯ll find another way to uncover the truth. The divination school has many methods; let¡¯s not hurt her anymore... Archmage Edgar sighed deeply. He stepped out of the interrogation room, standing outside for a while before encountering Johnny Colin. After exchanging their findings, Edgar lamented: "This isn¡¯t enough... This evidence won¡¯t suffice to condemn the baroness!" "Is our goal to condemn her?" Minister Colin asked softly. Edgar paused, then shook his head slightly. The fate of a baroness, alive or dead, isn¡¯t our concern. What matters is, first, not letting the Magic Council bear the entire blame for the epidemic, and second, ensuring someone compensates for the losses. Minister Colin lifted his chin, his eyes bright and confident: "Give me some time to consult with the review committee. I suspect... this matter will unfold as we hope." Five days later, a magical carriage from the Magic Council quietly entered Nevis City, carrying Baron Hopman. Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 335: The Downfall of Baroness Hopman The carriage carrying Baron Hopman deliberately took a detour, brushing past the southeastern corner of the city. The baron, with a sullen expression, silently observed the scenery outside the window until the carriage rounded a mountain foot and suddenly came to a halt due to the traffic ahead. It was then that he raised his gaze, peering through the carriage window to the right front: "What¡¯s going on? Why is it so jammed?" "Ah, this is the newly constructed infectious disease hospital," replied the mage who had been sent to "invite" him over, not even bothering to look as he responded. While answering, he casually pointed towards the left window, where the crests of temples adorned several carriages: "The congestion is likely due to the priests who came to help treat patients at the hospital, now finishing their work and preparing to return." Following the direction pointed by the mage, Baron Hopman¡¯s eyelids twitched rapidly. The mage, as if oblivious, continued: "All the victims of this epidemic are being treated inside. So far, 1,352 people have been admitted, and¡ªat the time I left¡ªI heard there were 79 deaths. By now, there must be more." The baron remained silent. Over a thousand patients and 79 deaths¡ªif this had happened in his domain, it would have been bearable, albeit painful. However, the location of this tragedy being Nevis City, where the deceased were all freemen, put a different complexion on the matter: Every freeman is property to the city¡¯s rulers! The baron cursed inwardly, blaming the old witch for all the trouble. After a brief wait, allowing the oncoming carriages and horses to pass, the carriage moved on. As they turned another mountain foot, leaving the infectious disease hospital far behind, the mage suddenly leaned vigorously to the right, peering out the window beside the baron: "Ah, that¡¯s the new mage tower..." He couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in admiration: "Only a level three mage and already possesses a high-level mage tower, how envious. When will I also have my own tower, even a regular one would do..." Only level three? Baron Hopman¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Trying to keep his tone casual, he feigned curiosity: "Oh? Which mage is so formidable? A legendary mage¡¯s son?" "If that were the case, I¡¯d have given up hope already." The companion sighed: "But no, he made it on his own. Arriving in Nevis City not long ago, he has already published several papers in ¡¯Magic¡¯ and ¡¯Arcane¡¯. He was the first to identify this epidemic and took charge of the treatment¡ªoh right, his name is Garrett Nordmark, have you heard of him?" "The review committee won¡¯t agree," he quickly thought, seeking angles to argue in his favor: "If a hearing makes the truth public, the council¡¯s reputation would also suffer. Neither the review committee nor Black Crow Swamp would want the public to know a necromancer was behind the poisoning, right?" "That¡¯s not necessarily the case," Johnny Colin confidently replied. "The council¡¯s reputation stems from fair trials and promptly bringing criminals to justice. By the way, Slynn¡¯s sentence has already been determined¡ªdeath." The baron breathed rapidly. If the council didn¡¯t mind going public, he had nothing left to leverage¡ªwait¡ª "You won¡¯t get the approval!" His voice suddenly rose: "No noble would agree to use magical interrogation on a baroness over such a trivial matter!" "Oh, but that¡¯s not certain," Johnny Colin shrugged. "For example, Viscount Calrend, who suffered significant losses due to the epidemic breaking out in his rented buildings, is furious. If he knew the epidemic might be man-made, he would definitely do his utmost to ensure the application is approved." Baron Hopman tensed. The Calrend family, rooted in Nevis City long before the Magic Council was established, held deep and extensive influence, whereas his own domain was 200 miles away. He couldn¡¯t compete in terms of power or connections¡ªwait¡ªlosses? What did the Emergency Management Department really want? Quietly bringing him here, instead of ostentatiously convening a hearing, what was their aim? A lightbulb went off in his head. The next moment, Baron Hopman¡¯s voice softened: "Is there another way to resolve this matter?" he quickly and gently said: "After all, causing a stir that alarms the review committee and the entire city would be a lose-lose situation for both parties..." Minister Colin smirked inwardly. He relaxed his grip on the form, leaning back, his demeanor softening: "What resolution do you propose?" That evening, the Magic Council¡¯s carriage whisked the baron and his wife back to their domain at full speed. Three days later, the baroness passed away in the castle of their domain. In accordance with her wishes, the knight¡¯s domain, part of her dowry, was donated by the baron to the Magic Council for city charitable causes. Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 336: Power Grab Right After the Epidemic Ends? Before Baron Hopman left, he witnessed the execution of Mage Slynn. ¡ªThis was part of the deal. Baron Hopman personally confirmed Slynn¡¯s execution, then Johnny Colin prepared the poison, allowing Baron Hopman to personally serve it, watching as the baroness drank it. In this way, both parties could confirm the death of the other¡¯s personnel, leaving no room for trickery. The execution took place in a large courtyard. Mage Slynn, wearing anti-magic handcuffs, was escorted to the center of the courtyard and led up to the gallows. The area was densely packed with black-robed mages, with Grom, the mage from Black Crow Swamp and the on-duty committee member, flying mid-air, overseeing the necromancers below: ¡°Slynn Nain, a level six mage, affiliated with Black Crow Swamp. For personal reasons, she deliberately released a plague curse on animals near the city¡¯s water source, contaminating the water and causing an epidemic. To date, it has resulted in 1,352 people falling ill, 85 deaths, and direct economic losses of over ten thousand gold coins. According to the kingdom¡¯s laws and the council¡¯s regulations for managing mages, Mage Slynn is sentenced to death, to be executed today. All personal assets and the mage tower are to be confiscated and handed over to the council as compensation for those affected by the plague. ¡ªMage Slynn, do you have any last words, or any final wishes?¡± Slynn slowly raised her head. Days in prison had not worsened her complexion: her face could not get any paler. She looked around at the necromancers standing in the courtyard: Among them were her mentor, her former classmates, elders she admired but never had the chance to learn from, peers she was not very familiar with but had met, and her apprentices from the mage tower, huddled in a corner, their futures disrupted and faces blank... Mage Slynn turned to look at her sister¡¯s cell and lowered her gaze. As she turned, she suddenly saw Mage Edgar standing quietly below the platform, which startled her, and she took a step forward: ¡°Your Excellency Mage Edgar, is Mage Lynn here?¡± ¡°What?¡± Mage Edgar looked up. Lynn was not called to the execution today. First, the epidemic hospital had just been busy, and Lynn, following Garrett, was nearly worn out. Moreover, Mage Edgar felt that his disciple, being around Garrett, would likely be influenced for the better, making him more trustworthy. So, Lynn took the day off to meet a friend who had come from afar, and Mage Edgar turned a blind eye, letting him go. Now, it seemed it was good that he hadn¡¯t come¡ªGod knows what this woman, who poisoned a city, wanted with Lynn? His aversion was visible. Slynn smiled bitterly: Therefore, to ensure smoother interactions with outsiders when we venture out, we must exhibit greater self-discipline than other spellcasters. Today¡¯s execution of Mage Slynn is to let everyone witness her fate, as a warning! ¡ªProceed with the execution!¡± At the command, a black hood was placed over the female mage¡¯s head, a noose was fitted around her neck, and she was hoisted up. The trapdoor beneath her feet suddenly opened, and after a series of struggles from intense to faint, the female mage hung silently on the gallows, truly becoming a corpse. One minute, two minutes, five minutes... until her life essence was confirmed to have dissipated completely, Grom raised his palm, from which a pale flame burst forth. In the flames, the body quickly turned to ashes, a breeze from afar swept them away, dispersing into the sea waves. The bodies, flesh, and souls of necromancers cannot be made into undead beings or used by others again. This is Black Crow Swamp¡¯s final, remaining kindness to a fellow practitioner who has erred. The poisoning case thus came to an end. Baron Hopman preserved his family¡¯s reputation, the council acquired a knight¡¯s fief with one hand, and compensated Viscount Calrend for his losses with the other¡ªincluding the complete demolition of twelve buildings, the water supply company¡¯s license revoked and business ceased, and payments to the temple for epidemic treatment costs, as well as care for displaced victims¡¯ families... Breaking even, neither a loss nor a gain. As for the cost of demolition, they courteously requested the Lord of Thunder for a fierce firestorm, since Garrett was also from their kinetic energy faction. The only trouble was the unnecessary increase in cash pressure, causing the council¡¯s accountants to lose a few hundred more strands of hair. And Garrett¡¯s public health system, water supply network, and epidemic hospital once again solidified their presence. However, as the saying goes, "A tree that stands out in the forest is often the first to be cut down." With the epidemic hospital¡¯s patients just cleared, there were already people in the city hall, the review committee, and among various authorities, stirring up trouble: "How can a third-level mage preside over such important matters?" "Arresting people all over the streets, causing panic throughout the city, too domineering!" "So many patients died, clearly showing the young mage¡¯s lack of ability!" "When the incident occurred, the entire hospital was in chaos, relying on the emergency management department and city hall to send help! Obviously, if the person in charge had sufficient ability, how could it have become like this?" "Not choosing someone else to manage the hospital, do we wait for the next incident to let a third-level mage negotiate on equal terms with the high archbishop of the God of War temple and the high priest of the Spring Goddess temple?" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 337: Do Not Disturb My Ascension Archmage Carlisle was feeling quite frustrated. Why did it seem like everything related to Garrett, good or bad, reasonable or not, always ended up on his plate? It was as if he was Garrett¡¯s guardian! Though it would be one thing if he were actually Garrett¡¯s teacher, but he wasn¡¯t! Teacher, if you want to take him as a disciple, could you please hurry up and make your move? Don¡¯t let me be in this awkward position where I have to scheme against those guys without any proper justification! Luckily, the job hadn¡¯t been too difficult in the past. Everyone knew that there was a legend standing behind the young man. The Lord of Thunder is watching you¡ªhow could you not be afraid? But now, the teacher was no longer backing him... ¡°You want to take over the Public Health Department? You want the hospital?¡± Lightning danced around the fingertips of the Lord of Thunder, cycling endlessly. Ever since he took up electricity as a hobby, he hardly played with coffee art anymore: ¡°Then let them discuss it with Garrett. Why come to me?¡± ¡°But we¡¯re just going to let them bully Garrett like that?¡± Carlisle didn¡¯t understand. Weren¡¯t you always the one who protected him most closely? Why are you letting go now? ¡°He should start doing some real work,¡± scoffed the Lord of Thunder. ¡°A mage who doesn¡¯t strive to study magic, doesn¡¯t work hard to temper his mental power, and just thinks about raising rats, rabbits, and bacteria all day?¡ªIf he were at least a level five mage, none of these guys would dare to bully him!¡± ¡°So...¡± Carlisle respectfully sought advice from his teacher. The Lord of Thunder waved his hand nonchalantly: ¡°Let him handle it. If he wants to continue, fine, let him shoulder it himself. If he can withstand those people from the review committee, that¡¯s his ability; if he¡¯s willing to let go...¡± The legendary mage pondered for a moment: ¡°Find him an adventure mission to practice. How can a child of Thunder Horn not even know how to fight, relying on tips from the youngsters of Black Crow Swamp!¡± Why is it still my job... Archmage Carlisle silently drifted away. Upon arriving at Garrett¡¯s mage tower and relaying the probes of others, Garrett hadn¡¯t said anything before his own disciple jumped up: ¡°Why should we give it to them?! Garrett has been working so hard for so long, putting in so much effort! Just because of their word, they want to take it all away, have they no shame?!¡± ¡°Aurora!¡± Archmage Carlisle chided. Aurora sat down huffily, still seething with anger: ¡°We won¡¯t just hand it over! We can¡¯t just let them benefit like that! If they want to take it, they should offer something in exchange!¡ªEven if they really force him out, don¡¯t come begging him to come back later! Don¡¯t come looking for him when some strange epidemic breaks out and they can¡¯t handle it, trying to dredge up the past!¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Lynn, still wrapped in moisture from the door, nodded to Archmage Carlisle and sat beside Garrett: ¡°If they want something from Garrett, it must be a fair exchange! Magical items, techniques, anything! To think they can just take it by force of authority, Your Excellency Archmage, I don¡¯t believe the council has such rules, right?¡± Indeed, there were no such rules. However, if one were to argue seriously, there were loopholes to be exploited: both the Public Health Department and the epidemic hospital were public institutions established with funding from the council and city hall, not someone¡¯s private property. Since they are public institutions, the founders naturally have the right to appoint more suitable candidates. If someone else were stealing not the hospital but Garrett¡¯s mage tower, the review committee would have taken action without needing to involve Carlisle. With Lynn speaking up for Garrett, Archmage Carlisle couldn¡¯t retort. It was Garrett, however, who smiled and reassured: ¡°Brother Lynn!¡± Lynn grudgingly closed his mouth. Garrett stood up, rifled through his desk to pull out a stack of mostly written papers, and returned to the sofa. He was about to hand over the manuscript when he suddenly turned to Archmage Carlisle: ¡°Garrett!¡± Lynn and Aurora both spoke up. The latter was indignant, while the former was practically exasperated: Could you possibly be any softer? People are bullying you to your face, and you¡¯re still eager to work for them?! Lynn reflexively reached out to stop him. Garrett smiled and dodged back: ¡°Brother Lynn, negotiating and exchanging, isn¡¯t that what Archmage Carlisle is here for?¡± Carlisle: ¡°...Are you waiting here for me to do everything? The mentor uses me as a tool, and you too?¡± ¡°What if they refuse to pay anything?¡± ¡°Then they can forget about asking me for anything for the rest of their lives!¡± Garrett lifted his chin: ¡°Penicillin or anything else, I won¡¯t give it to them!¡ªI have plenty of good things in my hands!¡± With Garrett¡¯s conditions and the hastily completed "Urban Public Health Construction Plan" in hand, Archmage Carlisle set off for the negotiations. For the water supply part, not to mention, those daring to take over the infectious disease hospital must have some confidence in their medical abilities; since they understand medicine, they couldn¡¯t possibly ignore the existence of penicillin! This exchange was bound to take a chunk out of them! Back at the mage tower, Aurora and Lynn were still seething. Especially Lynn, who paced around Garrett, almost wishing he could shake him. Garrett could only reassure him again: "Brother Lynn, actually, these tasks were not what I wanted to do in the first place. Whether it¡¯s the city¡¯s water supply system or the infectious disease hospital, on one hand, it was to earn this mage tower, a condition exchanged with the review committee; on the other hand, it was unbearable to watch the poor living in such dire conditions, with such poor sanitation. ¡ªNow that the framework is set up and the mage tower is in my hands, why wouldn¡¯t I eagerly hand off the follow-up tasks? There are actually people wanting to take it over, and I don¡¯t have to pay the review committee back!¡± Lynn laughed out loud. Seeing his mood lighten, Garrett quickly pressed on: ¡°Besides, these managerial tasks should really be handled by professionals. Brother Lynn, I am a healer. You want me to manage so many doctors and patients¡¯ eating and drinking, buying furniture, changing bed sheets, washing, sterilizing surgical instruments... You might as well ask me to die! I¡¯m not high-level enough, I don¡¯t have enough resources to mobilize, handing these tasks over to the right people is better for me, and for the patients! If the hospital¡¯s head is a high-ranking mage, perhaps the temple¡¯s people could have arrived faster, and not so many would have died...¡± He was a surgeon! A front-line clinician! Clinical work and hospital administrative management are completely different matters, and adding public health, disease control, water services, etc., makes them three or even four separate issues! Previously, he had no choice but to shoulder it all himself. Now that someone is actually willing to take over, bless them, who is so considerate? Let whoever wants this responsibility take it, just hurry up and pass it on, and do not disturb me from studying medicine! With the burden lifted off his shoulders, Garrett felt immensely relieved. As if a torrential downpour had descended from the sky, washing away all dust, cleansing him inside and out. Watching Aurora and Lynn leave together, he stretched lazily and muttered to himself: ¡°Take it and go, just don¡¯t disturb my ascension...¡± Ah, does this mean I see the light of leveling up again? Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 338: Advancement Success—Wait, There’s More to Come Archmage Carlisle, bearing Garrett¡¯s responses, returned to report back with satisfaction. ¡ªThe teacher¡¯s right to know, clearly had a higher priority than those attempting to usurp power; if the teacher nodded in approval, willing to support him from behind, negotiating terms would also secure more compensation. Besides, it was about time to send Garrett out for training. Deciding on the training location was necessary to select suitable equipment for him, wasn¡¯t it? At the top of the Tower of Heaven, the Lord of Thunder was also quite pleased with Garrett¡¯s answers. He immediately urged his disciple: "Have you chosen the adventure mission?" "I¡¯ve picked a few, suitable for level 3 to 5 mages," Archmage Carlisle, with his wealth of experience, pulled out his notebook: "Considering he has a high-level barbarian warrior by his side, I¡¯ve found tasks of varying difficulty levels. For instance, the abandoned church on Ram Island has seen the emergence of a draugr, calling for adventurers to clear it;" "Those Radiant Lord folks, always leaving a mess when they flee." The Lord of Thunder commented with a cold laugh: "Their own church, three years gone, and draugrs still emerge. But that island is too small, and the church too low-level, unlikely to hold anything valuable. Our little fellow¡¯s combat ability is planned to handle level four and five alone; no need for such simple tasks for him." "Yes." A low-level task and you know the details, you¡¯ve checked in advance, huh... Archmage Carlisle mentally scoffed as he turned a page: "The mines in the Clinkray Mountains..." "Mines are too unpredictable." He had barely started when the Lord of Thunder interrupted with a shake of his head: "Bad luck, and you might fall into the underworld. Next." "Yes. A water monster has appeared in Loch Loxi, disrupting shipping lanes. The emergency management department sent a team, including a level four mage and two knights, but they returned unsuccessful." "Loch Loxi..." The Lord of Thunder frowned: "The little girl that Garrett helped out? Can¡¯t he focus a bit more? Aren¡¯t there any other missions?" ...You¡¯re too picky... Archmage Carlisle flipped through two more pages before finally settling on a task that satisfied the Lord of Thunder: Enter the northern Spessen Forest, gather a specified herb, and eliminate magical beasts. This task involved exploration, combat, and long-distance travel, easy yet challenging, allowing for constant monitoring and timely support. Even if the young fellow slipped up, he could be promptly retrieved without causing irreparable damage. Archmage Carlisle, carrying the mission brief, returned to Garrett¡¯s mage tower, ready to double-check the equipment list with Garrett. However, he received news that made him somewhat happy yet also a bit annoyed: Garrett was advancing in seclusion. ...So all this research wasn¡¯t in vain, right? "Uh... maybe come back tomorrow, teacher?" Aurora weakly suggested, negotiating with her mentor: "Advancing in meditation doesn¡¯t usually take too long, typically a day and a night should suffice..." Archmage Carlisle silently drifted away, off to negotiate terms for Garrett with the review committee. The public health institutions were originally forced onto Garrett by the review committee; now that they wanted to kick him out, they couldn¡¯t be too stingy. After all, the wool comes from the sheep¡¯s back; they just needed to uphold fairness, wrapping up negotiations in a day. Having roughly agreed on the compensation amount with the other party, Archmage Carlisle, clutching a list of materials, returned to Garrett¡¯s mage tower. Without waiting for his disciple to speak, he could tell from their expressions what had happened: "Garrett hasn¡¯t completed his meditation?" "Seems like it..." "Any problems? Are the magical fluctuations in the meditation chamber normal?" "I can¡¯t feel them, but MOSS says everything¡¯s normal." "Has he eaten?" "I don¡¯t know, the invisible servants keep bringing food in but never take anything out..." At the moment of advancement, thump, thump, the heart began to contract and expand vigorously in the void! Left atrium, right atrium, left ventricle, right ventricle, tricuspid valve, mitral valve... Each functioned orderly, rhythmically flawless, the expansion and contraction perfectly balanced. A textbook-standard heart, through and through. "If only it had blood inside..." Garrett silently lamented. Constructing the blood vessel walls layer by layer, according to their characteristics and hierarchy, had exhausted all his spiritual power. Arterial walls consisted of four layers, venous walls of three, plus the internal valves. From coarse to fine, interconnected, including the terminal capillaries... Internal red cells, white cells, various cells? Sorry, the microscopic stuff, he hadn¡¯t figured out how to handle. After two attempts, finding that his constructs were nonsensical, he gave up... Not knowing whether the heart¡¯s empty beating and the blood vessels¡¯ pointless expansion and contraction in the void were busy doing something. A performance without substance? Besides him, there were no other spectators! Garrett internally grumbled. However, the next moment, the inevitable mysterious feedback that comes with advancement, reached across the void. "This is¡ª!" Starting from the heart, or to be precise, from the left atrium, a vibrant force suddenly exploded. Flowing, full, slightly viscous, emitting specks of light¡ª Filling the left atrium, shot into the aorta, roaring through the blood vessels, reaching the body¡¯s extremities, then meticulously recollected by the capillaries into the veins... Was that, blood? The thing this world granted me, in the spiritual core, to replace blood? The thing that resonates with my own blood? "Ah ah ah wait a minute!" Garrett frantically adjusted his meditation method: "Blood isn¡¯t like this! Reshape for me! Red cells! White cells! Platelets! Water, various soluble substances, glucose, hormones, enzymes! Albumin, fibrinogen, globulins!" He desperately recalled the textbook descriptions about blood, attempting to "order" these liquids to react. The feedback descending from the void, along with the stable supply of magical elements in the meditation chamber, were absorbed wholesale into the depths of the spiritual core. As for whether it took shape according to his commands... Garrett admitted, he didn¡¯t know, wasn¡¯t sure, had no idea. Even if he had a microscope, he couldn¡¯t take a drop of blood from the spiritual core to examine... The human body has about 5000 milliliters of blood . Garrett didn¡¯t know whether he was shaping it milliliter by milliliter or drop by drop. Anyway, just try hard, absorb until no more can be absorbed, and perhaps this advancement would then be complete? With magical elements fulfilling his bodily needs, he felt neither hunger nor thirst. Besides, occasionally opening his eyes during meditation breaks, the dishes on the plate were either fried fish or cheese, fries or soup, showing no desire to eat. Garrett closed his eyes in concentration, day and night blurring together, until the feedback in the void ceased, and he opened his eyes, standing up¡ªonly to realize: Oh no, I rushed in so hurriedly, I didn¡¯t bring my oak staff! "Garrett! Garrett, you¡¯re done, right?" Aurora¡¯s shout came through the stone walls. The meditation chamber was soundproof, so clearly, MOSS decided he had successfully advanced and enabled voice transmission: "I see your oak staff! Four leaves! Four leaves! You¡¯re done, come out! Someone¡¯s looking for you~~~" Garrett smiled slightly and stepped forward, then hesitated, sitting back down on the meditation mat: "Wait a moment, I still need to advance further..." "What?! We have to wait again?!!!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 339: [Alleviating Pain] A Cure for Hiccups? Chapter 339: [Alleviating Pain] A Cure for Hiccups? This time, Garrett¡¯s mage level advancement came earlier than before. Perhaps the significance of penicillin was too great, or perhaps because he had treated too many patients day and night at the infectious disease hospital, or perhaps it was the accumulation of many small achievements he had made recently, gathering much feedback... In any case, this time, no sooner had his priest level advanced than his mage level swiftly followed. The world¡¯s feedback was tumultuous and rich. Even with the strict barrier of the meditation chamber, the magic fluctuations seeping out of the room made Archmage Carlisle stop in his tracks outside: Is this really advancing from level three to four? Not from four to five? You see, advancing from level four to five, becoming a mid-level mage at the same time, a mage undergoes a fundamental enhancement, with elemental power refining spirit and body from the inside out. Even a mage who gets winded from walking, after this advancement, could lie down and possess the physical endurance of a level one warrior... "This kid, not high in level, but making quite the ruckus, huh?" Archmage Carlisle paced back and forth outside the meditation chamber, almost wearing down the floor at the doorway: "Such deep accumulation... No wonder when he performs surgeries, he can cast seventeen or eighteen Mage Hands at once, as if never worrying about exhausting his spiritual power..." With such accumulation, Garrett¡¯s advancement process was naturally smooth. Soon, he crossed the spiritual power threshold of a level four mage, began constructing a protective shell outside the meditation environment, then started imprinting spell models within the meditation environment. The learning process for a mage is the imprinting of various spell models into the soul, one by one. Those not imprinted can still be cast, of course, but having to hold a spellbook and construct the spell model on the spot is a whole other experience. Although based on the soul¡¯s strength and capacity, each level can imprint a few to a dozen models¡ªlike the tangible spirit scenery of the Lord of Thunder, those clouds, thunder dragons, thunder serpents, thunder orbs, are all manifestations of spell models¡ªthe first spell imprinted during an advancement with feedback enhancement usually has an exceptionally good effect. Thus, every mage is extremely cautious when choosing a spell to imprint during advancement. But Garrett didn¡¯t hesitate at all and directly chose his imprint target: His own improved [Alleviating Pain]. Anesthesia magic! Local anesthesia! Adjust this spell¡¯s function model! Add parameters! Control the spell¡¯s impact area, control the depth of impact, try to affect multiple points with one cast... Right, the original [Alleviating Pain] partially targets the central nervous system, that spell interface should also be kept open, ready for replacement anytime! Garrett was completely immersed in meditation. Anesthesia magic, ah, such an important spell, worth spending a bit more effort on! If he could properly adjust the casting depth, reaching deep into organs, it might even help with diagnosis! He devoted himself entirely to meditation, only to trouble Archmage Carlisle pacing back and forth at the door. Even knowing a mage with rich accumulation would most likely have a smooth advancement, he couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious: "Ah, this kid¡¯s doing okay, right?" "He hasn¡¯t encountered any obstacles, has he?" "Why are these magic fluctuations so erratic? One moment extremely strong, the next so weak..." "MOSS! MOSS! How¡¯s your master?" "Garrett, do you have a way?" "Congratulations on your advancement, Mage Nordmark!" "I¡¯m fine, hic, I¡¯m just hiccupping..." Garrett quickly approached. Halfway there, everyone present instinctively recoiled, then simultaneously started casting cleaning spells on him: You¡¯ve been in the meditation chamber for days! Didn¡¯t change clothes! Didn¡¯t bathe! Couldn¡¯t you clean up before coming out?! Garrett apologized with a smile. Amid a shower of cleaning spells, he sat down in front of the archmage to inquire: "How did you start hiccupping? How long has it been? Besides hiccups, any other discomfort?" Aurora eagerly answered for the teacher. As Garrett listened and observed Archmage Carlisle¡¯s condition, he had already made a judgment: Just simple neurogenic hiccups, nothing serious, just annoying. As for treatment, there was a small remedy... "I do have a method. Your Excellency Archmage, could you roll up your trouser legs above your knees?" "What¡¯s this for?" Archmage Carlisle watched him warily: "I have hiccups, not leg pain! Why do you want me to roll up my trouser legs?" "A remedy for hiccups." Garrett smiled amiably: "If you don¡¯t want to roll them up, I can cast through the clothing as well. It¡¯s just that the spell is lower level, so if your clothing has strong magical defense, it might not work." With a gentle demeanor, Archmage Carlisle reluctantly complied with Garrett¡¯s instructions and rolled up his trouser legs. Garrett leaned down, activating his newly imprinted [Alleviating Pain], casting the spell on both sides of the archmage¡¯s knees, just below the indentation four fingers below the knee. The spell¡¯s vibrations swept quietly across. The covered area was no larger than the mouth of a cup, and the depth no more than two inches. Archmage Carlisle was still surprised: "[Alleviating Pain]? I told you my legs don¡¯t hurt...hic, your spell¡¯s vibrations are much smaller, and the casting area is reduced, how did you do it? Hic, did you modify the model again? Right, last time you said you wanted to learn this spell, I even took you to consult Madame Syatt, and this is the result? Hic, remember to publish a paper when you have time, don¡¯t be lazy..." He talked non-stop for about ten minutes. Suddenly, Aurora interrupted: "Teacher, you seem to have stopped hiccupping!" Archmage Carlisle paused for a moment. He raised his hand to touch his throat, then his stomach, and rapidly chanted a long string of spells. In the lounge, furniture and decorations began to float, their surfaces crackling with electric light. And such a long string of spells wasn¡¯t disrupted by a single hiccup. "...[Alleviating Pain] can cure hiccups? Garrett, how did you do it?" Garrett just smiled slightly, not answering. The truth was, this was a small trick shared by a colleague in emergency internal medicine, using lidocaine injections at Zusanli for treating neurogenic hiccups, which research found quite effective. His colleague from internal medicine even shared a dozen or so related papers with him. Now, without lidocaine or any anesthetic at hand, why not... Try magical local anesthesia? And it actually worked! Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 340: Wild Boar Girl Joins? After stopping his hiccups and regaining his casting ability, Archmage Carlisle immediately returned to the Tower of Heaven. Soon, he received new orders from the legendary mage: Pause the adventure tasks for now, let the lad focus on meditating first to stabilize his realm. Then, memorize all the spells available to a level five mage! Get those spells and their models memorized thoroughly! "You¡¯re done for." Hearing the message from the Archmage, Aurora gleefully congratulated Garrett: "A level five mage can learn third-tier magic, universal spells¡ªI mean, those available for exchange in the White Tower¡¯s grand library¡ªcombining all eight schools, there are a total of 42. Including the secret spells from each school that they¡¯re willing to share with you because of good relations... Let me think...how many in total..." "211." Lynn added calmly. "Before I set out on my travels, my mentor showed me a list of spells we could get access to, and there were 211." "..." Garrett was silent. To memorize 42 spell models, even if he could memorize one a day and never forget them, would take 42 days; 211 would take almost half a year. And based on his experience memorizing level six vocabulary, if he only forgot fifty or sixty by the time he reached the 211th, he would consider himself diligent and possessing an excellent memory. And more importantly... "Why do I have to buy these spell models myself?!" He had never bought them before! The last time he leveled up, all the second-tier spell books were directly brought over by Master Carlisle, thrown in front of him, not allowing him to leave until he memorized them all! This... Aurora sweat. "I don¡¯t know why you didn¡¯t buy them last time, but usually, exchanging spell books costs money. If not paid by the mage himself, then by the mage¡¯s mentor..." "Third-tier universal spells cost 200 contribution points per spell model, and exchanging within the school can even get a discount, quite cheap." He consoled Garrett gently: "You can afford it, can¡¯t you? I remember your paper on electricity got awarded 1000 contribution points, right?" Garrett generously shared three hundred points with him, and stored two hundred points in the mage tower¡¯s public account, leaving himself with five hundred! "So it still costs over two thousand! If I have to buy all 211, I¡¯ll go bankrupt!" "Those you don¡¯t need to buy, you just need to memorize the introductions, knowing there¡¯s such a spell is enough..." Garrett, while crying out "I¡¯m going to go bankrupt," "I¡¯m doomed," "I¡¯m going to memorize to death," still obediently paid up, purchasing all 42 spell models. ¡ªNo matter what, this requirement was for his own good. According to Lynn, this is a demand only made of elite mages from each school, ordinary low-level mages are not even considered. If one ventures out, explores, fights, and lacks experience or vigilance, and gets into trouble, dying is on them. However, after purchasing, seeing his account balance halved in an instant, Garrett began to panic: "Aurora, do we have any ways to save money? I¡¯m going to go bankrupt at this rate..." Aurora rolled his eyes. He, a level five mage, accumulated 1500 contribution points after years of study in Nevis; Garrett, just advanced to level four today, spent several thousand in less than two years in Nevis, and still has 2000 contribution points in hand... How does Garrett feel like he¡¯s on the brink of bankruptcy every minute? "Your Dragon¡¯s Breath, the monthly income is between 100 and 200 contribution points. The income from the microscope has dropped recently, staying around 50 contribution points for three consecutive months. Plus other miscellaneous items, you have an income of 200 to 300 contribution points per month without lifting a finger." "I hope to join your project and continue to develop it. My intuition tells me that by following this path, my future will be bright." Such impressive intuition! Garrett marveled. Indeed, just mastering penicillin could elevate one to a high-level druid. Not to mention what comes after penicillin¡ªstreptomycin, erythromycin, all the way to vancomycin... And various bacterial cultures, medical treatments, a plethora of vaccines... A long list of projects in queue. As long as this girl follows him in these projects, just with the feedback from the world, reaching level 15 wouldn¡¯t be a problem! "Little Garrett, don¡¯t worry about the guidance." Elder Wood chuckled: "This girl¡¯s parents are both servants of the God of Nature, guiding her will definitely not be an issue. If you find her diligent and insightful, just let her participate in your projects. Besides, I won¡¯t just stand by and do nothing." Garrett breathed a sigh of relief. He stood up, smiling and extended his hand formally: "Miss Annie Vieira, welcome to my Mage Tower. We¡¯ll discuss our future projects and your role in the team later." Their handshake was brief but meaningful. Annie Vieira¡¯s hand was warm and firm, with harder calluses than Garrett¡¯s own. He reminded himself to get her a bottle of glycerin for her hands later, then turned to the other guests: "Let¡¯s talk about the sale of penicillin then. ¡ªMy idea is, given that penicillin can become dangerously allergenic with too many impurities, this special medicine will for now only be produced in the Mage Tower and sold as a finished product to ensure purity." "And the price?" Tolga, the Grand Mage, asked eagerly, also providing a reference price: "Little Garrett, a potion for minor healing sells for five gold coins at the temple, you can¡¯t price it too high!" "...Penicillin doesn¡¯t immediately heal wounds." Garrett maintained his smile: "But it can suppress certain types of infections, preventing the condition from worsening and allowing the patient¡¯s self-healing to work¡ªessentially, it¡¯s akin to a slowly acting Remove Disease potion. And the price of a Remove Disease potion, if I recall correctly, is..." The 3rd-tier spell, Remove Disease, accessible to priests, druids, rangers, and medical mages. A potion sells for a standard price of 750 gold coins at all major temples. The high-level healers exchanged glances, then quickly entered the bargaining phase. Garrett sat beside them, smiling and humble, listening attentively, occasionally commenting on technical issues: "Dosage? For adults, intramuscular injection, 800,000 units per day, divided into 3-4 doses." "How long to use? About a week, up to two weeks. Generally, if there¡¯s no effect after three days, it¡¯s time to switch medications... Oh, I forgot, there¡¯s nothing to switch to." "How is 800,000 units calculated? Don¡¯t delve into it, you¡¯ll know once my paper is out. Anyway, when selling, we¡¯ll make it 200,000 units per dose..." "Selling directly to the temple? Or through the council? Well, that¡¯s up to you..." After much negotiation, the decision was to sell all penicillin exclusively at the council¡¯s trade hall, giving a fixed quota to the Temple of War. Of course, the Temple of War could also use other goods to offset contribution points. Each penicillin dose, that is, 200,000 units of powder, would sell for 1 contribution point. Considering the exchange rate between contribution points and gold coins, a week¡¯s supply of penicillin is about one-fifth of a Remove Disease potion, which seems to be a fair price. Garrett calculated the weight of the gold coins, concluding that a day¡¯s supply of penicillin for an adult costs about the same as a small yellow croaker, and using it for a week burns through a big yellow croaker... Indeed, the first pricey medicine in spy dramas, penicillin! Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 341: New Mission, Setting Off Again Penicillin, once produced, never lacked buyers. Considering the exceptional performance of penicillin in treating infectious diseases, the Temple of the God of War unblinkingly placed an order for 100 units, promising that as long as the first batch passed the trial, they would order no less than 100 units every month thereafter; The representative of the medical magicians also casually placed an order for 100 units, indicating that this batch would first be trialed within the army. As long as the trial was successful, the navy¡¯s orders would surely follow; Master Tolga wanted to buy a few units for trial but hesitated to ask... Garrett calculated that just these large orders alone would bring in over 200 contribution points in monthly sales revenue. After deducting the share owed to the Church of the God of Nature, the purification fees for Master Norwood, and the income of the Mage Tower... He could net at least 100 contribution points a month. Considering the widespread use of this medicine in his previous life, Garrett felt that sales could eventually sustain the entire Mage Tower. As for the cost? What cost? Water was drawn from the Mage Tower¡¯s water elemental pool, fire was supplied by the fire elemental pool, and the penicillin fungus was continuously cultivated; Compared to the selling price of penicillin, the cost of the cornstarch medium was a joke. Garrett was very satisfied. He made arrangements with the council and the Temple of the God of War, asking them to provide conditions for him to gather clinical data, then politely saw the two major customers out. On his way back to the Mage Tower, halfway there, he saw a young man standing quietly at the entrance of the Mage Tower. His clothes and shoes were covered in dust, as if he had walked a long distance to get here. "Leon?" Garrett was surprised: "Why are you here? Aren¡¯t you with the public health department?" "They didn¡¯t need so many people, sir," Leon Carlos stepped forward and bowed: "They sent me back to the academy. Sir, I remember you once said that you would have projects needing me, so I came to receive your orders. Sir, may I continue to work under you?" "Um..." Garrett hesitated. Honestly, his impression of Leon was quite good: For one, when selecting projects previously, Leon didn¡¯t choose those that were quick and profitable, but instead chose ones that were long-term and almost unprofitable; moreover, during the epidemic, he had stepped forward to plan and schedule, showing good management skills. Archmage Carlisle helplessly watched him pulling at his hair. After a long time, he sighed deeply: "The mission assigned to you this time is to escort Master Talbert, the dwarf elder, back to his homeland. Given your previous interactions with them, the council recommended you join the team. After arriving at the destination, participate in the negotiation team to discuss new cooperation plans. There¡¯s an alchemical airship for the sea route, and a large team for the land route; you don¡¯t need to carry all jars and bottles with you..." "So I can take a carriage? ¡ªWait, why take a ship?" Master Talbert¡¯s homeland was not in the kingdom but across the sea in the north. Surrounded by high mountains and snow, the dwarves mined and smelted in mountain caves, exchanging food with the lowlanders. Further north was the homeland of Bernard, at the very peaks of the mountains, where, it was said, dragons lived... "When you get there, just stay honestly in the dwarf tribe. If you want to visit the barbarians, you can go. But don¡¯t climb the snowy mountains, don¡¯t go looking for dragons. Even though the legendary magicians of the council have relations with dragons, they won¡¯t care who is below when triggering avalanches. Remember that!" Master Carlisle earnestly admonished. Garrett nodded vigorously: "Definitely! Definitely!" Who would climb snowy mountains for no reason! I¡¯m not an outdoor enthusiast! "Also, the exchange items you received last time from resigning the public health department¡ªdidn¡¯t you even look at them? There¡¯s a large space bag inside, capable of holding 1000 pounds of items, with a volume of 150 cubic feet!" It turned out that even a large space bag might not be enough. This time, Garrett was only bringing Bernard on the mission, with Aurora and Andrew not accompanying. The two level 5 magicians, each with their own worries, crammed stuff into the space bag: "Bring a few more fur coats!" Andrew, out of nowhere, dumped a pile of fur coats on Garrett, almost burying him: "The clothes you wear in Nevis City can¡¯t withstand it! What? [Resist Cold and Heat]? The cold in the north goes far beyond the limits of [Resist Cold and Heat]. If you think you can warm up with spells, you won¡¯t freeze to death!" Understood, it¡¯s like the air conditioning not working because it¡¯s too cold. Garrett obediently stuffed the fur coats in, immediately taking up a corner. "Bring more strong liquor! The way you use alcohol for disinfection, a barrel won¡¯t be enough! Liquor is expensive in the north, they can¡¯t grow crops there, all imported from outside!" It¡¯s a pity not to be able to make industrial alcohol... But Aurora, have you thought about how much a barrel of liquor weighs? Don¡¯t fill up the space bag with this! "Bring the nitroglycerin you made! Nitrocellulose! And purple scalestone! Take all of them! Without us, when you need to unleash powerful magic, you¡¯ll rely on these!" Master Norwood, stop! Don¡¯t put nitrocellulose together with potassium permanganate! Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 342: The Dwarf Kingdom’s Big Problem Master Talbert¡¯s homeland lies in the middle of the Black Gate Mountain Range on the Black Gate Peninsula in the North. Despite being called a peninsula, the Black Gate Peninsula is actually several times larger than the entire kingdom where the Magic Council is located. Stretching deep into the sea from the northwest corner of the continent, the majestic Black Gate Mountain Range stands tall along the western coast of the peninsula, fragmented by bays and rapid currents. West of the Black Gate Peninsula is an endless wilderness, covered in snow and ice for half of the year. Apart from ice dragons, magical beasts, and mages with unique tastes, only barbarians and giants can reside there. Traveling south from the northernmost part of the wilderness, it takes two thousand miles to reach the northernmost border under the control of the Church of the Radiant Lord. ¡ªThis distance is roughly equivalent to that from Igor Peak to the Radiant Holy City. Traveling from the westernmost point of the Black Gate Peninsula to the east, it also takes about two thousand miles to reach the capital of the Barbarian Kingdom. Cough, if that settlement on the wilderness can also be called a "capital"... Given such a vast wilderness, the control of the Church of the Radiant Lord is naturally imaginable. And for the Magic Council, as long as they can safely transport Master Talbert and his group across the sea, they need not worry about their safety anymore. To ensure safety along the way, escorting the elder, accompanying personnel, and a batch of valuable goods, the Magic Council dispatched a precious alchemical airship: The Philosopher¡¯s Stone. "So this is an alchemical ship?" Garrett followed the crew onto the deck, curiously looking around. The deck, which seemed to be made of wood, radiated a metallic luster; At the top of the mast, a silk-like thin sail fluttered loudly, with light flowing on it, flickering on and off; At the very front of the bow, a statue of a woman with the body of a snake was installed, her six arms spread out, each holding a scepter, a sword, a scimitar, a treasure vase... Garrett casually cast a [Detect Magic] and was nearly blinded by the brilliance emanating from the weapons. "Yes, this is an alchemical ship." Master Talbert came over to him, beaming: "Never seen one before? This ship, built from the skeleton of a deep-sea giant whale as its keel and the skin of magical beasts as its sails, is said to have a magic cannon onboard. Little Garrett, it¡¯s said that half of the increased mithril production you helped with was used to make cannons. Recently, the council and the Church of the Radiant Lord¡¯s fleets have been fighting fiercely!" ...So, are we going to encounter enemies at sea? Garrett broke into a sweat, hoping the chosen route would be reliable and the journey swift, arriving sooner... This ship is really not meant for living! Primarily, the Philosopher¡¯s Stone wasn¡¯t large. Limited by the size of the magical beast used for its keel, its length was just over 30 meters, with a width of about ten meters. Such a ship, loaded with crew, goods, and Master Talbert¡¯s group, as well as the trade negotiation team sent by the council, left little to imagine about Garrett¡¯s lodging conditions. Garrett and Bernard, the two of them, actually only had one single room! According to the information Garrett received before coming, this negotiation team leader, Sir Serano, belonged to the transmutation school, specializing in alchemy, and was one of the vice-presidents of the Alchemy Guild. Master Serano slightly curled his finger. Two small legs immediately grew from beneath the kettle, hopping over by themselves. Garrett watched apprehensively, hoping the legs would turn into four, or at least three, for a more stable hop. Fortunately, the kettle hopped steadily. Making its way to them, one leg extended and the other retracted, pouring hot water from its spout and quickly filling the teacups. The kettle then steadied itself, bowed to them, and hopped back... "I heard you saved Master Talbert?" Master Serano said with a smile. Garrett snapped back to reality and hurriedly replied: "I just did what I had to do. As a healer, seeing him in danger, I couldn¡¯t just stand by..." "It¡¯s good that you saved him." Master Serano nodded with a smile. He reviewed Garrett¡¯s information in his mind and continued: "I see your follower also has a good relationship with the dwarfs. When negotiating, we might need your help to speak up." Helping with the negotiations was naturally Garrett¡¯s duty as a magician. However, he was thrown into this situation without any background information, nor was he briefed on the terms, pace, or bottom line of the negotiations. Since Master Serano brought it up, Garrett took the opportunity to ask: "Um... Master Serano, will we encounter any difficulties in this negotiation?" "Previously, it was all routine renewals, just a formality. But this time, there¡¯s a bit of a change..." Master Serano explained in detail. Garrett listened and realized the situation had something to do with him: The Dwarf Kingdom, or rather, the individual dwarf tribes, exporting various precious metals to the Magic Council, has always been a crucial economic pillar for the dwarfs. However, Garrett developed a mithril smelting technology, which changed the dwarfs¡¯ exports from mithril to mithril ore... The difference in price between finished metal ingots and raw products is quite significant. "To make up for the price difference, the dwarfs need to mine more ore; to mine ore, they have to import that... explosives." Master Serano sighed: "The dwarfs are doing a lot more work, exporting a lot more ore, but their income hasn¡¯t increased; moreover, although we have provided a lot of training for the dwarfs, those explosives still caused considerable casualties. The council received messages that many dwarfs are dissatisfied with us." Understood, the disparity between finished products and high-end products. The dwarfs, not being under the council¡¯s rule, are not so lenient to let us clip away without complaint. Moreover, this change is indeed his fault. Garrett silently circled in his mind. Explosive casualties could be addressed through enhanced training, but the disparity and trade deficit... Neither is easy to resolve. The dwarfs might not know these terms, but that doesn¡¯t mean they have no feelings about it. If this continues, the trouble will only grow. "Dwarfs are our important allies; we must maintain friendship with them and not let them turn to the Church of the Radiant Lord. In a month, it will be the Dwarf King¡¯s 400th birthday, and many guests will come to congratulate him. Bringing you here also shows our sincerity..." Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 343: Can We Change Course to Avoid Seasickness? How does a light-industrial nation increase its trade surplus with an agricultural and mining country? This is a significant issue requiring collaboration across political, economic, and technological fronts, as well as extensive research and coordination over time. However, Garrett didn¡¯t have the luxury of time. The Philosopher¡¯s Stone made its way up the Loxi River. Entering the canal, passing through several locks, from one end of the elongated Loxi Lake to the other, it traveled from the western coastline of the kingdom to the eastern. The journey northeastward along the inland waterway was roughly a hundred kilometers, and by the evening of the second day, it had entered the open sea. "So how much longer will we be sailing?" Garrett asked at the dining table, where the dwarves were sprawled around, looking disheveled. Clearly, the dwarves, accustomed to dealing with mountains, stones, and flames, generally had a weaker resistance to seasickness. Even though the alchemical ship "Philosopher¡¯s Stone" was relatively stable, half of them were clutching basins and buckets, nearly vomiting their bile out. Normally, seasickness wouldn¡¯t be a big deal since a divine spell could quickly alleviate it. However, Master Talbert was unwell, and his two disciples were busy taking care of him, leaving no spare divine spells for the ordinary dwarf craftsmen to fend for themselves... "We¡¯re almost there," assured the cheerful captain of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone. "We head north for half a day to reach Maine Island at the kingdom¡¯s northern tip, catch the ocean current there. Then we head northeast towards the western side of the Black Gate Mountain Range, which only takes two days. After that, we switch to another current heading south, rounding the peninsula¡¯s southern tip to dock at Annya Port on the eastern side..." "What?" "What?!" "We have to take such a long detour!" The dwarves moaned weakly. After two days in the river and a day at sea, they were already seasick to a terrible degree. The thought of spending another seven or eight days at sea meant they would be completely spent by the time they reached shore. "Can¡¯t we directly land on the western side of the Black Gate Mountain Range? Isn¡¯t there a port there?" Braided-beard dwarf Wiglaf let go of Master Talbert and approached the captain to ask. His chest was covered in a bushy, salt-and-pepper beard that mostly spilled out over his braids. Under normal circumstances, such a slovenly appearance would have been the subject of relentless mockery among the dwarves, but no one had the energy for laughter now. All eyes were fixed on Wiglaf¡¯s stocky back. Among the group of dwarves, Wiglaf was one of the less affected by seasickness, still able to move around. However, Master Talbert¡¯s condition was deeply concerning. The master had rested before departure, which alleviated his condition somewhat, but two days of tossing at sea worsened his state: He couldn¡¯t eat, couldn¡¯t sleep, and had difficulty breathing. Last night, Master Talbert lay in the cabin, breathing oxygen for half the night before he could barely close his eyes. Master Talbert held his chest, coughing raggedly. His throat rattled as if he couldn¡¯t expel the phlegm, his complexion gradually worsening. Wiglaf hurried back to support him, swinging his palm down on the old dwarf¡¯s back as if forging iron: "Master, rest a bit, don¡¯t talk! Just cough out the phlegm!" The dwarves quickly gathered around. One of Master Talbert¡¯s disciples cast a healing spell while the other held a copper basin in front of the old dwarf, facilitating his coughing. One healed, the other pounded his back, causing the frail body of the old dwarf to tremble with each strike, nearly breaking in half. Garrett couldn¡¯t stand it anymore: "Stop, stop! That¡¯s not how you do chest physiotherapy! Let me handle this!" He made his way through. The dwarves stepped aside to let him through. Garrett squatted in front of the old dwarf and reached into his space bag, first pulling out his treasured stethoscope: "Master, please calm down, let me listen to your lungs... breathe out... breathe in... breathe out... breathe in..." Good, no crackling sounds, no symptoms of pulmonary edema. As for the fibrosis worsening, Garrett could only say, such is life, not everything in medicine can be cured... He put away the stethoscope and moved behind the old dwarf to start patting his back, explaining as he went: "When patting the back, don¡¯t smash with your palm. Arch it to create a cavity in the middle, vibrating the patient¡¯s lungs to help expel phlegm. From the bottom to the top, from the sides to the middle, starting from the ninth rib space on the back and the sixth rib space on the chest, all the way up to the shoulders..." Thump, thump, thump, thump! Clear and rhythmic patting sounds vibrated the old dwarf¡¯s body. After feeling it for a moment, Master Talbert, in disarray, coughed a few times and bent his hand to push him: "Lord Nordmark, your method is correct, but the force is too light... cough, cough, someone..." "It¡¯s about vibrating the lungs, right? I¡¯ll do it!" Wiglaf indicated he had understood the frequency and location of the patting. As for using patting to vibrate the lungs, warriors have similar techniques for exerting force... Garrett awkwardly moved aside, watching Wiglaf try hard to pat the old dwarf¡¯s back. Looking up, Master Serano, the negotiation team leader, gave him a slight smile and a thumbs-up. "Mr. Nordmark, well done!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 344: Enemy Attack! Enemy Attack! From that day onward, Garrett joined Master Talbert¡¯s medical care team. He conducted regular auscultation and percussion, monitoring the progression of the illness; He instructed the dwarf warriors on how to perform back slaps for phlegm clearance for Master Talbert at scheduled intervals; He adjusted the oxygen concentration and flow rate during oxygen therapy; And not the least importantly, but immensely helpful: "Master, no more smoking! Someone take away the master¡¯s pipe! The tobacco too! Take it all away. If I catch you smoking again, I¡¯m throwing your pipe and tobacco into the sea!" "And take away the alcohol too! You¡¯re still drinking with your health like this? Do you have a death wish?!" With such care, Master Talbert¡¯s condition significantly improved within two to three days. On the afternoon of the third day, as the Philosopher¡¯s Stone approached the Black Gate Mountain Range, Master Talbert was even able to sit on the deck, pointing to the distant towering mountains, and share dwarf legends with Garrett: "...Back then, the demon god Fa?bruti emerged from the sea, his body flowing with flames, waves rolling under his feet, each step stirring tsunamis. And the giant Black Gate battled him..." Such an ancient myth... Are you about to say, the giant Black Gate fell and became the Black Gate Mountain Range? "...After the great battle, the demon god Fa?bruti sank to the seabed, turning into the fiery mountain ranges underwater, his blood transforming into fierce sea monsters." The old dwarf¡¯s voice flowed gently: "And the giant Black Gate fell at the edge of the continent, his bones becoming mountains, his flesh turning into land, his blood into lakes, and his teeth into rocks. During the battle, half of his body was shattered, so now, the Black Gate Mountain Range we see, jagged and fractured along the ocean, with countless bays penetrating into the mountains..." Garrett really wanted to say, that¡¯s due to glacial troughs invaded by seawater. But who knows? In a world with magic, perhaps a fight between two magicians could have created such unique geographical features? Just as he said this, a silver-blue light suddenly streaked across the deck of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone. Followed by more lights, whizzing by. One of the silver-blue lights lost its power midway and plopped down in front of Garrett... "Flying fish?" Curiosity piqued, Garrett bent down to poke it. He had read about flying fish in books and seen them in videos but had never seen a live one. At the same time, the lookout atop the mast called out: "Flying bluefin fish! A large school of flying bluefin fish!" He lunged forward, narrowly missing the old dwarf and crashing to the deck. Scrambling up, he just saw a ship half again as long and a level higher than the Philosopher¡¯s Stone charging diagonally at full speed, its prow mounted with a glinting ballista. "Enemy attack¡ª" Garrett cried out reflexively. He was promptly slapped down by the old dwarf: "What enemy attack, that¡¯s a whaling ship!" However, almost simultaneously, the bowstrings twanged. The ballista atop the whaling ship fired instantly. A dark bolt skimmed the water¡¯s surface, heading straight for the Philosopher¡¯s Stone¡¯s rudder. "Enemy attack! Enemy attack!!!" The rapid clanging of metal rang out. The Philosopher¡¯s Stone made a swift turn, the ballista bolt grazing by, only scoring a shallow groove on the ship¡¯s stern. Meanwhile, the crew scrambled into action: Those who needed to gather ropes did so, those who needed to raise sails did, and nets and other items were thrown into the water as needed. The ship then vibrated, and the sound of rushing water indicated an increase in speed, quickly putting distance between it and the whaling ship. What happened next, Garrett did not know. As a non-combatant, he was promptly whisked below deck and instructed to stay in his room. On his way down, he saw dwarves, axes and hammers in hand, rushing out, ready for a boarding battle. "It¡¯s a whaling ship, why would they attack us?" Garrett was bewildered. But this question was answered at dinner: "What whaling ship! That was a warship from the Galorin Kingdom! Oh... Many of their warships double as whaling ships, allowing cadet officers to gain experience in sailing and combat. Pah! Those brats, not even recognizing our alchemical ship, thinking they could just rob us because their ship was bigger and they had more men!" Undoubtedly, their mistake cost them their lives. The Philosopher¡¯s Stone only needed to increase the distance and fire a few magical cannons to send them to the cold seabed. The only damage to the alchemical ship was a few dents on the outer hull, which barely breached its defenses. Garrett thought this was the only mishap during the voyage. However, in the middle of the night, he was once again awakened by the alarm. "Enemy attack! Enemy attack! Enemy attack¡ª" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 345: Sunlight Under the Sea Chapter 345: Sunlight Under the Sea From the moment the first enemy attack occurred, Garrett didn¡¯t feel much. After all, he hadn¡¯t even left his room. It was Bernard who went out with a big bone club to take a look and came back an hour later, telling him that a giant octopus had climbed onto the deck¡ª That morning, Garrett even got to eat grilled octopus legs. Although the grilling was not perfect and the sauce a bit odd, it made him quite nostalgic. The taste reminded him of the small barbecue shop 100 meters behind the hospital... During the second attack, Garrett was strolling on the deck, fittingly casting a Burning Hand spell, turning an attacking merman into a fish candle. He dared not cast Dragon¡¯s Breath for fear of accidentally burning through the deck. Then, as a non-combatant, he was promptly sent below deck. This attack bore no gains, not even an octopus leg to gnaw on. By the third attack, Garrett felt something was amiss. How could there be such a coincidence, three waves in less than 24 hours? The narwhal almost punched a hole through the bottom of the ship! The captain, with a grave face, sought out Master Serano. The two magicians sat down to murmur amongst themselves, activating the ship¡¯s magical array to scan the hull and even applying underwater magic to themselves to inspect the hull from below. Upon their return to the ship, they announced the reason for the successive attacks: "It¡¯s ¡¯Fabruti¡¯s Curse¡¯." "What?" Garrett looked up, puzzled. Fabruti... that name sounded familiar. Right, the old dwarf mentioned the demon god Fabruti in his mythological story yesterday, saying his blood turned into fierce sea monsters after his death. But that was a myth! Myths mean they don¡¯t actually exist, right? "Fabruti¡¯s Curse is a special alchemical potion," Master Serano said gravely. "Simply put, it coats the surface of the ship, continuously attracting sea monsters to attack. During this process, the blood spilled by the monsters further increases ¡¯Fabruti¡¯s Curse¡¯s¡¯ allure to other sea monsters." This was troublesome. Sea monsters attack the ship¡ªget killed¡ªattract more sea monsters¡ªget killed again¡ªan endless cycle... Garrett sucked in a cold breath. The captain added: "We found a large amount of paste-like potion covering the dents on the ship¡¯s side, created by yesterday¡¯s ballista attack. Although we¡¯ve scraped off the potion, the part contaminated on the ship¡¯s body will take about seven days to dissipate. We suspect that the whaling ship, in its final throes and out of a sense of revenge, used the ballista to hit our ship with the potion." God knows what important person was on that ship! ¡¯Fabruti¡¯s Curse,¡¯ a potion not easily concocted... "Master Mage, I have an idea we might try?" Garrett had conducted prism experiments with various light-based spells, like Flash, Illumination, and Gaze of Light, and failed to decompose ultraviolet light¡ªmeaning, they had no bactericidal effect. In other words, generating a large amount of ultraviolet light in seawater might accelerate the decomposition of the potion? He rummaged through his space bag for items. Electrical wires, a hand-cranked generator, a mercury arc rectifier... clumsily assembled together. Master Serano watched with furrowed brows: "Why complicate it? Leave it to me!" With a flick of his wrist, seawater levitated into a large wooden bucket dragged over by the sailors. Connecting the mercury arc rectifier to the wires and dipping it into the bucket, the ends rested on the outside of the bucket. The master mage closed his eyes briefly, and instantly, a bright white arc fell upon the wires, directly passing through the rectifier. A serene blue glow quickly flickered within the bucket. This... works? You¡¯re a transmutation mage, and here I thought you were a conjurer! Garrett was astonished. Master Serano paid him no mind, stepped to the bucket¡¯s edge, and quickly dropped a few drops of the potion in. Before he could proceed, a nearby magician cast a Light spell and exclaimed: "It works! The curse is dissolving!" The entire crew rejoiced. Master Serano lifted his gaze, his sharp eyes almost piercing Garrett: "What¡¯s this... how many more do you have? Bring them!" "It¡¯s a mercury arc rectifier. I only have one left," Garrett honestly answered. Seeing Master Serano¡¯s sigh, he quickly added: "It¡¯s easy to make! Just put mercury into a very clear glass bottle, insert graphite rods, and vacuum it!" As for issues with the wires, insulation, and generating electricity, you¡¯ll figure it out... Master Serano silently tapped his space bag. The next moment, bright white mercury flew out like a dragon, and glass rose into the air, automatically melting, solidifying, and shaping... Before long, two rows of ghostly blue lights illuminated both sides of The Philosopher¡¯s Stone. Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 346: The Reward of Ultraviolet Light... Are You Challenging Me, Fat Tiger? Garrett Nordmark¡¯s newly revealed ultraviolet spell... ah, no, the mercury arc rectifier array, showed immediate effects. Previously, the monster attacks occurred once every half day, but after the ultraviolet lamps were set up, it wasn¡¯t until the next early morning that a group of iron-boned seahorses attacked the alchemy ship. The number and level of monsters were significantly reduced compared to the afternoon attack the day before. The mage on duty activated the figurehead, and the six-armed naga¡¯s treasure bottle sprayed out a stream of freezing water, forming a net near the ship¡¯s hull. Skimming along the ship¡¯s side, they scooped up a large portion of the seahorses. The day was even more peaceful. For a full day and night, a continuous 24 hours, no groups of marine monsters attacked the [Philosopher¡¯s Stone]. On the third morning, Archmage Serano decided to pull up the mercury arc rectifier for maintenance. It was not until evening, temporarily leaving the protected alchemy ship, that they encountered another new group of monsters. Garrett looked at this encounter with a sense of relief. Thankfully, the monster group was small and did not actively attack the alchemy ship. Moreover, the ultraviolet lamps could be turned off for maintenance, meaning - Walking on the deck, one wouldn¡¯t inexplicably get a suntan, much less unluckily develop skin cancer! "Magician Nordmark, well done!" Archmage Serano generously thanked him: "This time, you¡¯ve been a great help to us!" As he spoke, he poured out a heap of items from his spatial bag. Garrett casually glanced over and saw an alchemy parrot, two alchemy dolls about a foot tall, a pair of bracers, and several amulets of unknown purpose... "Come on, pick a few, consider it my thanks to you!" Archmage Serano generously gestured to Garrett: "Don¡¯t be shy, take whatever you want. If it weren¡¯t for your idea, just the materials I would have spent fighting monsters along the way would be a significant amount!" Garrett looked down. Items from a grandmaster were sure to be of high quality, especially from a twelfth-level transformational grand mage. The dozen items gleamed brilliantly, and by the intensity of their magical light, they were at least level five magic items. "Not sure how to choose?" Captain Jacob joined in the conversation with a smile: "Shall I introduce them to you?" Archmage Serano stepped aside, giving space. The captain reached out and shuffled through the items on the table: "This parrot is used for sending messages; you set the destination, give it a bit of magic power, and it can fly there and repeat your words; these two dolls can help you with some delicate tasks, like weighing a couple of grams of medicine; these bracers come with [Cat¡¯s Grace], which can be activated three times a day, each lasting 15 minutes; this amulet..." He went on and on, clearly adept at distinguishing various unusual items from his time at sea. After explaining, he raised his hand: "Hurry up and choose, once you¡¯re done, I have more things for you!" These gifts were all valuable, but not immediately useful for him. Garrett listened carefully, then bowed respectfully to both Archmage Serano and Captain Jacob, saying: "We¡¯re all on the same boat, facing trouble, I should think of solutions together with you..." "Don¡¯t be so timid, young man!" Archmage Serano waved his hand impatiently: "Ah, no, I¡¯m not asking you to teach me this spell," Garrett quickly clarified: "I was wondering, besides enchanting common weapons, could it be applied to some less common items... like..." Garrett clasped his hands together, and between his palms, a green light glowed. A slender, delicate vine, barely thicker than a hair strand, swayed out, bending softly towards Archmage Serano. His Excellency¡¯s eyes widened. To his right, Captain Jacob, with an indescribable expression, pointed at the vine, his finger trembling: "You... you want to use it as a weapon? To enchant it with Weapon Enchantment? What can such a thin thing do?!" There were many uses. Just from Garrett¡¯s impoverished imagination, he could think of seventeen or eighteen uses. But to Archmage Serano, he could only explain as simply as possible: "I hope it can become harder, sharper. Able to stretch into very small cavities upon my command, to bite through or cut something..." "Hmm..." Archmage Serano frowned in difficulty: "If it was a naturally grown vine, enchanting it with [Weapon Enchantment], though a bit difficult, could still be done. But it¡¯s one you¡¯ve grown, already carrying magical properties..." He mumbled and mumbled, starting by explaining to Garrett but gradually turning into talking to himself. Meanwhile, Garrett just silently watched him with hopeful eyes. Archmage Serano went from talking to himself to pacing around, from pacing to frantically pulling at his hair, from pulling at his hair to buzzing around the room like a headless fly. Suddenly, he shouted: "No matter!" He pounced on the desk, sweeping aside the dolls, equipment, amulets, and all sorts of tools to the ground. Spreading out paper and pen, in the blink of an eye, the paper was filled with all sorts of symbols. "I must solve it! A first-level spell, absolutely, under no circumstances, can stump me!" His brown hair stood on end, the few strands of silver within nearly popping out, proclaiming their presence. It seemed that after solving this magic, another batch of brown hair would defect to the silver side... Captain Jacob watched with a mix of awe and fear. He quietly stepped back, pressing against the door, and whispered to Garrett: "You¡¯re not going to ask me about magic, are you?" "A small spell..." Garrett widened his eyes as much as he could, making Captain Jacob¡¯s reflection appear in his pupils, showing his sincerity: "Really, just a first-level spell, from the curse school, commonly used at sea... You couldn¡¯t possibly not know it, could you?" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 347: Captain, Do We Have Sheep on Board? Indeed, Garrett Nordmark consulted Captain Jacob about another first-level spell. Logically, for this 11th-level curse magic archmage, it should pose no problem at all. However... "Deep Breath? How do you plan to modify this one?" [Deep Breath], a first-level curse magic spell. Priests have a similar divine spell, allowing the caster to feel as though their chest is full of air, as if they had just taken a deep breath. The magician can exhale normally, and by the end of the spell¡¯s duration, their lungs remain full, allowing them to hold their breath longer. The duration of the spell... basically matches the longest time an adult can breathe in one go, about 6 seconds. This spell is indeed a common protective magic for sailors. Even non-curse magic mages would practice it thoroughly. Not for anything else but to quickly cast it in case of sudden immersion to avoid choking or drowning. But... "How do you want to change it?" Captain Jacob stared at Garrett, full of caution. That [Weapon Enchantment] spell was also a basic spell, and what happened? Serano is still pulling his hair out! Garrett smiled and raised his hand, trying to show his innocence. Hmm, it doesn¡¯t seem to work, as Captain Jacob tensed up even more... "My question is simple. First, can this spell be cast on others?" Captain Jacob immediately relaxed. According to the standard spellbook, the answer is "no," but sailors often have one or two tricks up their sleeve. He generously sketched in the air: "Here¡¯s a little trick. Look, modify the spell model like this..." Archmage Serano shot him a look of envy. Why is your question so simple, and mine so difficult? Adding magic on top of a magical creation is not as simple as 1+1=2! Ah, if Garrett heard his thoughts, he¡¯d surely argue it¡¯s as difficult as 1+1=2... Of course, Garrett didn¡¯t hear. At this moment, he was busy taking notes, drawing diagrams, and copying, wishing he could draw a three-view diagram of the spell model and deduce a function or something. While writing, he asked: "How can we ensure it doesn¡¯t burst someone¡¯s lungs when casting it on others?" "Uh..." "Can short, repeated ventilation achieve this?" "This..." 5000 milliliters, and for adult females, it¡¯s usually between 2500-3500 milliliters. If you fill a slender girl with 5000 milliliters of gas in one go, you might cause lung alveoli wall damage, alveolar septum destruction, or even emphysema in minutes! No choice, Garrett had to return to his old trade. Breaking down the spell model, calculating the function curves, conducting experiments... "Bernard¡ª" The barbarian rushed over. Following Garrett¡¯s instructions, Bernard borrowed a large wooden basin and a small 5-liter oak barrel. He filled the basin with a palm¡¯s depth of water, then filled the barrel with water and inverted it into the basin. The series of actions were smooth and seamless, leaving Garrett only to measure the diameter of the basin. Garrett rolled up his sleeves, using mage tricks to draw a vertical line on the edge of the wooden basin, then a horizontal line at the water surface. After flipping through some calculations, he drew a series of horizontal lines along the vertical line. "Hey!" Garrett shouted the activation word for [Deep Breath]. Gurgle, gurgle, the water level in the basin quietly rose, passing one scale after another. "1, 2, 3...7, 8...4500 milliliters! Over by 10%, let¡¯s try again!" "Hey!" Just over 4000 milliliters! "Hey!" 3800 milliliters! "Hey!" Keep it up, Garrett! Once he¡¯s mastered this spell, he won¡¯t have to tire himself pressing on a patient¡¯s heart for CPR, racing against time to give mouth-to-mouth respiration. One spell, all done! If he becomes more proficient, he could use [Greater Mage Hand] in conjunction with [Deep Breath] for continuous CPR! The pressing force of [Greater Mage Hand] can reach 40 pounds, using two or even four at once, much easier than manual efforts! He squatted beside the bucket, huffing and puffing, huffing and puffing, using more than half of his spell casts for the day, finally adjusting the amount of air filled to within 100 milliliters accuracy according to the spell model¡¯s function curve. Next, it was time for experiments on animals. Garrett went around and once again pushed open Archmage Serano¡¯s door. The two big shots were still head-to-head, with ink stains on their beards. Garrett sidled up to the captain and cautiously asked: "Captain, do we have sheep on board?" Captain Jacob gave him a look that was hard to describe. Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 348: Stranger, Do You Know the Lord of Radiance? Garrett Nordmark spent quite some effort explaining to Captain Jacob what he needed the sheep for. It was for experiments, genuinely just experiments¡ªusing live sheep to test spells, nothing bizarre! Well, if luck wasn¡¯t on their side, it might end up killing the sheep; if luck was indeed on their side and the sheep survived, they¡¯d have to dissect them to check for any lung damage... "So, how many sheep are you planning to slaughter at once?" Captain Jacob looked at him uneasily: "We don¡¯t have that many sheep on board! Don¡¯t go wiping them all out in one go; we¡¯d have nothing left to eat for the last few days!" He knew all too well about the nature of a mage¡¯s experiments. A slight mishap could result in a mass extinction of test subjects. If Magician Nordmark ended up killing all the sheep at once, the complaints from the mages, knights, and passengers aboard... "Don¡¯t worry, you have my word!" Garrett assured him repeatedly: "Besides, dissecting sheep takes time. How many can I dissect in a day? At most four, two in the morning and two in the afternoon, no more!" "...Alright, talk to the quartermaster yourself! If you end up killing the sheep and the passengers complain, I won¡¯t back you up!" Thus, Garrett embarked on a routine of experimenting with magic¡ªdissecting¡ªexperimenting again¡ªdissecting again. Every day, he donned long boots and a leather apron, bustling around the kitchen assisting the chefs, ending up a messy bundle from head to toe. The Black Crow Swamp would have been delighted to see him in such a state. Under such intense work, Garrett¡¯s control over his magic improved rapidly¡ªmainly because he could directly dissect each time and visually inspect the sheep¡¯s lung alveoli for damage. Captain Jacob was exceptionally supportive. The day before the trade delegation disembarked, he actually completed the analysis of the spell model, answering all of Garrett¡¯s questions¡ªexcept for unilateral lung ventilation. Garrett, witnessing him demonstrate each solution, was filled with awe: "That fast, huh..." Next door, Archmage Serano was still pulling his hair out! "Of course!" Captain Jacob stood tall, basking in Garrett¡¯s admiration. As soon as Garrett excused himself, the captain immediately conjured a water mirror and a light spell, carefully counting his hair from all angles: It seemed the bald patch at the top of his head had expanded by another 5 millimeters... Magician Nordmark, indeed, had a knack for stirring up trouble! There were hawkers, porters, and a mix of tall and short, big and small people running about. Walking along the dock, Garrett¡¯s group had to occasionally dodge the busy crowd. Exiting the harbor area and crossing several streets, they entered an inn. The inn, a three-story building, had its exterior made of solid logs, each layer showcasing the robust timber. The roof, also constructed from logs, towered as high as a six-story building from Garrett¡¯s previous life. At the tip of the roof flew a triangular flag, on which a raven was painted against the sturdy canvas, fluttering boldly in the wind. The group settled in an independent courtyard behind the inn. Archmage Serano pointed at the flag, loudly declaring: "Remember this flag. It marks the [Raven Inn], known to anyone in Annya Harbor. They can guide you back here. We¡¯ll rest here tonight and set off after breakfast tomorrow. Feel free to explore the port, but be mindful of your safety and return early in the evening!" The group responded enthusiastically. Apart from a few assigned to guard the merchandise, most were eager to explore the streets. Garrett quickly freshened up, changed into casual clothes, and dragged Bernard out to the street. The street where the [Raven Inn] was located was bustling. Along the way, Garrett was dazzled by the array of shops: Deer, wolf, bear, seal, and walrus pelts; Thick, glossy black fox pelts, displayed separately and hung in rows on wooden racks; Long swords, short knives, giant axes, war hammers, lined up, their cold gleam deafening with the sound of smithing from inside; Further down, a small building made of brick and stone featured large transparent glass windows, showcasing sets of pristine porcelain... Garrett walked and gawked, overwhelmed by the sights. As he wandered, he spotted a charming little house tucked between giant wooden buildings: The front side featured two buildings side by side. The left one, enclosed by two elegant curves, resembled a petal plump at the bottom and sharp at the top, which, along with the three circular steps at the entrance, the oval wooden door, and the rectangular glass window on the second floor, looked like a penguin squatting on the spot; The right one, made of pebbles, was cylindrical, with a rectangular wooden door set into a cut-out of the cylinder. The cylinder was a third shorter than the penguin on the left, with the top section missing and capped with a pointed roof; Behind the two entrances stretched three or four sharp roofs and a two-story building. At a glance, the entire structure seemed like a child¡¯s most naive creation, yet filled with the patina of time. Garrett couldn¡¯t help but walk over for a closer look. The door of the penguin building was slightly ajar, leaking faint music, while the door of the cylinder was firmly shut. Hesitating whether to enter for a visit, the penguin door creaked open, and an elderly man in a white robe emerged, smiling warmly: "Stranger, would you like to come in and learn about the grace of the Lord of Radiance?" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 349: Can the Aftereffects of Berserking Be Cured? Garrett Nordmark was startled. Had he not been an emergency department deputy director in his previous life, accustomed to numerous situations, he might have physically jumped. Even so, he instinctively stepped back, nearly bumping into Bernard: Why did I decide to go out? Why did I come to see this house?? Why did I even cast [Comprehend Languages] for convenience while shopping??? If I hadn¡¯t cast [Comprehend Languages], I could have pretended to be a tourist with a language barrier... No, now is not the time for regrets! What level is this priest of the Lord of Radiance? Can I defeat him? Will he kill me?! Garrett cautiously retreated, keeping an eye on the other party. The evening air in Annya City was probably just above seven or eight degrees Celsius. Garrett himself was wrapped in a thick wool coat, its collar standing tall around his neck. Yet, the old man wore a white linen robe, through its frayed, unfinished hem, one could even see his bare ankles. Oh, he wasn¡¯t barefoot, but those hemp shoes exposing his toes weren¡¯t much better than being barefoot. Just this attire alone, braving the cold wind without flinching, was enough to assert a grandmaster¡¯s presence. Of course, as for his exact level... His level... Sorry, this elderly man bore no level indication on him. The only adornment he wore was a wooden holy emblem, smooth and polished, bearing a thick patina. "I am not a follower of the Lord of Radiance," he said, taking a deep breath and stepping back cautiously. The old man simply smiled, his face¡¯s wrinkles unfolding warmly: "No matter. The Lord of Radiance refuses no one, just as the sun in the sky shines equally upon everyone, not withdrawing His radiance even from heretics. Stranger, I have lived in this city for ten years, and most of those I meet are heretics and non-believers. I have never harmed them because of this." His smile was benevolent, his tone gentle. Garrett relaxed slightly, but upon considering the man¡¯s identity, he resolutely shook his head: "Thank you for your kindness, but¡ª" "Grandpa Martin! Grandpa Martin!" Suddenly, a dirty little fellow burst in behind Garrett. Brushing past Garrett, he rushed straight to the old man, grabbing his sleeve and leaving a dark handprint on the white robe: "My dad is really sick! Please come and see him!" "Excuse me, stranger, I must leave," the old priest Martin nodded to Garrett and hurried away with the child. Garrett hesitated for a moment, then quietly followed them at a distance, turning through back alleys. Halfway down the street, a bright light shone like a flare exploding overhead. Garrett followed the direction and soon encountered a human wall¡ª , and Garrett seized the opportunity to squeeze in for a closer look: A burly man lay on the ground, even taller than Bernard, bound by three metal chains. Unaware, his eyes were wide with rage, his expression vacant. Bloodstains remained on his chest and limbs, indicating a recent fierce battle, his physical wounds freshly healed. Having just undergone berserking... What illness is berserking? How is it treated? Garrett was clueless. Bernard crouched beside him, saying: "That¡¯s Holrik the Walker! He invited me for a drink before I boarded the ship... Boss, can you save him?" I don¡¯t even know what berserking is, how could I treat it? Garrett was stunned. But at that moment, the big man shuddered, opening his mouth wide as a foul-smelling gush erupted. Garrett leaned back, narrowly avoiding the projectile, but ended up seated on the ground. Bernard quickly reached out to help him, but Garrett pushed his hand away: "Never mind me! Help him! Tilt his head to the side so he doesn¡¯t choke on his vomit!" While speaking, he changed position, scrambling towards the big man. Awkward in movement, almost rolling and crawling, Garrett was unaware of his own clumsiness: Damn it! Projectile vomiting! How high must his intracranial pressure be! He reached the big man, observing closely while firing a barrage of questions: "Do you have a headache? Feel nauseous? Can you move your hands? What about your legs? Can you hear me? Follow my finger with your eyes?" The patient didn¡¯t respond. Instead, bystanders answered in a cacophony: "Headache, for sure! Always a headache after berserking!" "Often feels nauseous..." "Uh, if they recover from berserking, usually no problem, but sometimes they can¡¯t lift their arms or legs..." "Ah! He¡¯s starting to convulse!" Garrett sighed. He was still unfamiliar with berserking, but the series of symptoms sounded alarmingly like a brain hemorrhage... "Stranger, I have exhausted my methods. Can you help him?" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 350: Cranial CT—The Magical Circle of Love Chapter 350: Cranial CT¡ªThe Magical Circle of Love Initially, Garrett Nordmark had no intention of intervening. He was completely out of his element! No diagnostic equipment, no treatment medications, no surgical conditions available¡ªwas he supposed to treat with his head or his knee? Besides, he was merely an emergency department physician in his past life! An emergency physician! Faced with a suspected case of cerebral hemorrhage, his first instinct was to administer first aid, and his second¡ªto call the neurology and possibly neurosurgery departments for an urgent consultation! However, the occupational hazard of being a doctor kicked in. Seeing someone lying on the ground, possibly unconscious and vomiting, he couldn¡¯t help but shout, "Open the airway¡ª" This shout attracted dozens of pairs of eyes towards him. The barbarians who had just dispersed a little now tightened their circle around him again, forming a neat iron barrel. Garrett suddenly found it hard to breathe: he could tolerate the smell of blood, but the stench of sweat was unbearable! "Spread out! The patient needs fresh air!" he yelled without looking up. From the left front, that deep and powerful voice responded: "Can you save my brother?" Garrett choked. He reflexively looked up¡ªnot at the speaker, but at the old priest standing by. The priest¡¯s cheeks had lost much of their rosy hue, showing fatigue, yet he still managed to smile and nod at Garrett. The meaning behind his previous question was clear: This patient is now your responsibility. Garrett was distressed. Slowly turning his head left and right, he was met with eyes blazing with expectation. Moreover, the patient¡¯s family was already pressing: "Can you please treat him?" "What medication do you need? We¡¯ll find it immediately!" "Don¡¯t worry about the reward, as long as you can cure him¡ª" Thud, thud, money pouches fell to the ground one after another. Garrett instinctively stepped back: "I might not be able to save him¡ª" "Please, just try your best." A gentle female voice spoke up. Garrett turned to see the crowd parting for a tall, muscular barbarian woman. She was almost half a head taller than Garrett, draped in a white wolf pelt with fierce wolf teeth over her shoulder and lifeless wolf eyes. Holding a bone staff topped with a black raven carving, she moved swiftly and lightly. As she passed, men on both sides bowed deeply: "Olga." "Olga." "Great Thinker." The woman nodded briskly at them. Stopping three steps away from Garrett, across the patient on the ground, she bowed: "Pastor Martin has exhausted all his methods. Just now, you tried to bring my husband further away from death, and we are grateful for your kindness. If you¡¯re willing to try, whatever the outcome, we can accept it." If only patients¡¯ families were this understanding in his past life... Garrett mused internally. He earnestly explained: "I might not be able to save him. My abilities are limited, and I¡¯ve just arrived here today, unfamiliar with berserking. As the elder said, the world inside the head is unknown to most of us; we can only entrust our fates to destiny. Moreover, I will be leaving tomorrow¡ª" "We abide by the Father God¡¯s will, who decrees that we should not give up hope until the end arrives," Olga declared firmly. Despite her furrowed brows and worried heart, her speech was decisive and clear. Garrett sighed inwardly, impressed by the woman who could command a unique title among a tribe that revered brute force. He nodded: "Then please give me a moment to examine your husband." He knelt down, focusing on the patient¡¯s eyes. The giant man continued to stare blankly ahead, motionless. However, to the trained eye of a doctor, more was revealed: Pupils constricted, gaze drooping, focusing on the tip of his own nose. Garrett moved his hand in front of the man, lifting it, but the giant¡¯s gaze remained unaltered. It seemed very much like thalamic hemorrhage... Garrett quickly assessed the situation. As he examined, he asked: Well, a CT scan is essentially very thin slices of X-rays, layered and then compiled by a computer into a detailed image... Without a CT machine, he had no choice but to manually attempt it. Garrett forcefully activated the X-ray magic. Only upon activation did he realize the challenge: reading a single film was easy, but dozens, hundreds of thin slices, remembering every detail to compile an image, was extremely difficult. He managed only seven or eight layers before sweat drenched his forehead and nose. Can¡¯t continue? The challenge of emulating a computer with human effort seemed too daunting... Garrett bit his lip, stepping left. Just a bit more, he had already started to gather some data, one more try! "Bernard! To the left!" "Here!" Step by step, Garrett and Bernard slowly circled the patient, taking half a day for each step. After just three steps, Garrett felt dizzy, on the verge of collapsing, sweat streaming from his forehead to his chin. "What are you doing?" Someone suddenly asked from outside the circle. Garrett turned, bursting with joy: "Your Excellency! How did you get here?" "How could I not? If I hadn¡¯t come, you would have fallen!" Archmage Serano looked up at the sky. Garrett understood immediately: the commotion from Pastor Martin¡¯s healing spell was significant. Archmage Serano probably came out of caution, not initially intending to intervene... But here he was, seeing Garrett¡¯s disheveled state, compelled to ask. Garrett briefly explained his need to the archmage. Without hesitation, Serano shook his head: "It doesn¡¯t need to be so complicated. Step aside and wait!" He produced a gem-encrusted bracelet, holding it in his palm, directing it at the patient. Garrett felt a chill, as if an invisible cold breeze swept by. He turned curiously, but Serano didn¡¯t explain, focusing intently as if listening to something. Then, he turned to Garrett: "Can you draw the brain? Draw it out, and I¡¯ll show you where the bleeding is!" Garrett quickly summoned an ¡¾Intangible Illusion¡¿. The archmage scrutinized the sketch, pointing out: "Here¡¯s quite a bit of blood... here... here... here..." "How did you know?" "I sent an incorporeal being to look inside!" Serano replied matter-of-factly: "In the future, if you want to see inside a human body, it¡¯s best to contract an incorporeal entity!" ??? That works? Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 351: Ethereal Guidance for Drilling and Drainage To understand the condition inside a patient, summon an ethereal creature for a peek? Garrett Nordmark was dumbfounded. Well, this was not scientific at all, but it was indeed very magical. If the doctors from my previous life knew of this method, they would probably weep tears of envy for such medical conditions. Oh, some of the predecessors might even inquire how to transform into an ethereal being after death, to personally observe with their own eyes, aiming for further progress. By that time, though, I guess there wouldn¡¯t be any "eyes" left... Garrett Nordmark silently commented, focusing his attention on Archmage Serrano¡¯s narration. Indeed, the observation results from the ethereal creature were impressive, detailing which tiny blood vessel had burst, where there was a cluster of blood clots, and a piece of cerebrospinal fluid looking red throughout ¨C all could be described. Occasionally, when something couldn¡¯t be described, Archmage Serrano would point a finger, and whoosh, a cold breeze would sweep past... Let the ethereal creature take another look? Honestly, this was much more convenient than redoing an endoscopy, colonoscopy, or bronchoscopy when things weren¡¯t clear. As for the amount of cerebral hemorrhage... Garrett Nordmark took out his notebook, retrieved the ¡¾Endless Ink Pen¡¿, and began calculating on the spot. Ah, with the description from the ethereal creature, calculating the blood volume with the ¡¾Silent Phantom¡¿¡¯s outlined images was much more convenient than using CT images. The latter supposedly required formulas, which he had never calculated before; the former... it was just a three-dimensional geometry problem! High school math was enough! Garrett Nordmark¡¯s expression grew more solemn as he calculated. After finishing, he took a deep breath, turned around, and pointed at the ¡¾Silent Phantom¡¿, explaining to the patient¡¯s wife: "Please look, during the frenzy, blood vessels in his brain burst, causing a lot of bleeding¡ªthis is what the ethereal creature saw. Lord Martin¡¯s healing spell has stopped the bleeding, but the amount of blood previously lost formed clots, pressing on the brain. That¡¯s why the patient has not woken up, and cannot speak or move." "What should we do?" The woman in white wolf fur frowned: "The bleeding has stopped, another use¡ªdo we have to cut open the skull to remove the blood clots? Won¡¯t it harm the brain???" Cut open the skull? You¡¯re brave! Garrett Nordmark was impressed. But recalling that primitive human skulls found in archaeological digs had indeed been drilled into, or even had pieces cut out. Some skull edges even showed signs of bone regrowth, indicating the patient had survived the operation. This shows, ancient humans when brave, had nothing on modern humans, not to mention with the aid of healing spells... "It¡¯s like this, the brain is not one whole piece but two hemispheres, and underneath, the cerebellum and other parts are different blocks..." Garrett Nordmark explained as detailed as possible. Unexpectedly, Olga waved her hand decisively: "No need to explain, I¡¯ve seen it with my own eyes. Just tell me what to do." Inside the glass rod was a thin silver wire, the very tool Garrett Nordmark made for guiding bacterium cultivation spells, focusing the divine spell¡¯s range. At the tip of the silver wire, a faint light silently flickered, immediately stopping the minor bleeding. Nicely done! Garrett Nordmark patted himself on the back. He rinsed the skull with saline, exposing the bone plate. The ¡¾Mage Hand¡¿struck again, peeling away the periosteum, then, with the ¡¾Mage¡¯s Trick¡¿, drew a small and tiny circle on the exposed periosteum: "Right here. Just drill a hole." The silver dagger made another turn. A fine line appeared on the patient¡¯s skull, unmoving. Garrett Nordmark: "..." Sister, you planning to do this barehanded? Skulls are hard bones; in clinical settings, we use a drill! Yet, the White Wolf lady just went for it. Other than Garrett Nordmark, no bystander found anything amiss... Archmage Serrano threw a ¡¾High-Level Weapon Enchantment¡¿ on the silver dagger, and bestowed ¡¾Bull¡¯s Strength¡¿ and ¡¾Cat¡¯s Grace¡¿ on the White Wolf lady, while Priest Martin cast a light of blessing on her. Olga took a deep breath, exhaled deeply, and made another move with the dagger. Quickly, a piece of pale yellow skull was picked up on the tip of the silver dagger. "Next, it¡¯s your turn." "I know!" Garrett Nordmark swallowed, stepping forward. He delicately made a cross incision on the dura mater, held a seed between his hands, and concentrated. Green vines emerged, carrying a strand of silver wire previously sterilized and finer than a strand of hair, quietly probing into the interior of the dura mater. Garrett Nordmark squatted slightly, eye level with the patient¡¯s skull. Opposite him, a ¡¾Mage Hand¡¿held the ¡¾Endless Ink Pen¡¿, acting as an onsite X-ray. On the left side of the skull, Archmage Serrano summoned the ¡¾Silent Phantom¡¿, coordinating with the ethereal creature¡¯s observation, demonstrating in real-time the route the vine took... Garrett Nordmark proceeded very slowly. The vine advanced one centimeter, then he checked the X-ray; another centimeter, then checked the ¡¾Silent Phantom¡¿. The vine meandered through the brain tissue and between sulci, continuously moving forward. This operation method, compared to the previous life¡¯s biopsy needles, obviously caused much less damage to the patient¡¯s brain tissue... Garrett Nordmark assessed internally. Soon, the tip of the vine slightly retracted, gathered strength for a moment, then suddenly drilled into the blood clot, starting to stir the coagulated blood. "This won¡¯t do... can¡¯t suck it out..." Priest Martin said disappointingly. Garrett Nordmark remained silent, pulling out a syringe he had prepared earlier, attaching it to the other end of the vine. Concentrating, he slowly began to suck. The speed couldn¡¯t be too fast, as reducing brain pressure too quickly could damage the brain; nor too slow, as insufficient negative pressure wouldn¡¯t suck anything out... 1ml... 2ml... 3ml... The syringe was pulled to its limit, clamped the vine, withdrew the syringe to wrap it again, then repeated the process... Priest Martin¡¯s healing spell flickered continuously by the side. After about 15ml was extracted, the patient¡¯s eyes suddenly moved very slightly. Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 352: Radiant Knights, Are You Even Seizing Homes Now? Olga retreated, step by step, slowly backing away. This female warrior, once known as "Olga of the White Wolf" on the icy plains before she became a tribal priestess, quietly tugged at the wolf pelt on her shoulder. The white wolf¡¯s ears, silent and alert, twisted inward and outward, swiftly rotating. The sound carried by the breeze was thus, through the white wolf, funneled into Olga¡¯s ears. "I am but an old and frail elder, wishing only to treat the people here, to aid them, and to let them know of our Lord¡¯s grace," the elderly priest¡¯s voice was gentle and slow, tinged with weariness: "Let the task of glorifying our Lord with sword and fire, blood and flame, not fall upon me." "You are too modest, Master. The name ¡¯Justice Martin¡¯ has been mentioned by my teacher no less than ten times. My teacher also emphasized before coming to the North that we must seek your assistance for this mission, no matter what." A young man took over the conversation. Olga frowned upon hearing the voice: It was brimming with vigor, clearly that of a knight. Despite the earnest tone, there was a hint of slickness that reminded her of several unwelcome suitors from before her marriage. Who was this fellow? The leader of this group? "I¡¯ve grown old, merely wishing to live out the rest of my days in peace," chuckled Priest Martin. His worn-out shoes shuffled towards the church¡¯s entrance. With a creak, the door hinge moved but jammed midway: "Lord Martin, our visit to the North this time does not bring blood and fire," another voice, older and more composed, interjected: "We¡¯ve brought food and strong liquor, as well as numerous medicines, hoping to express our goodwill and spare the Northern people from hunger and sickness. Lord, could you see if there are any more supplies needed to better assist these people?" "Hmm..." The old priest hummed softly, continuing inside. Five or six footsteps followed him, while more people dispersed in every direction, surrounding the small church and extending their search further out. Olga gestured in the darkness. A group of barbarians, carrying gifts, silently withdrew like a pack of wolves. Returning to her husband¡¯s side, she thought for a moment, penned a line of text, and had it sent to the Crow Inn. Thus, when they set out the next day, it was no surprise to the Magic Council¡¯s trade group to see a squad of Radiant Church¡¯s knights trailing behind them. With the road stretching towards the sky, each party went their separate ways. The church¡¯s group did not provoke, and the council¡¯s group had no intention of attacking¡ªthey were not here to fight. The mages remained vigilant, otherwise acting as if the other party did not exist. Garrett took an extra few glances at them. Seeing Priest Martin among the group, he nodded and smiled at him. So they went on peacefully for two days. On the third day, however, a problem arose. No rooms available. "No rooms?" "Uh¡ª" "We are here." Archmage Serrano stepped forward leisurely. The rider turned, beaming with joy: "Thank you for that day! I bring you good news, our leader, ¡¯Walker¡¯ Horik has awakened, able to speak and move his limbs. The Thinker sent me to accompany you, asking for the tribe¡¯s care along the way. I¡¯ve been on the road all day to catch up!" Turning back to the innkeeper, he raised the triangular flag in his hand. On the flag, a black crow spread its wings, ready to fly towards the sky: "The Thinker says, it was these people who cured Horik¡¯s madness; they are our lifesavers, and her friends¡ª" "What? They can cure madness?!" The innkeeper¡¯s volume suddenly spiked. Even from a dozen steps away, Garrett felt as if thunder had struck beside his ear, his chest somewhat stifled. Boom, boom, boom, boom, the inn exploded with noise as five or six barbarians rushed out: "Who? Who can cure madness?" "What happens after the madness? Can it really be cured?" "Can other diseases be treated too?" "Borlu, bring out your little Larry, let them have a look!" The burly men clamored together, their effect ten times louder than five hundred ducks¡ªmainly because the volume was too great. Garrett was bombarded into retreating, but the messenger spotted him immediately and charged over like a whirlwind: "Right! It was this gentleman! The entire plan to save Lord Walker was his idea!" A group of barbarians thunderously approached. Fortunately, Bernard stepped in just in time, giving Garrett a bit of breathing space. He looked left and right, slowly raising his hand: "Uh... can we check in first?" "Of course!" Borlu thumped his chest: "The savior of Lord Walker is our savior too! And with the Thinker¡¯s Raven Flag here, this little matter is no problem! You, you, you! Go clean out the rooms, welcome the mages! ¡ªAh, and a dwarf master, dwarves are our brothers, we can¡¯t have them without a place to stay!" At the inn¡¯s entrance, the Radiant knights who had secured lodging for their priests beforehand, all turned pale with embarrassment. Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 353: Don’t Relieve the Pain Before Diagnosing the Cause, Damn It! Archmage Serrano conducted his affairs with considerable steadiness. Being abroad, he had no intention of starting a conflict with the Lord of Radiance¡¯s team over some trivial matter, nor did he ask the innkeeper to drive them out. Instead, he negotiated with the innkeeper, Borlu, to arrange rooms separately. In the end, it was the merchant who had booked rooms for the Radiant Knights who took the initiative to gather his caravan¡¯s personnel, freeing up a few rooms. The innkeeper, a barbarian himself, squeezed together with his own kind, vacating their rooms and thus barely managing to provide lodging for everyone. After much ado, everyone was finally settled down. On the side of the Radiant Church, the leading priest and the captain of the knights exchanged a few glances and then kept silent. Once everyone had settled in, the innkeeper went back to prepare the meals but was delayed in coming out. After a while, he suddenly rushed towards the magicians, holding a child in his arms: "Master! Look at my son¡ª" Halfway through, a young knight suddenly stood up and stopped him with a smile: "Is the child uncomfortable? We have many high-ranking priests here, would you like to have them take a look?" While speaking, he directly reached out and pulled the person towards the Radiant Church¡¯s side. Meanwhile, several priests dressed in black, white, and red robes rose from their seats and gathered around. The closest black-robed priest held a holy symbol, murmuring prayers, as white light already began to shimmer on it. Borlu paused in his steps and looked around. The young barbarian who delivered the Raven Flag pushed him: "Hey! From the age of two till now, how many healers have you consulted? Who really cured him? What¡¯s the use of calling ordinary healers, when we finally have someone who can cure madness? Shouldn¡¯t you quickly ask them to take a look?" The barbarian¡¯s voice was naturally loud, and at this moment, he did not intentionally lower it, causing the entire hall to hear his clamor. Garrett paused, turning his head to look, and immediately saw a group of priests coldly looking over. ...Why are you looking at me? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m competing with you for patients! After a long day of travel, if your healing spells can cure him, I¡¯d be relieved! Glancing aside, the white light shimmered, already beginning to fall upon the boy. Garrett quickly turned his head, cutting a piece of meat, and chewed vigorously. The food on the Black Gate Peninsula was simply indescribable. They had landed three days ago, and all they had eaten was meat, and meat, and more meat! Deer meat, cod meat, salmon meat, whale meat, seal meat... Eating it once is enjoyable, but after a day it becomes tedious, and by the third day... Can we have some more green vegetables, please? After a healing spell, the boy¡¯s complexion eased, clearly relieved of his pain. Borlu, the innkeeper, let out a sigh of relief, his eyes filled with gratitude towards the priests of the Lord of Radiance: "Then, could one of you please take a look? My son often experiences this: he gets better, then after a while, his stomach hurts again and he can¡¯t eat much. Many healers have looked at him, all..." "Ordinary healers and high-ranking ones are not the same. Moreover, Lord Martin is also in our team, don¡¯t you trust us, or do you also doubt him?" The young knight pointed towards a dining table not far away. There, the old priest smiled and nodded. The innkeeper hesitated for a moment, then looked down at his son: "I¡¯ve indeed heard of Lord Martin¡¯s reputation..." He walked over with his son. His steps were slow and cautious, fearing any slight jolt might make his son cry out in pain again. Approaching the table, the old priest rose with a smile and patted the barbarian boy¡¯s head: "What¡¯s wrong?" "My stomach hurts..." "What kind of pain is it? Constipation? Diarrhea?" Garrett had just heard this when suddenly the volume in the entire hall dropped by more than half. Glancing around, a blue-robed mage casually withdrew his hand: ? "Let¡¯s eat!" Garrett suppressed a laugh. Indeed, aside from doctors who are accustomed to discussing such matters, it¡¯s best for others not to consider issues below the belt while eating... However, not being able to hear the diagnosis on the other side was indeed a pity. The boy frequently suffered from abdominal pain, which easily recurred after treatment. What could it be? Pinworms? Incarcerated hernia? Intestinal strangulation? Intussusception? Bowel obstruction The verbal sparring continued on both sides, with the atmosphere becoming increasingly tense. Finally, Archmage Serrano clapped his hands and stood up, walking to the center. Just as he was about to speak, a red-robed priest from the opposite side stepped forward with a smile: "Since it¡¯s like this, why don¡¯t we have a competition to see whose healing spells are more proficient?" "How do you propose we compete?" "On this little boy, see who can treat him better!" "But you¡¯ve all treated him already!" "Your little mage, sorry, heretical little priest, doesn¡¯t seem to think so..." Archmage Serrano glared furiously. Garrett suddenly raised his gaze: "I refuse." "You¡¯re conceding? Not going to treat him?" A younger white-robed priest stepped forward. Garrett looked him in the eye and slowly said: "I¡¯m willing to examine and perhaps treat this child. But I won¡¯t treat it as a competition . The life and health of a patient should never be used as stakes in a competition." The hall fell momentarily silent. After a moment, old Martin stepped out of the crowd and nodded at Garrett: "I agree." "You... Lord Martin, whose side are you on?" The white-robed priest turned back, annoyed. Old Martin remained composed: "Of course, I serve the Lord of Radiance. But treatment is treatment. Our Lord has said..." Their argument grew quieter and quieter. Garrett didn¡¯t bother with them, pressing on the boy¡¯s stomach and then taking out a stethoscope to listen, his expression turning serious: The touch felt wrong, and the bowel sounds were off! How could this be considered cured? He lifted his hand and then put it down. Looking around the hall, his gaze swept past Priest Martin and the medical mage, finally turning to Archmage Serrano: "Your Excellency, can you remove that pain-relieving divine magic?" "What are you going to do?" The archmage hadn¡¯t spoken yet when the barbarian innkeeper shouted. As soon as he opened his mouth, the roof rumbled loudly: "My son just stopped hurting! You want to make him suffer again?!" Garrett: "......" Calm down, calm down, patients and their families are often like this. They come to the emergency department in excruciating pain, asking doctors to relieve it immediately, and if not given pain medication, they complain right away¡ªor worse, start throwing punches. But really, you can¡¯t just relieve pain willy-nilly! Garrett took a step back, and Bernard stepped half a step forward, standing in front of the innkeeper. Garrett felt much safer and raised the stethoscope in his hand, quickly explaining: "Normal people¡¯s stomachs make gurgling sounds! You can use this to listen, or just put your ear to the stomach, and anyone can hear it! But your son¡¯s stomach has a spot with no sound! That¡¯s not normal, I need to know where it hurts to determine what¡¯s wrong!" The barbarian grabbed the stethoscope. Garrett quickly let go, thankful his palm wasn¡¯t scraped off a layer of skin. The innkeeper listened to five or six people in succession with the stethoscope, finally casting a doubtful glance at the red-robed priest: "Something¡¯s definitely wrong with little Larry.¡ªSo, do you have to let him be in pain to make a diagnosis?" "You can¡¯t relieve pain before diagnosing! Sometimes, relieving the pain can mask the real cause!" Garrett preached and educated with proficiency: "For example, sometimes stomach pain is due to intestinal issues. If you relieve the pain too early, you might not even know if there¡¯s a perforation, and end up with everything inside rotting away! So, absolutely do not hastily relieve pain before finding out the cause!" "Is it that serious?" The innkeeper was startled: "Then... can you remove the divine magic?" This question was directed at the red-robed priest. The priest¡¯s face showed displeasure, and he turned away without answering. Archmage Serrano stepped forward with a smile, about to perform the removal of the divine magic on the spot. Before he could act, a shower of white light spontaneously emerged from around the boy. "It¡¯s already been removed." Old Martin spoke softly: "Now, would you please take a look at this child?" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 354: The Mystery Inside the Intestines "What¡¯s the child¡¯s name?" "Little Larry." "How old is he?" "Eight... he¡¯ll be nine next month!" "Where does it hurt?" "When did the pain start today?" "Is it constant pain, or does it come in waves?" "Have you had a bowel movement?... What color is the stool? Diarrhea? Any vomiting?" "When did this start?" Garrett inquired while furiously taking notes. The only medical mage in the trade caravan, Mage Simond, took a keen interest and sat beside him, watching him record each detail and casually asking: "What do you think it might be?" "I can¡¯t be certain yet." Garrett had a suspicion in his mind but preferred not to voice his judgment before a definitive diagnosis. Importantly, during the previous auscultation, he noticed the bowel sounds were faint, which was not a good sign. Time might be running out for them. He pondered for a moment, then requested a small bed for the child to lie on. Digging through his spatial bag, he pulled out a bottle of glycerin, carefully applied it over the child¡¯s abdomen, and conducted a palpation examination. Then, he concentrated and quietly activated an ultrasound magic spell. "Emmmm..." Barbarians don¡¯t have an extra intestine compared to humans. Garrett focused his attention on the abnormal area, and his meditative vision quickly displayed images. He strained his spatial imagination to deconstruct the information he saw: Dots, lines, surfaces, arcs, circles, cylindrical shapes... Concentric circles! Concentric circles! Intussusception! Abdominal ultrasound examinations, at the transverse section of the intussusception, show a "target sign" or "concentric ring" mass image, and a longitudinal scan shows a "pseudo-kidney sign"! Damn! I knew the decreased bowel sounds weren¡¯t a good sign! "How¡¯s Little Larry doing?" The innkeeper had been hovering nearby, immediately asking anxiously when Garrett released his hand. Towering over Garrett, and standing, he had to bend nearly ninety degrees to speak. Garrett shook his head: "Not good. Let¡¯s put it this way, have you ever made sausage?" "I have! Do you want some sausage?" Borlu immediately gestured to the side. Garrett quickly stopped him: "No, no, I¡¯m just saying, if you know what intestines look like, it¡¯ll be easier to explain. You see, the intestinal tube is long, and now a part of it has telescoped into an adjacent segment..." Demonstrating with his hands, he brought his fingers together into a cone shape, the tips touching. He slightly opened his left hand, and the right hand¡¯s fingertips dove between the left hand¡¯s fingers, indicating the telescoping action. Borlu pondered for a moment, then another, twisting his eyebrows into knots without understanding. Turning his head, he dashed off. Garrett called out a couple of times but couldn¡¯t bring him back. By the third shout, someone loudly said from the other side: "How do you know that?" Memorized from textbooks. Garrett didn¡¯t lift his gaze from the child, casually pointing at his abdomen: "You could ask an ethereal being to take a look." Joking, he wasn¡¯t about to start explaining ultrasound principles and imaging characteristics to them! The boy struggled hard. An eight-year-old barbarian boy, already over 1.4 meters tall, managed to shake Garrett off instantly. Fortunately, Borlu grabbed his son: "That¡¯s always been the case with his mouth, just like his mother. It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s not dirty!" Garrett¡¯s expression became serious. He folded the towel, using the clean side to carefully wipe Little Larry¡¯s face and clean his hands. While wiping, he noticed black spots on the boy¡¯s face, lips, and palms. The edges were clear, not blending, not fading under pressure, not raised above the skin... The black spots on the lips weren¡¯t noticeable at first glance, resembling bruises from biting in pain. Now, cleaned and compared with those on the face and palms¡ª There was no doubt, what he glimpsed when the boy ran past was indeed this! "I¡¯m afraid his abdominal pain will frequently recur," Garrett slowly said. Before the young man opposite could refute, Garrett turned to Borlu, rapidly firing questions: "Uncle, Little Larry¡¯s mother, did she also have many black spots on her palms and toes?" "Ah, yes, exactly like him." Borlu was slightly startled, looking down at his son. Palms were one thing, but his son¡¯s feet were so dirty, he couldn¡¯t see the black spots. How did this young priest notice? "Did she also often have stomach pains, unable to eat much? In severe cases, did she experience abdominal pain, vomiting, bloody stools, or prolonged constipation?" "Exactly..." "Did it often get better only to recur? Over time, did the episodes of stomach pain become more frequent?" "Exactly, exactly! Before his mother died, she was always in pain!¡ªPriest sir, Mage sir, do you know what¡¯s wrong with him? Do you know how to treat it?!" The barbarian was trembling all over, lunging forward, hands reaching out to grab Garrett¡¯s shoulders. Fortunately, Bernard quickly stepped in, his arm blocking in front, immediately being grasped tightly. Had it been Garrett... my shoulders would¡¯ve been crushed! Garrett internally shivered. He quickly ducked behind Bernard, not forgetting the last step of the diagnosis: "Archmage Serrano, Mage Simond, could either of you send an ethereal being into the intestines to look? Just the section that was telescoped... up and down, are there any polyps with stalks attached inside the intestines ?" Halfway through his explanation, Archmage Serrano had already taken out a gemstone box. Once bitten, twice shy, the ethereal being re-entered with even more familiarity. A cool breeze swept by, and Archmage Serrano, with his eyes half-closed, seemed to communicate with the ethereal being for a moment, nodding: "Indeed, there are." Garrett sighed deeply. As he had guessed, but¡ª This condition is quite troublesome! "Uncle, your son often experiences abdominal pain because of these polyps in his intestines." Garrett¡¯s hands shimmered with light, and the ¡¾Silent Phantom¡¿ slowly appeared, molding a translucent shape of the intestines: "These polyps, if they were merely attached to the intestines, that¡¯d still be manageable. The problem is, as they grow longer, they eventually develop stalks¡ª" The ¡¾Silent Phantom¡¿ constantly transformed. On the surface of the intestines, a polyp gradually emerged, from a semi-sphere to a complete sphere, to a stalked polyp, and the stalk grew longer: "If several polyps grow in one area and entangle, the entire intestine can be blocked. Then, the stomach starts to hurt, and in the worst case, the entire intestine can rot." Borlu¡¯s face grew paler and paler. The tall figure, towering over Garrett, slowly bent down until he crouched on the ground, hugging his head, trembling, nearly in tears: "So, what do we do? Do we have to open the stomach and cut these things out?" "If there¡¯s no other way, we must cut." The young man who brought the Raven Flag squatted down beside Borlu, softly persuading him: "With so many healers here, opening up the stomach shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Hey, a few days ago, even the chief¡¯s head was drilled open by this gentleman, and isn¡¯t he fine now?" Borlu shook all over. Looking at his son, then at Garrett, and then at the person persuading him, he couldn¡¯t make up his mind. The magicians maintained their silence, and on the other side, the priests of the Lord of Radiance were also quiet. Even the young man who had been making sarcastic comments turned his loud retorts into low murmurs: "You say there are polyps just because you say so?¡ªOthers can¡¯t see them!" Garrett focused on Little Larry, frowning in thought, paying no mind to the rest. Archmage Serrano, however, had been observing that side all along, and at some point, had exchanged glances with someone nearby. The young man¡¯s murmur was somehow amplified dozens of times in volume, reverberating throughout the hall. Even Garrett¡¯s attention was drawn back. He thought for a moment, looked towards the other side, and confidently smiled: "Seeing the polyps doesn¡¯t necessarily mean opening up the stomach. I have another way." Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 355: Casting the Arcane Eye, Let’s Do an Endoscopy! Garrett was confident. The innkeeper Borlu was both shocked and delighted. Little Larry, who had just been trembling, lit up at the news that his belly wouldn¡¯t have to be cut open. Havardan, the young man who brought the Raven Flag, puffed out his chest almost to the point of flipping over and flashed a thumbs-up, casting a defiant look around: See! The person I brought in is impressive, right? The priests of the Lord of Radiance didn¡¯t feel quite as good about the situation. The young priest in white robes was about to say something when the priest in red beside him coughed. Straightening his robe, he stepped forward: "It¡¯s really good if the child can suffer less. Unfortunately, it¡¯s time for our evening prayers, so we have to leave temporarily. The task of continuing to help this child, we¡¯ll leave to you." He bowed slightly and turned to leave. A wave of priests and knights stood up and neatly headed to their rooms. The white-robed priest wanted to say more but got pushed hard by someone next to him and had to join the lineup in silence. One by one, the doors opened and closed, and prayers began to echo. After the evening prayers, the red-robed priest, along with the young man in white, rushed out of the inn and didn¡¯t stop until they reached the top of a nearby hill. "Bishop Klind, watch your attitude!" The moment they stopped, the red-robed priest began to scold: "Do you know what we¡¯re here in the Northlands for?!" "To spread the glory of our Lord," Bishop Klind hurriedly answered. Having become a fifth-level priest at 18 and in charge of a church, and at 23, an assistant to a great bishop, his future was bright. Yet, in front of the red-robed priest, he dared not show any pride, bowing and saying: "To let the people of this land, especially the dwarves, feel the grace and love of our Lord." "And what are you doing now?!" Archbishop Jeroni was furious. This mission to the dwarf kingdom was crucial, needing to foster good relations with the dwarves, not about fighting. Not to mention, dwarves worship the so-called Forge God, barbarians their Father God, and various other deities... You want to shout "The Lord of Radiance is the only true God" in front of them? They¡¯ll beat you to death! "We¡¯re here to let these barbarians feel our Lord¡¯s grace! To be charitable! To love! To help others more! Why are you provoking those magicians? They¡¯re helping that barbarian child, too. By doing this, do you want to appear aggressive and brutish?!" Borlu, holding his son back from running and leaning on the table, looked up and asked. Garrett looked up at him and smiled: "Of course¡ª not right now! Wait a moment, let me ask who has a potion¡ª" Who¡¯s ever heard of doing an endoscopy right away! Of course, the intestines need to be cleared first! Garrett pulled Mage Simond aside for a quiet discussion. Ironically, despite being a dual-classed priest and mage, a servant of the God of Nature, he hardly had any local herbs on hand. His teacher would surely scold him if he knew. Luckily, Mage Simond was prepared. Garrett took a large bag of laxatives from him and handed it to Borlu: "Mix this with water for your son to drink, have him drink lots of water¡ª like the cups on your table, at least three full cups. Tonight, clear out everything in the intestines until what comes out is just clear water. The cleaner it is, the clearer the arcane eye will see!" Ah, hopefully the barbarian¡¯s constitution is strong enough to not cause electrolyte imbalance. Without polyethylene glycol electrolyte powder, he was a bit nervous. Fortunately, before that medicine was available, magnesium sulfate powder and senna leaves could be used as substitutes... Garrett slept soundly until morning. Not that he didn¡¯t want to check on Little Larry for electrolyte imbalance due to diarrhea, but¡ª the cruel rule of this world was that without enough sleep, magicians and priests would be powerless the next day. He could only leave a packet of oral rehydration salts with Bernard, repeatedly instructing him: Stay with the child. If anything seems wrong, dilute this in water and make him drink! The next morning, the boy was already weak from diarrhea. Fortunately, his intestines were indeed cleaned out. After confirming, Garrett had the boy undress and curl up on his left side, then began to gather his tools one by one. Archmage Serrano secured the best spot, conjuring the arcane eye, and fretted: "The arcane eye can¡¯t get in!" "It can! Watch mine!" Garrett produced a peculiar device. It resembled a duckbill cylinder that split into two parts, with two handles perpendicular to the cylinder at the bottom. Squeezing the handles opened the cylinder until it was wide enough to fit two fingers. Garrett lubricated the cylinder, inserted it, and opened it up. With his other hand, he summoned vines that grew at the sight of wind. Wrapping around the arcane eye, they lowered it down, following the path opened by the cylinder. "Ah, ah, ah... I see it, I see it!" The magicians jostled for a view, forming a large circle around the light screen provided by the arcane eye: "There¡¯s really something inside!... But what are all these?" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 356: Magical Means to Remove Intestinal Polyps Garrett Nordmark¡¯s room was crowded. Little Larry lay on the bed, while Garrett sat in front of it, operating an endoscope¡ªor rather, a contraption made of vines and the Arcane Eye. The boy¡¯s father, shopkeeper Borlu, stood to Garrett¡¯s left, leaning forward, ready to hold down his son¡¯s legs. Havardan¡ªthe young man who delivered the Crow Flag¡ªstood on his left, curiously staring at the screen. His fingers stretched out and then retracted, itching to poke it. After Archmage Serrano provided the Arcane Eye, he naturally took the best spot for observing on Garrett¡¯s right. Mage Simond stood beside him without hesitation, while others, even high-ranking, short priests like Master Talbert, had to stand further back. The mages were greatly dissatisfied. Not daring to protest against the Archmage, they started jostling among themselves: "Hey, make some room!" "You¡¯re blocking my view!" "You¡¯re tall! Go stand at the back!" "My eyesight is bad, I can¡¯t see clearly! Let me move a bit forward!" They squabbled and jostled, everyone wanting to get closer and see more clearly¡ªusing the Arcane Eye to look inside a human body was unprecedented! No one here had seen such a thing before. Those curious about the interior of the intestines were mostly necromancers who would cut open to look; those not curious wouldn¡¯t think to insert the Arcane Eye. It was a rare operation, successful or not, everyone was eager to watch. And indeed, they saw the images! "Everyone out!" Archmage Serrano finally lost his patience: "Go outside if you want to watch! Use your own Arcane Eye if you want to see the images!" This woke everyone up. The mages grouped together, left a few Arcane Eyes aimed at the screen, and retreated to their rooms to watch the broadcast quietly. At Garrett¡¯s side, the two mages watched the screen but gradually frowned: They couldn¡¯t understand it. A red, sticky mass was spinning and advancing crazily. Occasionally, a glimpse of a deep dark hole could be seen. But even this little bit of imagery wasn¡¯t something one could continuously watch. The images fed back by the Arcane Eye got darker and darker... "Cough cough, Mage Nordmark." Archmage Serrano hesitated before reminding Garrett: "The Arcane Eye can¡¯t see anything in the dark, you..." This kid might not know that? Although he was a key talent cultivated by the Thunder Horn, the Arcane Eye was a third-level divination spell, and he might not know some details... "Hehe, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m prepared." Garrett smiled easily. He had memorized the limitations of the Arcane Eye, but electronic endoscopes always come with their light source. He had thought of preparations beforehand! He extended a vine, coiled around a small light orb, and sent it into the boy¡¯s body. Soon, the screen of the Arcane Eye overflowed with bright light. Garrett manipulated the vine, advancing and retracting it gently, slightly rotating, pointing at the screen, constantly explaining to shopkeeper Borlu: "Look here¡ªsee a polyp? It¡¯s protruding on the surface of the intestine... Moving forward, here¡ªwow, this stalk is very long! It¡¯s very prone to entanglement! At such a low position, it must protrude from the anus during defecation, right?" Little Larry: "T-T yes..." Garrett operated with ease. Performing an endoscopy is a skillful task, and the endoscope tube cannot move on its own; it entirely depends on the doctor¡¯s technique. Advancing the scope, retracting it, rotating it, pulling it¡ªall sorts of maneuvers through the curves. When encountering strangely curved intestines, or tumors, adhesions, or particularly large abdomens, it¡¯s easy to puncture through if not careful... He snorted coldly. Why ask such a difficult question, giving him such a big challenge, and expecting results in less than ten days? Change, change, change, as if it¡¯s that easy¡ª "I¡¯ll bless it for you!" All this fuss, a mere enchanted weapon, turned out to be more difficult than a higher-grade enchanted weapon! As for how to lower the casting level and teach Garrett to do it himself, Archmage Serrano still had no clue... "That would be great!" Garrett was overjoyed. He immediately turned to shopkeeper Borlu, quickly explaining: "Don¡¯t worry, no need to open the stomach. We¡¯ll just extend another vine inside, cut off the polyp. With healing spells, there won¡¯t be much bleeding, and the patient won¡¯t suffer too much." "Then¡ª" "Look, it¡¯s like this." Garrett raised his hand, and another green vine grew out, swaying in the wind. Archmage Serrano casually pointed, and half a foot from the tip of the vine was instantly covered with a layer of faint silver light. Then, the vine formed a circle, pulling hard on a makeshift short stick. The head of the stick broke into two, with a smooth cut surface, as if sliced by a sharp blade. With such a demonstration, plus Garrett¡¯s gentle and persuasive explanation, shopkeeper Borlu finally agreed to the surgery. Soon, four vines advanced side by side in the intestines: Vine one, providing light; Vine two, moving the Arcane Eye for visualized operations; Vine three, the one blessed by Archmage Serrano as a magic weapon, extended inside, coiled around the base of the polyp under everyone¡¯s gaze, and with a pull, cut it off; Of course, there was also the fourth vine, which formed a pocket above its head, squatting neatly below to catch, and then¡ªpulled out for everyone to see. The operating room fell silent. In the nearby rooms, mages and dwarf priests, tsk tsk tsk, kept discussing: "So it can be done like this?" "If it can be done like this, messing with the stomach¡¯s contents becomes much easier..." "Wake up, you need to find someone who can play with vines! Is that called¡ªa priest of the God of Nature? Do we have one in our tribe?" "We can go find one!" The surgery went exceptionally smoothly. Garrett didn¡¯t even need to find a bellows to inflate the intestines¡ªafter all, the vine was alive and could widen the intestines if necessary. Apart from the actions on the screen, only the fourth vine was seen busy moving in and out: Bloodied polyps dropped into the basin one after another. By the end of the surgery, the copper basin brought specially by shopkeeper Borlu, a foot in diameter and five inches deep, was already half full of flesh. "...It¡¯s done." Garrett, with his eyes closed, weakly advised: "Although there are healing spells, and the bleeding in the intestines has stopped, still be careful in the next few days. Don¡¯t eat hard foods, eat less fish and meat, and let the intestines rest..." Shopkeeper Borlu thanked him profusely. After repeating his gratitude to the point of running out of words, he finally asked the most concerning question with trepidation: "Then... will Little Larry be okay?" Garrett fell silent. With his eyes closed, sweat dripped down, and after a long while, he finally answered: "...He¡¯ll be much better. At least, for the next few years, he¡¯ll be much better..." Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 357: Why Insert Vines into the Deer’s Nostrils? "Mage Simond, what exactly is wrong with that boy? Can he be cured completely?" Mage Simond curiously questioned Garrett, who lay listlessly in the wagon, barely opening his eyes to look at him, not wanting to utter a single word. Simond didn¡¯t take it as rudeness¡ªGarrett¡¯s exhaustion was evident to all. If asked, Garrett would surely say: Of course, the total length of the human intestinal tract is about four times one¡¯s height. For that little barbarian, the vine traveled about five or six meters inside him, inch by inch! To advance the vine, to control the direction of the light source and the Arcane Eye, to manage the cutting location and depth... this was no simple endoscope from his previous life. Every movement of the vine, even its very presence, relied on his mental strength! For several hours, he stared unblinkingly at the light screen, his concentration unwavering. By the end of the treatment, Garrett was nearly drained of his mental energy. Seeing Garrett¡¯s pale face, unable to even stand, shopkeeper Borlu hastily offered a wagon as compensation and sent a clerk to drive him to his next lodging. Firstly, as an escort; secondly, to request the next innkeeper to take care of him; and thirdly... Thirdly, of course, was to boast/remind the next place that their group had a divine healer who could cure diseases others couldn¡¯t, and for not much money! Barbarians being tall and leggy, the wagon was exceptionally spacious, its wheels reaching Garrett¡¯s chest. He had heard the cruel saying "those taller than the wheel shall be killed" and now seeing such large wheels, a thought spontaneously arose: Children taller than the wheels must already have memories, and grudges, too... Such a large wagon could easily fit a barbarian family inside. Mage Simond then shamelessly climbed aboard, under the pretense of taking care of Garrett, seeking an opportunity to chat. Seeing Garrett silently watching him, he sighed and waved his hand outside: "I¡¯ve already blocked out the sound, no one outside can hear. Please, tell me, come on, I¡¯ll trade this Arcane Eye ring for the information!" Garrett barely opened his eyes to look. Simond was shaking an extravagantly designed ring on his finger, topped with a tourmaline¡ªperhaps a cat¡¯s eye? After shaking it up, down, left, and right, the arc light across the gemstone swept from left to right, as if opening a pair of eyes. Then, a semi-transparent Arcane Eye floated up... "Ah, no need. This disease is very rare, hard to come across normally," Garrett weakly turned on his pillow. He really wanted that ring¡ªwith it, he wouldn¡¯t need to seek the Archmage¡¯s favor for endoscopies¡ªbut, this bit of knowledge wasn¡¯t worth a magic item! Especially since the disease¡¯s incidence rate is between one in eight thousand and one in two hundred thousand. After satisfying Mage Simond¡¯s curiosity, he might never encounter it in his lifetime... "This disease is called Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, also known as pigmented polyp syndrome," Garrett swallowed the term "P-J syndrome" and went straight to the point: "It¡¯s a genetic disease, meaning if either the father or mother has it, the child will too, and so will the grandchildren. The main characteristic is the appearance of a large number of polyps throughout the digestive tract¡ªthat is, the stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, with ¡¯a large number¡¯ meaning more than 100." Garrett: "..." What¡¯s going on? What happened? I¡¯m not opposed to treating...but can you please form a line first? "What are you all doing! Disperse! Disperse! The Master Mage hasn¡¯t even eaten yet! What¡¯s with all the noise!" Thankfully, the innkeeper came out to rescue him. Men and women, tall and short, barbarians, dwarfs, and ordinary humans scattered like birds and beasts. Seeing their suddenly dim expressions, Garrett felt somewhat guilty: "Uh...let¡¯s talk after I¡¯ve eaten..." Fortunately, no complex diseases were encountered that night. Garrett performed healing spells, surgery, dispensed medicines, and provided treatment advice, completing everything in just an hour. As for the medical fees... "You¡¯re giving me a live sheep?" "..." "No? Then two live rabbits will do... After all, rabbits are smaller, easier to kill..." "Would a live deer work? We just ran out of sheep..." So, the next day, Garrett found himself on the wagon, preoccupied with the live deer. The barbarian driver was replaced by a local clerk, sent directly to the next lodging spot by the local shopkeeper. Meanwhile, Bernard sat opposite him in the wagon, extending his hands... "Bernard, help me hold its head down! Don¡¯t let it move! Pry its mouth open!" "What are you doing now?" Mage Simond once again poked his head in to see the novelty: "Why are you fussing with this deer? Perfectly fine, why insert vines into its nostrils?" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 358: Let Me Also Infuse Water into the Deer’s Lungs? "Shush!" Garrett whispered for him to be quiet. He was in the middle of intubating the deer, could he not keep it down! Having spent over a decade in the emergency department in his previous life, tracheal intubation was certainly not beyond Garrett¡¯s capabilities. The issue was... he was a human doctor, not a veterinarian. What did a deer¡¯s airway look like, where did it turn, and what techniques were needed to successfully intubate? Garrett had no experience. His only knowledge about deer (sika deer? reindeer? moose? It didn¡¯t matter, he couldn¡¯t tell them apart anyway) airways came from: Having dissected quite a few sheep before... Garrett used every trick in the book. Magical ultrasound, magical X-ray, short of actually opening up to take a look. Then, he took a seed, cast a spell to hasten its growth, and a slender vine silently sprouted, drilling into the deer¡¯s left nostril. The deer, under a sleep spell, was fast asleep, utterly motionless. Garrett squinted and leaned close to its mouth, focusing his mind, directing the emerald vine to grow, enter, and turn... Oops! It came out of the mouth! He turned too early; it should have gone down a bit further to reach the trachea! He retracted the vine a bit and persevered. The vine grew and grew and grew... Ah, it went into the esophagus... Garrett was frustrated. Mage Simond, sitting cross-legged beside him, watched his constipated expression and, with a smile, tossed the Arcane Eye ring into his lap. "Here, take it. It was given to me by someone else anyway. If you feel bad about it, just tell me, what are you doing inserting vines into its nostrils?" After some thought, Garrett didn¡¯t refuse the kind gesture. Whether it was the trachea or the bronchi, having a tracheoscope made things much easier. He activated the Arcane Eye and explained to Mage Simond while inserting the vine wrapped around it. His first sentence made the mage leap to his feet: "I¡¯m thinking of infusing water into its lungs..." "What???!" Had the barbarian¡¯s wagon not had a high enough ceiling, Mage Simond¡¯s jump would have surely resulted in a bumped head. Even so, when he landed, he still let out a groan, clutching his buttocks with one hand, the other hand hastily grabbing Garrett¡¯s shoulder: "That¡¯s the mouth, thank you." "Why isn¡¯t it moving?" "We need to lift the epiglottis, otherwise, the tube can¡¯t go in. ¡ªThere, that part, there! Done!" "Ah, why has it stopped again?" "Waiting for the vocal cords to open..." Mage Simond stared at the light screen opened by the Arcane Eye, incessantly asking questions. Garrett answered every question while focusing on the screen, controlling the vines. Four vines advanced together, in an orderly fashion: Solid vine A, delivering the light source; Solid vine B, controlling the Arcane Eye; Hollow vine C, turning left at the first bifurcation, then its end expanded, firmly attaching to the tracheal wall; Hollow vine D, turning right at the same bifurcation, going deeper and deeper into the bronchus¡ª Begin infusion! Transparent gas flowed into the alveoli. For this first experiment, Garrett chose the right third lobe of the green deer¡ªyes, the deer¡¯s left and right lungs each have three lobes, plus a middle lobe... Even though it was just an animal experiment, and this deer would be slaughtered at the latest by tonight, Garrett still used sterile saline. The liquid was pushed into the alveoli through the hollow vine, and soon, a 50ml syringe was pushed from the top to the bottom. Garrett¡¯s operation was smooth and steady. After all, during that special period in his previous life, he had performed bronchoalveolar lavage sampling countless times, and he was very skilled. After a brief pause, the injected sterile saline was sucked into a negative pressure bottle under Mage Simond¡¯s astonished gaze. "You can really infuse water! And it won¡¯t kill!... Can I try?" Garrett generously passed over the syringe. Mage Simond curiously fiddled with it, pushing in one syringe, then another, and another... "Ow¡ª" A low deer cry. The deer, which had been motionless under magical hypnosis, suddenly kicked its hoof against the shield Mage Simond had propped up. Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 359: Medicine, Medicine, Medicine, A Set of Magical Muscle Relaxants! "How did this happen!" In the midst of urgency, Mage Simond unleashed a spell to knock out the deer and then reinforced his protective magic. Garrett shrugged: How?¡ªWoke up during the procedure. No anesthesia was used, just a magical sleep spell. And you infused so much water into its lungs; how could it not wake up? Ah, going without anesthesia really doesn¡¯t work... Then, looking at the poor deer that had bad luck for eight generations. Lying on the ground, its hooves twitching, even though it was knocked out, bubbles were still popping from its nostrils and mouth. Once the magic was interrupted, the vine automatically retracted, and the deer¡¯s chest heaved, desperately coughing in fits¡ª Oops, infused so much water without draining it out, see, it¡¯s choking. Speaking of which, pulmonary water leakage during ventilation could cause poor ventilation, obstructed drainage, hypoxemia, increased airway pressure, and a series of complications... So, it¡¯s really time to save, no, rescue the deer! Garrett directed Bernard to rebind the deer in a four-legs-tied-up position¡ªuh, perhaps a four-deer-legs-tied-up position? They secured the deer again. Positioning the body, prying open its mouth¡ªthis time it¡¯s easier, not going through the nose¡ªsecured with a mouth gag, forcibly twisting the deer¡¯s head to tilt it backward... "What are you doing now?" Mage Simond came over to look. Garrett, expressionless, first conjured a bubble spell over his head and used a mage trick to create a transparent face shield, floating in front of him. While protecting himself, he advised Simond: "You¡¯d better cover up well too¡ª" "No worries, I knocked it out!" Mage Simond was full of confidence. He was adorned with a bunch of shields, shield spells, mage armor, protection from arrows... Just a deer, not a supernatural creature, what¡¯s there to be afraid of! Garrett operated silently. In a moment, the deer struggled, its chest heaving¡ª "Blargh¡ªCough! Cough! Cough! Cough!" Saliva, the injected saline, and various sticky tracheal secretions sprayed half of Mage Simond¡¯s robe. The poor mage, with a disgusted face, frantically used cleansing spells to save the day... "Ah..." Garrett sighed. Ignoring the elder¡¯s advice leads to immediate loss, do you know how many times we got sprayed with phlegm all over our faces and bodies when intubating patients? Especially during the pandemic. That was simply horrendous, not to mention the discomfort and disgust, the risk of infection skyrocketed! Visibly, the deer that was just twitching its limbs went limp in an instant... "Touch of Fatigue. Zeroth-level magic, necromancy, you¡¯ve learned it, right?" "Er... that seems a bit too fatiguing... I only need the respiratory muscles to relax!" Regardless, a solution was finally at hand. As for the spell¡¯s short duration (with Mage Simond¡¯s level, just over a minute), the wide range (actually not needing to cover the whole body), and incomplete muscle relaxation (not reaching the level of anesthetic drugs), these could be adjusted later. The next magic experiment¡¯s topic just appeared... Garrett calmly proceeded with intubation and drainage. Inserting the vine into the drainage bottle, placed 60cm below the patient¡¯s axillary line¡ªwell, everyone is sitting on the wagon floor, can¡¯t dig a hole in it, just casually place it there¡ªwatching the liquid flow out. One milliliter, ten milliliters, twenty milliliters... 150 milliliters! Previously estimated, Mage Simond infused about 250 milliliters of saline. Draining 150 milliliters is a bit less, but considering the deer coughing and spraying out an unknown amount, maybe... It¡¯s okay? The only problem is, the data on inflow and outflow needs to be recalculated... Garrett continued with the saline. Suddenly, Mage Simond nudged him: "Hey, look at this deer, it seems like it¡¯s dying!" "Oh, no worries, just over-relaxed muscles, it doesn¡¯t have the strength to breathe." Garrett pointed to a corner of the wagon expertly. An electrolysis device, a manual oxygen pump, everything was already assembled and ready to go. Garrett snapped his fingers... Two invisible servants silently floated out, one grabbing the crank of a hand generator, the other seizing the airbag, huffing and puffing, starting to work. Garrett calmly connected the vine to the airbag, and soon, pure oxygen hissed along the tracheal tube, spraying into the deer¡¯s left lung. What to do after muscle relaxation? Of course, use a ventilator! Ah, to be safe, should also add an oxygen saturation monitor... Which spell to use for that? Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 360: Riding a Goat to Negotiate Garrett thus embarked on a routine of sleeping on the wagon, taking photos¡ªah no, conducting animal experiments on the wagon, treating locals off it, and earning a happy life for the experimental animals. On the first day, only he, Bernard, and Mage Simond were on the wagon, plus that half-tormented deer. Upon reaching their destination, they slaughtered the deer, dissected it, invited everyone to a meat feast, delightfully content. The second day saw Master Talbert joining them on the wagon, keenly observing their experiments. When he learned that this treatment method might help with miner¡¯s lung disease, Master Talbert eagerly inquired: "May I give it a try?" "Uh... no..." Garrett was sweating profusely. Master, you¡¯re too old! You¡¯re over 350 years old! Even if dwarves can live up to 400 years, your age is equivalent to over 80 years in human terms! Generally, the target patients for whole lung lavage therapy are those below 65 years old... Moreover, the old master¡¯s cardiopulmonary function is very poor, often needing to sit up and use low-flow oxygen to sleep at night. Garrett even identified tuberculosis bacilli in his sputum. Active pulmonary tuberculosis, severe pulmonary dysfunction, major organ diseases or dysfunctions such as the heart, brain, liver, kidneys... One by one, all these are contraindications for the surgery! "Ah... oh..." Master Talbert was deeply disappointed: "You¡¯re so young, don¡¯t be so timid! I¡¯m willing to try! There¡¯s divine magic to back it up!¡ªYou magicians are always bold!" Garrett straightforwardly rolled his eyes. That¡¯s what magicians do. I¡¯m a doctor, thank you. And also a deputy chief physician, with a senior professional title! Only chief physicians with a full professional title can preside over new technologies, new project surgeries, or high-risk scientific research project surgeries approved by the authorities! I¡¯m still one level short! Unless absolutely necessary, I would not violate contraindication rules and rashly perform surgery on patients! Master Talbert left in disappointment. Then, on the third day, he brought his apprentice, Vigran, squeezing onto Garrett¡¯s wagon... "Master Nordmark, could you take a look, would it be okay to let him try?" Garrett: "..." "..." "Enough already! I haven¡¯t even finished my animal experiments! I killed two rabbits today! Human trials are absolutely out of the question right now! Get out! My wagon can¡¯t fit any more!" ? It always seemed like the failures were due to blood oxygen saturation... Even if he had the cheapest oximeter! Suddenly regretting this trip, how to break it! "Don¡¯t worry, little mage." Master Talbert came over with a laugh, leading two goats. The one he guided towards Garrett was snowy in fur, steel in horns, with an old saddle on its back, clearly a local daily mount: "These creatures are nimble on mountain paths, far better than horses. How about it? Want to give it a try?" Garrett observed closely. Goats are known climbers, having watched videos in his previous life of them scaling cliffs, reservoirs, and nearly 90-degree steep slopes with ease. Such 15, 20-degree mountain paths should pose no problem. As for carrying capacity... The goat led by the old dwarf was robust, with a broad back and solid legs, not appearing to struggle under his weight. In fact, Garrett saw from afar a group of dwarf cavalry approaching. With armor and weapons, their combined weight probably 1.5 times his, they sat securely on goat backs¡ª Garrett was somewhat satisfied. Moreover, the goat¡¯s fur was clean, and its large horns stretched from its head to its shoulders, easily graspable when seated on the saddle. Its height was not too tall, allowing one¡¯s toes to touch the ground with a slight stretch. Security feeling +1, +1, +1... "This goat is fantastic! May I ride it?" He tentatively reached out his hand. Unexpectedly, the goat snorted disdainfully, turning its head away, presenting its back to him. Master Talbert chuckled by the side: "Hahaha, it doesn¡¯t like you! Little mage, have you slaughtered too many goats along the way, and it dislikes your scent?" Nonsense! I bathe every day! And use cleansing spells! I¡¯m not covered in formalin! After thinking, Garrett took out some seeds, held them in his palm, and gently activated a spell. The goat suddenly turned back, its long tongue scooping up the tender green grass from his hand. Garrett mounted the goat through bribery. On the goat¡¯s back, after enduring backaches, numb legs, and delayed research progress, he climbed for two days and crawled through a cave for another, successfully arriving at the dwarf court. On the fourth day, sore all over, Garrett listlessly sat down at the negotiation table. ¡ªTaking a back seat. Not having to negotiate with the dwarf elders was a relief... he wanted to catch up on sleep... "The price of ore is too low! At this rate, there¡¯s no point in doing business next year!" Garrett was instantly jolted awake. Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 361: The Dwarf Kingdom Joins Garrett Nordmark looked up in confusion. Dwarves, being short in stature but broad and sturdy in the chest, have a thoracic cavity that¡¯s particularly suited for resonance. A single dwarf¡¯s shout could sound like thunder, and a group of them raising their voices was like having twenty subwoofers in a small cinema, all firing at once. And they were in a cave, no less, where the echo effect doubled the noise. It was incredibly noisy, yet he had to maintain a smile... Just then, Garrett saw a young dwarf across the long table wink at him, offering a smile that said, "What can you do, I¡¯m helpless too." Garrett: "..." He chuckled softly. Being of little significance, without the right to speak, and yet having to endure such meetings was torturous... The morning¡¯s meeting on the first day could be described in modern diplomatic terms as "a frank and in-depth exchange of views." Garrett listened patiently until noon and finally grasped the gist: Simply put, the Dwarf Kingdom was a resource-based country, relying on exports in exchange for food since they couldn¡¯t produce enough on their own. This economic structure was inherently risky, especially since their exports were very limited... Ores, refined ores, and semi-processed materials. Copper ingots, iron ingots, mithril ingots, electrum ingots, various metal ingots. Weapons, armor... These were the main commodities. Everything else was minor, too insignificant to mention. The prices for copper and iron were low, and shipping costs high, leaving little profit. Exporting metal ingots was somewhat meaningful, but exporting ore was almost pointless; Electrum was too hard, had poor magical conductivity, and was difficult to smelt, mainly used for knight¡¯s gear, and those knights were not as generous as mages; Mithril was once the most important export. However, from last year to now, the Magic Council¡¯s import of mithril dropped by half, while the import of mithril ore increased twentyfold. Even so, the Dwarf Kingdom found itself at a loss over the year: "Last year! In one year! We imported fifty thousand barrels less beer! Fifty thousand!" What if there was an accident with the furnace? The last time he visited a mithril smelting facility, he saw the magma bubbling, ready to explode at any moment! Gavin didn¡¯t press him and led him around on a circular tour, pointing out: "Here is the Red Iron Hall, where ordinary miners live..." "Here is the Hammer Hall, where the forgers live. Our daily tools and mass-produced weapons are all made here..." "Here is the Steel Blade Hall, the training area for the army and warriors. Most of them are on patrol now, but it¡¯s quite a sight when a large group of knights returns in the evening!" "Here is the trade district, where foreign merchant caravans stay. There have been a lot of people these last few days, and a lot of goods too. Come on, I¡¯ll take you around..." Saying this, he led the way inside. Garrett, following behind with Bernard, had only walked a few steps when they heard loud calls overlapping each other: "Whale meat! Cheap whale meat for sale! One copper per pound! Fat and tender, enough for a family to eat for a day!" ...How poor must they be to drag whale meat back here? Isn¡¯t whale hunting only for the oil and brain, with the meat usually discarded? "Dried deer meat! Walrus! Seal! Cod! Genuine goods at fair prices, bulk discounts available!" Garrett quickly cast a "Bubble Shield" on himself. Were these meats salted or dried in the sun? The smell was too pungent; hadn¡¯t they gone moldy? "Barley beer! The best Thunder Barley Beer! Refreshing and pleasant, each sip bubbles with life!" ...Are you sure this isn¡¯t a soda? Huh, this world doesn¡¯t seem to have Coca-Cola yet... "Machetes! War hammers! Swords! The best weapons, all available at Gien¡¯s Blacksmith Shop, choose at will!" Humans, dwarves, barbarians, various hawkers¡¯ cries blended into a cacophony. Garrett, braving the noise, moved forward. Passing half the shops, he suddenly heard a distant shout: "Listen to the voice of God! Hear the teachings of the Radiant Lord! Holy Communion available!!!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 362: A Death Cry - Call for a Priest Chapter 362: A Death Cry - Call for a Priest Hearing the call for a sermon and Holy Communion? Garrett stopped in his tracks, involuntarily turning towards the source of the shout. Bernard called out from behind: "Boss¡ª" What¡¯s gotten into you? What¡¯s so interesting about the Radiant Lord? Haven¡¯t you forgotten you¡¯ve killed several of their people? Are you that hungry? When we dine together, just a couple of slices from my lamb leg are enough for you! "Ah, I¡¯m just looking, from a distance," Garrett waved his hand nonchalantly. Don¡¯t ask; it¡¯s just that their marketing tactic is too familiar, and he wanted to check it out. And, to see if their so-called Holy Communion was just stale bread and wine. Garrett Nordmark, ever curious yet well-informed, true to his word, stopped about ten meters away from the preaching crowd. At this distance, he could hear the preacher¡¯s words clearly: "In ancient times, floods, droughts, and snowstorms were frequent, plagues rampant, and magical beasts and monsters roamed the wilderness. The Radiant Lord, in his mercy, spoke to his people..." Boring. This story isn¡¯t interesting at all. If you¡¯re going to preach about the Radiant Lord in dwarf territory, at least tell a good story! Garrett, who had been bombarded with movies and animations in his previous life, shook his head and decided to give them another minute of his patience. If the Holy Communion didn¡¯t appear by then, he¡¯d leave. However, before the Holy Communion could be presented, a roar shook the entire venue: "You¡¯re talking nonsense!" Then, it was chaos. When Garrett came to his senses, a burly man had already charged onto the stage, grabbing the preacher and punching him while cursing: "Charity my ass! Benevolence my ass! You bastards killed my entire family when I was a child! Took me as a slave! I¡¯ve endured countless lashes from you! @#£¤%*&..." What followed was a series of furious roars, too explicit for the "Comprehend Languages" spell to translate. The preacher, dressed in a black robe and white scarf, was knocked down with the first punch, blood splattered with the second, and by the third and fourth punches, the effect was... The only scene that came to Garrett¡¯s mind was from a textbook: "Judge Bao punches the western frontier¡¯s bully." The other members of the Radiant Church couldn¡¯t just stand by. Two knights who had just carried a few baskets of Holy Communion saw the commotion, dropped the baskets, and charged in anger. The burly man let go of the preacher, turned around, and engaged them in a fierce fight, with punches and kicks whistling through the air. In Garrett¡¯s previous life, such a scene during a sermon (or receiving Holy Communion) would have caused screams and panic, with half of the crowd fleeing. But dwarves, being rich in martial spirit, and barbarians, even more so, didn¡¯t flee. Instead, they tightened their ranks, forming a large circle around the fight, eagerly watching: "That punch was solid!" Garrett peeked from behind Bernard. The black mist had dissipated, leaving the onlookers in a large circle, cries of shock overlapping: "Dead!" "They¡¯re all dead!" "So much blood!" "They¡¯re not dead yet; they¡¯re still calling for a priest!" Garrett nudged Bernard, pushing him forward. After several nudges, Bernard reluctantly led the way. When they finally made it through the crowd of barbarians, they saw blood everywhere, none of the fighters standing: The preacher, his face a canvas of blood, unconscious. Garrett didn¡¯t need to check to know the possibilities of concussion, intracranial hemorrhage, and more; Two knights lay on the ground, one clutching his throat with blood seeping through his fingers, hissing sounds indicating a likely tracheal rupture needing stitches; The other sprawled out, a gash on his neck spraying blood everywhere. One glance at the blood volume and spray pattern, and Garrett concluded: Carotid artery rupture, beyond saving. The orc, with a blade deeply embedded in his chest, was still conscious but unable to struggle, clearly in critical condition, hanging by a thread. Garrett wanted to take a closer look but was suddenly pulled back behind Bernard. The next moment, a flurry of hurried footsteps approached, stopping right by the knights, followed by the sound of kneeling and fervent prayers. Oh, so some of the Radiant knights got medical attention. Garrett turned away coldly. He calmly stepped back, watching dwarf knights swarm in, separating the factions; Saw two dwarf knights dismount their goats, trying to take the orc away, but blocked by Radiant knights in an angry standoff; Watched a dozen orcs arrive, almost starting a fight, then both sides stepping back, leaving with their wounded; Saw another dwarf knight urging his goat, shouting "Priest, priest" as he sped away... Garrett quietly followed the orcs. Just as they turned a corner and rushed into a building, he called out: "I am a priest!" "Great! Come quickly!" Two orcs immediately made way. Garrett hurried inside, approaching the injured orc warrior, reaching out to check his pulse. Just as he kneeled, two heavy, urgent footsteps approached. "How¡¯s my brother? Master, please save my brother¡ª" "Coming, coming! Whoa, whoa, slow down..." Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 363: Oh no, the necromancer is cutting into the heart! Gasping for breath, the priest dragged over... Garrett didn¡¯t see the person at first, but rather five twig-like fingers, thin and dry, probing the nostrils of the injured just like Garrett would. Then, they retracted and checked the patient¡¯s pulse. In the midst of busyness, Garrett raised his head. Wow! What... What race is this orc...? Not like a dog, nor a cat, and if it were a minotaur¡ªjudging by the horns on its head, somewhat similar¡ªthen it¡¯s too short and too thin. It also has a hunched back, its entire body trembling and huddled together, its face etched with sorrow. If it had anything to do with the word ¡¯bull,¡¯ it could only be a snail... Regardless of snail or beetle, healing the injured is what counts as good. Unfortunately, the elderly orc kneeling on the other side had a very unpleasant expression, his hand trembling as it reached towards the injured¡¯s chest, hesitating multiple times to pull out a dagger, yet not daring to: "My healing magic level is too low, let¡¯s maintain his condition together for now, and wait for a higher-level healer..." He bowed his head, muttering a chant. Even with [Comprehend Languages], Garrett couldn¡¯t make out what he was singing, just as understanding Chinese doesn¡¯t necessarily mean one can recognize song lyrics. Only a pale red glow of light rain could be seen falling on the injured, and in no time, the old priest was gasping for breath, sweat beading on his forehead. "Hey, you help too! Aren¡¯t you a priest?" a young orc called out. Garrett glanced around, dropped a minor healing spell casually, and continued observing the injured: This room full of orcs, some resembling dogs, others cats, and some foxes; their skin colors deep and light, yellow and white; their physical traits significantly different from humans, now making it difficult for him to use as a reference to judge whether the patient¡¯s complexion was pale or not... Too many references, unable to judge, I take my leave. Garrett, drawing on his decades of emergency clinical experience, quickly assessed the injured¡¯s condition. The patient¡¯s eyes were wide open, his gaze following their movements, his consciousness still clear; a wound on his chest, about 2cm long, the depth unknown, not daring to remove the knife. The stabbing was in the left-center of the front chest, the... the fifth rib interstice... How many pairs of ribs should this damned orc have? Is the heart damaged? Did it pierce the lung? Garrett quickly pulled out the [Endless Ink Pen] and shoved it under the orc. Inhaling deeply, focusing, he released [Detect Magic]... And saw nothing. Uh... This is awkward... The [Endless Ink Pen] is a level 9 magical item, capable of observing objects five levels lower than it. This warrior, clearly of a higher level, has too strong a life force. The magical aura of the [Endless Ink Pen] couldn¡¯t penetrate the injured¡¯s body... The old priest continued to chant fervently, maintaining the injured¡¯s vital signs. Garrett seized the moment, casually wiping the sweat from the injured¡¯s forehead; The neck¡¯s veins bulged prominently, suggesting, perhaps, the jugular vein? The pulse... The normal pulse of an orc is unknown, but the feeling under his fingertips was shallow and rapid, and getting faster, no different from the weak sensation of hypovolemic shock due to a sudden drop in blood pressure from blood loss in his previous life; He took out a copper stethoscope to listen... Thump, thump, thump. The heartbeat sounds were weak, muffled, and vague, as if coming from far away! A stab wound to the precordial area, not much bleeding, jugular vein bulging, blood pressure plummeting, heart sounds low and distant¡ªall these symptoms, one by one, all pointed to a critical condition, acute cardiac tamponade! ¡ªOutside the human heart, there¡¯s a layer of muscle called the pericardium. Extremely dense, it envelops the heart, with pericardial fluid inside for lubrication. Like now, with the heart stabbed and bleeding, the pericardial muscles contract on their own, trapping the blood within the pericardium, preventing it from flowing into the chest cavity. With this layer of protection, the bleeding from the heart won¡¯t be too much, not quickly leading to hypovolemic shock; but, if there¡¯s too much bleeding, the blood accumulated in the pericardial cavity increases pressure, externally compressing the heart. r When the pressure reaches a certain level, surpassing the heart muscle¡¯s pumping force, the heart will be unable to beat, causing cardiac arrest! "If you can save him, ask for anything you want. But if you kill him¡ª" Garrett immediately got up to leave. What a joke, the injured saved your life, not mine. With such a dangerous operation as opening the chest and the family¡¯s attitude like this, they still expect me to intervene? I¡¯m not foolish! There was no registration, no ambulance to the hospital, no rule that doctors can¡¯t refuse treatment, so he wouldn¡¯t! Two orc warriors reflexively blocked the door. Garrett stopped, his expression stern: "What? Did I kill the man? ¡ªLet me through!" The two warriors stood frozen, refusing to move. Garrett snorted, turning his body halfway, with Bernard ready to step forward. Just then, from the depths of the room, a shrill cry rang out: "His heart has stopped beating!" Cardiac arrest? So soon?! Garrett suddenly turned back. The old orc, trembling and wavering, suddenly pulled out the dagger from the injured¡¯s chest, then slashed his own chest. One cut, two cuts, three cuts, blood gushing forth. Immediately after, a burst of illusory blood rain sprayed directly from his chest onto the injured. Garrett quickly cast a life observation spell. The injured ¡¯s breath briefly strengthened, then quickly weakened again. Amidst the cat-woman¡¯s desperate pleas and the warriors¡¯ roars, the old orc collapsed to the ground, helplessly shaking his head. "You treat him! ¡ªIt¡¯s not your fault if you can¡¯t cure him!" The golden-haired orc finally called out. Garrett stepped back to the injured¡¯s side, bent down to take a look, and directed everyone to lift him onto a table, reaching for the dagger... "Boss, you can¡¯t cut through." Bernard calmly reminded him from behind. Garrett silently took a deep breath, then another deep breath... Then, with a slap of his space bag, the silver skeleton given to him by Mage Edgar flew out, assembling itself piece by piece. The room fell suddenly silent. From behind Garrett, an orc whispered: "He really is a Necromancer..." Garrett had no time to bother with that guy. He quickly disinfected the patient¡¯s chest with iodine, wiped it, poured alcohol, wiped it again. The silver skeleton stepped forward, and Garrett handed it the dagger, casually casting [Enchanted Weapon] on it. Then, very proficiently, he stepped back to take the position of an assistant from the caster¡¯s direction. This time, he finally didn¡¯t have to stand in the position of a surgical nurse, which was a relief. The silver skeleton, holding the dagger, made a cut. Time was of the essence, and there was no room for fine work; the cut directly opened the chest, and four [Enhanced Mage Hands] appeared, two on each side, pulling the ribcage apart. Amidst the grating sound that made one¡¯s teeth ache, a large, bright red heart, the size of two fists, quickly appeared before everyone¡¯s eyes. The orc warriors crowded around to see. The silver skeleton made another cut on the heart¡¯s surface. Garrett yelled, "Back off¡ª" No one listened. Each one, as if their lives depended on it, pressed forward, eager to get a clearer view. However, as this cut was made, the pericardium split open, and a column of dark red blood surged up, spraying the ceiling instantly! Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 364: Kill That Necromancer... No, The Miracle Doctor! The screams were horrific! Of the six orcs that crowded around, four of them screamed on the spot, fell backwards, and crashed to the ground. The cat-woman closed her eyes tightly and fainted without a sound. Only the leading golden-haired orc had the courage not to faint or fall. His only reaction was to stand dumbfounded under the shower of blood, mouth agape, letting the blood splatter into his mouth without moving an inch... Walking through the world, who doesn¡¯t get cut? These orcs had all been on the battlefield, but honestly, beheading people, chopping off arms, or even biting through the throat to pull out the trachea on the battlefield was never this horrifying. Didn¡¯t you see the knights of the Radiant Church being slashed in the throat amid the black fog earlier, bleeding all over the place while the onlookers merely gasped a couple of times? But, but... This was different! This was about saving someone! The priest who had just been casting healing magic now summoned a skeleton, sliced open the chest, cut through the rib cage, and opened up the heart! Blood spurted out instantly! If not for the room being designed for orcs and barbarians with a particularly high ceiling, the blood could have sprayed onto the rafters! The orcs instinctively scattered. The four who had fallen to the ground didn¡¯t bother getting up; they just pushed themselves backward with their hands on the ground. In the back, a youngster, out of sheer terror, even ran out of the room: "Help¡ª" Garrett paid them no mind. Let the blood reach the ceiling, so be it. The carotid artery burst, the aorta burst, the heart was cut open¡ªsurgeries in the hospital happen all year round, and every year blood ends up on the ceiling. Sprayed onto the surgical lights, sizzling from the heat, staining the entire surgical field red¡ª Still, the surgery must continue! He expertly stepped back to avoid the blood shower and immediately rushed forward. Looking down, he saw that the heart had not resumed beating. Without hesitation, he reached into the patient¡¯s chest. His right hand, already scrubbed with iodine and alcohol, directly grasped the heart outside the pericardium and squeezed forcefully. Once, twice, three times! Releasing his hand, the heart, which had previously stopped, began to beat on its own again. Garrett watched the heart intently. Direct heart resuscitation, though a clinical surgery essential and included in the licensure examination syllabus, had only been performed by him twice in his past life as an emergency doctor. No other reason, this surgery tested one¡¯s courage too much! Recalling now, the feeling of the heart beating against his palm as if it was still touching it. The heart of this orc was much stronger than any he had handled in his previous life, beating vigorously¡ª Good, if the heart muscle was weak, he would have had to search everywhere for adrenaline or inject sodium lactate directly into the ventricle, but now, he just needed to find the damage on the heart, repair it, and then simply close up the chest! Garrett let out a sigh of relief. He glanced at the patient¡¯s face to see if the color had improved, difficult to judge given his unfamiliarity with orc skin tones, but the breathing had resumed. Lifting the eyelid with a Mage Hand, he noticed the pupil beginning to constrict, clearly improving. Now, it was time to repair the heart. Garrett took out a shadowless lamp from his spatial bag, held up by an enhanced Mage Hand. The dazzling white light instantly illuminated the operating table and the beating heart in front of everyone, revealing every detail. Ah... comfortable. This is the lighting a surgery should have! Garrett adjusted the shadowless lamp with a Mage Hand, then looked down again, carefully observing the heart. The pericardial tamponade was severe, a rupture in the heart was certain, the question was how large and deep it was, and, exactly how many cuts there were... What was the anatomical structure of an orc heart? How many atria and ventricles? What was the blood circulation path? Were there tricuspid and bicuspid valves? Garrett speculated while observing. Meanwhile, the elderly minotaur-like priest shakily got up and moved closer to the table: "This... why is the wound even bigger now?!" He had barely kept the life hanging by a thread! He had almost exhausted his healing magic, even resorting to the desperate measure of a blood sacrifice ritual, and just when things seemed to be looking up, he looked again¡ª First, he saw a big skeleton, then looking beyond the skeletal frame, what was going on, the entire chest was opened up! It was just a small cut before! "Don¡¯t speak!" "Bernard!" With a loud crash, the barbarian¡¯s bone club collided with some unknown weapon. The force of the impact sent dust flying, cracking the floor on the spot: "My boss is not a Necromancer!" But Bernard was only one person; he could block one but not a group. Another thud followed as the silver skeleton turned, its arms automatically transforming into bone blades, clashing mid-air with another weapon, evenly matched. "Still saying he¡¯s not a Necromancer!" Garrett quickly grabbed a saline-soaked gauze, covering the patient¡¯s chest cavity. He then took a moment to look up, seeing a group of dwarf warriors storming in, each with a fierce demeanor, wielding either giant axes or hammers. At their center, one had a hammer glowing with white light... The golden-haired orc turned to face them. Garrett¡¯s fellow dwarf, Gavin, raised his voice in support: "Who¡¯s killing whom?" "We¡¯re saving someone!" "He¡¯s not a Necromancer!" "He¡¯s an envoy from the Magic Council, treated my grandfather..." The orcs and dwarfs outdid each other in volume. The silver skeleton retreated, Bernard put away his bone club to cover the rear, and Garrett hurriedly bent down, seizing the opportunity to close the chest¡ª [Enhanced Mage Hands]! Pull the ribcage together! Align the bones! Twist wires¡ªno, cast healing spells! Healing Minor Injuries! Healing Minor Injuries! Healing Minor Injuries! Locate, repair small blood vessels, nerves! Heal the muscles! Layer by layer, ah no, heal the chest wall layer by layer with healing spells! Slam those healing spells! By the time he was mostly done, leaving only the skin to be stitched, the patient groaned in pain, waking up. He lifted his head, saw the bloody mess on his chest, and with a wave of agony, blacked out again. But that was enough to bolster Garrett¡¯s confidence. He raised his voice: "Hey, over there! The patient just woke up!" The golden-haired orc immediately turned and rushed over. Bending down, he saw the patient¡¯s chest closed, and stood there dumbfounded. Behind him, the dwarfs all rushed over, clamoring to see: "He¡¯s alive! The man¡¯s alive!" "Really alive!" "Survived a stab to the heart..." "Blood sprayed to the ceiling and still saved..." "A miracle doctor!!!" Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 365: The Unexpected Gain of Miracle Doctor Garrett It must be said, when orcs decide to show their generosity, they truly go all out. Assured that their kin had survived, the golden-haired orc was ready to stuff a gem-encrusted golden bracelet directly into Garrett¡¯s hands. Seeing Garrett step back and wave his hand indicating he didn¡¯t want it, the orc then proceeded to remove his headpiece, neckwear, and belt... Golden and weighty, a small mountain of gold piled up on the operating table. Garrett: "...Big spender!" Still, he shook his head. Honestly, gold and such didn¡¯t really interest him. If possible, could he examine this group of orcs and take some records? This was his first encounter with orcs, after all... Garrett pondered how to articulate this. The golden-haired orc had already wiped his hand across a bone ring, and the operating table suddenly shone brilliantly, now stacked with gems. Rubies, sapphires, emeralds, crystal, agate, lapis lazuli... If he were a conventional mage, he would already be ecstatic by now. These gems, regardless of their value, were mostly precious spellcasting materials. Used for cutting, setting, and storing spells, they could easily create a bunch of magical artifacts. Yet Garrett remained uninterested. His gaze casually swept over the pile of gems and indifferently turned towards the door. The golden-haired orc shrugged and continued to pull things out of the bone ring. Various bone shards, sharp teeth, dried fruit petals, and all sorts of oddities piled up half the table. Garrett¡¯s gaze swept over them, and he suddenly leaped onto the operating table, grabbing a small gray ball: "Where did this come from? How many do you have?!" Rarely did something catch Garrett¡¯s interest, prompting the golden-haired orc to take it seriously, frowning in thought. After a long moment, he couldn¡¯t remember, so he took it from Garrett¡¯s hand, squeezed it, and the small gray ball turned out to be somewhat elastic, squishing a bit. The orc squeezed again, and suddenly, a cold light flicked from his fingertips, slicing the small ball in half to reveal its gray solid inside. "That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right!" Garrett grew more excited: "That¡¯s what I want! How many do you have? I¡¯ll buy as many as you have!" "Not sure which merchant caravan brought it over," the golden-haired orc looked up in thought. "I don¡¯t know where to buy it. Hey, you guys, look around, bring out everything you have!" The orcs began to search noisily. Meanwhile, the pile of gold and gems, shining brightly on the operating table, was ignored by both Garrett and the golden-haired orc. However, the dwarf guard was quite curious, even the sight of blood on the floor couldn¡¯t deter them from coming forward to peek. "Hey, I¡¯ve seen this thing!" The leading guard suddenly exclaimed. "Over at the market! There¡¯s a very small shop! In the corner! I¡¯ve seen these things!" A large group set out in a grand procession. The further they went, the more secluded it became, yet paradoxically, more people crowded around, poking their heads in, pointing and whispering: "Is this the guy?" "He¡¯s alive? He actually walked out on his own?" The trade delegation¡¯s residence was located in the smallest yet most exquisite Mithril District, also known as the Arcane District. As the name implies, most residents in this area were spellcasters. There were dwarf mages, enchanters specializing in enchanting equipment, jewelers cutting and engraving magic into gems, and various mages, sorcerers, priests, and professionals from afar staying temporarily... The only rarity was healers. Dwarf priests, who participated in labor, mined, forged, and fought to comprehend the teachings of the Father God. Thus, they were mostly scattered in the Mining, Forging, and Military Districts, using their divine magic to aid their kin. Therefore, dwarfs had little reason to visit the Mithril District under normal circumstances. The Mithril District rarely saw adults crying, children shouting, and the spectacular sight of a long queue of the sick and wounded. With a creak, at the end of the long street, another door opened wide. Four priests in black robes, wearing white scarves, filed out and stood in two rows outside the door. Among them, a white-robed priest emerged: "The Radiant Lord¡¯s holy light shines upon mankind, driving away all suffering. Those afflicted, merely by chanting Our Lord¡¯s holy name, can receive healing..." He clasped his hands in front of his chest, then spread his arms towards the sky. To his left and right, the four black-robed priests bowed their heads and prayed together: "Let the Lord¡¯s radiance shine upon them, and their ailments will be far removed. The lame straighten their legs, the blind open their eyes, the paralyzed stand up, and leprosy is cleansed. All the sick are restored to health..." Light rain, like twinkling stars, fell around them. Passersby touching the light rain felt lighter, alleviating their ailments. The crowd stirred. Soon, several dwarfs left the queue and tentatively moved towards them. "They¡¯re stealing your business!" Gavin, who had escorted Garrett back, poked his side and whispered: "Should I tell everyone to ignore them?" "Why bother." Garrett smiled and shook his head: "Let them be treated if they wish. It¡¯s good if more people can be healed. With so many people, I couldn¡¯t manage alone anyway." Garrett discussed with the mages for a moment and decided to set up a separate room at the entrance for treatment. Garrett sat in the center of the consultation room, with Bernard as his assistant. As for Gavin, he simply ran to the entrance and started maintaining order and calling patients for Garrett. If you didn¡¯t consider that he was a dwarf and a male dwarf at that, Gavin was actually doing a pretty good job as a nurse calling numbers... Soon, Mage Simond, returning from his stroll, also set up a table and enthusiastically joined the treatment team. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 366: Magic Hands Seal Rings Garrett Nordmark devoted an entire afternoon to healing, expending 20% of his mental energy, before declaring the day¡¯s treatments complete. Thank heavens, the earth, and the well-known rules of this world. A caster¡¯s spells are limited daily, and rest is required for their restoration. No one forces overtime on healers, nor would it be effective... So, by dinner time, when Garrett packed up his stall and announced the end of the healing for the day, there were no complaints. After hastily consuming a couple of bites of his meal, he took his earnings for the day and knocked on Archmage Serrano¡¯s door. "Come in!" As Garrett pushed the door open, he immediately stepped back out and encased himself in a bubble spell¡ªthe room was filled with smoke, a mix of grey and white, with the chandelier¡¯s Tyndall effect very pronounced. How many people had been meeting here, and how much had they smoked! Unbearable! But he had to bear it. Stepping inside with the bubble spell still on, the room was indeed full of people, smoke swirling everywhere, and the light making everyone¡¯s faces look ghostly. Archmage Serrano glanced at Garrett and casually pointed: "Sit. ¡ª What brings you here?" "Uh, should I come back later?" Garrett looked around. The tension was palpable, clearly indicating a difficult meeting, enough to make a group of old men smoke desperately. His minor issue seemed out of place now. "Since you¡¯re here, sit and listen," Archmage Serrano instructed casually. Having had a good impression of Garrett from their interactions over the past few days, he didn¡¯t mind letting this fourth-level mage join the meeting. With a wave of his hand, a gentle breeze pushed Garrett to a seat on the side. Just as he settled down, a bald mage slammed the table: "Those stubborn stones! Utterly inflexible, not willing to budge an inch! We¡¯ve given them explosives, no need to dig with picks, just drag it out, and yet, they demand a high price!" "Let them drink themselves to death!" complained another mage. "Every exchange, we have enough to buy food, but they insist on buying alcohol! And strong liquor at that! If each person drank one less sip, we could mine ten pounds less ore!" "Can¡¯t the mines be improved? Or, use something to make hauling easier? Magic golems?" "Are you joking? That¡¯s too expensive! Better to increase the purchase price!" The mages bickered amongst themselves. Suddenly, Archmage Serrano remembered something and turned to ask: "Harry, that thing you mentioned last time¡ª" He mimicked a back-and-forth motion. Harry, the mage, shook his head: "That won¡¯t work. Fun to make, but leaks too much for real work. I¡¯ve tried tree gum, hemp rope, lacquer, either they don¡¯t work or they break too quickly." Garrett listened intently and suddenly felt inspired: "What were you referring to?" "You don¡¯t know?" Harry turned to him with a strange look: Soon, Harry exclaimed in surprise: "It¡¯s changed! It¡¯s softened!" He summoned a mage hand to knead the softened rubber within a force field. After feeling it for a while, he suddenly slapped his spatial bag, pouring out a steam engine half the height and length of a person. The rubber freely changed shape, suddenly flying up and firmly adhering to the steam engine. Garrett hadn¡¯t even reacted when the sound of rushing water was followed by rising flames. The steam engine roared to life, steam rolling, and began operating! The mages fell silent again. It was clear that the sulfur-added rubber balls, with their elasticity, density, and heat resistance, were quite suitable for use as sealing material for steam engines. The only question now was how long they would last. And... "How much of this material do we have?" Garrett tipped a corner of his spatial bag, pouring out numerous balls of various sizes, quickly piling up half a square meter on the coffee table. He shrugged: "That¡¯s all there is. I bought out the entire store." Such seemingly useless items being brought to the dwarf capital was a coincidence... Regardless, with suitable materials found, a plan was formed. After two days and nights of continuous testing, the mages could confirm: Rubber as a sealing material was far superior to the previous combination of lacquer and hemp rope. That settled it. Natural rubber could be imported in large quantities. While others were unaware of its use, it was time to stock up! Stock up! Thus, when negotiations resumed, Archmage Serrano slammed the table, uncompromising: "The price of ore cannot be lowered! ¡ª If necessary, we¡¯ll provide a batch of power to help you haul the ore out! Right, we¡¯ll order a batch of machines like this..." Steam engines could now be imported in bulk! Perfect for placing orders! The craftsmanship of the dwarves was still trustworthy! Perfect! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 367: Agreement Reached, Heading Home Soon? In all fairness, the Dwarf Kingdom had no desire to export so much mithril if it weren¡¯t for the financial deficit. ¡ªMithril requires divine magic for smelting! A piece of mithril the size of a palm consumes the divine magic of a high-order priest above level ten, along with five or six mid-level priests, for an entire day! Without the need to smelt mithril, such divine magic could be used to cure diseases, heal wounds, care for pregnant women and infants, benefiting countless clan members. Even if no one was ill, using it to forge weapons and armor could bring them closer to the Father God, right? If it weren¡¯t for the sheer exhaustion from massive ore mining, they wouldn¡¯t have been so desperate to negotiate prices! Thus, when Archmage Serrano proposed the plan, the dwarves quickly agreed to see a sample. The Dwarf King¡¯s city was situated within a mountain, and not far from the civilian district lay the extensive mining tunnels. Finding a spot to test the steam engine was hardly an inconvenience. But, even with the steam engine, wouldn¡¯t other equipment need to be custom-made first? Garrett followed down into the mine, bewildered. Then, he watched as Harry, with a flash of light, deployed the steam engine, which landed heavily on the ground. Immediately after, Harry pointed to the pre-delivered copper and iron ingots piled nearby... The metal blocks transformed on the spot into gears, bearings, levers, and various parts. Harry directed the dwarves to pick them up one by one for on-site assembly, fitting everything perfectly together! Even having witnessed great figures handcraft mercury rectifiers, Garrett was still overwhelmed by the spectacle. It wasn¡¯t until the steam engine pulled the mining carts up the slope with clanking sounds that he began to grasp the enormity: ...The capabilities of transmutation mages are simply unscientific! The dwarves began their calculations. A single steam engine working at full capacity was equivalent to at least 20 dwarves, tirelessly hauling ore up the slope all day. Moreover, it could work both day and night, meaning it could free fifty or sixty dwarves from the tedious life of transporting ore... And it only required one person to oversee! The fire came from natural magma, and water was drawn from snow outside the caverns. The overseer only needed to maintain and occasionally clear the boiler¡¯s base! This was far easier than dragging heavy mining carts up from the depths along tracks. By this calculation, even if the production of mithril ore increased twentyfold, the labor exerted by the dwarves would not increase but actually become much easier. This deal was worth making! The sturdy hand of a dwarf elder immediately grasped Harry¡¯s, shaking it vigorously: "This is excellent!" Negotiations progressed swiftly. The dwarves would exert less effort for the same amount of money, plus they received additional orders¡ªthe trade delegation provided processing dimensions for 20 steam engines and promised future orders¡ªleaving them overjoyed. His skull melted into the azure sky. From his arm marrow, dwarves emerged, Gnomes sprouted from his finger marrow. The especially strong femur, Gave birth to the barbarian brothers..." Dwarves, humans, orcs, and barbarians gathered under the dome. Garrett guarded his plate listlessly, facing a wooden goblet larger than his head, with no appetite. The feast was lavish, with steaming pies filled with sheep offal, beer-braised pork ribs, smoked deer meat, and at least three different colored blood sausages... But after this journey, he had grown weary of such fare. He craved vegetables... he missed fruits... Why hadn¡¯t he brought more fruit cans before leaving? No, why hadn¡¯t he developed fruit cans while at the mage tower? "Bernard, it¡¯s all yours..." Garrett pushed his plate aside. As the bard moved on to the third song, cheers suddenly intensified. The seven elders entered in procession, followed by the white-bearded Dwarf King, who greeted guests with a smile and a wave as he walked. Garrett strained to see. At 400 years old, the Dwarf King resembled a centenarian in human terms, with sagging skin, thinning hair, and many age spots. Yet, his steps through the aisle remained firm, ascending the stairs without needing assistance, indicating his past as a formidable warrior. The King took his seat on the throne, elevated above Garrett and visible to all guests. Then, he lifted a golden helmet filled with wine above his head: "Thank you, dear guests, for attending my birthday feast! After today, the selection for a new king will begin, and I will follow tradition, passing the crown to the new king!" Garrett: "...What?" Does our agreement still stand? Can we sign tomorrow? --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 368: The Dwarf Kingdom’s Selection for a New King Garrett swiftly turned his head to look at Archmage Serrano, who was seated at the head of the long table, close to the throne, intently observing the Dwarf King. After a while, he lowered his head and gently tapped his wine glass. "We might have to stay a bit longer," the Archmage¡¯s voice softly reached Garrett¡¯s ear, causing him to hang his head in dismay. Great, we can¡¯t go back right away. Staying longer, he would start to run low on vitamins... Silently, Garrett pulled out a small bottle and poured a mixture into his bowl¡ªwhat was supposed to be a vitamin C supplement but ended up as a failed attempt, a composite fruit and vegetable powder. Filling half the bowl, he stirred it with some soup and gulped it down in one go. Luckily, he was prepared! Fortunately, whatever he concocted, he always kept some in reserve! If he had only stored sodium ascorbate without the fruit and vegetable powder, he would surely be lacking vitamins A, B, and D now... "Right, how long are we staying? Isn¡¯t the Dwarf Kingdom supposed to pass the crown to the prince?" "Shush!" Harry, the mage, put a finger to his lips, signaling Garrett to be quiet, and then whispered to him: "The Dwarf Kingdom doesn¡¯t work like that..." Unlike humans, the Dwarf Kingdom¡¯s succession wasn¡¯t simply a matter of the son automatically succeeding the father. In fact, each time the throne was to be passed on, all seven clans of the kingdom would nominate candidates. These candidates would then compete in a series of challenges in front of everyone, following clan traditions to determine the winner. "Wait, which seven clans?" Garrett interrupted quietly. Harry gave him a reproachful look: "How did you study the material when you came?" Garrett shrank back. Could he admit that he had skimmed through the material hastily, focusing mainly on the physical conditions of dwarves and their medical histories? "The seven clans are divided into three large and four small. The largest, residing within the royal court, is the Firehammer clan, the current king¡¯s clan," Harry explained in a low voice, nodding towards the direction of the throne: "Look, the first candidate is stepping forward." A dwarf with a reddish-brown beard stood up from the table nearest to the throne and ascended the steps. He turned his back to the king, standing two steps below the throne, and raised his hands to the crowd. Cheers erupted instantly: "Rosgar! Rosgar! Glory Hammer!" "Oh, that¡¯s the current king¡¯s third son, 163 years old this year," Harry whispered to Garrett: "He once led his people to explore the Haifdan mines, discovering the best vein of mithril in recent years and killing a flame demon deep within the mines. See that smooth spot on his cheek without a beard? That¡¯s a burn from the flame demon." 163 years old. Garrett grimaced at the age: The body he inhabited since crossing over wasn¡¯t even half that age. Even by human standards, the Glory Hammer was in his prime, around 40 years old¡ªperfect or perhaps even a bit young to be a kingdom¡¯s leader. The second candidate also rose to his feet. The cheers in the hall were even louder than for the dwarf prince: "Ingvar! Ingvar! Axe of the Army!" Its sharp edge terrifies ghosts and gods. Wise Boreka grasps the long staff, Its gem-lit tip piercing through the forest¡¯s mystery. Wilaf retrieves the iron bone of the Black Gate, the earth¡¯s treasure, precious ores; Hetan smelts it in the furnace, magma swallowing stones, spewing pure gold; Mighty Fetra summons great strength, striking thousands of times, forging it; Wild Got hunts magical beasts, quenching the cold edge with fresh blood and beast souls. They tame rock goats, climbing mountains and ridges, At the highest peak, under the snow-capped summit, they offer the unparalleled battle-axe to the gods. The supreme Father God descends in joy, He proclaims: ¡¯He who wields this axe shall be invincible in battle¡¯; The Dwarf King, axe in hand, faces the dragon. The first strike cleaves the dragon¡¯s head; The second shatters its remaining scales. The third clears the poisonous mist, Ensuring everlasting peace in the dwarves¡¯ caverns..." The song slowly faded. The Dwarf King, leaning on his heavy golden scepter, stood once more: "Following the kingdom¡¯s tradition, each candidate, with their own team of up to seven, with casters not exceeding level five, will set off in three days. Within a month, they must traverse the path of the ancestors, personally mine, smelt, forge weapons, tame mounts, and climb to the summit on goatback. ¡ªBefore the next full moon arrives, they need to sacrifice the newly forged weapons at the summit to the Father God. Finally, if more than one candidate completes all these, they will wield their sacrificed weapons and duel under the watchful eyes of the court and the elders. The victor shall become the new king of all dwarves!" Cheers erupted. The dwarves raised their hands high, shouting and jumping ecstatically. Garrett: "...So we¡¯re stuck here for another month?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 369: Joining the King Selection Team? Me??? Garrett was utterly flabbergasted. It wasn¡¯t the extended stay that troubled him. He could manage the food and accommodation; it was the Dwarf Kingdom¡¯s method of selecting their king that left him astonished. He quietly asked Harry the mage: "Do we really start with mining? What if I can¡¯t do it?" Mining, sorting ores, smelting, forging, taming mounts, wilderness survival, combat... The skillset required was vast! Could one person really master all these skills? And why would a king need these skills? In the entire process, it seemed only leading a small team¡ªa team of seven¡ªhad some relevance to ruling a kingdom! Could a king selected this way truly be reliable? Surely there wouldn¡¯t be any issues? And maintaining a friendly relationship with the Dwarf Kingdom, which selects its king in such a manner, that¡¯s fine for the Magic Council? "How could it not be!" Harry gave him a disdainful look: "Every dwarf learns mining and smelting from a young age, including princes! Only the best miners can learn blacksmithing, and only those who can forge their own weapons can become warriors!... Can¡¯t learn? Start learning at 40 and by 80 you¡¯re an adult, what can¡¯t you learn?" Okay... alright... The difference between long-lived and short-lived species is real. You have long lives; you can afford to be willful, okay? Garrett took a deep breath and calmed down. Shifting his perspective, this method of selection at least ensured the ruler chosen was grounded. From the people, back to the people¡ªit¡¯s not bad, right? Besides, each race has its own customs that should not interfere with each other. Just like the empresses of Northern Wei who had to forge a golden figure for their coronation... as long as you¡¯re happy... He bowed his head and quietly continued eating. After the banquet, the old king indeed summoned the trade delegation, warmly consoling them and expressing that they had indeed worked hard. Then, the conversation shifted¡ª "However, such an important agreement shouldn¡¯t be finalized by an old man like me. Could I trouble our distinguished guests to wait another month, until the new king is selected, to negotiate with you?" Garrett: "..." I knew it. Returning to the trade delegation¡¯s quarters, he dove back into his research. After treating that orc, Garrett exchanged ideas on bloodline magic with the orc¡¯s elder shaman, gaining a lot of inspiration. His research on blood oxygen monitoring magic was progressing well. He had conducted whole-lung lavage experiments on various animals like rabbits, goats, elk, and wild boars, with a success rate exceeding 90%! He was just one crucial step away from completion! Once done, clinical trials could commence! If he left now, where would he find so many patients? Garrett calmly went about his days, treating the dwarves by day¡ªaccumulating case and physiological data, building relationships, developing a backup patient pool¡ªand conducting animal experiments at night with the rewards from his patients. After finishing the experiments and dissections, he would send the results to the kitchen, ensuring extra meals for the entire trade delegation the next day. Life was bliss. If not for the unforeseen events, he could continue this for another month without tedium. Unfortunately, disasters strike swiftly like a tornado. On the third night, the eve of the selection team¡¯s departure, urgent knocking shattered the delegation¡¯s tranquility. Several high-ranking mages hurried over. About an hour later, they all returned, and then Archmage Serrano personally knocked on Garrett¡¯s door. "What¡¯s up?" Garrett¡¯s hand twitched. Distracted, the tendrils retracted swiftly, and he cried out, rushing towards the operating table: My deer! My deer! His mouth curved downwards: "Today, the young priests of the Firehammer clan held a banquet for Priest Jis¡¯s farewell. Unfortunately, the wine was bad, and most of the priests were incapacitated." So, it might be their doing too? He inquired in a low voice. Archmage Serrano frowned: "Evidence is insufficient for now, it¡¯s premature to conclude. But, firstly, the capable young priests of the Firehammer clan were essentially knocked out, and secondly..." Secondly, two accidents in a row, both heavily suggesting human intervention. In Archmage Serrano¡¯s view, even just to counterbalance the involvement of the Radiant Church, the mages must take action. "Garrett, we really need your help!" Gavyn pleaded, clutching Garrett¡¯s right hand, nearly pulling him over: "You¡¯re a level four priest and a level four mage, much stronger than a mere priest! Plus, with time so short, we can¡¯t find anyone else. It¡¯s not feasible to seek help from other clans..." "¡ªBut I¡¯m human!" Garrett stated blankly. Could humans even participate in the dwarves¡¯ king selection? Wouldn¡¯t that disqualify them? "No worries, we¡¯re not particular about that." Gavyn waved his hand dismissively: "The Ironbone clan often includes barbarians in their team, and the Wildhammer clan¡ªthe one on the far east¡ªalways has orcs in their king selection team. No one minds. From mining to forging, candidates must do it themselves. How well the work is done, whether they slack off, everyone sees. If it¡¯s done poorly, it won¡¯t win people over!" Mining? Forging? Garrett¡¯s vision darkened: "I can¡¯t mine! Nor can I forge!" I can¡¯t even tame goats! Climbing mountains, Archmage Carlisle warned me not to when we set off! Joining their team as a sedentary mage, wouldn¡¯t I just be a burden? "Magicians do what magicians do best." Archmage Serrano gestured dismissively: "I¡¯ve discussed it with them, and they all accept. You focus on healing, and if there¡¯s a chance, assist them with magic. That¡¯s enough. Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t have to mine or swing a hammer!" Of course, the price is Bernard mining and hammering for two... Archmage Serrano had reached an agreement with the dwarves on this point. Of course, Bernard could also help Garrett tame goats, accompany him on mountain climbs, and ensure his safety. What? Dragons on the mountaintop? The dragons are in the northern part of the Black Gate Mountains, hundreds of kilometers from the royal court, no need to worry about encountering one while climbing... "Just received news." The wooden door creaked open, and Mage Simond entered with a grave expression: "The candidate from the Blackrock clan, his selection team now includes a priest from the Radiant Lord." --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 370: A Mage’s Approach to Mining—Want to Know How? Garrett was thrust into the selection team, clueless about mining, smelting, or forging. His only skills were in healing and magic, which meant he wouldn¡¯t be of much use unless a teammate got injured. And to ensure his safety, Bernard had to take up an extra slot. Due to these factors, Garrett felt he might not be too welcome in the selection team. However, to his surprise, as soon as he and Bernard stepped into the hall, they were greeted with enthusiastic applause. "Mr. Nordmark!" The Firehammer clan¡¯s candidate, the Dwarf King¡¯s third prince, Rosgar, approached first. He greeted Garrett with a sunny smile, and though only reaching up to Garrett¡¯s chest, his handshake was firm yet considerate: "Thank you in advance for your help in the coming month!" Garrett shook his hand vigorously. Prince Rosgar¡¯s grip was strong, yet he was careful not to hurt him. Turning to Bernard, he welcomed him: "Welcome!" Garrett resisted the urge to look away. The sight was somewhat pitiful: the Dwarf Prince, barely half as tall as the barbarian Bernard. Their handshake was an awkward affair, with Rosgar having to reach up and Bernard having to stoop down. While they were greeting, Gavyn excitedly introduced Garrett to the others: "This is Felay, the strongest shield warrior of the royal guard, capable of lifting a tower shield with one hand!" Felay, with his face buried in his beard, laughed heartily, welcoming Garrett: "Mr. Mage, it¡¯s an honor! I¡¯ve heard about your deeds from Gavyn. Being his friend makes you a friend of us all!" "This is Hanna, son of Master Flor. The warriors of the royal city vie for the weapons he forges!" Hanna, craning his neck and straining his ears to listen, turned towards Garrett and extended his hand after a brief pause. His eyes, perhaps used to the glare of the forge, squinted slightly as he looked at Garrett. Garrett shook hands with him, speaking louder for clarity. Gavyn, amused, then introduced him to another member: "This is Genna, my fiance?e!" "Fiance?e?!" As they marched through the royal avenue towards the central forge, the route lined with spectators, many recognized Garrett: "Mr. Priest, my son¡¯s fever broke last night!" "Mr. Priest, my father did as you said, and he¡¯s much better!" "Mr. Priest..." Finally, reaching the destination and emerging into daylight, the dwarves huddled together. Gavyn was the first to inquire: "Where? Which mine?" "Where are we headed?" Rosgar then explained the method of selecting different mines for each team, ensuring fair competition. Upon reaching their assigned mine, Rosgar, without hesitation, dove into scouting for the best mining spots. "Let him go alone?" Garrett was stunned by Rosgar¡¯s initiative. Gavyn shrugged: "He¡¯s the best at selecting ores. Let him find the right spot, and we¡¯ll follow. It¡¯s the fastest way." As they settled in and prepared for a long day¡¯s work, Garrett, unused to the dwarves¡¯ robust mining traditions, offered: "What if we try something other than pickaxes for mining?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 371: Garrett, Save My Grandfather! He’s in Trouble! What should I do? Garrett watched Prince Rothgar in silence. The flickering firelight reflected on the dwarf¡¯s face, turning it a reddish-brown, nearly the same color as his large beard. If it were his previous life, with a top-tier hospital as his backup, his answer would have been straightforward: Go for a lung wash. Based on his previous life¡¯s experience, a full lung lavage would increase lung capacity by about 10% after a three-month re-examination¡ª And he would direct the patient to the respiratory department to register for a comprehensive check-up: complete blood count, liver function tests, kidney function tests, full coagulation panel, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, chest X-ray, electrocardiogram, ultrasound, CT scan, lung function tests... But now, he had none of that. All these supportive tests, which help doctors rule out contraindications and assist in emergency management during surgery, were virtually unavailable to Garrett. After much thought, he asked a different question: "How high is the mountain we¡¯re going to climb?" This question genuinely stumped Prince Rothgar. Dwarves excel at mining, and experienced miners could roughly estimate how deep a mountain could be mined or how much ore could be extracted; but asking them to gauge the height of a mountain, from its base to its peak, was another matter. For mountains they had mined, they had some idea; for those unmined, not so much. The mountain they were to climb for the king-selection event was a sacred mountain to the dwarves, never formally surveyed¡ª "It takes three days to climb." He recalled the stories his father had told him and seriously informed Garrett: "From the base to the peak, it takes three days." Garrett was silent. Who¡¯s asking how many days it takes? I¡¯m asking about the altitude! Altitude sickness can occur above 3,000 meters, causing chest tightness, palpitations, shortness of breath, and in rare cases, developing into high altitude pulmonary edema. Even if he agreed to the surgery and Prince Rothgar accepted it, and the surgery was perfectly successful¡ª If the fluid in the lungs hadn¡¯t been fully absorbed and lung function hadn¡¯t fully recovered before climbing a mountain above 3,000 meters, it would be a death wish! Any respiratory physician from his previous life would have been furious to know a patient was so reckless. But forcing a dwarf was useless. Some things can¡¯t be forced out of desperation, like advanced mathematics, or the exact altitude of a certain mountain. Garrett thought for a moment and changed his question: "Is there snow on the mountain in summer?" "There¡¯s snow." "Permanent snow?" "Right, you can see the snow from the base of the mountain." Besides this, Garrett also obtained some expectorant herbs, extracted their oil, and had Prince Rothgar breathe in the vaporized medicinal oil. He himself sat by a water pot, his palms against the pot, emitting ultrasound waves focused on adjusting the wavelength, power, and targeting... The pot bubbled, and a fine mist rose up, which Prince Rothgar inhaled deeply into his lungs. Soon after, he turned and coughed out thick, black phlegm. With these measures in place, Prince Rothgar began to feel his breathing gradually improve, and his chest no longer felt constricted. As the steam hammer clanged away, shaping the first war hammer, he plunged into the royal court¡¯s nearby pool and managed to swim a dozen meters farther than before. Seeing the prince¡¯s lung function improve, eliminating the immediate need for a risky lung wash surgery, Garrett felt relieved. With the forge¡¯s rhythm, breastplates, shoulder guards, and leg armors took shape, everyone beaming: The progress was rapid! Completing the full set of armor within half a month was possible! Then, he could don the full armor and join the battle for the kingship! Compared to those who had only crafted a weapon or a weapon plus a breastplate, wearing full armor naturally offered a huge advantage! Garrett was also happy. His skills had greatly improved, and for five consecutive days, he hadn¡¯t accidentally killed a single rabbit. The team allocated him a large room, with rabbit cages lined up, twenty rabbits hopping around: Alive! Alive! Eating normally, normal body temperature, and in good spirits! After a few more trials to ensure a 100% success rate, he could consider moving to clinical trials! Of course, not now. With the mountain climb approaching in two days, he needed to organize his gear. Clothing, tents, food, water¡ªeven if his teammates would prepare, Garrett also wanted to pack a set in his spatial bag! After checking on the rabbits and bidding farewell to his teammates, he returned to the Mithril District¡¯s trade delegation residence to report to Archmage Serrano and discuss obtaining a couple of self-defense items. Oh, and he needed to ask the archmage to prepare a few bottles of oxygen, just in case they needed to breathe oxygen on the high mountain... Just as he was discussing with the archmage, Gavin burst in, sweating profusely: "Garrett! You need to come quick! My grandfather¡¯s in bad shape!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 372: Lung Cleansing! Cleanse My Lungs! "What? Master Talbert?" Garrett jumped up, only to be immediately grabbed by Gavin and rushed outside. Archmage Serrano glanced at Mage Simond, who nodded calmly and followed behind: It was partly for Master Talbert. Everyone had traveled together to this point, and even if delivering the person to their destination marked the end of the mission, they still hoped the old dwarf would be well. Not to mention, having the Master there would add another voice for the Magic Council; And partly for Garrett. This young mage¡¯s impulsiveness had been a revelation to Serrano, who could always expect him to pull something unexpected. Now with Master Talbert critically ill, Serrano truly feared Garrett might do something reckless¡ª Like, perhaps, attempting to cleanse an old man¡¯s lungs? Having someone familiar watching over was always more reassuring. Mage Simond followed Garrett¡ªwith a tracking spell on him, he cast a speed-enhancing spell on himself, not needing to quicken his pace much to reach the old dwarf¡¯s residence. The room was already in chaos, with people shouting, running, trying to wake the old dwarf, and screaming for a priest... In the midst of the turmoil, Garrett charged straight in, throwing himself beside the old man¡¯s bed. He cast a ¡¾Bloodline Discrimination - Modified¡¿spell, immediately ordering high-flow oxygen for the old dwarf. Increasing the oxygen generator¡¯s efficiency, purity, and delivery speed¡ª Joking aside, the newly developed blood oxygen identification magic showed a screen trending towards dark red in color! Any darker, and it would be the color of venous blood! "Make way! Make way! Let him breathe oxygen!" Garrett¡¯s urgent voice immediately overpowered the room. His voice was the only one heard in the entire room: "Bernard, crank faster! Faster!" "...What¡¯s this for? Shouldn¡¯t we cast healing spells instead of having someone crank a handle to pump air?" In the crowd, a white-haired dwarf priest with wrinkled skin similar to Master Talbert¡¯s, though aged, asked with a frown. Even as he spoke, his healing spells didn¡¯t stop, casting gentle waves of white light from his war hammer onto Master Talbert. Garrett, busy adjusting the oxygen tube¡ªno, summoning vines, didn¡¯t have the time to respond. It was Master Talbert¡¯s disciple, Viglan, who had escorted him back, that explained on his behalf: "The master has been unwell throughout the journey, surviving only by inhaling this gas." The old priest nodded, no longer speaking. Mage Simond also retracted his steps, not charging into the crowd any further: Two voices responded at the same time. One was Garrett¡¯s, the other belonged to Mage Simond. While answering, the mage made his way through the crowd and grabbed Garrett: "That technique could choke an animal to death; it cannot be used on humans!" "But... Garrett has been experimenting on 20 rabbits these past few days, and not a single one has died!" The young lad doesn¡¯t share anything with anyone, making it impossible to keep up with him. Mage Simond cursed silently, about to argue back when suddenly a commanding voice echoed from a corner of the room: "What is this lung cleansing? Can it help?" The dwarves instantly parted ways. Mage Simond, following the opening, could only release Garrett and bow respectfully: "Your Majesty." "Your Majesty." Garrett followed in bowing. He then lifted his head, explaining earnestly: "Lung cleansing is about pouring clean saline into the lungs and then drawing it out to remove the dust accumulated there. This technique is extremely dangerous and could easily drown the patient. ¡ªAnd besides, Master Talbert is too old and frail; he wouldn¡¯t survive such a procedure!" He explained as thoroughly as possible, aiming to dissuade the dwarves from the idea¡ªafter all, Master Talbert was too old, with too many contraindications, definitely not a candidate for such surgery. However, after listening carefully, the king smiled and said: "So, this method of yours is to help us expel the dust from our lungs and restore health?" "Yes¡ªyes, that¡¯s correct..." "So, what about me? Would I be a suitable candidate for it?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 373: I Survived the Cleaning, Hahaha! What? You? Lung cleansing for you? Garrett almost thought he was hallucinating. Your Majesty, I just mentioned that Master Talbert is too old for a lung cleansing... but he¡¯s only 350 years old! You¡¯re already 400, aren¡¯t you? 400 years old! For a moment, Garrett seemed to hear a powerful song echoing in his ears: "I really want to live another five hundred years¡ª" He shook his head vigorously. At the same time, Mage Simond stepped forward and pulled him back. Garrett: "..." That¡¯s not necessary... "No, you can¡¯t do it either," Garrett said sternly. He broke free from Mage Simond¡¯s grasp, stepped forward, and stood right in front of the king: "Your age is too great. This treatment is suited for younger patients with milder symptoms." Specifically, it works better for patients with Stage 0 and Stage I pneumoconiosis, less so for Stage II, and even less for Stage III. Of course, there¡¯s no need to go into details... "Ah, I may be old, but I¡¯m still in good shape!" the king said with a beaming smile, refusing to step aside. He raised his palm and patted his chest, producing a "clang" sound: "Don¡¯t look at me being four hundred years old, I was a level fifteen warrior in my youth! Even now, young man, you might not have more strength than me. How about we arm wrestle to see?" If you were really in good health, you wouldn¡¯t need to step down! Garrett silently critiqued. He took a deep breath, ready to argue further, but Vigran had already stepped forward, half-turning his body to face the old king. The stocky figure stood in front of Garrett, and though it barely blocked any view due to the height difference, it didn¡¯t stop him from speaking loudly: "Your Majesty, let me do it! I¡¯m younger and in better health!" "I¡¯ll do it!" Gavin jumped up: "I¡¯m even younger! And in better health! The sick one is my grandfather, it should be me trying it!" "You still have to participate in the king¡¯s selection! I¡¯ll do it!" "Me!" The dwarves became a ruckus. Their short, stout arms waved at each other, almost starting a fight right there. Garrett stepped back once, twice, then again... Hey, doesn¡¯t anyone care if I¡¯m willing to do it or not? "Do you still want to do it now?" A soft chuckle sounded. Garrett suddenly turned around, meeting Mage Simond¡¯s smiling eyes, a mix of indulgence and curiosity in his smile: "If something is beneficial to our people but also dangerous, I should naturally be the first to try it. Isn¡¯t that right?" Garrett: "...Get lost!" Despite the commotion, which stirred not just a few but hundreds within the Firehammer Tribe, the operation began bright and early the next day, with a crowd standing layers deep outside. By Vigran¡¯s bedside, apart from the elder who had overseen the signing, stood no fewer than five priests: "Don¡¯t be afraid, as long as you don¡¯t die on the spot, we can bring you back!" Garrett: "...It¡¯s not that dangerous..." He had already become proficient with rabbits; switching to dwarves just meant injecting a bit more fluid. With local anesthesia applied, the vines, carrying the Arcane Eye silently entered, barely making half a turn before the dwarves in the room began pointing at the light screen projected by the Arcane Eye, erupting into discussion: "So dark!" "Yes, pitch black!" "All our lungs can¡¯t be filled with this, can they?" "No wonder the more we work, the more uncomfortable our chests feel. With all this dust, how could it not?" Garrett smiled slightly, not at all surprised. Seeing him look so confident, the dwarf priests trusted him even more, their twelve eyes glued to his hands, waiting for him to act, their voices quieting down. Garrett, calm and collected, pinched a few seeds between his fingers, directing the growth of the vines. One vine grew to the left, another to the right; the one to the left swelled significantly, blocking the bronchus and infusing pure oxygen; the right one waited until the waste cannon completely deflated before injecting sterile saline... Inject, extract! "It¡¯s coming out!" The five dwarf priests leaned over to watch. The extracted fluid collected in a vacuum drainage bottle, accumulating quickly: "So much dust! The water¡¯s turned black, no wonder it¡¯s called lung cleansing!" The saline was injected, then extracted; injected, then extracted again. Garrett strictly followed the operating procedures, performing three rounds of lung cleansing before supplying high-flow oxygen until the blood oxygen saturation returned to normal. Then, inject and extract again... Three rounds made one cycle, for a total of nine cycles, until the extracted liquid went from turbid to clear. Then, he switched to the other lung lobe and continued the cleansing. Once everything was finished and the anesthesia magic was lifted, Vigran sprang up. "I¡¯m fine! I survived the cleaning!" Garrett: "...Get out! Anyone who didn¡¯t know better would think I was giving you a bath!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 374: I Told You He’s a Miracle Doctor! Of course, Garrett couldn¡¯t just let Wegran go. Far from letting him go, he yelled, "Lie down!" and reached out to press him down. What a joke¡ªjust had his lungs washed, and he¡¯s thinking of dancing instead of obediently lying down to breathe in oxygen? Garrett¡¯s physical combat ability was at most a first level (perhaps it had even degraded to zero). Even with the strength of a "Bull¡¯s Might" spell, it was impossible for him to hold down a dwarf warrior. Luckily, he didn¡¯t have to do it himself: Since the successful lung cleansing, a golden "Miracle Doctor" label seemed to be attached to Garrett. A shout and a gesture from him were enough to have others rush to assist in pinning the person down... Four dwarf priests standing by the operating table lunged forward. Two on each side, one pressing an arm and another the shoulder; those at the feet did the same with the knees and hips. All four pressing down with most of their weight, Wegran let out a "ugh" and rolled his eyes back. This roll of the eyes happened just as the fifth priest, a dwarf elder overseeing the contract, stood at his head, raising his war hammer high, its light shimmering menacingly. Wegran & Garrett: Perhaps this isn¡¯t necessary... Nonetheless, under the significant external pressure, Wegran showed excellent compliance: lying down when told, breathing oxygen when asked, and remaining silent when instructed to do so. As for winking and making faces, Garrett chose to ignore it. Garrett stayed by his side, gradually reducing the oxygen flow. With the priests continuously casting healing spells, by noon, Wegran¡¯s recovery had progressed to a point where he could stop breathing oxygen! "Bloodline Identification - Modification" was cast, and the screen showed a bright red, indistinguishable from arterial blood. Wegran leapt up again. "HAHAHAHA! I did it! My lung cleansing was a success! I feel¡ªunprecedentedly great! Come on, let¡¯s arm wrestle! Let¡¯s run laps! Let¡¯s spar!" Garrett: "...Sit down! Who allowed you to move! Let¡¯s measure your lung capacity! Let me check your lungs again!" The test results were very encouraging. The forced expiratory volume in 1 second, lung capacity, and maximum ventilation rate, these three representative lung function values, improved by 15%, 8%, and 21%, respectively. Garrett, still not reassured, conducted an ultrasound with Wegran, showing almost complete absorption of the fluid in the lungs¡ª You have to understand, the fluid left in the lungs was a whopping over 500 milliliters! ...Is the healing spell¡¯s absorption function for lung fluid that strong? If so, perhaps observation and oxygen therapy wouldn¡¯t need to be as prolonged¡ªafter all, he heard gossip from respiratory department colleagues that miners, foundry workers, welders coming in for lung cleansing usually had to be hospitalized for 14 days, and those with pneumothorax, nearly 30 days... Upon entering, three dwarf elders and four assistants were lined up in the conference room, presenting a setup reminiscent of trade negotiations. "Garrett, given the outstanding effects of the lung cleansing treatment, the Dwarf Kingdom is considering inviting you to stay longer," Archmage Serrano began straightforwardly. "They hope you can reside in the royal court temporarily to treat as many patients as possible, under the same conditions as before¡ªof course, with additional compensation. Do you agree?" Garrett looked around. To the left of Archmage Serrano, Mage Simond winked at him encouragingly; to the right, Harifa, who had previously worked on steam engines with him, looked serious, seemingly disapproving. The Archmage¡¯s expression was inscrutable, making it impossible to tell whether he was for or against the proposal. So, is this an invitation, or are they expecting me to decline on my own? How long would I need to stay? Until all patients are treated? That seems impossible, doesn¡¯t it? If I don¡¯t return with the trade delegation, will I come back on my own, or will the Dwarf Kingdom provide an escort? Garrett hesitated. However, his desire to treat patients ultimately prevailed, and he was about to agree when he felt a sharp kick under the table, painful enough to make him wince. Looking down reflexively, he saw Harifa under the table, spreading his hand open to reveal a holy symbol. The Radiant Lord¡¯s. !!! Garrett shivered. The selection battle wasn¡¯t over yet, and there were still plots afoot! He immediately swallowed his words of agreement, mustering a smile: "Personally, I would be very eager to help my dwarf brothers and recover their health as much as possible. However, as a member of the council¡¯s trade delegation, I must follow the council¡¯s arrangements. How about this: let¡¯s discuss this matter again after the selection event ends and the new king is crowned?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 375: Lung Cleansing, The Hard Way "Did the heretic really say that?" Archbishop Jeroni¡¯s voice was calm, neither happy nor angry. However, the bearded dwarf in front of him quickly bowed down: "Yes, that¡¯s exactly what he said, to decide after the election of the king. ¡ª Too cunning! If the result of the king¡¯s election doesn¡¯t go their way, do they intend to just walk away?" Archbishop Jeroni pondered with his eyes lowered. The bearded dwarf took a quick glance at him before bowing his head again: "That... lung cleansing... Can we really do it?" "Do not doubt the mighty power of our Lord," Archbishop Jeroni replied offhandedly. The bearded dwarf quickly bowed to ask for forgiveness. After pondering for a moment, Archbishop Jeroni commanded in a gentle voice: "Spread the word that the mage can only treat two people a day, and even if he stays in the royal court for a year, he can only treat over seven hundred people. That number of people, even if the Firehammer tribe takes them all, it won¡¯t be enough, and others won¡¯t be cared for. Go!" The bearded dwarf left obediently. Archbishop Jeroni was lost in thought for a moment before taking some subordinates to visit Priest Martin to discuss: "Can we really do that lung cleansing?" Priest Martin was petting a rabbit on his lap, lost in thought. He had spent decades in the Northlands, treating thousands of dwarves and barbarians, including those who had worked in iron forging for centuries, suffering from chest tightness and breathlessness. He only knew to soothe and moisturize with holy power, providing some cough-relieving and phlegm-resolving herbs. As for pouring water into the lungs to cleanse... He had thought about this idea briefly, only to discard it far away. After all, human lungs are not clothes that can be washed and scrubbed, then have the dirty water poured out. Unexpectedly, this seemingly absurd method was actually successful? He thought hard but couldn¡¯t understand some aspects. Garrett¡¯s treatment process was not secret, and bits and pieces of it had always leaked out. However, trying to piece them together and think about it, there were always some barriers he couldn¡¯t cross. For example, how to pour water into one lung without flooding the other? When Archbishop Jeroni came to ask, Priest Martin thought for a moment, then shook his head: "Let¡¯s not talk about the rest, pouring water into human lungs would require the use of vines grown from heretical magic. I¡¯ve thought about it for a long time and can¡¯t find any substitute." Archbishop Jeroni nodded silently. On his right, a young bishop spoke up: "What about pouring directly without a tube?" The summoned slave struggled to breathe, his face turning purple as he couldn¡¯t inhale at all, reflexively clawing at his chest. Only after he had scratched bloody marks across his chest and collapsed on the ground, curling up, did Bishop Klind wave his hand to dissipate the spell: "How do you feel?" The slave knelt on the ground, trembling, his forehead pressed tightly against the floor, suppressing any coughs. Bishop Klind looked down at him and nodded: "As long as you¡¯re alive. Stand up, let¡¯s do it again!" Once, twice, thrice. After three consecutive uses of the ¡¾Drowning Spell¡¿, the young slave collapsed, foaming at the mouth with blood, clearly on the brink of death. Bishop Klind looked at him with disgust and wiped his hands with a cloth: "Slaves are just slaves, too frail to withstand even three times. The heretic cleanses lungs with nine treatments on one side, eighteen in total!" Fortunately, slaves were a commodity that could be bought with money. After depleting one batch of slaves and then another, Bishop Klind finally achieved promising results with the third batch: "Your Grace, I¡¯ve made initial progress and can now perform the spell consecutively nine times on a single subject. ¡ªHowever, whether this method can truly have a healing effect remains to be verified." "What do you need?" Archbishop Jeroni, having seen his level of spellcasting, nodded in satisfaction. Bishop Klind smoothly responded: "I need a sick dwarf. Or, to be safer, it would be best to have several." The next day, several dwarves from the Blackrock tribe were brought before Bishop Klind. "Now is the time for you to dedicate yourselves to the Lord of Light and to your kin!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 376: Priest of the God of Nature, Aren’t You Supposed to Be Herding Goats? If Garrett knew that the "Drowning Spell" used by the Court could potentially be used for lung washing, he would definitely rush to find a way to cozy up to a grand sorcerer of the curse magic system: This spell is amazing! Can you teach me? With this spell, there¡¯s no need to slowly fill the lungs with water! You can fill one lung lobe completely and then use a tube for direct negative pressure drainage! If Garrett knew that the priests of the Radiant Lord directly used the "Drowning Spell" for lung washing, he would be astounded: Oh, warriors! Brave heroes! To proceed without any prior examination, anesthesia, or blood oxygen monitoring, how daring! Do you even know what the indications are? Do you know the contraindications? Do you know that you can¡¯t perform lavage if there¡¯s a lung bulla larger than 2cm under the pleura? Do you know that it¡¯s not to be done in active pulmonary tuberculosis? But Garrett knows none of these. Thus, he also lost the chance to confront the Radiant Church fiercely, to prevent a tragedy from happening. At this moment, he¡¯s leisurely walking along the mountain path with the rest of the Roserga squad¡ª Or rather, Garrett stands by on the mountain path, watching the Roserga squad make preparations and try various methods to tame goats: "Bernard! Pick a gentle one for me!" He¡¯s not standing alone. During the selection battle period, the defense work of the Dwarf Kingdom was significantly strengthened, from the royal court to the surrounding areas of the Holy Mountain, with knights patrolling incessantly. As soon as the squad dispersed to tame goats, a group of dwarf guards immediately gathered around Garrett, forming a circle¡ª Joking aside, this is a divine healer! A doctor who can perform thoracotomies, revive the dead, and wash lungs clean! Bumps and bruises are no big deal for others, even for Prince Roserga; after all, he¡¯s a formidable warrior who can take care of himself. But the little divine healer must be well protected! Without surrounding him to keep him safe, what if a wolf jumps out? Or a snow leopard! This season, snow leopards descend the mountains to hunt goats! Garrett watches from within the protective circle, at ease. The circle forms a wall of copper and iron around him, but they are all shorter than him, not blocking his view. Far down the hillside, Prince Roserga and his team spread out, lying down with rings of branches on their heads, bodies covered in leaves, and faces painted in various colors, waving a branch from afar:No?v(el)B\\jnn Waving it horizontally means to stay put; vertically means to come closer; throwing the branch away signals everyone to charge! The Black Gate Mountain Range is lush in summer, and the grass by the mountain streams, irrigated by streams and lakes, is particularly lush. Even the argalis, which usually move on high mountain rocks, are lured down to the grassland by the stream to graze and drink water leisurely. Garrett counts roughly fourteen or fifteen in the flock, including this year¡¯s lambs and about a dozen adult argalis. One with particularly huge curved horns stands on a rock, vigilantly observing its surroundings, seemingly alert for the group. With seven people in the squad, they take six goats, leaving how many to care for the ewes and lambs? ? Not bad at all! "The leader is good." "Catching the leader means taking the whole flock." "It¡¯s better to take fewer, this flock has many lambs, they need the rams to protect them. You¡¯re early, you can catch more flocks." "It¡¯s better to catch from one flock, too many leaders could cause fights..." The dwarf warriors around Garrett discuss among themselves. The squad leader suddenly turns his head: "Little divine healer, which god¡¯s priest are you?" "Uh... the God of Nature..." "The God of Nature? A servant of the God of Nature should just go down and lead the goats away!" "Don¡¯t be absurd! It would be too bullying for the little divine healer to take the field. Taming mounts and such should be our job!" "..." Prince Roserga silently turns away. Faelmor, Hanna, and Gavin look up to the sky. Gina covers her mouth and giggles: "What if it acts up?" "I¡¯ll be right here!" Indeed, Bernard stands by the flock, even the strongest leader only reaching midway up his thigh. If he were to ride a goat, just standing up straight on its back would make the goat run away... So, in the end, Garrett rides the leader, with Bernard walking beside him, holding the horns, ready to use force at any moment. The other dwarves form a line, riding their selected goats, waving to the patrol team: "Goodbye!" "Safe travels!" the patrol team¡¯s dwarves shout back: "Safe descent!" "We¡¯ll be waiting here for you!" Led by Prince Roserga, each warrior on the back of a goat turns around, waves, and salutes. Only Garrett grips the horns tightly, his legs clamped around the goat ¡¯s back, refusing to let go. Bernard looks at him helplessly: "Boss, it¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll catch you before you fall!" "But this mountain road is so steep!" Garrett is terrified. The habitat of the argali is at the boundary between the forest and rocky areas, meaning, further up, there are bare rocks everywhere, small clusters of bushes, and grassy patches creeping on the ground... The rocky cliffs are steep, and large areas are weathered. With every step the goats take, small stones roll and tumble. The dwarves sit freely on the goats¡¯ backs, even turning around to sing songs. Bernard steps steadily, but Garrett is completely stiff. If I fall down, even with a Featherfall spell to save my life, I won¡¯t be able to climb back up! Sitting on the goat¡¯s back with his heart in his throat, Garrett¡¯s hands shimmer with light, casting various protective spells on himself. Meanwhile, at the entrance to the royal court, Archbishop Jeroni gazes at the mountains, squinting slightly, and asks softly: "When can our people set off?" "One more day, Your Grace. Two components of the armor are still not forged." "Fools! Even with the digging demons at their disposal, they¡¯re still a day behind the prince¡¯s team!¡ªRight, is it really impossible to take action on the mountain?" "I¡¯m afraid not. There are patrol teams all along the way, making it difficult to avoid detection. Moreover, not every member of the selection team is a devout believer, making it risky for them to take action and easy for the matter to leak." "Then... we¡¯ll have to activate the backup plan!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 377: A Surprise from the Sky... Kenneth scooped up a pot of water from the mountain stream, tilting his head back to guzzle it down greedily. Wiping his mouth, he dipped the leather water bottle back into the stream, spitting out in disdain: ¡°What a cursed place! Even in the height of summer, the water¡¯s still freezing cold!¡± ¡°Stop dawdling! Move faster!¡± Someone yelled from above. Kenneth quickly sealed the water bottle and started climbing up. In his haste, he missed a step and tumbled down the slope, half his body plunging into the stream. After a struggle to stand and climb back up the ridge, he was stunned on the spot: The entire squad, except for him, eleven in total, lay dead. ¡°There¡¯s another one here!¡± Someone shouted from behind. Kenneth turned sharply, only to be confronted by the glint of a blade. The Radiant Church had dispatched more than just Archbishop Jeroni¡¯s team for this royal selection battle. At the Archbishop¡¯s disposal was a tribunal action team and two teams disguised as merchant guards. They hadn¡¯t merged with the delegation but were operating in various capacities around the royal court and its vicinity. Additionally, there was a barbarian squad and an orc squad, ready to act as long as the payment was made. Even further away, several exploration teams roamed the vast wilderness, ready to be called upon. The Archbishop knew of a formidable team in the northern part of the Black Gate Mountain Range, composed of level 10 knights and a level 15 ascetic monk at the helm. Of course, this team wasn¡¯t assembled for the Dwarf Kingdom but to seize the opportunity of the royal selection to undertake a special mission while the kingdom¡¯s attention was focused on the court. If absolutely necessary, the Archbishop could call upon them for assistance... But it wasn¡¯t yet time for desperate measures. Archbishop Jeroni simply ordered the three teams near the royal court to move closer to the Dwarf Sacred Mountain. They were to conceal their movements and, if possible, create some mishaps for their adversaries. ¡ªCertainly, the Magic Council didn¡¯t leave Archmage Serrano and his team to fend for themselves. As Garrett rode stiffly on a goat towards the peak, he was unaware of the many people fighting, lurking, and scouting around the Sacred Mountain for his safety... In fact, just keeping up with the team was already a herculean effort for Garrett. ¡°Ow... it hurts so much...¡± He crawled out of the tent, slowly standing up in the sunlight, pounding on his back, waist, and legs. After a day stiffened on the back of a goat, there wasn¡¯t a spot on his body that wasn¡¯t aching! The dwarves looked on with sideways glances. Gavin couldn¡¯t hold back and exclaimed: ¡°Weren¡¯t you riding a goat up here?¡± That goat was the only one in the squad with a saddle! And with Bernard constantly holding onto the goat¡¯s horns, Garrett hardly had to exert any control! Garrett bit his lip, unable to retort. Faelmor was silent, Hanna busied with packing, and Jenna sighed after a long silence: ¡°I remember you rode goats into the royal court, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°But it wasn¡¯t this steep all the way!¡± Garrett grimaced, pounding on his thigh. There were women present, so he couldn¡¯t very well massage the inner part of his thigh, where the soreness was the worst¡ª ¡°When we entered the royal court, at least there was a path!¡± Unlike here, where it was all ridges and stones, without any path in sight! The slopes on either side of the ridge had gradients exceeding 60 degrees! ¡°...You¡¯re just too tense.¡± Prince Rothgar came over to help him sit. Watching Garrett gasp for air, his face twisted in discomfort, he couldn¡¯t help but advise: ?? ¡°Relax your spine, follow the goat¡¯s steps, and sway with it. If you¡¯re really scared of falling, just hold onto its horns, don¡¯t tense your back or clamp your legs around its belly...¡± Garrett nodded miserably. Jenna and Gavin squatted far away, whispering and casting glances: ¡°Ah, humans.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t put my finger on it, but something¡¯s not right. Boss, keep your protective spells up at all times!¡± Garrett hadn¡¯t noticed anything amiss, but seeing Bernard so serious, he refreshed his Mage Armor and cast it around him. His left hand slipped into his pocket, silently gripping a vial of oxygen. Meanwhile, the dwarves also drew their weapons, holding them at the ready. Bernard, with one hand on the goat¡¯s horns and the other holding a large bone club, moved through the team with a formidable presence. In the distance, a figure in grey lay down behind a rock, pulling up his hood to cover his face. As the clouds shifted, his figure blended into the rocks, becoming indistinguishable. From morning till noon, and from noon till afternoon, no incidents occurred. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Prince Rothgar turned to Garrett, seated on the goat, and said: ¡°Today, we¡¯ll reach the Sacred Mountain, stopping below the snow line. The goats can¡¯t climb any higher, so we¡¯ll need to find a place to secure them. We¡¯ll climb on foot tomorrow. There¡¯s a place to tie the goats ahead, but it hasn¡¯t been used in a long time and some stones may have collapsed. We¡¯re the first to arrive, so we¡¯ll need to do some repairs...¡± As the sun began to set, Bernard was already looking around for a place to camp for the night. Suddenly, the team¡¯s goats became restless! ¡°Meh¡ª¡± The lead goat cried out. Before Garrett could react, he was nearly thrown off his mount. In a critical moment, Bernard¡¯s grip on the goat¡¯s horns tightened, pressing down: ¡°Hey!¡± Garrett barely managed to stay seated. The other dwarves weren ¡¯t so lucky; their mounts turned and fled. The goats disregarded even the lead goat, rushing away in a frenzy. The dwarves shouted desperately: ¡°Stop, stop¡ªcontrol the goats, don¡¯t let them jump off the cliffs¡ªrun along the ridge, along the ridge¡ª¡± What had happened? Garrett didn¡¯t have time to ask, as he immediately began casting protective spells on himself. Just after casting the second spell, a piercing screech sounded overhead, and a massive sense of dread plummeted down. Before it even came into view, the pressure was overwhelming¡ª Garrett looked up sharply. The sky was filled with swirling white mist and snow dust, bearing down like a wall! ¡°Avalanche!¡± Garrett yelled. Suddenly, he felt lighter as Bernard lifted him up. The lead goat bleated mournfully, turning to flee, taking a few steps before a figure flashed by, Bernard, holding Garrett by the waist belt, outpaced even the lead goat! Run! Run! Keep running! Garrett didn¡¯t have time to cast protective spells on himself, instead, he continuously slapped enhancement spells on Bernard. ¡¾Cat¡¯s Grace¡¿! ¡¾Bear¡¯s Endurance¡¿! ¡¾Bull¡¯s Strength¡¿! ¡¾Shield¡¿! ¡¾Mage Armor¡¿! The snow wave surged behind them. Garrett dared not look back, only hearing the thunderous noise drawing closer, the snow mist already splashing onto Bernard¡¯s shoes. Suddenly, a loud crash sounded ahead, a massive object fell from the sky, blocking their path¡ª The two were caught by the snow wave, unable to stop, and crashed into it. In a critical moment, Bernard lifted Garrett, using the bone club to push off forcefully, jumping onto the object, then leaping down from the other side. The snow wave rolled and lifted high, but finally, it stopped on that object, not extending any further. ¡°Huff, huff, huff...¡± Garrett leaned on his knees, gasping for air. He turned around, looking at the massive entity that had fallen from the sky, backing away, then looking again, backing away further... ¡°It¡¯s actually a dragon!¡ªWeren¡¯t the dragons supposed to be hundreds of miles away?¡± --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 378: No Other Way, Treating a Dead Dragon as Though It Were Alive The thing that fell in front of Garrett was indeed a dragon. More precisely, a silver dragon. If Garrett¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t snow-blinded and he could accurately discern colors, then the scales of the dragon in front of him were indeed bright silver. As for the size of the dragon... The silver dragon lay across the entire mountain path. Its long neck drooped to one side, and its tail to the other, limply hanging down. Standing in front of it, Garrett stretched up on his tiptoes, yet his head didn¡¯t even reach the dragon¡¯s back... Or belly? Garrett stepped back, and then back again, and then back some more. His view shifted from a silver wall to a silver mountain and then to a silver dragon. Unfortunately, not being a decorator by trade, he could estimate a human¡¯s height with just a glance but had no idea how to gauge the length of a silver dragon. So, even with a head full of data about various dragons¡¯ lengths, tail lengths, ages, and combat power, Garrett had no data to compare with when looking at the silver dragon before him, and thus no idea of its capabilities. ...But it didn¡¯t matter. Firstly, he definitely couldn¡¯t beat such a large silver dragon; secondly, since the silver dragon had fallen and hadn¡¯t moved at all, it was probably either dead or unconscious, and definitely wouldn¡¯t attack him. ...But was it dead or just unconscious? Garrett steadied his breathing and peered out from behind Bernard, carefully observing. He¡¯d barely taken a glance when he was pulled back: "Boss, step back!" Bernard clutched his bone club, his body slightly bent, standing in front of Garrett. One foot forward, one foot back, the club pointed diagonally, ready to charge at a moment¡¯s notice¡ª Or, in case the silver dragon retaliated, to at least block a bit for Garrett. Yet Garrett was tugging at his clothes from behind. A long time ago, Archmage Carlisle mentioned during a gossip session that the Council had a good relationship with the dragon clan. Especially some dragons in the Northlands¡¯ ice peaks and the great wastelands often received visits from archmages traveling abroad. So... If it could be saved, why not save it? "Bernard, help me see, is that silver dragon still alive?" Garrett whispered. Since it had fallen, the silver dragon hadn¡¯t moved at all, its head and tail dangling over the slopes, leaning down at more than a 60-degree angle. From at least the side facing Garrett, there were no visible wounds or blood. The chest didn¡¯t seem to rise and fall, and the nostrils... nostrils... R Sorry, its head rested behind a rock, obscuring its nostrils. Bernard shielded him, unwilling to budge. After Garrett tugged and pushed him: "It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s a silver dragon, intelligent and communicable, said to be of a good nature. Help me check, it might be injured and need our assistance. The Council has good relations with silver dragons..." After several pushes, Bernard took his first step. Just as he steadied himself, he switched the direction of his bone club, jabbing backwards: "Boss, you back off! Injured beasts are the fiercest, in case it¡¯s badly hurt and confused, I can¡¯t ensure your safety!" Garrett¡¯s response was to cast a full set of protective magic on him. Bernard, holding his bone club diagonally, moved forward step by step. The first step, his knees sank down; the second step, his waist bent even lower, and the stones under his feet crunched; the third step, the bone club touched the ground, his knees trembled, and sweat poured down his back. He tried his utmost to lift his foot for the fourth step, but no matter how, he couldn¡¯t make it. After several attempts, only his breathing became heavier, and sweat dripped down his forehead, wetting a small patch on the ground within moments. "What¡¯s wrong?" Garrett was surprised. He walked quickly to Bernard¡¯s back without any issues; circled to stand parallel to him, also no problem. Then, one step forward... "Boss, can¡¯t... go... any further... dragon, dragon..." Dragon¡¯s might! Garrett suddenly remembered. Whether it was online novels or games from his previous life, or the materials he saw in the mage tower after crossing over, all pointed out one thing: dragons carry a natural might. For beings of a lower rank than dragons, this might causes a kind of pressure, making them instinctively feel fear and want to flee. Garrett threw a ¡¾Rallying Cry¡¿ behind him. From the reaction after casting, this spell seemed to be like an adrenaline shot, speeding up the heart rate, raising blood pressure, and allowing one to ignore fear to a degree. Bernard¡¯s body shook, his hair stood on end, and he seemed to grow larger¡ª He squared his shoulders, backed up, started, ran, and charged! With a booming sound, the end of the bone club hit the silver dragon. Standing beside, Garrett felt the ground shake three times. Looking at the silver dragon, its scales shimmered, almost like a living creature, slightly denting. The depth of the dent ... One centimeter, two centimeters, three centimeters... And then it stopped. "Can you hit it any harder?" "I¡¯ll try again!" Bernard backed up again. This time, he backed up farther and charged faster. At the tip of the bone club, a giant beast faintly appeared, roaring upwards as it collided with the silver dragon¡ª Boom! The dent depth, five centimeters. Garrett was deflated. For normal adult human cardiac resuscitation, the compression depth must be at least 5cm; for a silver dragon... According to the cardiac resuscitation standard, the depth should be one-third of the anteroposterior diameter of the chest. Bernard¡¯s impact probably didn¡¯t even reach 1/10 of the standard depth. If it were a human, in a desperate situation, a surgeon could make a last resort move: open the chest, then reach in to directly press on the heart. But this was a silver dragon, Garrett looked over its entire body, doubting any weapon could achieve this... Even if Prince Rothgar was called back, using that newly forged axe to cut through the breastbone, and assuming it successfully did, then what? Looking at the size of the silver dragon, direct manual compression of the heart would likely require someone to crawl inside! After considering all kinetic methods for cardiac resuscitation, Garrett was left with one last option. Direct current defibrillation! Then he immediately froze. Normal human external defibrillation, for atrial flutter requires 50-100 joules of energy, for supraventricular tachycardia about 100 joules, for atrial fibrillation 100-150 joules, and for ventricular tachycardia 200 joules¡ª What about for a silver dragon? For a silver dragon? Then, the output, or energy, of an electric spell attack, how many joules is it? Over how long a period does it pass through the body? What¡¯s the appropriate timing for defibrillation? An automatic defibrillator can detect cardiac signals automatically, synchronize the discharge time with the ECG¡¯s R-wave, avoiding the ventricular vulnerable period, but he couldn¡¯t do that... Also, where should the electrode pads be placed? For humans, theoretically, they¡¯re placed on the apex of the heart and the right chest between the 2nd rib. But who¡¯s going to tell me where a dragon¡¯s heart apex and second rib are? No other way, then. Treat a dead dragon as though it were alive. Without treatment, it¡¯s definitely dead; with treatment, there¡¯s a glimmer of hope for life... Garrett took a deep breath. His hands spread wide, aimed at the left and right chest areas of the silver dragon, one hand higher, the other lower: "Direct current defibrillation first attempt, Electric Claw, unknown joules, begin!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 410: Sister, Are You Conjuring High-Energy Particles with Your Bare Hands? Bernard struggled through thick and thin to climb up to the dragon¡¯s nest. He hadn¡¯t even stabilized himself when he was lured by a phantom and charged into the depths of the cave, confronting the dragon¡¯s might head-on. Fortunately, the outcome was favorable. After unleashing his full strength, he finally broke through to the realm of a level eight warrior, only to be flipped over by the wing of a silver dragon... After adapting to the power gained from his advancement, he meandered his way to meet up with Garrett, and together, they went to thank the silver dragon. Then, out of politeness, they sat across the long table from the boss, listening to Ophelia give a lecture: "Displaying electricity? It¡¯s quite simple," Ophelia picked up a silver pot engraved with patterns and poured red tea into their cups, one by one, from left to right. The warm tea steamed up, creating a thin mist. With a light hook of her fingertips, the silver dragon condensed the mist into a thin sheet: "First, we condense a sheet of mist. You know this magic, right?" Garrett nodded quickly, his face full of envy. A level one spell in the School of Illusion, the Mist Concealment, could summon a circle of dense fog surrounding the caster. Of course, he knew this magic, though he wasn¡¯t as fast in summoning the fog, nor was it as evenly distributed. Well, mainly because there was no need, so he was too lazy to practice... But no matter how much he practiced, he couldn¡¯t do it like the silver dragon, who could snap her fingers and condense a small cloud of mist with such even thickness and concentration. Then again, manipulating mist seemed to be an instinct for the silver dragon? He sneakily glanced at Seraina. However, Seraina had no concept of "sneakily" and directly made a face at him: "I can do it too! Hmm, just not like Auntie..." "Seraina is still young," Ophelia said warmly to her niece, then turned to Garrett: "This magic was invented to amuse children. She¡¯s too young to need it. Look¡ª" As she said, with a slight movement of her fingertips, the mist jumped with dazzling lights. Garrett¡¯s breath hitched, and he rushed to the front of the cloud screen, almost sticking his nose to it: "Light scattering¡ªno, wait, this isn¡¯t light, this is¡ª" He stopped mid-sentence, hurriedly pulled out a piece of silk and a glass rod, and started rubbing vigorously. After a while, he used the glass rod to attract some paper scraps and cautiously approached the cloud screen. Three millimeters, two millimeters, one millimeter... Under the watchful eyes of all, suddenly, the paper scraps moved without wind at the tip of the glass rod! "It¡¯s not light, it¡¯s electricity!" Garrett suddenly looked up, staring intently at the gently smiling Ophelia, his face full of shock: "It¡¯s electricity¡ªor maybe, also magnetic?!" Light and shadows appearing in the mist related to electricity... Ionization? High-energy particles?! Sister, conjuring a cloud chamber is one thing, but conjuring high-energy particles? Even for a silver dragon, you¡¯re too powerful! "However, learning existing magic doesn¡¯t require a price, but improving magic does. So, as tuition, you¡¯ll stay here until the snow seals the mountains. During this time, anyone who comes to me for healing that you can handle, I¡¯ll leave to you. How about that?" "That¡¯s wonderful, ma¡¯am!" Garrett¡¯s eyes lit up, immediately agreeing: "Thank you for your generosity!" New patients! New races, new diseases! With backup if he couldn¡¯t handle them, such an opportunity was hard to come by! Thus, Garrett began his study. This unnamed small magic, after Garrett asked for and was granted permission by the silver dragon lady, was named Ophelia¡¯s Aurora Screen. The requirements for casting weren¡¯t high, with the intensity of magical fluctuations at most level 1. But the learning process was another story. The silver dragon lady taught with all her might, her saliva nearly drying up, yet Garrett could only condense mist and couldn¡¯t make the mist show any fluctuations. His stubborn inability almost drove Ophelia to frustration: "Did you really understand? If you understood, why can¡¯t you cast such a simple spell?¡ªDecar that guy, he said you were a genius, where¡¯s the genius?" Garrett: "..." Where¡¯s the simplicity? Do I look like Ultraman Tiga to you, able to conjure high-energy particle cannons at will? I can¡¯t even make an electromagnetic cannon by flicking a coin! Finally, having no other choice, the silver dragon lady secluded herself for seven days and nights, shedding more than a few dragon scales, and successfully drew out the magic framework. Garrett memorized the framework diagram by heart and barely succeeded in casting the spell. By then, Ophelia¡¯s look towards him had turned to one of resignation: Should I send him away? Should I send him down the mountain now? While she was pondering, the entrance to the dragon¡¯s nest was filled with the loud flapping of wings, and a resounding voice shouted: "Lady! Lady of the Shining Scales!¡ªHelp!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 379: Human, Do You Dare to Pry My Scales? Electricity shot from his fingertips. Garrett held his breath, concentrating as he watched the bright silver arc of electricity shoot out, unfold, and strike the silver dragon. Then, sparks fizzed and crackled, bursting forth and following the dragon scales all the way out... From the dragon¡¯s neck to its tail, climbing up to the dragon¡¯s back, and then, disappearing from Garrett¡¯s view. It was over. Silence. The silver dragon lay on the ground, motionless, as if the electric claw hadn¡¯t touched it at all. ¡°This...¡± Garrett was puzzled. He wasn¡¯t good at the electric claw spell, in fact, all spells not suitable for medical use, especially all offensive spells, he was rather poor at. Especially electric magic, always off the mark: What was the voltage of this electric attack? How much was the current? AC or DC? What frequency? Was there a voltmeter or an ammeter to measure? If not, how about a test pen? Wait, why was there an electric ball? The output of a spherical lightning couldn¡¯t be this weak¡ª With such thoughts, it was no wonder that Garrett¡¯s level of electric magic was as expected. So much so that when he brought the concept of alternating current to Archmage Carlisle, holding a hand-cranked generator, the Archmage was puzzled: ¡°With your level of electric magic, how did you discover this kind of current? Even the Lord of Thunder didn¡¯t figure it out!¡± Magic is most regretted when needed. Garrett¡¯s level of electric magic was just that, not knowing that the silver dragon hadn¡¯t awakened, wondering where the problem lay: Was the voltage not high enough? The maximum voltage for adult DC defibrillation can reach 3500~3700 volts. What voltage should be used for a silver dragon? Was the current not strong enough? AED¡¯s maximum current is between 50~60 amperes. Dragons have magic resistance; it¡¯s unknown if this resistance could be converted into electrical resistance? Was the discharge time too long? AED discharge time is only 3~10 milliseconds, during the electrocardiogram¡¯s R wave; if the discharge time is too long or occurs during the heart¡¯s vulnerable period, it could damage the heart¡ª Of course, if it¡¯s during ventricular fibrillation, without a cardiac cycle, there are no QRS waves, then discharge anytime, discharge upon contact... Garrett observed the silver dragon from top to bottom, fidgeting with his toes inside his shoes, almost ready to draw an electrocardiogram on the spot. In the awkward silence, Bernard coughed and spoke deeply: ?A? ¡°Boss...¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°This is a silver dragon.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°The scales of a silver dragon are silver...¡± ¡°That¡¯s about the color, not that they¡¯re actually made of silver... Hmm?¡± ¡°DC defibrillation, third time, the electrical claw at maximum output, start!¡± Blue-white electricity crackled and jumped. From the right side of the silver dragon¡¯s chest, below the collarbone, from the tip of one dagger to the tip of the other on the left chest. This time, no electricity flowed over the dragon scales, and Bernard¡¯s held magnetic needle didn¡¯t move direction either. ¡°It seems a bit better than before...¡± But the silver dragon still didn¡¯t move. Garrett gritted his teeth, continuing the spell. Electricity flickered, arc after arc striking the ends of the two daggers, flowing into the silver dragon¡¯s body. After about a dozen times, the silver wall in front of them actually twitched! ¡°Boss, back off!¡± Bernard shouted. He never had high hopes for Garrett¡¯s reaction speed. While shouting, he had already charged over, grabbing Garrett and dashing outside. After running seventeen or eighteen steps, a heavy wind sound followed, something swung over directly! The barbarian pressed Garrett down, flattening them to the ground. The gust swept over their backs, circled around, and returned towards the silver dragon. Garrett face-planted into the dust, palms pressed against the ground, painfully grazed. He didn¡¯t have time to look back, already shouting with all his might: ¡°We¡¯re trying to save you!¡± ¡°Wooing¡ª¡± A high and clear chant. Garrett felt a thump in his chest, and Bernard, just managing to prop himself up, pulling him forward, stumbled again. Garrett used his shoulder to support him, continuing to shout: ¡°We mean no harm! You just fell! Your heartbeat stopped! You didn¡¯t move! We were saving you! We didn¡¯t harm you!¡± Behind them, a storm raged. The suffocating pressure suddenly lessened. Bernard sighed in relief, barely standing straight. Garrett, holding onto the barbarian¡¯s bone club, steadied himself. He turned around to see the dragon already standing up. Its huge wings, capable of shading its entire body, unfolded behind it, just a gentle flap causing people to lose their footing. Huge piles of snow, accumulated on the silver dragon¡¯s back, were now blown far away by those wings. The snow mist obscured the sky, Garrett, covered in snow, still tried to stand straight to see: The silver dragon standing upright, its posture extraordinarily elegant, captivating at first glance. Its body was slender, the diameter of its chest barely half thicker than the end of its head and neck. However, the visual effect was not thin, long spines supporting the membrane, extending from its head to its back, to the end of its tail, creating a broad ridge line. The membrane and spines, like a row of silver mane, lightly fluttering in the wind. Glimmering, wave-like silver light flowed from the top of its head to the tip of its long tail. Strong forelegs supported its body, claws like hooks, deeply embedded in the rock. The silver dragon lowered its head, looking at Garrett with silver-blue eyes, quickly lowering its head to inspect its chest. Garrett¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Silver dragon, left chest, right chest, two daggers still inserted there, not fallen. He immediately raised his voice: ¡°Those daggers were to save you! Your heart had stopped, and dragon scales resist electricity, we could only use this method! Sending electricity into your body to restart your heart!¡± The silver dragon was silent. It raised its right claw, slightly beckoning, and two mage hands immediately appeared, pulling out the daggers. A bit of liquid splashed out, white light immediately emerged, sealing the wound neatly. The mage hands continued upwards, bringing the daggers in front of the silver dragon. The dagger handles, shiny copper wire wrapped round and round, trailing long ends. The silver dragon tilted its head, blinking, seemingly curious. It inspected itself again, then lowered its body again. Its long neck stretched forward, reaching right in front of Garrett: ¡°Human, you dare to pry my scales?¡± The tone was authoritative, superior. However, that voice was crisp and tender, unmistakably a young girl¡¯s. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 411: Shipwreck Rescue, A Flood of Patients Arrives! Silver dragons are kind and eager to help. They willingly aid good beings, as long as their needs are just. ¡ª "Species Compendium: Book of Dragons," by Solaris Ailan, Magic Year 158. As one of the essential materials for his visit to the Dwarf Kingdom, Garrett had memorized the above content, but it was only now that he truly felt its meaning. A cry for "Help" sounded, and a lady silver dragon dropped her scroll and rushed out! "Hey!" Garrett called out from behind. What¡¯s happening? How many people are injured or dead? I¡¯m a doctor too, take me with you! After shouting "Hey," Ophelia hurried back. Garrett was delighted, quickly stepping forward to meet her, but the lady silver dragon brushed past him and headed straight for the window. Her skirt fluttering, she leaped out, and immediately, Garrett felt the reading room shake like an earthquake... Garrett: !!! He rushed to the window, peering out. First, he saw a vast expanse of sea, almost black in its blueness, with white waves rolling over the nearby reefs. Then, a silver light rose below the window, growing brighter and nearer¡ª A silver dragon, at least twice the size of Seraila, her body shining like crafted silver, spread her wings and glided down from above the dragon¡¯s nest. To the left, another eagle flapped its wings and hurried over, calling out in the air: "Lady! Lady! This way!!!" So, is this the silver dragon version of a rescue helicopter? Even more upscale than a rescue helicopter, given that silver dragons are powerful healers capable of providing aid on-site...No?v(el)B\\jnn However, how many people are sick/injured at the destination is unknown, as are the specifics of their conditions, whether anyone needs to be taken back to the dragon¡¯s nest for further treatment is also unknown. Garrett turned and ran towards the medical room, calling out to Bernard, who was training in the hall: "Bernard, come help! Set everything up! Hand-cranked generators, electrolysis oxygen tanks, ventilators! Boil a pot of hot water, prepare to heat up saline..." Garrett busied himself like an emergency department deputy director handling a major accident, shouting orders. The lady silver dragon also came over curiously to lend a hand, and soon, rescue equipment was spread out on the floor. Searching through the medical area again, they carried out seven or eight beds, lining them up against the wall¡ª Damn, there are no gurneys! Next time, I must add wheels to these beds! These barbarians lived in the surrounding areas, surviving by hunting and whaling. Last night, their tribe¡¯s only shaman capable of invoking divine magic, Elder Harvey, suddenly experienced severe abdominal pain, so intense he couldn¡¯t perform his magic. By midnight, a large group of sea beasts attacked! Without divine magic support, they fought desperately to repel the attack, even a mast was broken by a deep-sea octopus. Fortunately, following an ancient pact, they always left a portion of their catch on the seaside rocks for nearby hawks to take. A hawk circling the nearby sea noticed their distress, which is how the silver dragon was summoned to help. No wonder the injuries were so peculiar... Garrett listened while examining them. High falls weren¡¯t strange, bone fractures weren¡¯t strange, and this large bruise seemed to be caused by the suction of an octopus. And this, I was wondering why there would be snakes around here... He kept one ear on the conversations around him and the other on his stethoscope, using his hands, eyes, and brain simultaneously, quickly making decisions. More important than first aid was triage, assessing the severity of injuries to prioritize treatment. Hmm, this one has breathing, has a heartbeat, no response to calls, unconscious, pupils normal not dilated... Snap! A piece of magic flew out, sticking a large red mark on his chest, visible from five or six meters away: "Seraila! Cast healing spells on him! All those I marked red, cast healing spells on them!" Hmm, this one is conscious, breathing and heartbeat normal, looks like the most serious injury is a broken lower leg, can be set aside for now. Snap! A green mark for non-dangerous, can be left for later; This one has a sunken chest, looks like a fracture, but for now, breathing and heartbeat are normal... Be wary of pneumothorax, hemothorax! Snap! A yellow mark: "Seraila, if all the reds are treated and there¡¯s no problem, start on the yellows!" "Got it, watch me!" Perhaps the silver dragon on the other boat was effective, or perhaps the patients able to be transported had already passed the critical period. Garrett made a round and found only one in critical condition, with two others seriously injured who might be in danger if left unattended. And when he had completed his rounds and returned to assist, Seraila had liberally cast a large number of healing spells, and the one with the red mark had already opened his eyes and sat up... --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 380: Mr. Mage, You Smell Different! "Ouch," Garrett exclaimed. He immediately looked down at his palm: Where¡¯s the dragon scale? The dragon scale? Where is it?! The dragon scale, pried from the chest of a silver dragon, tear-shaped, half a palm-sized, with one end slightly pointed and the other round. Holding it felt light, and it appeared semi-transparent from the front, while from the side, it shimmered with a moving silver light. Bringing it closer to his eyes, he could see concentric, finely detailed lines emanating from within, exquisitely delicate. Bernard had pried it off and handed it to him, and he had just... just... Where had he put it? Garrett frantically searched. Not in the spatial bag; not in the left pocket of his coat; not in the right pocket; not in the left or right pocket of his pants. He had turned everything inside out in search, but found nothing... Where on earth had he put it?! Regardless of where it was placed, considering it was a female dragon, even if it was for a rescue, prying off two scales from her chest and stuffing them in his pocket without returning them... Garrett felt guilty himself, realizing that whether it was presenting his case to the Magic Council or to Dragon Island (if such a place existed), he would undoubtedly be in the wrong. If this had happened in a hospital in his previous life, there would be no need for words, just prepare to write a self-examination. And if the self-examination wasn¡¯t sincere or thorough, the medical department wouldn¡¯t let you off easily. And then? Whether he could clear his name depended on the patient and the patient¡¯s family, and how reasonable they were... How reasonable was this one? Garrett looked up to see the silver dragon lowering her head, stretching her long neck towards him, staring intently. Her silver-blue eyes sparkled brilliantly, and the spines on the sides of her head and back spread out, with a faint snow light shining from behind, as if a small crown was placed upon her. She looked beautiful and elegant from a distance, but up close, just her head was larger than Garrett¡¯s entire body. As she leaned closer, Garrett couldn¡¯t even embrace her face with his arms spread wide. Extending his arms from the front teeth, he couldn¡¯t reach the furthest molar. The breath from her nostrils whooshed onto Garrett: "Mr. Mage, where are my scales?" Garrett frantically searched again. Not in the coat pocket, not in the pant pockets, not in the spatial bag¡ª Just as he was about to lie down on the ground, using the meticulousness required in an operating room to search for a broken needle, he glanced down and saw a glint of water light reflecting into his eyes from his chest pocket. The two precious dragon scales were there, along with the [Endless Ink Pen]. Garrett hurriedly took them out and presented them with both hands. In his haste, his palm nicked the edge of a scale, instantly cutting open. Initially white, the cut turned red, and in the next moment, blood gushed out. Garrett let out a soft cry. He was torn between caring for the dragon scales and healing himself, creating a flurry of panic. At this moment, the silver dragon suddenly "hmm"ed, lowering her head further to sniff him: "You smell different." Garrett quickly retreated. Not only did he retreat, but he also quickly conjured a wind barrier between him and the silver dragon: "I haven¡¯t bathed in two days!" "It¡¯s not that. You have a different smell on you," the silver dragon earnestly retorted. Before her words ended, a burst of white light fell on Garrett¡¯s hand, healing the wound, sealing it, and restoring it as if nothing had happened. Garrett had just thanked her when the two dragon scales floated up, drifted in front of the silver dragon, and then automatically returned to their place on her chest: "Ah, they won¡¯t grow back now!" The silver dragon complained softly, her voice clear and tender. After speaking, she extended a claw towards Garrett: "Mr. Mage, how will you compensate me?" This... this, miss, in emergency resuscitations, it¡¯s not customary to compensate for cut clothes! Garrett inwardly grumbled but also knew that taking dragon scales without returning them was not the same as cutting clothes. He patted his spatial bag without hesitation: "This, this, and this!" The silver dragon¡¯s foreleg was longer than Garrett¡¯s height, and just the claws were longer than Garrett¡¯s palm. Everything from the spatial bag spilled out into the dragon¡¯s palm, creating a dazzling display: "Ah, Mr. Mage, no need!" The silver dragon lay on the ground and swung her tail. She chewed on those holy symbols, and faint white lights shattered in her mouth, soon drifting out and covering her entire body: "They did it, let¡¯s use their stuff to heal!" White light swept over her body, scales, membranes, wings, and all the large and small wounds soon healed one by one. Garrett watched intently, then suddenly asked: "Was it the Radiant Church that attacked you?" "They didn¡¯t attack me! They came for my aunt! They ambushed, and I caught them, so they fought me!" The silver dragon snorted and then sniffed Garrett: "Mr. Mage, what¡¯s your name? What are you doing here?" "Garrett Nordmark. I came up with the dwarf¡¯s king-selection team, to make a sacrifice at the peak, then descend the mountain." Garrett answered straightforwardly. He wanted to ask her name, but the silver dragon blew out a breath, sparks of fire in her breath, nearly sing eing his collar: "Garrett Nordmark. I¡¯ll remember you!" She suddenly stood up, spreading her wings. After a few flaps, she rose slowly. Circling above Garrett¡¯s head a few times, she then turned and flew straight north. Crossing the mountain peak, she entered the clouds. Soon, her silvery light-flickering body disappeared into the twilight. Garrett thudded to the ground. Who said there wouldn¡¯t be dragons! ¡ªWho said it was seven or eight hundred miles from the dragon nest, that even if you climb to the mountain peak, you definitely won¡¯t encounter dragons! Wait, what did the silver dragon say about him smelling different? What was that smell? Garrett sniffed the back of his hand and then his palm, even pulling out all the bits and pieces on him, smelling them one by one. The collar, the cuffs, the surface of the spatial bag, the [Endless Ink Pen] in the chest pocket, and the unknown material pendant that the original owner had always worn around his neck, which he hadn¡¯t taken off... Sorry, apart from the smell of sweat and dust, he couldn¡¯t smell anything else. ...He needed to find a way to bathe! After descending the mountain, he had to quickly find a place to bathe!... Or should he use snow to wipe his clothes first? Garrett pondered as he walked towards the slope. Using Mage Hand, he gathered a handful of snow, then another, carefully wiping his leather jacket. When he had almost finished, the sky had already turned completely dark, loud calls came from afar, the dwarves leading the goats, making their way towards him unevenly: "Garrett! You¡¯re alright, that¡¯s great!" They stayed at a nearby camp for the night, and the next day, panting heavily, relying on their legs, climbed the mountain. Garrett, empty-handed and exhausted, struggled to reach the peak, watching the dwarves clear a flat area of snow, laying out the armor and weapons they had brought up, surrounding the flat ground, and singing the sacrificial hymns... Considering the effort it takes just to breathe at the summit, where did they find the energy to sing? Yet they sang one song after another! It took one day to ascend from the snow line to the peak, and another day to descend from the peak to the snow line. The group mounted their goats, returning along the mountain ridge, and as dusk fell, a silver-haired girl suddenly appeared on the mountain path ahead: "Hey! Mr. Mage, and you gentlemen, where are you heading? Can I join you?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 412: Abdominal Pain Caused by a Whale "Well done." After who knows how long, the medical area is once again bustling. The mountain eagles return, clutching and carrying the second batch of nets, delivering them to the dragon¡¯s nest. Ophelia, taking up the rear, now in her elf form, silently observes: The medical area is unusually lively. Eight mountain eagles, twenty or so injured (some of the lightly wounded sharing a net among two or three), my niece, the young mage, and a follower brought by the young mage. Some are groaning, some are screaming, and the mountain eagles peek around, occasionally flapping their wings... With so many injured and onlookers, without someone to maintain order, it would surely descend into chaos. However, the medical area is orderly. The mountain eagles line up against the wall, the severely injured each have a bed to lie on, and the young mage runs back and forth, directing others: "One bed per injured, don¡¯t crowd! I¡¯ll check on each of you one by one!" "Cyrilla, cast a healing spell! Keep him alive!" "Your injury isn¡¯t severe, find a chair to sit!" "Bernard, pull to the sides! Pull! Pull! Good, stop!... Cyrilla, healing spell!" "You! Come here and watch this bottle, call me when it¡¯s full!" The only voice heard across the field is his, feet swiftly moving, not stopping for a moment. Newly arrived injured are efficiently sorted like flowing water. Ophelia, upon closer inspection, notes that each injured has a conspicuous red, yellow, or green marker. Those with red and yellow markers all lie on beds, those with green markers and injured legs are given chairs, sitting at the foot of the beds to keep an eye on the lightly injured, those with injured hands are sent to run errands... The severity of injuries is orderly managed. With only two healers on site, their effectiveness is multiplied. Ophelia thinks to herself that not even she could do better. "Little one, how about it? Need help?" The silver dragon lady chuckles softly, gracefully approaching. All eyes instantly turn towards her, the lightly wounded struggle to stand, the severely injured try to prop themselves up, and the mountain eagles standing against the wall fold their wings, bowing deeply, their beaks nearly touching the ground. Bernard bows to the silver dragon lady, Cyrilla raises her hand, happily greeting her aunt. Only Garrett remains with his back to the door, one ear pressed against the stethoscope, raising his palm to keep an injured trying to get up down: "Lie down!¡ªLady, you¡¯re back? It¡¯s great to have your help, please cast a healing spell, he has three broken ribs and lung damage¡ª" "Yes, it¡¯s him." The silver dragon lady¡¯s voice is ethereal, gently slow: "Under severe pain, the spellcaster can hardly concentrate, nor can he heal himself. Young mage, take a look, what is his illness? How should it be treated?" Garrett takes a deep breath. Stomach pain, sudden severe stomach pain¡ªclinically known as acute abdomen. This thing is the hardest to deal with! Divided by cause, acute abdomen must consider inflammatory diseases, gastrointestinal perforation, obstruction or strangulation, abdominal vascular lesions, organ rupture and hemorrhage, as well as thoracic diseases, poisoning, and metabolic diseases, and other diseases difficult to categorize; Divided by organ, any organ in the abdomen, blood vessels, and peritoneum might be the culprit, oh, and can¡¯t forget the heart and lungs; Divided by department, internal medicine, surgery, gynecology, every department¡¯s diseases must be considered. Not asking you to be certain, at least think to call colleagues from these departments for consultation... Right, also can¡¯t forget, there¡¯s a possibility of several acute abdomens existing at the same time. Its diagnostic and treatment process is so complicated, a mind map can only cover a small part. Garrett is cautious. He carefully observes, the old man¡¯s face doesn¡¯t show much pain, probably because the divine spell temporarily cut off his pain sensation. Considering reducing the patient¡¯s pain, he first does not request the release of the divine spell, but turns to the elder¡¯s tribespeople: "When did he start feeling pain? How long has it been? Besides the pain, is there any other abnormality?" A group of barbarians answer all at once. Garrett listens carefully, occasionally asking a few questions, quickly summarizing the basic situation: The whaling ship drifted at sea for nearly half a month, everyone was scrimping, subsisting on hard bread and dried meat, always hungry. Two days ago, they were lucky to catch a whale, and after killing and rendering it, everyone feasted on the fat whale meat... Then, in less than a day, the elder suffered from severe abdominal pain, vomiting, fever, immediately collapsing. Alright... the symptoms sound quite typical, next, it¡¯s time for a physical examination... --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 381: Girl, Please Don’t Ruin My Microscope! The mountain path immediately quieted down. Shield Warrior Felai took the lead, immediately grabbing the goat. As he stopped, the rest of the squad halted in succession, with only Prince Roserga urging his mount, rushing forward. Looking ahead, a silver-haired girl approached with light steps, her leather armor outlining her slender figure, carrying a longbow taller than herself on her back. Hanging at her waist was a quiver on one side and a slightly curved long knife on the other. From her attire, it was clear she was a ranger. Prince Roserga immediately urged the goat, stepping forward quickly. The other was an archer, friendly intentions are good, but if there was even a hint of malice, the closer he got, the quicker he could charge at her. Thus, the entire squad would be safer¡ª A few more steps forward, and he saw the girl¡¯s long ears, sharp and perked up, peeking out from her hair. A silver circlet pressed upon her cascading silver hair, at the center of which sat a teardrop-shaped silver-blue gem, shimmering in harmony with the girl¡¯s eyes of the same color, sparkling brightly. Prince Roserga immediately breathed a sigh of relief. An elf, the one approaching was an elven ranger! As long-lived races, dwarves and elves didn¡¯t always get along, but they definitely didn¡¯t have any feuds. Moreover, since the ancient times, elves had crossed the Green Sea, with only a few visiting the continent. There was little contact between the two, even less chance for friction. This elven lady, carrying a longbow and greeting from afar, seemed to bear goodwill. He then smiled and waved: "Alright, let¡¯s camp together! I am Roserga, the son of the current king, just completed the selection ceremony for the king and am on my way back to the court. Miss, what¡¯s your name? Where are you headed?"No?v(el)B\\jnn "My name is Seraila!" The silver-haired girl approached quickly. The goat Roserga was riding let out a low bleat, shrinking back. The girl chuckled lightly, reaching out to touch its horns, gently holding it still: "I¡¯m traveling across the continent, just wandering around. You¡¯re going to the court? Can I join you?" "Of course, welcome!" "That¡¯s great! I haven¡¯t been there yet! I heard that there are rivers of lava flowing through the mountains there, and that dwarves forge with lava, is that true?" "Indeed, it is." Elves have been absent from the continent for a long time, and Prince Roserga had only seen one briefly in his childhood, which was more than 100 years ago. Seeing the elven lady¡¯s curiosity, he casually introduced: "Look at the armor I¡¯m wearing, it was forged with the magma from a great furnace..." Garrett silently followed behind, not uttering a word. What elf, what archer, it was clearly a dragon! That shiny silver hair, those silver-blue eyes, exactly like the silver dragon they encountered two days ago! How could you not recognize¡ª Alright, indeed they couldn¡¯t recognize. Before the silver dragon fell, the goats scattered in fright, and the dwarves were taken far away; by the time they found their way back in the dark, that silver dragon had already healed its wounds and flown far north... Garrett thought it was better to leave well enough alone, not mentioning their encounter with the dragon. Thus, when an elf suddenly appeared, Roserga and the others, of course, wouldn¡¯t think of a dragon. Seraila and the dwarven prince talked and walked along the way. As dusk fell, they reached their campsite for the night. Taking advantage of the last traces of twilight in the west, the dwarves scattered to dig stoves, pitch tents, and make fire, busy and joyful. Garrett, being a mage, would normally just have to take out his luggage from the spatial bag, leaving other tasks to others. But he wasn¡¯t idle, helping Bernard with ropes, delivering stakes, and supporting tent poles, equally busy. Suddenly, the silver dragon girl came over with a giggle, pinching his nose from behind: R "Mr.~Mage~" Garrett instinctively jumped up. Just as he moved, he tensed up, losing balance, and fell backward. A slender hand timely supported his back, casually lifting him to stand: "Mr. Mage, do you have a moment? I have something to ask!" "I do, I do!" Before Garrett could reply, Galvin turned his head, laughing as he answered: "Don¡¯t worry, he definitely has time! Garrett, you go and chat with the elven miss. We¡¯ll finish up with the tent soon!" The dwarves waved cheerfully. Bernard glanced at Garrett and then at the silver -haired girl, frowning slightly but not speaking out. Garrett waved his hand and walked away with Seraila, moving about ten steps to the edge of the campsite. "What about the heart? How can we see the heart?" Her gaze swept from left to right, then back from right to left, lingering especially long on several goats. It seemed as if Garrett agreed, he would dissect a goat on the spot, take out its heart, slice it into pieces, and observe it under the microscope. Garrett broke into a sweat: "No! We need these goats to ride down the mountain! If you want to see cells, after we go down the mountain, I¡¯ll find a way to show you!" The silver dragon girl still fixed him with an intense gaze. Garrett hesitated: "Like this, there are also cells in the blood , I¡¯ll take some to show you¡ª" He found a silver needle, pricked a goat¡¯s ear, and collected a drop of blood. Cover slide, glass slide, preparing the specimen on the spot, adjusting¡ª "They move! Look, they¡¯re moving!" Seraila was even more captivated, her eyes almost glued to the eyepiece. Watching so intently, Garrett was worried she might get excited and crush the microscope. "Hey, do I have these in my blood too?" The silver dragon lady suddenly turned her hand, grabbing him. Garrett chuckled: "Probably..." His gaze evasive, twisting left and right, not meeting Seraila¡¯s gaze. Theoretically, as long as it¡¯s a living being¡ªexcept for ethereal beings¡ªit should be composed of cells, especially since a dragon¡¯s body can conduct electricity, there should definitely be bioelectrical responses. But in reality, who knows? And this is a dragon transformed into an elf! Who knows what the transformation process is like? Such a large body, so much matter, compressed into a tiny elf body, what is the principle of change? What if it¡¯s like a red giant collapsing into a white dwarf? The more Garrett beat around the bush, the more curious the silver dragon girl became. After asking twice and getting no satisfactory answer, she simply stretched out her hand: "Give me the needle!" "No!" Garrett hurriedly stashed it in his spatial bag. The needle he just used on the goat hadn¡¯t been sterilized yet, what do you want to do with it? Don¡¯t cause cross-infection! "Give it to me! ¡ªNever mind, hmph, I¡¯ll do it myself!" She watched clearly how Garrett drew blood and prepared the specimen. Snatching a set of glass slides, she lightly bit her fingertip, dripping blood onto the slide. Fixed it, began adjusting the knob¡ª "Zzz~~~" A wisp of smoke arose. As Garrett hurried to rescue the microscope, he saw a drop of fresh blood fall from the stage onto the light source below. Looking at the lens, not to mention whether it was blurry, a hole had already been burned through it. ...Girl, just a drop of your blood is this powerful? Even if powerful, please don¡¯t ruin my microscope! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 413: Where Does It Hurt? Everywhere Hurts! "Lady," Garrett bowed slightly, greeting Ophelia. The Silver Dragon Lady nodded slightly: If it had been a few days earlier, she would have already cast a healing spell and cured the person. But now, she wanted to see Garrett¡¯s abilities: "So? Can you heal? Do you need my help?" "If possible, please first release the restraint on his head." Garrett looked directly at her, meeting her somewhat playful smile with calmness: "I¡¯d like to have a few words with him first." "Tsks, young mage, are you testing me~~~" Ophelia¡¯s eyes curved into crescents, she beckoned with her finger. If it were a priest who memorizes divine spells by rote, Garrett¡¯s request would probably be impossible. For instance, the peace spell from the Temple of the War God, it¡¯s either complete restraint or unbearable pain. But this request, definitely wouldn¡¯t stump her! A flash of silver light emanated from her fingertips. Immediately, the barbarian elder blinked his eyes and raised his head with effort: "Lady of the Glorious Scales..." "Yes, it¡¯s me." Ophelia pulled up a chair to sit down, pointing at Garrett: "I¡¯m aware of your situation. Next, let him treat you. Young mage, go ahead and ask!" Garrett stepped forward slowly, warming his hands as he walked, and holding the elder¡¯s hand with a smile: "Good day, Elder. I am Garrett Nordmark, as Lady of the Glorious Scales mentioned, I will be treating you next. Don¡¯t worry, even if I can¡¯t cure you, she is still here. ¡ª First, may I know your name? And how old are you?"No?v(el)B\\jnn "Gushan... Gushan Cyclops." The old man replied breathlessly. He paused after every few words: "78 years old... too old and useless now..." "Don¡¯t say that." Garrett smiled gently. He patted the elder¡¯s weathered palm: "Being 78 and still able to board a whaling ship, your body is very strong. If I can walk on my own without help at your age, I would be grateful. ¡ª Elder Gushan, when you were younger, did you suffer any serious illnesses or injuries? Before boarding the ship this time, did you feel unwell anywhere?" "Thanks to the ancestors, I¡¯ve never had any serious illnesses," the old man answered slowly. "As for injuries¡ªover the years, I¡¯ve had my share of injuries, not just once or twice..." The elder¡¯s gaze became distant. Garrett patiently listened to a head injury and a nearly severed left arm from a knife wound, then finally interrupted: "Focus on serious injuries, especially those in the chest or abdomen." Garrett quickly steered the conversation back on topic. Discussing medical history wasn¡¯t something he lacked patience for, but they were maintaining divine magic from a silver dragon! What if the Silver Dragon Lady lost her patience, wouldn¡¯t the elder still suffer? Damn, what¡¯s the standard body temperature for barbarians? Arranging on-site testing for everyone was obviously not feasible now. With the level of education of these people, Garrett deeply doubted that if he wasn¡¯t watching, these fellows could end up breaking the mercury thermometer. He was slightly troubled for a moment but decided to move on to the next step resolutely: "Lady, please dispel the divine magic, I need to examine his condition." Ophelia calmly hmm¡¯ed, didn¡¯t even ask, and dispelled the divine magic. Although her treatment approach was different, Garrett¡¯s questions seemed somewhat systematic. She was very interested in seeing what the little guy would do next~~~ The next moment, a scream pierced everyone¡¯s eardrums: "Ah¡ª" The elder¡¯s face turned pale! Lying back on the bed, his legs curled up, his hands subconsciously wanted to protect his abdomen, yet dared not touch. Garrett reached out to touch, but the elder slapped his hand away, smack, and the back of his hand instantly reddened. Hmm, extreme pain, forced posture¡ªthere aren¡¯t many acute abdominal conditions that could cause this level of pain. Acute appendicitis? Acute pancreatitis? Gallbladder perforation? Garrett silently went through the possibilities. He pressed his right hand against the headboard, and his left hand touched the oak wand in his chest pocket, murmuring softly. With a thought, four vines grew out from the corners of the wooden bed, swiftly wrapping around the elder¡¯s limbs, winding around four or five times, then forcefully pulling to the sides. With a squeak, the elder was securely tied to the bed, unable to move. Magic really makes things easier! The chief no longer has to worry about patients not cooperating with the examination! Wait, the chief probably has more worries now, tying someone up like this, in case the patient complains... Garrett shook his head to dispel the strange thoughts. No matter what, he had already crossed over. Even if Elder Gushan wanted to complain, the Silver Dragon Lady wouldn¡¯t dock his pay. He lifted the elder¡¯s shirt, glanced over, and saw a slight bulge in the abdomen, then warmed his hands, starting to gently touch from the upper right abdomen. "Ah¡ªdon¡¯t touch, it hurts a lot here..." See, during the physical examination, patients can mostly remember where it hurts. Hmm, the right upper abdomen muscles are quite tense, relatively speaking, other parts are better. It¡¯s good news that it¡¯s not as severe as a board-like abdomen, let me press here and see... "Ow¡ª" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 382: A Fateful Encounter Garrett pursed his lips as he looked at the Silver Dragon maiden. Seraina tilted her head to look at him. If there were a crow present, it would surely caw overhead, perhaps even dive bomb them. Unfortunately, no one brought a crow familiar, and the temperature, altitude, and vegetation here were not suitable for crows... So, the two of them could only stare at each other, trying to make the awkwardness vanish with time, or thinking "as long as I¡¯m not embarrassed, then the embarrassed one isn¡¯t me..." "Oh no! It¡¯s broken! Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll fix it!" Seraina suddenly smiled sweetly, grabbed the microscope, flipped it over, and swiftly cast a repair spell on the objective lens. Garrett silently turned his head to gaze into the distant darkness: It is said that dragon blood is highly corrosive, capable of melting metal. Therefore, when fighting dragons, special consideration must be given to this point, using weapons made of special materials or enchanting them. Most who are splashed with dragon blood scream in agony, only the strongest warriors can withstand the corrosion and benefit from it... "On the Nature and Applications of Dragon Blood," by Samora Stevenson, Magic Year 185. A secret of the Thunder Horn. Alright then. Elder Master, did you actually slay a dragon, or did you obtain dragon blood through some other means? I haven¡¯t seen the ability of dragon blood to corrode metal, but today, I witnessed its capacity to corrode glass... And, does the blood retain its dragon properties after a dragon transforms into an elf? Is it entirely retained, or only partially? If the properties of dragon blood remain unchanged, what about other cells? Organs? If possible, maybe a study on "Changes in Cellular States Under Transformation Magic" could be conducted? Of course, not using living beings, since animals can also transform! Garrett thought randomly. A white light flickered beside him, and Seraina casually wiped away the bloodstains, casting one repair spell after another on the lens, the stage, and the light source: The stage was as good as new, and the silver rod, although shortened, still emitted light evenly and stably. Repair spell, a Tier 0 transmutation spell, repairs minor damages to items, quite useful. Of course, the extent of repair depends on the skill of the user... "Eh, why is it still blurry?" Seraina peered into the eyepiece, cast a repair spell, looked again, cast another repair spell. Her delicate, fair fingers brushed over the lens and lifted it to see: ? "There¡¯s no blood... I cleaned it!" "What¡¯s the matter?" Garrett came over to look. The view through the eyepiece was blurry and distorted, like it was fitted with dozens of distorting mirrors. Garrett sighed: "Never mind, stop fixing it." He reached out to grab the microscope arm. The Silver Dragon maiden pulled the microscope into her chest and blocked him with her body: "I¡¯ll fix it and then give it to you!" ...Do you believe me if I say you can¡¯t fix it? The basic optical microscope, though seemingly simple in construction, has stringent requirements. Any variation in lens curvature, unevenness, or insufficient surface smoothness can cause blurry vision, making observation impossible. Normally, when cleaning lenses, one must use special lens paper, even a slightly coarse one could damage the lens. What we saw just now, probably the dragon blood corroded the lens into a pitted surface, and the repair process did not take care of these minute details... Garrett explained tirelessly, finally making the reasoning clear. Ah, it¡¯s so tiring to not talk about physics and only reason... "So you¡¯re saying, it¡¯s too small to see, so it can¡¯t be fixed?" The Silver Dragon maiden tilted her face slightly. Without waiting for Garrett to nod, she formed a circle with her left thumb and index finger, placing it above the objective lens: ??? "Cough!" Prince Roserga blinked again, kicked Garrett, and pointed at the tent: Where should she stay? Can she stay with you? The mountain wind is cold and strong, it¡¯s not right for everyone to stay in tents, leaving a visiting Elven Ranger¡ªespecially a beautiful lady¡ªalone outside to freeze? Garrett: "..." Do dragons catch colds? The campsite on the ridge was already small, and the travel tents brought by the Dwarves were even smaller and shorter. Seraina walked around the campsite, stopping in front of the largest tent, scrutinized it, and wrinkled her nose. She then waved her hand, and a stone house appeared out of thin air, firmly rooted on the mountain path: "Master Mage! Could you come over for a moment? I have a few questions to ask!" ...Can we discuss it tomorrow? Regardless, Garrett finally managed to secure the right to sleep in his own tent. As for Miss Silver Dragon, whether she spent the night in her Elven form inside the stone house or flew far away to transform into her original form for the night, Garrett didn¡¯t want to know. That stone house was barely large enough to accommodate her dragon form, assuming no one else squeezed in... Early the next morning, Seraina was still accompanying them. Moreover, she clung to him, falling far behind the group, incessantly asking questions: "Master Mage! May I call you Garrett?" "Garrett, why did you pry off two of my scales?" "What does it mean to conduct? Why can¡¯t it flow through the body if it conducts?" After answering one question, she would come up with ten more, leaving Garrett utterly frustrated, and the leading goat trembling, too scared to run away. Garrett, having no choice, took out a block of iron from his space bag: "Like this, can you use your shaping magic to make it into many thin iron rods, and then assemble them into a cage? Then, we can try it with an animal?" Talking dry doesn¡¯t compare to an experiment! Faraday cage, here we come! Seraina¡¯s slender hands took the iron block, glanced at the illusion Garrett sketched, and tossed it upwards. She closed her eyes slightly, and the silver-blue gem on her forehead shone brightly, enveloping the iron block. In the light, the raw iron flattened, stretched, and coiled... "Thud!" The light receded, and half of the iron block, along with a piece of crooked , half-welded iron wire cage, fell to the ground. Seraina¡¯s pretty face turned stern, and she quickly walked forward. Garrett hurriedly spurred the goat to follow, but the goat bleated pitifully, its legs gave out, and it knelt down! "Hey! Where are you going?" Garrett had no choice but to dismount and hurry forward. Seraina¡¯s pace was quick, but her speed was astonishing. Garrett ran and sprinted behind her, all the way to the front of the group. Finally, he saw her stop, staring at the path ahead. "What¡¯s wrong?" Garrett whispered. Turning his head, he saw the Silver Dragon maiden¡¯s face icy cold, her right hand on the hilt of her sword, clearly furious. Prince Roserga and others followed, and before they could ask, clang! Seraina¡¯s long sword was drawn, pointing forward: "You! Get lost!" On the opposite ridge, a small group of Dwarves rode on goats, winding their way. At the end of the group was a human in a black robe, clearly a priest of the Radiant Church. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 414: Hearing Specks of Light with Ears? Elder Gushan let out a cry of agony. Around the sickbed, the gathering of barbarian crew members stirred slightly. "Why can¡¯t it be treated directly..." "Yes, our elder, it¡¯s always been treated directly..." "It¡¯s so painful, why still press..." Garrett didn¡¯t need to look back to know they were murmuring doubts about him. Perhaps, because he caused the elder pain, he was a bit annoyed. Fortunately, these doubts were only voiced. Whether it was because he had healed a few people or because the presence of the Silver Dragon Lady provided a deterrent, nobody cursed or got physical. Thank heavens, amen. The only intervention came from the Silver Dragon Lady, who leaned in, curiously asking: "Hey, little guy, what are you pressing on?" "I¡¯m checking where exactly the problem lies..." His voice grew lower, turning into murmurs, then silent mutters. Please not the pancreas, please not the pancreas, please not the pancreas... The right upper abdomen was tense, pressure in the right upper abdomen caused severe pain after meals, initially considering gallbladder, pancreas issues. However, you can live without a gallbladder, but without a pancreas, he didn¡¯t have insulin on hand! If it came to that, big guy, your healing skills better be powerful! Even if the pancreas was necrotic, it must be saved! Garrett prayed as he continued the palpation. The liver was of normal size, the gallbladder... the gallbladder felt a bit off. As for the pancreas, it was too deep to be felt by touch. Garrett switched hands, his left palm flat on the old man¡¯s right upper abdomen, thumb pressing under the right rib at the gallbladder point, he commanded firmly:No?v(el)B\\jnn "Take a deep breath!¡ªInhale!" ...No response. The old man, in pain, twitched without heeding him... "Inhale!" Behind him, someone repeated the command. The voice was clear, commanding, unmistakable; it was the familiar voice of the Silver Dragon Lady. The elder twitched, instinctively following the command, taking a deep breath¡ª The diaphragm moved downwards, the abdomen swelled, moving the gallbladder downwards with it. Midway, it touched Garrett¡¯s waiting thumb, sending a wave of severe pain instantly. The old man¡¯s forehead was covered in cold sweat, instinctively held his breath. The slightly bulging stomach froze in place, even slightly contracting. Garrett sighed in relief. Positive Murphy¡¯s sign, a typical positive Murphy¡¯s sign. With this sign, acute pancreatitis could be ruled out. Basically, it was confirmed to be a gallbladder issue! deception? Garrett hesitated for a moment, deciding to perform the ultrasound first. Luckily, the ultrasound had no level restriction, glycerin was applied, fingertips touched, and feedback was immediately received in the meditation environment. "Huh?" The two Silver Dragons looked at each other. Cerella¡¯s ears extended outward, unwittingly revealing her dragon form; Ophelia didn¡¯t go as far as to reveal dragon ears, but she couldn¡¯t help stepping forward, and the air around her ears showed fine ripples. "What did you hear?" "Sound." "Yes, a very sharp, very faint sound... Can you determine where the disease is based on this sound?" The aunt and niece looked at each other, both unable to articulate a reason. Ophelia, seizing the opportunity Garrett was unaware, quietly released an amplification spell, directly transmitting the sound to her ear: "Liver parenchyma echo enhanced, intrahepatic specks uneven, with spotted... bile duct wall rough, thickened, echo enhanced... gallbladder enlarged, gallbladder wall thickened, rough, no stones seen... around it, a circular hypoechoic area seen... spleen, pancreas show no obvious abnormalities... both kidneys show no abnormalities... intestines... bladder... pelvic cavity..." Other than "no abnormalities," she understood nothing else. And, since it was based on sound, why would he mention things like specks of light, thickening, etc.? Ophelia¡¯s curiosity was piqued. Maybe later, she could discuss with him, teach him a few more spells in exchange for this method of diagnosing with sound? While she was inventorying what spells she could offer in exchange, Garrett had already wiped off the glycerin used for the ultrasound, turning around. His gaze was grave, slightly worried: "It¡¯s likely gallbladder inflammation. Acute, non-stone gallbladder inflammation. Considering how painful it is, combined with the disease course, it might be perforated¡ª" "Gallbladder issue? That¡¯s easy to treat!" Ophelia was eager to discuss magic with Garrett, casting healing spells casually. One, two¡ª "Huh? Why hasn¡¯t it improved?" "...I haven¡¯t finished." Garrett wiped sweat from his forehead: "His gallbladder, unfortunately, has developed gangrene. Healing spells need to be stronger, and after healing, I suggest draining some bile to check, suspecting there might be other issues¡ª" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 384: I, Seraina Moonlight, Have Never Suffered Such an Indignity! ------------- Thud! Thud! On the mountain path opposite, six dwarves and one human dismounted from their goats in succession. If they were riding their own mounts, they could stay seated, ready to charge at any moment. But now, since the goats were temporarily tamed, it was better to dismount quickly to avoid any surprises. A steel shield, half the height of a dwarf, landed first. Two dwarves wielding war hammers stood on either side of the shield-bearer, slightly behind. Further back, two dwarves unstrapped battle axes from their backs, holding them with the blade resting on the ground at an angle. In the center of the formation, Kai of the Blackrock tribe, protected by his tribesmen, looked over the shield at the opposite side with a somber expression. An elven ranger, furious, drew her sword and pointed it straight ahead. Her anger was palpable, and just by pointing her sword from a distance, the few strands of hair on her forehead stood on end. What was more frustrating for Kai was that the ranger¡¯s anger wasn¡¯t directed at him. The sword was pointed at the spellcaster in their group, a priest from the Radiant Church. Kai quickly glanced back to see the priest half-exposed from his cover, unsure whether to stand or crouch... It was rather awkward... Fortunately, before the silver-haired girl could draw her bow, a young mage from the election team rushed up to her, panting and whispering something. Behind them, Roserga and his group urged their mounts forward... slowly... painstakingly slow... as if intentionally dragging their feet. Kai sneered inwardly and shouted: "Roserga, are you planning to attack us?" "I¡¯m not!" Prince Roserga jumped down from his goat and dragged it forward. After two steps, realizing it was inefficient, he tiptoed and shouted: "Miss Seraina, please don¡¯t¡ª" So the elven ranger was named Seraina. Kai silently noted the name. Almost simultaneously, the silver-haired girl stepped forward, her voice rising sharply: "Scram!" With her shout, the seven goats on the Blackrock side whimpered in unison. At the end of the formation, the priest from the Radiant Church cried out in pain as his mount broke free and fled. The black-robed priest frantically cast a holy light behind him, then another. But the silver-haired girl¡¯s oppressive presence was too strong; the goat leaped down the slope, running nimbly as if on flat ground, making it impossible for the spells to catch up.No?v(el)B\\jnn The saddlebags disappeared along with the goat, leaving the priest standing there, without his mount, bags, and likely his food, water, and even his tent and blanket for the next few days... Garrett watched him stand there dumbfounded, thinking he¡¯d feel the same if he were in his shoes. The dwarves of the Blackrock tribe took a step forward in unison. Those with shields raised them, those with hammers raised them, and those with axes lifted them at an angle. On the other side, the Firehammer tribe also adopted a defensive stance, only Prince Roserga continued to shout desperately: "Don¡¯t fight! It¡¯s a misunderstanding! We didn¡¯t mean to disrupt the election!" He rushed forward, standing in front of Seraina. He reached out to pull her away, but she swatted his hand away, almost causing him to tumble down the ridge. He didn¡¯t dare reach out again, only shouting to Garrett for help: "Garrett, help me calm her down!" During the election process, the candidates¡¯ teams were not allowed to fight each other, especially not to the point of causing death. Being caught would mean immediate disqualification, and in severe cases, expulsion from the tribe for life. Garrett¡¯s mouth twitched: The silver dragon girl wasn¡¯t part of their team, and they couldn¡¯t control her. But obviously, no one would believe that, so he had to try to persuade her¡ª R "Seraina!" he lowered his voice: "Calm down! Don¡¯t fight!" Seraina suddenly sniffled. Then, her long sword slowly lowered, describing a small arc, pointing straight at Kai¡¯s forehead. The girl enunciated each word: "Leave. Now." Her beautiful silver-blue eyes lightened, almost turning pure silver. As the tip of her sword shimmered with light, Garrett silently wiped away sweat, grabbing her right hand: "Let them pass! They¡¯re also part of the election teams. Fighting here violates the election rules and could disqualify us!" "It¡¯s none of your business!" Seraina jerked her hand away: "It has nothing to do with you! Back off, don¡¯t fight, I can take them on by myself!" "Sure!¡ªYou owe me one!" "Okay, okay!" "If they provoke me again, you can¡¯t stop me!" "After the election, do whatever you want!" "You have to answer ten more of my questions! No, twenty!" Garrett sacrificed his own¡ªhis brain¡¯s knowledge, trying to soothe the silver dragon girl, with some success. At least for that night, according to Bernard, who was on watch, she didn¡¯t leave the stone house, probably not transforming and killing anyone. After another day, they successfully descended the mountain. Entering the Dwarf Kingdom, Seraina¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t take in enough, looking around everywhere, even wanting to touch the magma of the great furnace. Garrett quickly stopped her : "Don¡¯t! That thing can even melt iron!" Do you want to reveal your true form right here? If you want to transform into a dragon, let me know in advance, so I can run far away! Otherwise, if you expand in size, you might even push me into the magma! The silver dragon girl smiled and retracted her hand, blinking mischievously as if to say, "I¡¯m not afraid, just giving you face." Garrett shook his head helplessly, leading her past the great furnace towards the Mithril District. Suddenly, he paused: "What¡¯s wrong?" "I¡¯ve been wanting to tell you, someone over there is crying and shouting, cursing..." The silver dragon girl, expressionless: "It¡¯s right ahead. That direction, I smell something I dislike." Garrett became serious. He slowed down and turned the corner, standing far away to look. Ahead, the crowd was densely packed, and even with his height advantage, Garrett could only see a stretcher placed in front of a mansion gate, surrounded by dwarves, crying and shouting: "Big brother! Big brother!!!" "You died so miserably!" "Why did they have to treat you! Why!!!" Garrett was startled. What happened? Was someone killed by treatment? Blocking the door with a corpse? Medical dispute? He squinted to get a better look. The mansion¡¯s gate was tightly shut, silent, with only a low-profile wooden holy symbol hanging. Suddenly, the view cleared up, and beside him, Seraina laughed and raised her hand, her fingertips sparkling with light: "Keen Sight spell! Can you see clearly now?" Garrett hastily nodded his thanks. He concentrated and saw the deceased on the stretcher with a grayish-blue complexion, purple lips, and his beard sticky and messy, as if coated with filth... So, what illness was it? Why did the dwarves trouble them? Too far away, without medical history or treatment records, he couldn¡¯t tell... "Let¡¯s go! It¡¯s normal for their family to kill people!" The silver dragon girl murmured, urging him. Garrett observed for a moment, unable to figure it out, and shrugged, following her. Just as they took two steps, a voice suddenly shouted from behind the mansion gate: "Lung washing! Wash your @#£¤% lungs! Others wash, so you wash too, washing people to death!" Garrett stopped in his tracks. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 415: Worms in the Liver "Such a difficult task..." Seraina muttered softly. Meanwhile, Ophelia slightly frowned, carefully sensing the life force of the elderly, and nodded: "There is indeed a problem. How did you know?" "Look, the distribution of light spots in his liver is uneven, with spotted patterns..." Garrett instinctively raised his hand, pointing towards the liver area of Elder Gushan. His gaze fell, and suddenly, he paused, then lowered his hand and slowly bowed his head. ...Gone. No X-ray films, no ultrasound images, no CT or MRI scans. No black-and-white, no colored, no static, no dynamic images. Printed in books or stored on computers. No more of these images that everyone could see, allowing mentors to explain to students: "Look, this is what organ, that is what blood vessel. This image represents what, seeing that image, what else to pay attention to..." The knowledge and sensations within the meditative vision are a magician¡¯s personal secret. Even if he doesn¡¯t mind the exhaustion of drawing them one by one for others to see, he ultimately can¡¯t reach into someone else¡¯s meditative vision to point out each detail. A sudden onset of sadness made him lower his shoulders. With his head down, staring at the ground, he didn¡¯t want to say a word, didn¡¯t want to explain anything. Every cell in his body seemed to have been drained of energy. Seraina exclaimed, "Eh," took a half step forward, and reached out to shake his shoulder. Her arm was raised halfway when her aunt raised her hand to stop her, silently shaking her head. ¡ªThe emotions of short-lived species are always so abundant. Let him be, give him some time, he¡¯ll recover soon. ¡ªHow long will it take? ¡ªNot long. At most, just take a nap, and when you open your eyes again. Lady Silver Dragon silently communicated with her niece with her eyes, while continuously casting three to five healing spells. Garrett had already lifted his head, took a deep breath, adjusted his emotions. In a short moment, his eyes became clear again, and he placed his palm on the patient¡¯s abdomen, using ultrasound to investigate again: The gallbladder is reduced in size, the wall of the gallbladder tends to be normal, and the peri-gallbladder annular hypoechoic area disappears... However, there are still movable fine tube-like high echo belts and scattered light spots in the gallbladder... The liver still has spotted light spots... It seems that healing spells can¡¯t solve all problems. Garrett turned around, gave Ophelia a firm nod: His gaunt chest bravely jutted forward. Garrett was torn between laughter and tears: "It¡¯s not that scary... Come, lay down on your back with some support..." Percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage! Under ultrasound guidance, it¡¯s very safe, he himself had performed it dozens of times in his previous life, never failing. Besides, even if a small blood vessel is ruptured, there are healing spells to save the day. At his command, Bernard hurried to fetch blankets and pillows. Seraina already gently waved her hand, a soft air cushion landed behind the elder. Garrett smiled, nodded at her, and gave a thumbs up. He helped Elder Gushan to lie down semi-recumbently. Disinfected the puncture site as usual, turned around to rewash his hands, waved his left hand, and a ¡¾Pain Alleviation¡¿spell fell¡ªlidocaine local anesthesia substitute¡ªhis right hand swiped over the space bag. A long puncture needle, along with a sterile sealed box, appeared in his hand. With his left hand on the old man¡¯s chest, the ultrasound magic was activated again, confirming the position of the liver¡¯s blood vessels and bile ducts. With his right hand firmly holding the puncture needle, he positioned it at the 7th and 8th intercostal space of the right axillary line, under the horrified gaze of the bystanders, pierced through, and inserted the needle! Passing through the skin, through the intercostal muscles, through the liver, reaching the gallbladder. The syringe slowly retracted, and brownish-yellow bile silently flowed out. After filling a syringe, Garrett pulled out the needle, and a healing spell immediately followed. Then, he found an empty cup, injected the bile from the syringe into the cup, pondered for a moment, and a green light quietly enveloped. ¡ªGrowth spell! ¡ªPromotion spell! Used to accelerate the growth of bacteria, to perfection and flow; used to accelerate the growth of vines, familiar and skilled. Now, used to promote the possible parasites in the bile¡ª "Ah!" Seraina covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes wide open. In the porcelain cup, bit by bit, living things quietly rose, from the size of sesame seeds, gradually growing to the size of sunflower seeds, crowding the entire cup. "Liver flukes." Garrett sighed: "Do you usually eat raw fish meat, often not fully cooking it?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 385: Garrett, Can You Prove the Radiant Church Is Harming People? Beckett Blackrock was heartbroken and furious to the extreme. Although he had long fallen out with his elder brother. Even on the day of the Foundry Festival, when his brother entered his house, he could only be served a cup of barley beer¡ªa courtesy almost extended to strangers. The reason? Pah, for betraying the Father God! What¡¯s there to believe in the so-called Radiant Lord! Can sunlight reach the mines? Can it help them mine?! Even when exploring mines outdoors, what they relied on more was the teachings of the Father God! But apart from turning his back, he couldn¡¯t do much. His brother had a serious lung disease, often gasping for breath, he knew. And the priests of the Father God... although they tried their best to treat him, the effect was just so-so. The treatment seemed a bit effective on the day, but in less than a month, or even ten days, it would revert to the old state. And how many patients could a priest of the Father God take care of? It could be months before it was their turn again... At this time, the involvement of a healer from a heretical faith was better than none. Apart from restraining his wife and children from going to his brother¡¯s side, let alone listen to that heretical priest¡¯s preaching, Beckett Blackrock couldn¡¯t do much more. Dead is dead! Humph! But when his brother was called for that so-called "lung cleansing" treatment and eventually died, Beckett¡¯s grief and anger didn¡¯t allow him to remain indifferent. He was the one who took care of his brother in his last hours! He watched his brother die with his own eyes! Unable to lie down, gasping for breath, grasping his chest with his hand repeatedly, his face turning cyanotic, foam at the corners of his mouth always mixed with blood! He was helpless! He could do nothing! If it weren¡¯t for being called for lung cleansing, if it wasn¡¯t for that heretical priest, who naturally wanted them to sacrifice for their clansmen and for the Radiant Lord, his brother would not have died... Of the four dwarves who were called, two died... "Despicable heretics! Lapdogs of a foreign god! You think you can hide inside and keep silent! Return my brother¡¯s life! My brother was well and alive, you called him saying it was to cleanse his lungs, and you tortured him to death! Murderers must pay with their lives! Murderers must pay with their lives!!!" "What, lung cleansing? Lungs can be cleansed?" Garrett¡¯s palm tightened, and the Silver Dragon girl whispered in his ear: "Turning the lungs inside out to wash them, that¡¯s bound to kill people! Those guys, so annoying!" "Actually..." Garrett took a deep breath, pulling her back two steps. Avoiding the crowd, they ducked into a quiet corner and whispered: "The thing about lung cleansing... I was the first one here to do it..." "What? You?!" Sairala looked him up and down, as if she didn¡¯t recognize him, as if she had discovered some strange treasure. After a moment, she clenched her fists and swung them angrily: R "So they¡¯re stealing your technique? A bunch of bastards!¡ªWait, I¡¯ll expose their lies!" "Hey, hey, hey, don¡¯t!!!" Garrett hurriedly grabbed her. Once he did, he was dragged outside, stumbling a couple of steps. Luckily, Sairala stopped in time, preventing him from being thrown around the corner: "Don¡¯t go! I guess they didn¡¯t steal it!" "You¡¯re still speaking for them?" The Silver Dragon girl stopped and turned back, her silver-blue eyes sparkling as she stared at Garrett, her pupils gradually lightening: "That bunch of guys, could there be any good people among them?!" Actually, there really were good people. Statistically, in a large organization, there must be good people, those who sincerely believe in the gods and practice the teachings; practically speaking, that Priest Martin, also left a very good impression on Garrett. But under the Silver Dragon girl¡¯s anger, Garrett absolutely didn¡¯t want to argue face to face. He could only smile and say: "I¡¯m not speaking for them, it¡¯s just that they can¡¯t steal it. ¡ªThose guys, none of them even know what the lungs look like, let alone inserting a tube, it¡¯s not that easy?" "Mr. Nordmark, someone claimed to treat our kin, taking their lives in the process. We want to know, was it intentional harm, or negligence in the treatment process, or was the danger deliberately ignored. Lung cleansing was a treatment method you first created, can you provide us with some guidance?" Garrett was silent for a moment. So, this was about conducting a medical examination? He looked around, seeing a body not far away, the dwarf who had been shouting outside the mansion crying, his big beard covered in snot, lying on the body, sobbing uncontrollably. Good, at least there was a body, he wasn¡¯t asked to judge without evidence... Further away, two Radiant Knights stood on either side, tightly protecting a white-robed priest, glaring at him. Garrett sighed: "If you allow me to dissect the body, medically, I can roughly determine the cause of death. But¡ª" "What? Dissection?" "You want to cut open my brother¡¯s body? Not allowed!" "Beckett!" A series of arguments and reprimands. Garrett sighed helplessly. Just as expected, just as expected¡ªfamily members mostly don¡¯t allow dissection of the body, unwilling to allow dissection, yet seeking a medical examination, which becomes an insoluble problem. And the families, without answers, many would resort to measures outside the law... He rubbed his forehead in frustration. Beside him, Sairala winked at him, her finger pressing on her mouth corner, pulling out an exaggerated smile. Garrett forced a smile at her. To avoid the argument escalating into a brawl, he raised his hand to signal for quiet, continuing: "As for questions beyond medicine. I¡¯m just a low-level magician, not well-versed in magic and divine arts. I can¡¯t accurately determine how the deceased died." The Radiant Knights¡¯ expressions softened slightly. Garrett continued: "As for whether it was intentional or negligence, that, perhaps, should be asked of the spellcaster themselves. Or perhaps¡ªask the gods." "Hmph!" "Hmph!" The dwarf crying over the body, and the Radiant Knights on the other side, simultaneously coldly snorted. One might think he was shirking responsibility, the other, maybe offended by the word "gods"? After all, in the eyes of the Radiant Church, only the Radiant Lord is the true deity... Garrett looked at no one, turned around, and bowed to the council of elders: "My abilities only go so far. I¡¯m very sorry." The scene fell silent. Archmage Serrano frowned slightly, the dwarven elders¡¯ faces darkened, and the Radiant Knights glared angrily. Garrett slowly retreated to the side, sitting on the lowest chair in the magicians¡¯ row, silent. Suddenly, the dwarf holding the body slowly raised his head, wiping away tears: "So, if I let you perform lung cleansing, and I survive, can it prove they were harming my brother?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 416: Magical Parasite Extermination? A group of barbarians exchanged bewildered looks. Eating fish raw? Parasites? Parasites bred from bile, what does that have to do with eating fish raw? But no one dared to question Garrett. Elder Grom, within hundreds of miles, was the strongest caster; yet, even Elder Grom had never poked a needle into a human body, extracting bile and breeding parasites as Garrett did. Such methods, seemingly miraculous, were beyond their wildest imaginations. After exchanging looks for a moment, the tallest and most robust barbarian took a step forward, hesitantly asking: "That... When at sea, who has the time to start a fire?" "What about on land?" The Black Gate Peninsula, with its cold climate close to the sea, was not short of fresh water. On the contrary, melted snow from the mountains flowed down, bringing many streams and lakes to the land, nourishing countless fish and shrimp. Barbarians, adept at swimming and capable of whale hunting at sea, found fishing effortless on days they didn¡¯t venture out. "On land... sometimes we eat... as you know, it¡¯s inconvenient to use fire when hunting..." Sigh... "You must cook your food!" Garrett, holding a cup full of liver flukes, presented it to them one by one, emphasizing: "Many animals, whether it¡¯s fish, shrimp, snails, clams, forest game, domestic livestock, or fish caught from the sea, harbor parasites. You must cook your food thoroughly, otherwise, parasites will emerge from your stomach, even your brain and eyes! It must be cooked thoroughly!" Pork can contain tapeworms, which can grow up to 15 meters long and invade the human brain and eyes; Anisakis worms can infest the entire stomach lining; liver flukes can block the bile duct, leading to liver cancer, with a single patient potentially harboring over twenty thousand liver flukes... Garrett couldn¡¯t possibly explain every type of parasite, how to identify them, and their dangers individually. Time was short, and the setting inappropriate, so he focused on the most critical advice: Eat it cooked! Eat it cooked!!! As he brought the cup under each nose, they shuddered and quickly stepped back. Everyone nodded vehemently until at the back of the line, the shortest and youngest-looking barbarian dodged the cup, whispering: "But... sometimes, it¡¯s really not possible..." Garrett was taken aback. He looked into the youth¡¯s eyes, deep blue and clear, flickering uneasily, seemingly guilty for voicing dissent. Garrett opened his mouth to speak but ultimately let out a long sigh: Garrett was skeptical. He rushed to press down Elder Grom, lifting his shirt, applying glycerin, and conducting an ultrasound in one go. Then, to Garrett¡¯s delight, he discovered: Within the gallbladder and bile ducts, the previously clustered or stringy, wriggling shadows, stopped moving. At least they weren¡¯t moving! If they weren¡¯t moving, they were mostly dead! "What magic is this?" He turned towards the Silver Dragon Lady, his eyes burning with intensity. If his eyes could sprout hands, Garrett would have grabbed the Silver Dragon Lady without hesitation: "Can you teach me? I¡¯ll trade anything! Gold, magical equipment, my unique magic, anything I have is yours!" Targeted parasite extermination! No need for surgery! No more fishing for roundworms like unclogging a drain, inserting a catheter into the bile duct to drain liver flukes, or removing hydatid cysts like popping soap bubbles. Thank heavens he wouldn¡¯t have to do that anymore! "Anything?" Ophelia tilted her head, her eyes twinkling with amusement: "Even that..." She raised her right hand, forming a claw, mimicking the gesture for activating an ultrasound: "You¡¯ll trade this too?" "Yes, yes, yes!" Garrett nodded eagerly. It¡¯s just an ultrasound; if the Silver Dragon learns it, she¡¯ll use it for healing. Let¡¯s teach her! "And the one you use to examine bones?" "Yes, yes, yes!" Detection magic, that¡¯s simple. Even if I don¡¯t teach, you¡¯d probably learn just by watching. "And that one... you used for checking blood when you were treating the dwarf¡¯s lungs?" "Uh... Lady, if we add that, could you help me solve a magical problem?" Garrett¡¯s forehead beaded with sweat. He couldn¡¯t give away any more! My unique secrets, that¡¯s all I have! If I keep giving things away, what if she wants another of my skills? I¡¯ll have nothing left to trade! The Silver Dragon Lady smiled, seemingly content. Not too generous, after all. It¡¯s one thing to give away his things, but he feared the young fellow, in a moment of enthusiasm, might even offer his niece¡¯s possessions... --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 386: No One Willing to Undergo Lung Cleansing Anymore? A silent commotion stirred in the meeting hall. Several dwarf elders stroked their beards. From their perspective, if Garrett wished to prove something, that was for the best; if not, they could not say much. After all, the affairs of the dwarves were their own and should not burden their friends or brothers. Archmage Serrano and Mage Simond exchanged glances. As mages, they could imagine the numerous flaws in such a proof; however, considering the council¡¯s relationship with the dwarves, they could not openly object. Whether to agree or not was solely up to Garrett. And on the other side... Opposite the mages, Bishop Klind, guarded by two knights of the Radiant Order, tried his best to hide the hatred in his eyes. Damn it, that little mage again! Healing barbarians, little boys, dwarves¡ªwherever he went, he healed! And always coming up with new tricks! If it weren¡¯t for him, Lord Jeroni wouldn¡¯t have forced me to study some lung cleansing divine technique! If he accused me of murder... Bishop Klind¡¯s right hand stealthily reached into his robe. Next to Garrett, the silver-haired elven ranger flared her nostrils and silently stepped forward. Garrett paid no attention to the undercurrents in the hall. In fact, he didn¡¯t look at anyone there but stared deeply and quietly at the dwarf who had made the request. Observing his unshed tears, his wet beard, the corpses at his feet, until the redness in his eyes faded away, from arrogance to shrinking, from head-held-high to bowing, he slowly and firmly shook his head: "Sorry. I will not treat you for such reasons." "You...?" "Treatment is just that, treatment," Garrett stated firmly. He wiped his hand over his bag of holding and grasped the oak staff in his hand. The staff¡¯s end touched the ground, and its four green leaves rustled as if stirred by an unseen wind: "Treatment is to help those in need. It¡¯s not a force for attack, nor should it be used to prove malice in others¡¯ treatments." Even medical examinations aren¡¯t conducted this way. It¡¯s not that if one doctor¡¯s treatment fails, and another succeeds with the same treatment on a different patient, it can prove the former had malicious intent. Medical malpractice requires a more cautious and professional proof process. As for intentional murder, that falls under criminal law, even unrelated to medicine. His demeanor gentle, his tone firm. With the oak staff in hand, he indeed had a bit of a profound and compassionate priest¡¯s air. Beckett stared at him for a while, then lowered his head: "I understand..." The two mages exchanged glances and nodded to each other. The dwarf elders slightly bowed their heads, also helpless. But Serrano, looking at Garrett¡¯s rare seriousness and then at the oak staff in his hand, chuckled out loud. The dwarf elder coughed. Since the elven ranger was a distant guest and a young lady, he could not reprimand her for breaking the mood, pretending not to hear or see her laughter. He glared at Bishop Klind, majestically stroked his beard: "Then, we shall assume your intentions are good. However, it¡¯s a fact that people have died under your priests¡¯ care. We respect the Radiant Lord, but from now on, please refrain from preaching your deity outside your dwellings!" His last words carried significant weight. Bishop Klind, with a solemn face, neither nodded in agreement nor objected. The following matters did not involve Garrett anymore, seeing the elders and Bishop Klind discussing compensation, he found an excuse and slipped away. "Ah! You looked so funny just now!" Once outside, Serrano couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Seeing Garrett look at her helplessly made her laugh even more: "I was hoping to see you beat those bastards up! You actually let them go!¡ªBy the way, do you think they killed on purpose or by accident?" "...Probably by accident," Garrett sighed: "Even with utmost care, lung cleansing is very difficult to perform. Slightly unfavorable patient conditions can easily lead to death. These people weren¡¯t trained by me, so I guess they didn¡¯t know what conditions were suitable or not." "Then they acted on their own initiative! Hmph! Serves them right! And those dwarves, why didn¡¯t they ask you instead?¡ªHey, next time you do it, remember to call me to watch!" Medically and ethically, everyone has the right to decide what happens to their body. Any treatment by a doctor must have the patient¡¯s informed consent. If they don¡¯t want to be treated, then so be it. ¡ªMoreover, whether to treat or not, patients and families often have many factors to consider beyond medical ones. Some things are known only to those directly involved, not something a doctor can comment on. Having seen too much in his previous life as an emergency room doctor, Garrett knew all too well. "Then we won¡¯t treat," he said matter-of-factly. Seeing Weitman¡¯s surprised look, Garrett shrugged and smiled: "What else can we do? We can¡¯t just tie them down and treat them! What would that make me?" One step forward, and he¡¯s the mad scientist from Plants vs. Zombies; two steps, and he¡¯s part of that infamous numbered squad... The boundaries of medical ethics protect both patients and doctors; they are not to be crossed! "But what do we do?" Weitman pressed. Seeing Garrett smiling silently, he stamped his foot: "Don¡¯t be mad at them, I... I¡¯ll find someone! Don¡¯t worry, there should be hundreds willing to be treated! Before you leave, I must learn this technique!" If only it were that easy. Good news travels slow, bad news fast. To counteract the impact of death during treatment, Weitman and his folks might need to work hundreds of times harder. Garrett had other plans but chose not to share them, merely smiling slightly: "Yeah, keep it up." "No need to look any further!" The door swung open with a creak. A heavy set of footsteps entered: "Would it be possible to do it on me?" "Prince Rothgar..." Garrett almost sighed. This choice couldn¡¯t be better: young, with mild symptoms, strong recovery capabilities, meeting all the conditions for a patient; High status, significant influence, if he could win the selection battle, it would undoubtedly be a live advertisement for lung cleansing treatment... Moreover, improving lung function is also an effective way to enhance his combat capabilities, ensuring he can win the selection battle. "There are seven days until the full moon. Look at Weitman; he¡¯s recovered very well in seven days." Prince Rothgar smiled confidently at Garrett: "If you agree, I¡¯ll go to my father immediately and sign another agreement with the council. Don¡¯t worry, even if the treatment goes wrong, or if I lose the selection battle, I will never blame you." Serrano blinked, looking from one to the other. She wanted to pull Garrett away but knew the matter was significant, repeatedly raising her hand only to lower it. Garrett sighed and smiled: "How can I refuse?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 417: Auntie, You Love Garrett More Than You Love Me! After a round of bargaining, no, haggling, Silver Dragon Ophelia Star Diamond Shimmer and Garrett Still Like a Fake Priest Nordmark finally reached a mutual magic exchange agreement: Ophelia promised to teach this magic to Garrett until he fully mastered it and could successfully release it to annihilate liver flukes in a patient¡¯s body; Garrett promised to reveal two detection magic models to Ophelia and to provide as many comparative images as possible to facilitate Ophelia¡¯s learning and mastery; Both parties retained the right to improve the magic and pledged to exchange the improved spell models... "So, this magic is actually quite simple." The Silver Dragon Lady, having obtained the promised agreement, was in high spirits and explained with a smile: "Have you learned the Necromantic spell [Detect Necrosis]? The spell I just used was modified from it." Garrett gave her a blank look. [Detect Necrosis], a first-tier necromantic spell, of course, he had learned it, and indeed he could cast it. And then, that was it... The principle of this spell? Its mechanism? Which spell structure serves what purpose? How can a spell structure be modified? Even, what exactly is a "necrosis"? It seems not to be bacteria, nor fungi, nor viruses¡ªoh, forget viruses, you need an electron microscope to see those. It seems not to be some kind of parasite either. Garrett obtained one from Linde Ferrell, and after dissecting, slicing, and staining for microscopic examination, he discovered it wasn¡¯t some kind of tumor, and he lost interest... "Necrosis is a spherical cyst that grows inside the recipient¡¯s body through the necromantic spell [Necrotic Cyst], produced by a necrotic cyst mother, containing liquid or semi-liquid necromantic essence," she casually outlined the spell model using [Silent Phantom]: "And [Detect Necrosis] is about specifically probing for this type of cyst within the human body. After the detection, by referring to certain configurations of [Necrosis Domination] and [Necrotic Burst], achieving resonance with them, and annihilating them all." So, the principle is resonance. But what exactly resonates with what? Sound waves? Magnetic fields? Surely it can¡¯t be DNA? Garrett raised a hand, trying to ask a question. However, Ophelia continued without pause: "See, this part is for detection, this part is for annihilation, and modifications to the detection target are made here..." The model outlined by Silent Phantom moved, split apart, and changed colors. Garrett memorized it momentarily, whipped out a notebook, and seeing that the Silver Dragon didn¡¯t object, he started scribbling down notes frantically. Poor barbarian sailors, not understanding a word, twisted and turned in boredom... The final step was to ask the mountain eagles: "Could you help catch a few live animals, hmm, no more than ten, anything from the size of a rabbit to a goat is fine, I¡¯ll use them for practice! Oh, and also catch some fish from streams and rivers!" "Of course, sir! No problem, sir! We¡¯ll definitely catch some today, sir!" From dead animals to live ones, from forcefully infesting animals with liver flukes to using a long needle to inject the parasites into their livers and gallbladders, then attempting spell treatment. Lastly, dissecting freshwater fish to extract parts containing metacercariae, feeding them to rabbits, sheep, etc., and then selectively annihilating them through the body... [Detect Necrosis¡¤Modified], used to annihilate parasites, could eliminate cysts with a diameter of at least 0.15 mm; not bad at all. Next, find a time to try, see if it could kill roundworm eggs, bacteria, and so on? Garrett conducted his experiments methodically. After completing all the steps and confirming the treatment was satisfactory, he stood in the medical room and shouted: "I¡¯m starting the treatments, who¡¯s first?" "Me me me me me!" The barbarians swarmed out. Garrett reflexively jumped back, away from the treatment table, then saw the towering giants already lined up in front of him, their tails swishing out of the medical room. Such good order! They didn¡¯t knock over my table! If they started shoving, my small frame couldn¡¯t withstand much... Garrett was relieved. From the other room, Ophelia shouted angrily: "Come back here! I haven¡¯t finished yet!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 387: Garrett, How Did You Acquire Your Elf? Performing a lung cleansing for the dwarf prince was a significant political and diplomatic affair. Garrett had no intention of making decisions on his own and immediately reported the matter, prompting a meeting among the mage members of the trade delegation. "So... how confident are you?" "Well... individuals vary, and even if there¡¯s just a 1% chance of failure, it becomes a certainty for the one it befalls..." "You never give a straight answer!" Archmage Serrano was frustrated. Garrett bowed his head in silence. He wished he could say that he was over 70% confident by himself, and with a high-ranking priest observing, the chances should exceed 85%... But his words circled back, following the old paths of his previous life. The pre-operation briefing template was used: stable and watertight, detailing the risks of surgery and possible complications, never committing to any definitive outcome. Such habits were deeply ingrained. Moreover, without CT scans, pre-operative blood tests, a range of rescue equipment and medications, and relying entirely on manual ventilation... The safety margin dropped by 10%, and then another 10%, and yet another 10%... Garrett refused to speak out, and Archmage Serrano couldn¡¯t force him, including avoiding the use of a "Charm Human" spell for persuasion. After pondering for a moment, Serrano began to inquire in detail: "What¡¯s the likelihood of the prince losing without treatment?" "Has the candidate from the Black Rock tribe embraced the Radiant Lord?" "How infiltrated is their tribe?" Garrett could provide some peripheral information for the first question, but he couldn¡¯t answer the latter two. At best, he could offer a bit of insight: "Seraila mentioned that everyone in the selection team has a scent she dislikes¡ª" "Oh~~~~" The meeting room erupted into a mix of coughs and chuckles, with amused glances flying around. Even Archmage Serrano abandoned the main topic, leaning forward eagerly, resting his elbows on the table: "Little Garrett, quite capable, aren¡¯t you? Going out for a bit and bringing back an elf! Tell us, how did you meet? How old is she? How far have things progressed?" "Uh¡ª" Before Garrett could hesitate, everyone in the room impatiently urged him on: "Come on, tell us!" "Let¡¯s hear it!" "Sharing with us might give you some ideas!" "Never courted a lady before, Garrett? No? Then you definitely need our experience! Elves are rare; it¡¯s crucial to seize the opportunity!" This was big news! Huge news, indeed! Someone had enticed an elf! Since elves crossed the seas thousands of years ago, disappearing on the other side of the green seas, seeing an elf on the continent was as rare as once or twice every few centuries! ? Of course, some elves might walk among them incognito, changing their appearances, but if not discovered, who would know? Catching up to them was secondary¡ªindeed, mages¡¯ marriages were always a tricky issue. In this meeting room, led by Archmage Serrano, at least half were lifelong bachelors, and their advice might not be very useful¡ªbut they were all eager for the excitement. Everyone¡¯s eyes sparkled with anticipation, urging Garrett on. Unable to stop them, he dipped his finger in the tea and began writing on the table. Mage Hari leaned in to look: "Ah, why write it down if you can say it¡ªeh?" He froze instantly. The laughter and chatter in the room halted as if hit by a "Rapid Freeze," instantly quieting down. On the table, written clearly and still wet, was one word: Silver Dragon. Garrett silently glanced at Bernard. See, he¡¯s level eight, and you¡¯re only level seven¡ªafter more than two years, when will you level up? Bernard scratched his head: "Boss, I feel I¡¯m close too..." Walking and pausing. Garrett shrugged: A level eight warrior, and his Endless Ink Pen seemed inadequate, unable to reveal lung conditions. Without a CT scan, not even taking a chest X-ray, surgery was out of the question! "Um... do you have any equipment of level 13 or above we could borrow? Any type, as long as the level is sufficient! We¡¯d use it for scanning during the surgery!" "This..." Prince Roserga was troubled. Equipment above level 13 in the Dwarf Kingdom was neither plentiful nor scarce, but a few pieces existed¡ªnot under his control, though. Some were national treasures in the treasury, others in the hands of master craftsmen. Despite his status as the king¡¯s son, he had no special privileges and couldn¡¯t use them at will. Borrowing now, with the selection battle imminent, maintaining fairness was essential¡ª "How many? Level 13?" Seraila peeked over: "Just level 13 is enough, right? Then go ahead and scan! Be bold and confident!" She casually flipped her hair. On her forehead, a teardrop-shaped silver-blue gem shone brightly, making her eyes sparkle irresistibly. Garrett tentatively released a "Detect Magic" spell, only to scream, covering his eyes: So bright! So bright! Too bright! It was like being unexpectedly hit in the face with a flashbang! Any sunglasses around to shield me¡ª Retinal damage, retinal bleeding, macular degeneration, retinal detachment... A list of eye diseases flashed through his mind. Help, if problems arise here, apart from healing spells, there are no other treatments! It took Garrett a while to calm down. The bright light seen in his meditative vision didn¡¯t rely on the retina, naturally, this kind of light also didn¡¯t irritate the eyes. Also, girl, you¡¯re truly wealthy; what level is your magical artifact? Under the dazzling light of the rich girl, Garrett completed the pre-operative examination. It was far from easy, mainly because Seraila hovered nearby, incessantly asking questions: "What¡¯s this?" "Rib." "And this?" "Spine." "Why is this moving?" "Because it¡¯s the heart." "Why does this look speckled?" "Congratulations, you¡¯ve spotted his lung shadows... This is where the lung disease is, and our lung cleansing will target this area for treatment..." Prince Roserga stood frozen, shivering. "Can you guys hurry it up... Watching someone else¡¯s lungs being cleansed doesn¡¯t worry me, but hearing you point things out on me truly frightens me!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 418: The Seventeenth Electrocardiogram Experiment Garrett has been practicing on animals these past few days, and Ophelia has also found her practice subjects. A group of barbarians stands in front of her, ready to be summoned or dismissed at her will, as she uses the [Detection Magic] to scan them: "Garrett! Something seems off here, doesn¡¯t it?" "Let me see... Ma¡¯am, this leg bone of his has been broken before and didn¡¯t heal properly; it¡¯s a bit crooked." "Garrett! What are these dark spots?" "It¡¯s nothing, just constipation." "Garrett¡ª" Humans are not the only ones; barbarians can make do as subjects too. When Garrett began studying the [Advanced Detection of Decay], he had already handed over a complete set of human anatomical X-ray images, both frontal and lateral, to the silver dragon lady. Now, she is thoroughly enjoying using the [Detection Magic] (X-ray version) he provided... Ah, the physical differences between humans and barbarians, although significant, are much more manageable than those with dwarves. It¡¯s all about proportions, no joke! Even if Ophelia, beneath her elven guise, is a true silver dragon, she couldn¡¯t help but feel the weight sink in her delicate hands as she took the thick album: Garrett, still so young among the long-lived races, could almost be considered a child. How many patients did he treat, and how much time did he spend, to compile such a thick album? "This isn¡¯t just my own work," Garrett modestly lowered his head, avoiding her astonishment and sighs. The images were drawn by his hand, one by one, but every key point, every detail worth noting in those images, was the result of thousands of healers summarizing their findings on patients bit by bit. Taking pictures, making comparisons, summarizing, writing books. Time and again, revising and iterating... Going further back, it was the world¡¯s top scientists who, with boundless enthusiasm and curiosity, unveiled the secrets of radioactivity; It was the forebears who, at the cost of their health and lives, explored the functions and dangers of X-rays; It was the righteous and courageous who, risking their lives amidst war and chaos, transported China¡¯s mere 50 grams of radium southward, preserving the precious spark for the nuclear cause... How could one take this lightly? How could one not live up to their sacrifices! Thus, whenever he had the means, he would draw an imaging picture for every patient he treated. Countless nights spent drawing, accumulating to now, a thick volume unbeknownst. "Alright, alright... I¡¯ve made a copy, here it is back to you," Ophelia tossed the album back into his arms, watching him clumsily stuff it into his spatial bag, then casually snapped her fingers: "Come here! Is what I¡¯m seeing correct?" "You¡ª" Garrett wanted to say, why not copy the image out? But he paused, turned to Ophelia: "Ma¡¯am, could you please research how to display the images seen in meditative vision to the outside world, to print them on paper? This way, it would also be easier for me to explain to everyone what the images represent..." The silver dragon lady dived into the research. And after Garrett had treated the barbarians, he turned his head and plunged into another research endeavor. ...So, how to connect the electric current drawn from the heart to the cloud screen? In front of him was a rabbit, shaved clean of fur on its chest and abdomen, lying on its back. With a silver needle in each hand, he gauged their position, inserting them between the fourth ribs at the left and right edges of the sternum. Thankfully, rabbits, like humans, also have 12 pairs of ribs, sparing him the need to recalculate the electrode positions... "Summon cloud screen... Descend... Place above the silver needles... Three millimeters... Two millimeters... One millimeter..." The cloud screen trembled. Then, at the moment the left needle tip touched the screen and the right hadn¡¯t yet made contact, it quietly collapsed. Garrett was expressionless. He pulled out the needles and opened his notebook. A root stretched from the oak staff in his chest pocket, wrapping around the [Endless Ink Pen] to begin writing on the notebook: "Electrocardiogram Experiment No. 17, failure." "Reason for failure: The silver needles did not enter the cloud screen simultaneously, causing elemental interference and dispersion." "Improvements: 1, Ensure the cloud screen descends in time for simultaneous needle insertion; 2, Restrain the subject to prevent needle movement; 3, Connect the needles to a wire at the top, fixing it on a plane to maintain consistent height." Hmm, the third method seems more reliable, especially since an electrocardiogram requires 12 leads. The problem is, the faint heart muscle electricity after passing through the wire is too attenuated to be observable... Should I introduce superconductors? ¡ªBy the way, what metal should be used for superconducting wires, and how low must the temperature be? --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 388: Buffing Our Candidate! Seraina hovered around, asking numerous questions, significantly delaying Garrett¡¯s diagnostic process. What could have been completed in five minutes took over fifteen, and he had barely covered half of it. Prince Rosterga remained silent, though visibly irritated. After all, one must maintain courtesy towards a distant Elven guest. Besides, it wasn¡¯t as if he had to do anything; sitting quietly and being a good "tool" was all that was required of him. However, the priests present¡ª They were overwhelmingly grateful to the Elven Ranger, almost to the point of worship. "What are you drawing?" "An anterior chest x-ray." Garrett replied without looking up, his pen moving swiftly across the paper. It¡¯s pitiful. In the past, patients would go to the radiology department for an x-ray, and by the time they walked back to the outpatient department, the chest x-ray would already be uploaded to the doctor¡¯s computer. The database was filled with x-rays, always more to review than less. Unaware of their fortune, now, in this world, he had to draw each chest x-ray by hand to accumulate data. "The hilum shadow is enlarged, and the density is increased... Where is the hilum?" "There," Garrett pointed with his pen tip to the center of the paper, "between the second and fourth ribs, right here." This is where the pulmonary arteries and veins, bronchial arteries and veins, lymphatic vessels, and nerves enter and exit the lungs. Any disease in the organs or tissues forming the hilum shadow could cause its enlargement... Of course, there was no need to explain all of this to Seraina. If he continued, they might have to dissect a dwarf to explain it thoroughly. And Garrett wasn¡¯t sure if the Silver Dragon girl would capture a dwarf out of curiosity. Seraina looked at the drawing, then squinted at Prince Rosterga. Then, Vigran tiptoed over Garrett¡¯s shoulder to scrutinize the drawing, ran in front of the prince, and compared the drawing meticulously. Then came the second dwarf priest... the third... the fourth... the fifth... "How can you tell there¡¯s an increase in lung markings?" "By comparing it with a normal lung lobe." "Where is the normal lung lobe?" "Do you see the upper part? Are the markings sparser there?" "I thought those were the stripes on his clothes!" Garrett chuckled. The dwarf priests passed by one after another, taking turns. Prince Rosterga¡¯s complexion darkened further, while Garrett watched with a smile, thinking to himself: Suppress anger, suppress anger... Anger harms the liver, and your complexion is so dark, it¡¯s nearly showing signs of liver disease, heh~~~ Garrett¡¯s pen flew across the paper, completing the lung outlines, then continued with the shadows. This couldn¡¯t rely purely on memory; draw a bit, look, draw a bit more, look again. Although tedious, this was the most crucial part: Identifying the most severe disease, whether it¡¯s Stage I or II pneumoconiosis, the presence of lung bullae larger than 2cm, signs of tuberculosis, suspicious tumors... All depended on careful observation and meticulous recording with his pen. Seraina held her breath, watching from the side. Once Garrett meticulously finished drawing and began writing his conclusions, she leaned in and whispered: "There are overall dense grade 1 small shadows, distributed across at least two lung zones... What does this mean? What¡¯s dense grade 1? How big are the small shadows? And lung zones... Aren¡¯t there only two lungs?" "Oh, the lung zones are divided like this, look, from the top to the bottom¡ª" Garrett patiently demonstrated on Prince Rosterga¡¯s body, six heads following his fingertips, looking up and down: "Miss, that¡¯s the lung! The living lung! Pouring too much would burst it!" Garrett remarked sarcastically, without turning back, addressing the dwarf priests behind him: "The saline solution must be sterile, otherwise, it could lead to an infection in the lungs¡ªremember, the saline solution must be boiled for half an hour before use. I¡¯ll explain aseptic techniques separately later; Pay attention to the temperature, when injected into the body, it should be between 34 to 37 degrees Celsius. Too high and it will be uncomfortable for the lungs, too low and it might cause spasms; Be mindful of the volume of liquid. If uncertain, use Arcane Eye to see if the liquid level is above the bronchus, then use [Detection Magic] to check the lungs..." What seemed like a simple operation behind him had at least a dozen or twenty key points to consider. From whether the patient should be lying on their back or side, to the precautions during intubation, to the concentration and speed of oxygen delivery... Each point was crucial for the success of the procedure, and even the patient¡¯s life depended on it. Garrett really didn¡¯t know how the priests of the Radiant Church dared to perform surgery without understanding any of this¡ªperhaps, they found another technical approach? The priests of the Radiant Church were frustrated. Archbishop Jeroni even more so, berating Bishop Klind with fury: "What were you thinking? I told you to be careful, to avoid causing death, to choose controllable people. How could you still mess up this badly? Huh? Are you that lazy, not monitoring the patients for a few days after the lung wash, ensuring they don¡¯t run into problems? Can¡¯t you even do that?" If Garrett heard this, he would definitely applaud. Any patient with a potential risk must be hospitalized for observation for a few days, admitted to the ICU if necessary. Complications from lung lavage could be due to technique, but not keeping them for observation is definitely an attitude problem... "The one who died, his brother wasn¡¯t devout. You didn¡¯t know that?! Now the issue has blown up, we can¡¯t even preach outside. How will you make amends?" "Your Excellency Archbishop." Bishop Klind knelt on one knee, his head bowed low. Even with tumultuous emotions inside, he dared not look up in anger, maintaining utmost submission: "The urgent matter now is to ensure our candidate¡¯s success in the king¡¯s election. Once the election is successful, the Black Rock tribe, with the new king¡¯s influence, will smoothly enter the court. Then, we can slowly influence these dwarves, spreading the glory of our Lord." "That sounds easy! ¡ªHow do you plan to do it?" "In the election battle , candidates, besides the armor made in advance, are forbidden from wearing other equipment or receiving caster buffs. However, it¡¯s not impossible to prepare in advance to enhance the candidates¡¯ combat effectiveness." "What do you mean?" Archbishop Jeroni¡¯s gaze was cold and steady. Bishop Klind briefly raised his head, catching a glimpse of his expression, then bowed deeply again: "The Mark of the Devout. ¡ªFor this, I am willing to offer my blood." The Mark of the Devout, born from magical tattoos and a barbarian tattoo technique, has been enhanced over years of conquest and plunder by the tribunal. This tattoo stimulates the recipient¡¯s body, enhancing strength, agility, pain tolerance, and resistance to negative effects... The effect¡¯s intensity is directly related to the tattoo¡¯s size. The only issue is that its primary material is the blood willingly offered by a clergy member. "Since you¡¯re willing, then let¡¯s proceed." Archbishop Jeroni¡¯s voice was indifferent, showing no joy or sorrow: "In the coming days, seclude yourself for prayer, adjusting your mental and physical state, trying to come closer to our Lord." --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 419: From Prophecy Magic to Electrocardiograms! Garrett¡¯s understanding of electrocardiograms in his past life... well, it wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t understand them. At least, as a deputy director in the emergency department, he could use an electrocardiograph, could recognize certain dangerous patterns, and knew to call cardiology for consultation when he couldn¡¯t discern them. He was also articulate about the principles of cardiac electrophysiology. But to ask him to manually construct an electrocardiograph... That might as well kill him. He truly couldn¡¯t do that. Electrode tubes, amplifiers, filters. Right, and also to write the program. Garrett rubbed his head, although after crossing over, his hair was still thick, it wasn¡¯t for such waste! So, what should he do? The display issue was resolved, but how to solve the export problem? Electrode patches... coupling agents... the temperature required for superconductivity seemed to approach absolute zero, he wasn¡¯t sure if a silver dragon could manually craft it... "Garrett, what are you thinking about?" Seraina suddenly hopped over and poked him: "I cast [Mind Detection] but couldn¡¯t read anything... what is an electrode? What is superconductivity?" "What did you say?!" Garrett turned sharply. His eyes shone brightly, staring at Seraina, who instinctively stepped back: "Electro... electrodes! And superconductivity... what are those? Why do we need to make them?"No?v(el)B\\jnn "Not that phrase! The one before!" Garrett waved his hands urgently. Seraina stepped back again, muttering guiltily: "Mind Detection... I just wanted to see what problem you were encountering... if you don¡¯t like it, I won¡¯t cast it anymore..." "Mind Detection! Yes, that¡¯s it, Mind Detection!" Garrett jumped up, shaking with excitement. He walked from the front of the desk to the left wall, then from the left wall to the right wall, muttering to himself as he walked: "Mind Detection... collecting information... interpreting... what information is being collected? Waves? Brainwaves? Could it be brainwaves? ¡ª Bernard! Bernard!" The barbarian follower hurried out. Garrett, gasping for breath, grabbed him: "Your helmet! Lend me your helmet! Quick!" Bernard, confused, still clattered away and then rushed back like a whirlwind with the helmet. This helmet, crafted by a dwarf master for Bernard, was solidly made with a pair of metal bull horns added to each side. Garrett grabbed it, and his arms immediately sank. "So heavy..." Garrett muttered as he lifted the horned helmet, gripping the horns on either side and placing it on his head. The helmet was large, his head small, and immediately, it was pitch black before his eyes. He didn¡¯t have time to adjust, fumbling to turn to Seraina: "What if the steel wire mesh is made even finer?" Ophelia simply transformed into her dragon form. She lay in the center of the medical area, closed her eyes, and her body shone with silver light. Psychic power activated, the steel wire mesh around Garrett spontaneously disassembled, dancing in the air. The wires were pulled by invisible hands, one meter stretched to two meters, two meters to four meters, then interlocked into an even denser grid... Garrett automatically squatted back into the cage. The second round of [Mind Detection] was thrown, and indeed, the protective effect was enhanced. "Why is that?" Two eyes, the size of silver plates, stared at Garrett, nostrils puffing, sending bunches of white mist directly onto him. Except for Bernard, the other barbarians had long fled back to their rooms, only Garrett, through the cage, tried to explain to the silver dragons: "Actually, the brain, like the heart, also generates electrical currents, producing observable brainwaves... I personally suspect that [Mind Detection], this magic, is the reception and interpretation of brainwaves... and the, ah, steel wire mesh can block electrical currents, so, it would affect [Mind Detection]¡¯s reading of brainwaves..." [Mind Detection] is a second-level magic. The spell¡¯s effect range is a conical area, with the casting process divided into three stages: The first stage, scans within the casting range for the presence of thinking (intelligent, conscious) beings; The second stage, scans for the number of thinkers and their intelligence levels (Garrett strongly suspects it¡¯s the activity strength of brainwaves); The third stage, perceives all surface thoughts within the area. Thus, this magic, at least consists of three different configurations combined, perhaps with some structures linking them together. But which part controls which, is beyond Garrett¡¯s capability... He looked expectantly at the lady silver dragon. Asking for help! Asking to dismantle! Asking to disassemble the spell structure piece by piece, to see which part controls scanning the surroundings, which one receives, and which one reads! Ophelia, without a word, began to dismantle. In the air, phantoms danced and flickered, fine magical fluctuations continuously appearing and disappearing. For an adult silver dragon, manipulating a few low-level magics is almost like eating and drinking, barely feeling the depletion of magical power. Soon, a spark of electricity shone at the tips of the lady silver dragon¡¯s fingers: "Indeed, it can receive electrical currents! ¡ª Garrett, come out, let¡¯s try again!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 389: The Selection Ceremony for the King, The Final Battle "Exhale!" "Inhale!"No?v(el)B\\jnn "Exhale!" "Inhale!" "Feel your belly puff up! When you inhale, your stomach should bulge outward; when you exhale, it should retract inward!" "But Garrett, we¡¯ve always breathed like this..." "Hahahaha... Garrett, you¡¯re a mage, yet you¡¯re teaching warriors how to breathe... Hahahaha..." "Shut up! Laugh again and I¡¯ll take the microscope back!" The healing location Garrett chose for Prince Rothgar was not inside the mountain¡¯s belly nor deep within the royal court, but outside the court¡ªspecifically, on the mountaintop directly above it. Jokingly, could a Stage I pneumoconiosis patient really stay long-term inside the mountain belly? In a place where flames and smoke swirl daily, and the PM2.5¡ªno, PM10 levels are off the charts year-round? The first priority in treating a pneumoconiosis patient is to keep them away from their previous work environment, to prevent further inhalation of dust! To ensure the prince¡¯s safety, the royal guard patrol to the mountaintop was increased, both intentionally and unintentionally; among the five priests who came to learn, one was a level 15 master; Archmage Serrano and the mages set up a magical barrier around the cabin... If someone could still break through, well, the Silver Dragon Girl, curious about everything, was sticking close to Garrett, unwilling to leave his side. Garrett had unveiled his bacteria culturing, staining, and microscopic examination techniques the day before yesterday, and she had been hogging the microscope, playing with it all day. Garrett simply didn¡¯t leave. With about a week left until the selection battle for the king, Garrett stayed by Prince Rothgar¡¯s side, closely monitoring his condition while also overseeing his breathing exercises. The only awkward part was that the abdominal breathing technique and the like were things people had known how to do for over a hundred years... Cough, inhaling more negative ions from the forest is also beneficial. Garrett silently looked up to the sky, making excuses for himself.jpg. "You¡¯ve recovered quite well!" After another breath test was completed, Garrett recorded the numbers in the medical record book and congratulated: "You¡¯ve already caught up with that guy from the Blackrock tribe! According to the data from Vigran and the others, your lung function should improve further in the next few days. By then, you should be fit to fight!" "It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t know how things are going on their side..." On their side, the Blackrock tribe¡¯s selection team was still struggling up the mountain path. Though Cerrila didn¡¯t make a move on the spot, her slight release of dragon might under her fury still scared off a mountain goat. And with the dwarves¡¯ sturdy and robust bodies, it was impossible for two to ride one goat, letting the priest share with which dwarf... "Absolutely not! In the name of the Radiant Lord, I¡¯d rather walk down than do that!" That physique! That beard! That body odor! He¡¯d rather be killed than ride a goat with a dwarf! Walking down was not an option, not in this lifetime. The priest is a spellcaster, a guide closer to the Radiant Lord for everyone, and from every perspective, he should be treated with preference. If there¡¯s only one mount available in the team, it must be for the priest. And since the candidates need to conserve their energy for the upcoming selection battle, the only option left was for the other five warriors to take turns dismounting the goat, yielding the mount to the priest, and leading the goat on foot... This significantly slowed their pace and increased their physical exhaustion. By the time they reached the summit, they were actually overtaken by the candidate from the Steelhammer tribe. This "Axe of the Army" waved at them, striding ahead with his team and surpassing them... "..." "..." "That elf is detestable!" "Quiet!" Another slap on the back of his head: "Pray to our Lord! Loudly recite! Dedicate your whole body and soul to the Lord! May it be from the God who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne..." Kaimo instinctively followed in loud recitation. On the neighboring stone bed, silent and still, apart from the sound of blood dripping, not even a breath could be heard. In the entire stone chamber, only his prayer echoed: "Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him..." Amid the dwarf¡¯s loud prayers, bowls of fresh blood were brought over, one after another, falling into the divine magic formation, mixed with secret medicines to create a deep red ointment. Meanwhile, the long needle, dipped in the ointment, repeatedly pierced the dwarf¡¯s body, drawing patterns. Interlocking and spreading. On his back, shoulders, arms, legs... "Is it done?" In the midst of severe pain, the candidate from the Blackrock tribe vaguely heard two priests conversing: "Should we continue?" "Continue, don¡¯t worry." The other replied calmly: "We still have enough blood." "But so much blood has already been taken¡ª" "This is Brother Klind¡¯s devotion and dedication to the Lord. Prince, you must understand, we all will return to the Lord¡¯s embrace, without exception." With a click, the shackles on his limbs were released. Kaimo saw light before him, was turned over by someone, and the white-robed priest smiled, showing him the long needle in a porcelain bowl: "Come, let¡¯s continue¡ª" The mark of the devout deeply penetrated the skin. Secret medicines, fresh blood, and divine power merged into one, inscribed on the body through tattoo patterns. When the tattooing was finally completed late at night, Kaimo was lifted from the stone bed, looking down at his thigh¡ª His leg was smooth, with no color or patterns visible, except for the leg hair shaved for tattooing. "Don¡¯t look, this won¡¯t show any marks." The priest responsible for the tattooing pushed him towards the door: "Within three days, it will enhance your combat abilities, making you run faster, jump higher, have greater strength, and not fear pain. When injured, just silently recite the Lord¡¯s holy name to gain some healing abilities. You better take some time to try it out and get used to this new power!" As he stepped over the threshold, Kaimo glanced back in the midst of his busyness. On the other stone bed, the white-robed cleric still lay face down, silent and motionless. With his newly acquired power, Kaimo confidently stood in the sunlight. Around him, four candidates, bearing battle axes and war hammers, wearing full armor, or just breastplates, or even no armor at all, formed a circle. In their midst was a specially compacted and leveled ground, their battleground. The final battle of the king selection ceremony¡ª Was about to unfold. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 420: Twelve-Lead Electrocardiogram Detection! The work that followed was like breaking bamboo ¨C swift and effective. Ophelia¡¯s claws moved quickly, weaving magical power, and soon, she had connected the part of the "Thought Detection" spell that receives body surface electrical currents to the cloud screen. Fortunately, the dismantled structure was only a small part of the "Thought Detection" spell. Even with the addition of the cloud screen, the overall casting strength was merely at the level of a first-order spell. The two spell configurations were connected, followed by receiving, amplifying, and conducting the signals¡ªall in one go. "Garrett! Come! Let me measure you now!" The Silver Dragon Lady commanded. Seraina, beside her, was glowing with excitement and seemed ready to jump in. Her palm raised, fingertips sparkling, as if the dragon claws were about to spring out... Garrett shivered involuntarily. When he measured the myocardial electrical currents of rabbits and dogs, he had to shave the fur off their chests and insert silver needles. Now, it was his turn. Although there was no fur to shave on his chest and no need for silver needles thanks to the "Thought Detection" spell, he still... "Don¡¯t strip my clothes off!" Garrett, as if surrendering, raised his hands and stepped back: "Just measure both wrists! That should be enough!" "Hmm?" "Hmm..." He automatically bent down, pulled up his pant leg, and dragged his left sock down to below his ankle: "And the left ankle as well..." Just testing the limbs would suffice! As for the chest leads, considerations such as specific positioning and how to operate 12 leads simultaneously to display 6 electrocardiograms could wait until he mastered this spell! Soon, long and short lines appeared on the cloud screen. Garrett pointed out to the Silver Dragon Lady, constantly changing the display details to make the electrocardiogram look familiar: "Divide the screen with vertical and horizontal lines into uniform squares,... each pair of vertical lines represents 0.04 seconds, each pair of horizontal lines..." Oh no, how to create the voltage scale? How to determine the voltage that corresponds to 0.1mV in height? Never mind, just adjust it roughly to the height I¡¯m familiar with! Garrett made up his mind and, with a show of confidence, directed the Silver Dragon Lady to adjust the magical details: "Each pair of horizontal lines represents one unit of electrocardiographic strength. Lower the peaks a bit... lower... then raise a bit, and lower again, just like that! Don¡¯t display the electrocardiographic strength with vertical bars; connect the dots at the tips of the bars to draw a line!" It must be acknowledged that Ophelia¡¯s magical control was strong enough and her temperament patient and meticulous. Garrett had one request after another, one idea after another, and she actually adjusted them over and over again without complaint. Seraina, walking back and forth, found herself unable to keep up with her aunt¡¯s pace due to her insufficient magical strength and control. I can¡¯t..." Garrett gave a wry smile. In clinical practice, each of the 12 leads is meaningful, each line, each wave change represents a possibility. If mental strength can¡¯t hold up, of course, one could first look at six leads, then the other six, or even just one at a time, but... Heart disease strikes swiftly. From vigorous exercise to collapsing, it often happens in an instant. The window for resuscitation is usually only a few minutes. At that time, the faster one can read an electrocardiogram, the better... To simultaneously place nine electrodes and display twelve leads, this task might be optional, but there must be some capacity left in this spell configuration! "You..." Ophelia bowed her head, staring at him steadily. In her pair of dish-sized blue eyes, the reflection of the little mage looking up boldly, firm and unyielding, was visible. "Stubborn little guy." The Silver Dragon Lady chuckled lightly. She suddenly cast a transformation spell, becoming a Silver Dragon again. Her fingertip hooked, and the "Endless Ink Pen" broke free from the roots, flying directly and leaving a trail of shadows on the paper: "If you want to display twelve leads, here needs to be changed like this... here too... here... here... here..." Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh. Garrett quickly slapped his spatial bag, spilling out a thick stack of white paper. The movements of the Silver Dragon Lady were so fast that the writing papers flew up one by one, landing under the pen: Straight lines, curves, dots... circles, ellipses, triangles, squares, diamonds... numbers, symbols, formulas... The speed was dazzling. Sheets of paper filled with writings and drawings flew up, quickly covering a wall. Yet, the Silver Dragon Lady was still not satisfied, occasionally glancing at the wall, directing the feather pen to write a few lines, then looking again and adjusting the spell configurations... Watching the "Endless Ink Pen" moving swiftly on the paper, Garrett had only one thought: "You¡¯ve become a mature feather pen now, you need to learn to deduce magical formulas by yourself..." And, thankfully, when the Newcomer Magician Award was given, the prize was a pen with endless ink. If it were an ordinary pencil, fountain pen, or even a ballpoint pen, it really wouldn¡¯t have withstood the Silver Dragon Lady¡¯s writing! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 390: The Lord of Radiance vs. The Dwarf Father God! Chapter 390: The Lord of Radiance vs. The Dwarf Father God! Seven tribes, seven teams for the selection of a king. Five candidates for battle. Formed in a circle. Outside the smaller circle, six teams, totaling 37 people, formed a larger circle, standing behind their respective candidates. The reason there were only six teams and 37 people was that one team had only arrived this morning, losing their qualification to join the final battle, and had to step back with their candidate. What? A total of seven candidates for the king selection ceremony? The last team, having started the latest and returned the latest, was probably still making its way through the mountain paths at this moment... Garrett stood in front of Bernard, sizing up the candidates one by one. The bright morning sun shone diagonally over the mountains, illuminating the five dwarves from five tribes, each glowing brightly. At a cursory glance, it was a bright field, but on closer inspection, the areas varied: Prince Rothgar and Kai from the Black Rock tribe each wore a full set of armor. Helmets, shoulder armor, breastplates, arm guards, wrist guards, skirt armor, leg armor, and war boots ¨C they were covered from head to toe, resembling two canned iron. Ingvar from the Steel Hammer tribe, in terms of reflective area, wasn¡¯t much different. But upon closer inspection, he only had helmets, shoulder armor, breastplates, and leg armor, missing various small pieces. Max from the Silver Beard tribe had even simpler equipment. A helmet, a breastplate, and that was it. As for the one from the Iron Bone tribe, well, he was in cloth from head to toe, with only the battle axe in his hand reflecting the cold light... The technological level of each king-selecting team was plainly displayed in front of all the tribes and guests. Leaving the quality of craftsmanship aside, the weapons would have a chance to collide with each other soon enough, clearly showing the speed of their making. "Following the ancient traditions, walking the path of the ancient kings." In the silence, the Dwarf Kingdom cleared its throat and began to speak. His voice was slow and soft, obviously lacking in vigor, but with the help of divine amplification magic, it was clear enough for everyone present: "Under the watchful eyes of the Father God, this king selection ceremony has five candidates who have passed the earlier trials. Now, you five, in front of all our people, must prove your strength on behalf of your tribes. Before the battle begins, let me ask once more¡ª" He took a deep breath. This four-hundred-year-old king, even with eyes sharper than the young, glanced at each candidate, and Garrett could clearly see Prince Rothgar shrinking back: "Any of you five, or the tribes you represent, wish to withdraw?" Withdraw? Of course, they should withdraw! In his past life, Garrett was a doctor, and in this life, a mage, with physical combat ability close to zero. Even he understood one thing: In a PK between two warriors, full armor versus half armor, and half armor versus no armor, given equal basic combat strength, the difference is not just a little. The one in cloth and the one with just a helmet and breastplate, could you two please withdraw? Don¡¯t waste everyone else¡¯s energy! But things did not go as wished. Under the king¡¯s gaze, the warrior from the Iron Bone tribe in cloth armor stepped forward, raising his voice: "There are dwarves who fight to their last and lose, but no dwarf who retreats without a fight. I will not withdraw from this battle!" Well, if you won¡¯t, the other two with better equipment certainly won¡¯t. Garrett rolled his eyes silently, his fingers moving slightly, tracing a thin, almost transparent phantom behind Rothgar: I¡¯m just the same! Just happy to play along^_^ The drawing of lots and the battles, the confrontations between warriors, proceeded quickly. Dwarves used either battle axes or war hammers, and when these heavy weapons collided, it sounded no different from forging iron. The first battle had just begun, and Garrett frowned, stepping back step by step... "Why are you running?" A delicate hand unceremoniously grabbed him, pushing forward: "With me here, even if an axe flies out, it won¡¯t hit you!" "Annoying!" "What¡¯s wrong?" "That annoying smell! It¡¯s gotten stronger! Much stronger!" Her fingers clenched and unclenched, the tips of her fingers sparkling. Garrett caught sight and quickly pressed down in the air: "Hey, don¡¯t act rashly! Disrupting the selection battle, the entire Dwarf Kingdom will attack you! They have quite a few people above level 15!" "Hmph! ¡ª¡ª If that guy loses, I won¡¯t act!" So who will win in the end? On the Black Rock tribe¡¯s side, or rather, what tricks has the Church of the Lord of Radiance played? Garrett strained his eyes. Looking, he couldn¡¯t tell; smelling, he couldn¡¯t tell even more; quietly casting a [Detect Magic]... Uh, both people, both sets of full armor, were urgently made ordinary armor, not enchanted, magical X-rays showed nothing... Looking at their faces, sorry, the helmets had face guards, and under the face guards were beards. With Garrett¡¯s knowledge of dwarves, he really couldn¡¯t tell under all this cover, which dwarf was more confident, who was closer to victory. Kai felt better than ever before. Warm strength continuously emerged from his chest, back, and limbs. The force of the rebound on the battle axe was almost immediately absorbed by his muscles, causing no pain at all. Humph, that prince couldn¡¯t beat me before, and now, it¡¯s even less likely! "Hi!" He shouted loudly, gripping the axe handle tightly and swinging with all his might. Across from him, Prince Rothgar forcefully lifted the hammer to block, his arms shaking violently, and he involuntarily slid back two steps. ¡ª¡ªDamn! This opponent has gotten stronger! Is it because of wearing full armor? Heavier hits, more recklessness, harder to deal with... If it weren¡¯t for the breath being slightly longer, if it were a month ago, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to hold on! But I can¡¯t admit defeat! The explosives have been used, the steam engine has been turned over, the mountain has been climbed, even lung washing has been done! After all this effort, it¡¯s not to admit defeat now! If I admit defeat, how can I tell all my fellow tribesmen that lung washing treatment is really safe and really effective! "Hi ¡ª Father God above!" Taking advantage of another rebound, Prince Rothgar stomped hard, leaving a deep footprint on the martial arts field with his iron boots. Gripping the war hammer tightly, he raised it above his head, and at that moment, Garrett seemed to see a mix of red and black light shining from the top of the hammer¡ª "Boom!" The war hammer smashed down with a whistling sound. The rhythm of the duel between the two, in an instant, changed from a series of eighth notes to quarter notes. The Dwarf King, the elders, the mages seated in the guest stands, and the priests of the Lord of Radiance on the other side, all held their breath. Anyone could see that the moment to decide the winner was about to arrive! The clash between the two weapons sparked fiercely. The two warriors had given up on dodging and feints, blocking each other¡¯s attacks in a straightforward manner. Suddenly, with a loud noise, the battle axe and war hammer locked together, the two warriors bending at the waist, heads lowered, heels firmly on the ground, arms straining, neither yielding¡ª A pure white light and a mix of red and black flames rose fiercely from each of them! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 421: I learned electrocardiography, but my mental power... Chapter 421: I learned electrocardiography, but my mental power... "Alright, this is what you wanted." After Garrett¡¯s residence was covered wall to wall, ceiling to floor, with no space spared, and the desk piled high with a thick stack of calculation paper, the Silver Dragon Lady finally came to a satisfactory conclusion. She swept her hand across the desk, and a wave of invisible magic force gathered a few sheets of white paper, sticking their edges together to form a large, smooth sheet: "I¡¯ve got the new configuration ready for you. The red circles are for detection, the blue circles are for waveform display. Do what you can, add as many as you can¡ªbut don¡¯t overextend your mental strength!" With that, she hooked her finger and strode away. The Faraday cage levitated on its own, following behind the Silver Dragon Lady, swaying as it flew out the door. It seemed the Silver Dragon had taken a fancy to it, planning to take it back for some electric play. The ¡¾Endless Ink Pen¡¿clattered onto the calculation paper, motionless, its diamond inlay near the nib turning slightly transparent. It was almost squealing in distress: "Really out of ink~~~" Ah, the big shot didn¡¯t pocket the feather pen as an afterthought. How fortunate. Garrett hurriedly took out a bottle of ink, dipped the feather pen into it for a recharge, no, for an ink refill. Then, grasping the freshly drawn and annotated schematic that the big shot had prepared, he dove into studying, understanding, and memorizing it. He had to memorize it thoroughly until it flowed effortlessly, then use his mental strength in the meditative world to construct the pattern without a single mistake. Only then could he invoke his mental strength to pull the external magic force, shaping what he desired... It was difficult... Nine electrodes, nine detection points, twelve leads. If considering limb leads, there was the need to switch back and forth between the three standard leads and three augmented leads... Even just monitoring three leads simultaneously, but having to control detection, reception, and display equates to supporting a dozen or more Mage Hands, or even more potent ones. Clamping, pulling, holding, passively separating... Although he had previous operational experience, most of the Mage Hands were stationary, with only two or three actively maneuvering! Garrett rubbed his forehead in discomfort. Ah well, let¡¯s just get the main structure up and then treat the nine electrodes like nine octopus legs, stretching them out one by one! He closed the doors and windows, entering a quiet meditative state. After advancing to a fifth-level priest, Garrett¡¯s mental strength climbed another level, both in total amount and solidity, significantly stronger than before. Unfortunately, advancing to a fifth-level mage seemed stuck for some reason, leaving many spells unlearnable... Of course, Garrett was capable of memorizing it. But just partitioning the main structure into even squares, each corresponding to an input signal, was already painful; processing the information from nine detection points into twelve signals was almost unbearable. He gritted his teeth, mobilized his mental strength, and forcefully constructed the entire model... Then, holding a shaved rabbit, he invoked his mental strength to construct the cloud screen. Using the screen as a base, he extended detection tendrils one by one. To reduce Garrett¡¯s consumption, the Silver Dragon Lady, while designing the spell model, eliminated most of the "Detect Thoughts" functionality, keeping only the detection and transmission modules. Even the magic¡¯s endpoint, after consulting with Garrett, was changed to be guided by mental strength on the spot¡ª Anyway, during an ECG, the doctor also sticks the electrodes on the patient one by one, cough. Garrett controlled his mental strength to remain calm, guiding the detection heads, placing them on the rabbit one by one. Left front paw! Right front paw! Left hind paw! Although it was possible to place a ring of detection heads around the heart inside the body, for the first trial, he started with standard positions... After placing the three detection heads, connecting to the cloud screen, and lighting up the power, one, two, three, the ECG¡ªbegan¡ª The cloud screen lit up with a mess of lines. Zzzz, zzzz, like a severely interfered radar, or like static on a television. And Garrett, involuntarily screamed, bending down holding his head. When he lifted his head again, the thin cloud screen silently dissipated into nothing. Garrett: ...Was it too forced? Can my mental strength not support it? Hmm, it must be because I¡¯m too tired today! It must be! Garrett rested to gather his strength, had a good sleep, and started over the next day. This time, the result was indeed much better, with one, two, three ECG lines appearing on the cloud screen... --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 391: You Betrayed the Father God, Get Out of the Royal Court! A stir erupted throughout the arena. Each god¡¯s magic, or at least their signature or major spells, carries a unique brilliance. Just like the invasion by the Church of the Radiant Lord that Garrett witnessed on the battlefield: The Church of the Radiant Lord¡¯s magic was like mountains pressing down, connected from earth to sky, enveloped in white light; The Spring Goddess¡¯s Church shimmered in a gentle, water-blue radiance; The Church of the God of Nature glowed with a vibrant green light; And the Temple of the War God glowed with a solid, condensed black-red brilliance. Dark as steel, red as blood¡ªcompared to that, the light flaring from Prince Rothgar was also black-red but shone with the golden red of magma and flame, much brighter than the War God¡¯s magic. The black-red flame surging around Prince Rothgar was expected; but what was happening with Kai?! "What¡¯s going on with Kai?" Archbishop Jeroni, at a location directly opposite Garrett and his group, asked his subordinate in a low voice: "Didn¡¯t you oversee the tattooing? Did it go wrong? Or was the potion mixed incorrectly?" The ¡¾Mark of the Faithful¡¿¡¯s power was deeply embedded within the body, hardly leaking out. If it were so easily detectable, the church would not have chosen such a method, risking nearly half the life of a bishop. "No, not at all!" The priest beside him replied with a wronged expression: "You know me, I tattoo so many people a year, how could I possibly mess up! Besides, the ¡¾Mark of the Faithful¡¿ potion, it¡¯s impossible to mix incorrectly! There¡¯s nothing simpler than it!" Across the field, the Silver Dragon Maiden chuckled and withdrew her finger, concealing her identity and power. However, whether it was a mistake in the concoction or someone tampering with it, the pure, brilliant white light had already illuminated everyone¡¯s eyes. If it were just an aura visible in meditation, visible only to the caster, there might have been room for excuses. But with one pure white and one black-red flame rising against each other, even dwarves without any extraordinary powers could see it clearly! "That guy doesn¡¯t believe in the Father God!" After a moment of silence, an angry shout erupted from the back of the crowd. Soon, more and louder shouts joined in: "He believes in the Radiant Lord!" "He betrayed the Father God!" "Those who do not believe in the Father God, have no right to be king!" "Get out!" "Get out¡ª" Clang clang bang bang¡ª Garrett hastily erected a shield spell. What a joke, if you¡¯re going to throw shoes, at least aim properly! It almost hit me! And they stink¡ªugh... More shoes, of course, landed on Kai, and Prince Rothgar also took quite a few stray hits. Thankfully, both dwarves were clad in full armor, so as long as they weren¡¯t iron boots, a hit was just a hit, no serious harm done. R?¦¡??O??BE?s Swipe! Swipe! Swipe! White light flickered continuously. Large masses of bright light condensed on Kai¡¯s left arm, making each of his ax strikes faster and more powerful than the last. Prince Rothgar was forced to roll around the ground, tumbling from the center of the arena all the way to its edge. With a dwarf¡¯s stature and waist circumference, this rolling motion resembled a lion¡¯s head meatball covered in silver foil. Under normal circumstances, Garrett would have burst out laughing. But at this moment, not a smile could be found, his fists clenched tightly, full of worry: What to do? What to do? Is there any way to help him? Never mind winning or losing, if this ax hits, it could mean a broken arm or leg at best, death at worst! Can magic be used? Can divine magic be used? It seems like interference from the outside is not allowed, otherwise, it would be considered cheating, is there any way to do it without being noticed? His mind flashed through the spells he had learned like the end credits of a movie, one by one, in rows, searching for any magic he knew. At the edge of the arena, two dwarf elders stood opposite each other, their hands flickering with light, divine magic ready to unleash; two high-ranking warriors clenched their war hammers, ready to rush into the arena at any moment to block a fatal blow¡ª Although being saved meant losing, if Prince Rothgar lost, it meant that the traitor to the Father God would become king. But faith could be argued about later, they couldn¡¯t watch the prince die! Dong! Prince Rothgar finally hit the edge of the arena. He paused in his motion, and Kai seized the opportunity to deliver another ax strike directly atop. Prince Rothgar struggled to raise his arms, blocking upwards with his war hammer, but was pressed down hard. The ax pressed on the helmet, creating a thunderous noise¡ª "Ah!" Garrett jumped up from his floating disk. The Silver Dragon Maiden held down his arm with one hand, pressing him back into his seat, while her other hand already glowed with light. Just then, at the edge of the arena, an unprecedented roar erupted: "Ahhhhhhhhhh¡ª" Light ascended! Golden-red, like magma, the light once again surged from Prince Rothgar! The blazing light scorched the black spiritual light, representing steel, into a reddish hue! The light condensed, whirled, exploded, and at the same moment, Prince Rothgar curled up, bent his knees, and stomped the ground¡ª With a dented helmet and blood flowing beneath, he heavily collided with Kai¡¯s chest! "He has advanced!" At the edge of the arena, countless people exclaimed in surprise. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Enhance your reading experience by removing ads: Remove Ads Now Chapter 422: The Silver Dragon Girl: "Garrett, come with me to the hot springs!" Three curves steadily appeared. Garrett opened his eyes and carefully observed the ECG waveforms. Not even half a minute passed before the world before him darkened, and he swayed on the spot. When he opened his eyes again, he saw the thin mist in front of him dissolving, leaving only the last strand of mist gently dispersing. "Why did it fail again..." Garrett lamented. What use was half a minute? What he needed was not just diagnosis! Not just observing four or five heartbeats per lead and calling it a day! In major surgeries, heart monitoring goes on for hours! And there needs to be enough leeway for operations or guiding healing magic. In such cases, the magic must last at least half an hour while also managing several Mage Hands, occasionally casting healing spells. Only then would the magic be considered useful! What needs to be improved in this situation? Is it a lack of mental strength? Should he wait for the next advancement? Or should he put in more effort, strive in meditation, and increase the strength of his mental powers? Putting in more effort will definitely work! Yes, his mage level hasn¡¯t reached level five yet, definitely because the brain in his mental core isn¡¯t perfectly constructed, instinctively holding back his advancement! "Garrett! You¡¯re too tense!" With a bang, the door was pushed open, and Seraina boldly peeked inside. The girl¡¯s crystal-clear face showed a mix of concern and reproach: "Spending so many days here, all you do is research, heal, meditate, research, heal, meditate! You never take the chance to go out and have fun! If you don¡¯t relax, advancing will be hard! ¡ª Come on, accompany me to the hot springs!" Hot springs? Garrett had just started walking towards the Silver Dragon Girl when he heard her, stopping mid-step. Hot springs? Seraina, are you sure you want me to go to the hot springs with you?! Wait, are we soaking in the same pool? Do you have a swimsuit? Regardless of whether you have one, I¡¯m quite sure I do not... No, I need time to prepare; otherwise, it¡¯s bound to cause trouble! "Don¡¯t be in such a hurry to leave!" Garrett leaned back, struggling in the girl¡¯s grasp¡ªthough the struggle was futile, it at least showed his stance, buying him time to speak: "Give me some time! I need to prepare clothes for getting into the water!" "What¡¯s there to prepare!" Seraina continued to drag him outside. It¡¯s just clothes, can¡¯t you wear your usual clothes? Don¡¯t you have clothes in your space bag? Delaying going out for this, how silly! "It¡¯s rare to go out; how can I not be prepared!" Garrett continued to struggle: "Did you bring food? What about drinks?" "I can hunt!" "How can you only eat grilled meat when soaking in the hot springs!" Garrett clung to the door frame: "Soaking in the hot springs, drinking ice-cold fruit juice, eating fruits and delicious desserts, that¡¯s the proper way to enjoy the hot springs! Catching animals along the way is of no use! Give me some time to prepare the seasonings!" ????a?o????E?S Mixed spices for grilled meat CHECK¡Ì Grill CHECK, skewers CHECK, charcoal for grilling CHECK¡Ì Yukata CHECK, towels CHECK, soap CHECK, slippers CHECK¡Ì Garrett emptied his space bag and filled it with enough food to feast a Silver Dragon and all sorts of bathing supplies. Then, he specifically picked out the walking sticks used for mountain climbing, returning the oak staff to its staff form, one in each hand, full of confidence: "Ready to set off!" If I could climb up to the dragon¡¯s nest under the dragon¡¯s majesty, descending to the hot springs is not an issue at all! Then, at the platform at the entrance to the dragon¡¯s nest, a gust of wind nearly blew Garrett off the cliff. Behind him, Seraina reverted to her dragon form, flapping her wings, and lightly lifting him into the air with a slight stretch of her claws. The strong wind immediately made it hard for Garrett to breathe. "Seraina! Where are we going?!" After a long while, Garrett struggled to cast a Mage Armor on himself and yelled out for breath. The mountain range below stretched endlessly, winding like a dragon, and the dragon¡¯s nest was the highest among the peaks¡ª But, the dragon¡¯s nest doesn¡¯t contain magma; it¡¯s not a volcano, so it shouldn¡¯t have hot springs on top. Seraina, why are you flying me upwards? "Taking you to see my home!" Seraina shouted back: "The plateau is too beautiful! Garrett, when we return, I¡¯ll take you to lie there and watch the stars!" She flew higher and higher, and indeed, a massive rectangular rock appeared in Garrett¡¯s view, large enough for dozens of dragons to roll around. Seraina circled reluctantly above the dragon¡¯s nest three times before flapping her wings northward. While flying, she chatted with Garrett: "When I look for a dragon¡¯s nest in the future, I want one just like this! A huge, huge piece of flat rock! A flat stone top, convenient for sunbathing and star gazing! One side facing the sea, the other the forest, easily finding things to eat..." Garrett deeply felt that he was just a poor man. His high-level mage tower, if used by the dragon lady to sharpen her claws, would probably not be enough, right? ...No worries, the dragon lady is currently just a young dragon, and she has just entered her youth. By the time she reaches adulthood, my fortune should have caught up with an adult dragon... right...? --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Enhance your reading experience by removing ads: Remove Ads Now Chapter 392: Garrett Cleanses Lungs, Royal Recognition, and Becomes a Great Assistant! Rothgar Firehammer had been stuck at Level 8 for over a decade. This "over a decade" didn¡¯t start from the moment he advanced to Level 8, but rather, it had been a solid ten-plus years since he felt the threshold of advancement, yet failed to cross it. Every time, whether it was during rest, training, gathering strength, seeking opponents, or challenging himself in perilous places, he always fell short by just a little bit. Yes, quite literally, "a little bit of breath." Rothgar felt that it was always during the most intense battles, when his blood boiled and all his strength converged, that he would suddenly find himself short of breath, unable to catch that next breath. And then, any hopes of advancement... Gone. But this time was completely different! From the moment he successfully cleansed his lungs, he felt refreshed inside and out, or as Wigran put it, "like shedding two pounds." Running, exerting force, swinging his hammer, fighting¡ªall without the mid-battle sensation of chest tightness and breathlessness! An opponent of equal strength! The determination to win! The duty to expel traitors! A critical situation of life and death! One after another, these moments piled up over ten years, finally culminating at a crucial life-or-death moment, allowing him to leap over the barrier that had held him back for so many years! "AAAAAAAH!" he roared, his eyes burning red with bloodlust, as he collided into Kai¡¯s chest with a "thud" that made Garrett, watching from across the training ground, shiver: How heavy was that hit! Concussion! Skull fracture! Extradural hematoma! Rib fractures! Pneumothorax and hemothorax! Traumatic asphyxiation! A series of cranial and chest traumas flashed through Garrett¡¯s mind. Rubbing his hands together, his fingertips sparkling with white light, he instinctively stood up: Several of these injuries could be fatal within minutes! Improper emergency response could mean one or even two lives lost! Luckily, dwarves are much sturdier than humans, and the protective effects of their helmets and breastplates far exceeded Garrett¡¯s estimates. Kai staggered back several steps and then sat down hard on the ground; meanwhile, Prince Rothgar stood firm, shook his head, and charged back into the fray with renewed vigor: Boom! Boom! Boom! Garrett exhaled, sat back down comfortably, and continued watching. His fingers rhythmically tapped the edge of his floating disk, now lightly, now heavily: 80! Protection from Projectiles! Feather Fall! Don¡¯t come over here, ah! And even if you do, don¡¯t you dare throw me into the air! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Prince Rothgar, full of excitement, ran faster and faster. Under Garrett¡¯s nearly terrified gaze, he came to a stop, skidded to a halt, and turned around¡ª He grabbed Garrett¡¯s arm and hoisted it high above his head. Even with his height limitation, stretching as much as he could on tiptoes and fully extending his arm, he could only lift Garrett¡¯s elbow just above his shoulder... But the prince¡¯s, or rather, the new king¡¯s enthusiasm and sincerity were beyond question. In the silence that followed, only his passionate shouts resounded in everyone¡¯s ears: "Let me introduce you all! This is Garrett Nordmark, my companion during the selection ceremony and a divine healer! He personally cleansed my lungs and cured my chest congestion, making my advancement today possible!" "What? Lung cleansing?" "Can it really not kill you?" "And you can advance?" The arena was instantly abuzz. Old, young, adolescents, humans, dwarves, barbarians, orcs... All eyes were fixed on Garrett, as if his face bore a complete manual stamped with a "Royal Family Endorsed, Quality Assured" seal. This... I indeed wanted to promote the effects of lung cleansing, but now it seems the effect is a bit too good... Garrett managed a stiff smile, already envisioning a future filled with surgeries from morning till night, operating non-stop from 8 AM to midnight. Beside him, the Silver Dragon Lady grinned, giving him a thumbs up: "Well done!" Many great healers couldn¡¯t achieve this! Only Garrett could! "Garrett Nordmark..." Archbishop Jeroni lowered his eyes, his expression unchanged, neither happy nor angry. He murmured so softly that only his close associates could hear, yet his voice was crystal clear: "Remember this name. When you return... add him to the register, have the Tribunal pay special attention, and look for an opportunity." "Yes!" The priests bowed in response. Far away in the stands, Archmage Serrano dispelled his Eagle Eye spell and said to the mages around him: "Prepare for negotiations. Let¡¯s secure a good deal for Garrett. By the looks of it, those dwarf priests won¡¯t learn lung cleansing anytime soon, and our young friend might not be able to leave..." --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Enhance your reading experience by removing ads: Remove Ads Now Chapter 423: Miss Silver Dragon’s Private Hot Spring The silver dragon flew and flew. Garrett swung and swung below. "Mage armor... Shield spell... Cold and heat resistance... Bubble spell... Achoo! Seraina, how much further do we have?" "Not much further! The hot spring is very close!" Garrett looked down at the mountain ranges and strings of pearl-like melting snow lakes below, and he couldn¡¯t feel that the hot springs were anywhere near. ¡ªSpeaking of which, as far as he could see, none of the mountaintops looked like a volcanic crater! Miss, we¡¯ve been flying for¡ªAchoo!¡ªalmost an hour now, haven¡¯t we? Does that mean we have another hour to go? Well, let¡¯s just treat it as a preparatory experience for flying spells. The headwind is a bit strong; let¡¯s add a ¡¾Long-Distance Protection¡¿and then a feather-falling spell... Garrett was quite looking forward to the hot springs. Steaming geothermal hot springs! Soaking in the spring water, facing nature, with forests, snow mountains, and starry skies overhead¡ªwhat a beautiful scene! While soaking, maybe a deer would come to the edge of the spring to drink, or monkeys might come down to join... Uh, let¡¯s not hope for that. Counting on Miss Silver Dragon¡¯s dragon majesty, all beasts would retreat, not to compete with them for the pool. Anyway, soaking in the hot springs and enjoying the beautiful scenery is very pleasant. Like the Hai Luo Gou Hot Springs, the Alps Snow Mountain Hot Springs, the Sapporo Hot Springs... Sorry, can only see those in dreams. To actually go there to play, first, there¡¯s no time, second, no money. As for the hot springs he had experienced himself... In his previous life, thanks to the massive crowd, the hot springs he could soak in were mostly fake, meaning, large boilers heated the water, and then some herbal packets were added. What? Real hot springs? Local classmates mysteriously said: "They are all enclosed, and we ordinary folks can¡¯t soak in them..." This time, the one Seraina brought him to, must be a real hot spring, right? He wondered how big the pool was, whether it was big enough for Miss Silver Dragon to splash around... The silver dragon broke through the wind. Due to racial characteristics, silver dragons are more adapted to and prefer cold climates, naturally generating cold mist under their wings during daily activities. This time, however, Seraina flew very restrainedly, absorbing every wisp of cloud and mist into her mouth, not letting any touch Garrett. She flew eastward and northward, skimming along the coastline. Below, the mountain peaks rose and fell. Though in the far north, warmed by the ocean currents and the moisture blown from the sea, the mountains were still covered in a layer of lush green. Occasionally, deer could be seen running in the fields, lowering their heads to nibble on the greenery. Garrett looked down from the dragon¡¯s claws, feeling the fresh breeze on his face, utterly different from looking at the earth from an airplane. He didn¡¯t know how many mountain peaks they had flown over. Suddenly, on a distant mountaintop, a piece of bright mirror-like silver light appeared. "We¡¯re there!" "Garrett, wake up! Let¡¯s go to the island in the center of the lake! It¡¯s more fun over there!" "...How do I get there?" Garrett sat up in the groove, looking towards the small island in the center of the lake. The mist was thick, and the lake was like a mirror, making it unclear how far it was to the island. He wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t swim, but swimming all the way there... Would probably be exhausted halfway, right? "Ah, I¡¯ll carry you as we swim!" The dragon¡¯s head dipped into the water. The huge wave rose again, and soon, the shiny back of the silver dragon appeared not far from the slope, shimmering faintly: "Hurry up, get on my back! Hold on to me!" "...You¡¯re not going to fly there, right?" Garrett asked cautiously. He was soaking wet, and if Seraina took off flying, the cold wind would blow, setting him straight for a severe cold! "Why would I fly! The lake water is warm, soaking in it is so comfortable! Hurry up!" With a flick of her tail, countless splashes rose. Garrett tightened the space bag around his waist, dove into the water, and started paddling hard. Even though she was a young silver dragon, her body length was equivalent to half a standard pool. Garrett paddled seven or eight times before he finally got on the dragon¡¯s back and grabbed onto the spines in the middle of her back. "Hold on tight!" Seraina twisted her slender neck, looking back at him: "Off we go! Yo¡ªHo!" Splashes surged, and waves were cut through. Garrett held onto the dragon¡¯s back spines, trying his best to stabilize his body, sticking his head out: ...This journey is too thrilling! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Enhance your reading experience by removing ads: Remove Ads Now Chapter 393: Garrett: Compensation? Just give me a few injections "Level 3 disease removal cannot achieve the effects of a Lung Cleansing Art! When calculating compensation, the Lung Cleansing Art should at least be considered equivalent to a Level 4 divine spell!" "Disease removal can cure a person! Lung Cleansing Art only provides temporary relief! It should be considered one level lower, at most Level 3!" "He performed the spell under the supervision of a high-ranking priest!" "Nonsense! If it didn¡¯t require a high-ranking priest, it wouldn¡¯t be priced the same!" Mage Simond and the dwarf elder responsible for trade negotiations sat face to face, competing in lung capacity, banging on the table. Around them, two or three mages cast the Strength of the Bull to help bang the table to bolster their presence... Garrett, that guy, dove headfirst into the medical room and ignored everything else, surrounded by five or six priests watching his diagnosis, treatment, and listening to his explanation of the procedure; all these conditions and the compensation were for them to discuss! Who is the Level 4 mage here? Who is supposed to run errands, deliver materials, notify everyone about meetings, and take care of miscellaneous matters? It¡¯s infuriating! Oh, right. Garrett¡¯s joining the king-selection team wasn¡¯t for nothing. Besides a "Dwarf Friend" title and the treatment of sitting next to the new king at the coronation banquet, it seems there should be some actual compensation. These matters also needed to be discussed by them... But fair is fair, dwarves indeed make good negotiating partners, honest and not deliberately underpricing. In the king-selection battle, the displayed technologies like dynamite mining, steam hammers, and oxygen refining, how much are these technologies worth to use once, and how much for a technology transfer; How much is one Lung Cleansing session worth, including consumables and operation; How much is teaching the dwarves the Lung Cleansing technique worth... From the elders to the ordinary dwarves keeping meeting records, everyone had a clear account in their minds. While negotiating prices, their faces seemed a bit guilty. Of course, the reason for bargaining to death despite the guilt is¡ª "We can¡¯t possibly pay the compensation in gold! We can¡¯t afford it!" "Of course, of course." Mage Simond nodded in preparation. What use is gold? What does Garrett need gold for? At such a young age, already a Level 4 mage with a high-level mage tower, what does he need gold for? The resources he¡¯ll need later can¡¯t be obtained with gold! "Let¡¯s settle on a figure first, then ask Garrett what he wants, and deduct it from that amount?" "That¡¯s all we can do..." The dwarf elder sighed. If the Dwarf Kingdom had enough gold, buying food every year wouldn¡¯t be a big problem. Besides, even if they settled the compensation this time, the dwarves would still owe a big favor... They finally agreed on the total compensation and went to find Garrett. Garrett was deep in a crowd of priests, intently injecting saline into dwarf lungs. Upon hearing the inquiry, he casually "Oh"ed: "Why don¡¯t you make him some armor?" He gestured with a finger behind his back towards Bernard. Immediately, three to five thick arms stretched out from all directions, dragging the barbarian out with collective effort. The nearest dwarf hurriedly sat down, grabbed the generator handle, and started cranking it joyfully... For the barbarian¡¯s armor, the Dwarf Kingdom deployed its finest masters and materials, aiming for Bernard to be able to wear it at Level 7 and still have sufficient protection at Level 10 or above, even at Levels 12 or 13. This was not Garrett¡¯s request, but their goodwill: After all, Garrett went around consulting magicians, quietly researching, and daily filling several animals¡¯ lungs with water without ever saying once that this was for researching dwarf treatment, at least reimburse the cost of the animals. This favor had to be acknowledged. Besides, the barbarian¡¯s body would swell during frenzy, so the armor had to be designed with elasticity while still ensuring defensive power... Even sparing no expense in design, forging, and enchanting, all material and labor costs combined were still far less than half of the owed compensation. Mage Simond sighed again and, along with the dwarf elder, went to find Garrett: "What else do you need? Let¡¯s ask for a few more items to balance the account, or else they¡¯ll feel uncomfortable!" "Tell me what materials to use! Whatever you say, I¡¯ll use! I¡¯ll personally forge them!" ...Materials, I don¡¯t know about that. Manganese steel, silicon steel, chromium steel, nickel steel, 304 steel, 404 steel, 504 steel, I¡¯ve only heard the names... Garrett silently drew circles in his mind. He thought carefully and began to make serious requests: "Firstly, it must not rust. These instruments are used inside the human body; if they rust, they¡¯re completely ruined." "No problem! I¡¯ll alloy them with orichalcum!" "Secondly, they should ideally conduct magic easily, or at least, embed a line for me to channel magic." A surgical knife with built-in electrocautery is convenient and efficient, only those who use it know! "No problem! I¡¯ll add some mithril! Or embed a mithril wire!" The dwarf elder took everything upon himself. Material issues were easy to solve! "The blade must be sharp enough, the surface of the instruments smooth, the strength sufficient, especially for hooks, forceps, and bone shears, they can¡¯t bend while being used..." "I... I¡¯ll be careful during tempering..." The dwarf elder, holding the record book, cried and walked away, pulling his hair as he went. Mage Simond followed behind: "Hey! Hey! We haven¡¯t discussed the price yet!" Price was something Garrett didn¡¯t care about. He had surgeries to perform, meditation, endless curiosity from the silver dragon girl to deal with, busy every day. He only knew the sound of tinkering, as the surgical instruments he requested were delivered one by one, along with Mage Simond¡¯s response: "It seems you still have some compensation left, making another set wouldn¡¯t be enough. Take a look, which ones are more important, have them forge a few more?" Surgical blades are never too many, hemostats and tissue forceps neither. Also, various hooks, thoracic retractors, abdominal retractors... He wanted them all. Garrett¡¯s finger moved, then moved again, hesitating among various surgical instruments and tools, and finally sighed: "Make me a few needles..." Ordinary hollow injection needles, the Little Demon "Gold Coin" could produce them. Give him a steel ingot and a gold coin, and producing hundreds of needles in an hour is no problem. But for needles with higher requirements... "Forge me a set of needles, outer diameter 0.6 to 1.6mm, length 15 to 20cm, needle wall thickness 0.2 to 0.5mm, specific sizes are all written in my table... Needle walls smooth, needle tip must be beveled, needle strength... anyway, it must not bend when inserted straight into a wild boar¡¯s back, into the gap between bones!" "What... what are you going to do with these..." Clinical four major punctures: abdominal, thoracic, lumbar, bone. Abdominal and thoracic punctures, the needle passes through skin and muscle tissue, ordinary injection needles can manage. But for lumbar and bone punctures, the needle strength required is particularly high, beyond the capabilities of the Little Demon. Garrett always remembered, when he first arrived at the Black Gate Peninsula, encountering a barbarian who couldn¡¯t revert from frenzy, suspected of intracranial hemorrhage. If he had a lumbar puncture needle, he could have taken cerebrospinal fluid, making the diagnosis more certain! "Also, another set of bone puncture needles, standards here..." --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 424: Come Soak in the Springs and Enjoy Delicious Food! The island at the center of the lake was indeed even more beautiful. The island was lush with bushes, vibrant in red, yellow, orange, and brown, as if a palette of autumn¡¯s most intense colors had been spilled across it. At the center of the island, there was a pool of clear spring water, steaming hot, with wisps of white mist swirling above. Garrett, wrapped in a fur coat, followed Seraina through the forest to the edge of the spring. The rocks by the spring were pure black, smooth and dense, with a texture like glass. A thin layer of mist covered the stones, yet stepping on them was surprisingly not slippery. Looking closely, the surface was marked with lines, both deep and shallow, creating patterns. Garrett, even as he settled into the spring, kept touching the stones by the water. For some reason, he felt as though these stones bore signs of flowing solidity; their patterns seemed suspicious, not naturally formed... "Are you talking about this?" Seraina, lying opposite him with her limbs spread out in the water, only her head above the surface, casually slapped the stone beneath her, splashing water high into the air, drenching herself. With a vigorous shake, the silver dragon maiden said: "This was done by Colin! Oh, Colin is my aunt¡¯s spouse, a golden dragon. I asked him to refurbish this spring, and he treated the stones with fire, turning them into this! Then I added some patterns, so it¡¯s not slippery to walk on!" So, it was indeed scorched... And, with a dragon¡¯s breath of extreme temperature, the stones were transformed like this. And miss, how did you create these patterns? Considering you had a golden dragon help with the refurbishing, you probably didn¡¯t resort to turning mud to stone and stone to mud. So, these patterns, wide at the top and narrower at the bottom, in rows... You didn¡¯t carve them with your claws, did you?! Garrett involuntarily sat up. The spring on this central island was significantly warmer than the waters outside; he felt warm all over after just a short soak. "Hey, are there any other springs?" He asked, wrapping a large towel around his upper body, peering through the dense mist to the opposite side. Logically, hot springs should vary from high to low temperatures for comfort. However, he seemed not to have noticed any others on his way here... "Yes!" The silver dragon maiden cheerfully replied. "Do you want to try a cold spring? I¡¯ll take you there!" That sounded appealing. Alternating between cold and hot, as long as it wasn¡¯t excessive and within the capacity of one¡¯s cardiovascular system, could be quite interesting. Garrett followed Seraina around the spring, across the stones, step by step forward... For this feast for the dragon maiden, the barbarians spared no effort. They ventured down to the foot of Dragon Nest Mountain, collecting all sorts of fruits. From apples as big as half a fist to snakeberries the size of a little finger¡ª if it tasted good, they picked it. Fruits in perfect condition were preserved as is, while those slightly damaged were juiced, poured out by Garrett into transparent glasses, creating a beautiful array of colors. Garrett dropped a "Frost Beam" spell into the glasses. Instantly, a thin layer of frost formed on the surface, and fine icy particles crystallized in the juice. Garrett smiled and pushed a glass towards her: "Try this?" The silver dragon maiden grabbed the glass eagerly, tilting her head back and gulping it down. The chilly sensation rolled over her mouth and throat, swirling in her stomach, and with her head thrown back, she let out a contented sigh: "Ah..." With her strong abdominal muscles contracting, the diaphragm lifted, squeezing out the last bit of air. Then, the silver dragon maiden propped herself up and smashed the glass onto the floating disk with a loud thud: "I want more!" "Don¡¯t worry, I prepared plenty..." Indeed, the barbarians had juiced an entire barrel. Garrett¡¯s only concern wasn¡¯t whether there was enough juice, but whether his arms would tire from repeatedly moving the barrel... No matter, a powerful Mage Hand, activate! As it turned out, there was no need for extra concern. After deploying Mage Hand twice, Seraina grabbed the barrel, pouring half of it for herself in one go... Under the silver dragon¡¯s formidable control, the juice floated in midair, forming a cup shape with finely crystallized ice. Seraina, holding the juice cup and devouring fruits from the floating disk, was overjoyed. After devouring a floating disk three feet in diameter by herself, she pressed on the stone steps by the spring and soared into the air. Mid-flight, she reverted to her true form, with winds howling around her: "As promised, you handle the snacks, and I¡¯ll catch something wild! Wait for it! I¡¯ll treat you to something¡ªdelicious!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 394: Traveling with the Silver Dragon The Dwarf elder ran towards the great furnace, tears streaming down his face. Refusing to forge was out of the question, impossible in this lifetime; failing to forge was equally impossible. Staking the Dwarves¡¯ centuries-old reputation for crafting and the glory of the Father God, since Garrett had made the request, it must be fulfilled! No need for gems, no enchantments required, no demands for gear level or lethality, no specifications for how much a warrior¡¯s burst it must withstand; just various small, intricate tools were requested, albeit with peculiar shapes, high precision, and a variety of complex and detailed... Crash! How on earth to forge that long needle! 20 centimeters long, with an outer diameter of 0.8 millimeters and an inner diameter of 0.5 millimeters! Such a thin, hollow needle was challenging enough to make, let alone ensuring uniform thickness, smooth inner and outer walls, and enough strength to pierce the periosteum without bending! This was a craft for gnomes, not Dwarf work T_T The old Dwarf clenched his teeth, stamped his foot, and commanded his apprentices to summon everyone! The Elder Council, all the masters and craftsmen, must come together! If he must go bald, then everyone must go bald together! Not just hammers, not just flames, if necessary, divine magic would be used! Directly pray for the Father God¡¯s blessing, shape the desired items with divine magic! The Dwarf elder racked his brain, working tirelessly for Garrett. Unbeknownst to him, this opportunity to go bald was thanks to another group, who had already grown white-haired over Garrett¡¯s requests... "Contact the evaluation committee." "You go." "You¡¯re the head of the trade delegation." "You¡¯re the one in the School of Shaping, a direct disciple of the Lord of Thunder." "No, my teacher is a disciple of Lord Decar; it¡¯s not easy for me to even see him..." Theoretically, the same number of mages who left for the Dwarf Kingdom should return. In practice? Of course, that was not the case! The mages in the group were no children, possessing both combat capabilities and experience. From the Dwarf royal court to the council headquarters, traveling alone, they could safely make their way back. Even the occasional mishap was considered a natural part of a mage¡¯s growth, an acceptable loss within the council¡¯s tolerance. Thus, the council¡¯s management of mages was not as strict as Garrett¡¯s former country¡¯s management of diplomatic missions. As long as the trade negotiation tasks were completed, the council didn¡¯t mind a few members breaking off for an adventure in the wilderness or sightseeing... Except for Garrett. What does a fourth-level little mage need freedom of movement for? Not following the group, can you make it back on your own? Can you ensure your own safety? What if there¡¯s a trap along the way, or bandits, or if the Radiant Church sends assassins, can you protect your own life! Moreover, Archmage Carlisle had repeatedly emphasized the importance of bringing him back safely! The Lord of Thunder is watching you... So, when the Dwarf Kingdom warmly invited Garrett to stay a bit longer to learn the lung cleansing spell, the trade delegation, led by Archmage Serrano, immediately activated long-distance communication to consult with headquarters: Reject the Dwarf Kingdom¡¯s request and bring everyone back? Or leave Garrett at the Dwarf royal court and pick him up later? Should someone stay behind to protect him, and for how long? By the way, Garrett has befriended a Silver Dragon, who now sticks to him every day, seemingly never getting enough of watching him cleanse lungs... With a fizz, several crystals at the edge of a small long-distance teleportation array began to flash simultaneously. One, two, three times, the magic crystals dimmed and shattered, and a jewelry box, perfectly sealed and adorned with constellation patterns, appeared on the teleportation array. Archmage Serrano carefully opened the lid, lifting out a luminous conch shell and placing it in the groove atop the box. Then, he took out four exceptionally large and pure magic crystals, carefully embedding them at the four corners of the jewelry box. With the placement of the fourth magic crystal, "click," the constellations on the outside of the box began to light up, one star at a time, one silver line connecting to another. When all the constellations on the four sides of the jewelry box were illuminated, the conch shell radiated a pearl-like gentle glow from its center to its mouth. "This is Nevis City, the highest evaluation group of the council," a slightly distorted male voice accompanied by static noise emerged from inside the conch shell: "What? Ah! Understood, right away!" Archmage Serrano wiped his space bag, extracting four small magic crystals and embedding them in the power slots of the teleportation array. The small long-distance teleportation array immediately shone brightly, and when the light dimmed, a palm-sized, deep brown wooden box lay quietly at the center. Archmage Serrano gasped. The box looked inconspicuous, but the wood used was shadow yew, a special plant from another dimension with strong magic wave shielding capabilities. To use it for transferring items... What was inside the box? Magical equipment? Or a one-time teleportation item? How powerful was it? What level of magical item required a shadow fern wood box for safe transfer through the teleportation array? "Hand this box to Garrett." The other side, the Lord of Thunder, ordered succinctly: "Then don¡¯t worry about it, just come back as planned. If Garrett wants to stay in the royal court, let him stay. The Silver Dragon... heh!" "...Yes!" Archmage Serrano didn¡¯t even open the box, directly handing it to Garrett. The trade delegation thus departed, leaving Garrett in the Dwarf royal court, lost in surgeries and unaware of the day. His only headache was the endless stream of questions from the Dwarves: "Back up! Wash your hands again! Dress again!¡ªWhat about the aseptic principle! Your hands aren¡¯t clean, you¡¯re killing your kin!" "Slow down the growth of the vine! Slower! If you¡¯re not sure, use the Arcane Eye to guide you slowly!¡ªIdiot, you went through the wrong door!" "The middle part of the vine swells!¡ªStop! The swelling should be a bit lower! At your position, the water will still pour into the other lung!" "Don¡¯t panic, it¡¯s just hypoxia! Drain the water, blow oxygen into the other lung!" "Ah... so boring..." Don¡¯t doubt, this wasn¡¯t Garrett, but the Silver Dragon girl, bored out of her mind. The first time she saw lung cleansing, her eyes sparkled with curiosity, almost wanting to dive into the Dwarves¡¯ lungs; the tenth time she saw it, she was eager to try; the twentieth time... "Garrett, these Dwarves are so dumb! They can¡¯t learn this simple task! Let me do it!" "Don¡¯t mess around..." Garrett stopped her with a wry smile: "What use is it if you learn? You can¡¯t possibly stay here forever to treat them. If these Dwarves learn, they can benefit their kin!" "Hmph! Boring!¡ªGarrett, you promised to tell me why there¡¯s electricity in the heart, when will you explain it to me!" "Just wait... just wait..." Garrett could only smile bitterly. Seraila turned and left: "Hmph! Boring!" Her departure meant she was absent for two to three days straight. Just when Garrett thought she had gone home, the girl stormed in, grabbed Garrett, and dragged him outside: "Have you finished teaching yet?¡ªCome with me, we¡¯re going to work on the heart!" "Wait, wait! Let me teach them for another month!" Garrett struggled: "Half a month! Ten days!... Seraila, why do you smell like blood?" "Ah!" Seraila let go and fled. This unexpected discovery bought Garrett another half a month. After half a month, the Silver Dragon girl, out of patience, still dragged Garrett on a journey. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 425: The Silver Dragon Lady’s Delightful Dishes Garrett kicked his legs in the water, tilting his head back to watch the silver dragon take flight. He cast a spell to amplify his voice, shouting against the strong wind rushing at him: "Don¡¯t pick fights with anything too powerful!" "Got it¡ª!" The voice of the silver dragon faded into the distance. Garrett then dove into his spatial bag to check on his provisions: - Barbecue grills, three in total; two small ones for individual meals, and a large one capable of roasting a whole sheep. - A plethora of skewers, varying in size, the largest still smelling faintly of fish ¨C perhaps previously used by barbarians as a whaling spear. - As for charcoal, enough was prepared to require the felling of two trees by the barbarians. - The seasonings were all but exhausted, with only a last reserve left after emptying the rest. Garrett wondered what Seraina would bring back... A single roasted sheep, at most two, was manageable with his cooking skills. But what if she returned with ten or eight all at once? Surely not. Seraina could only carry one sheep in each claw. Surely she wouldn¡¯t have the patience to weave a basket for them? Slipping further into the hot spring, Garrett poured himself a glass of mixed fruit juice. The drink was refreshing, albeit a bit too tart; a little sugar would have made it perfect. Alas, all his sugar had gone into the desserts... Lounging in the hot spring, Garrett enjoyed his chilled juice and fruits, occasionally reaching for a sweet treat. These desserts, crafted by his own design, involved seaweed brought by mountain eagles, boiled and refined into agar, then mixed with sugar and chopped fruits to freeze into blocks. Transparent and visually appealing, though they did little to satiate hunger. Fortunately, the barbarians had also made thick sugar cookies, almost as big as a face... As the sun neared its zenith, the clear sky amplified the UV rays. Remembering the increased risk of skin damage from prolonged soaking in mineral-rich waters, Garrett covered his head and face with a towel, recalling how easily his skin reacted at the beach. Where had Seraina gone, he wondered? Time passed, and just as he was lost in thought, the sky above darkened. Not a sign of bad weather, but something large flying overhead! Garrett sat upright, removing the towel. Looking up, squinting against the bright light, the sound of heavy winds descended rapidly. With a loud thump, something massive landed nearby, accompanied by Seraina¡¯s joyful shout: "Garrett, I¡¯m back!" Seraina, at a loss for words, took over controlling the fireball, curiously watching Garrett work. This was something new for her; catching more fish was easy, but this scientific process was fascinating. Following standard procedure, Garrett prepared three slides from different parts of the brain, carefully examining each under the microscope: "Looks like... normal tissue here... and here... No signs of eggs or larvae... Let me check another slide..." Concerned about parasites, Garrett meticulously reviewed each slide. Once convinced of their absence, he sighed in relief: "Looks safe to eat raw. Let¡¯s dig in!" "What do you mean? It¡¯s already cooked!" Embarrassed, Garrett quickly applied a freezing spell to the cooked fish brain and devoured it. Without salt, soy sauce, or even mustard, he didn¡¯t even consider using the spices he had. The meal, lacking in flavor, was consumed hastily. A fish this size offered a substantial amount of brain matter. Feeling full, Garrett eagerly took on the role of chef: "Seraina, you¡¯ve done enough. Let me handle the cooking..." With a huff, Seraina skillfully removed the fish skin and scales. Garrett, wielding his prepared cleaver, began expertly dissecting the fish meat. Just a few pieces in, a surge of heat erupted from his stomach! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 395: Dragon Blood Lost! A Billion in Losses! "Aaaaahhhhh¡ª" Garrett screamed at the top of his lungs from high above, the echo lasting for days. "Seri! Put me down! Bernard is still below!" "No way! Let him run himself! Why should I carry him?" Bernard, panting heavily, was running down the mountain path, drenched in sweat. They had agreed to stick together, but not long into their journey, the Silver Dragon transformed and took Garrett away in flight! Protecting the boss was his duty! How could he be left behind? Even if it meant chasing them to the dragon¡¯s lair, he was determined to catch up! The dwarven knights patrolling on goats opened their mouths in awe: "A dragon, indeed..." The young miraculous healer¡¯s ability to befriend an Elven Ranger was already commendable, stirring admiration amongst his peers. Though, they wondered why he would befriend those with pointy ears. But upon realizing his friend was of dragonkind, their admiration turned into sheer amazement. To handle a dragon¡¯s temper, the young healer was truly remarkable! "So, it¡¯s a dragon... No wonder..." At the gates of the royal court, Priest Martin, the only one who didn¡¯t follow the Church¡¯s team, sighed deeply. He had thought the Church had a slim chance of victory; now, it seemed even that was non-existent. Considering the dragon girl¡¯s hostility towards the Church, she would dare to kill on the spot if the Black Rock tribe won. He wondered how many the tribunal would send to take down the young one... Such a pity, such spirit, such healing skills... Even without witnessing the scene firsthand, the Lord of Thunder smiled mischievously. Engaging with dragonkind might be too soon for the young one¡¯s level, but since the encounter had happened, he should make the best of it. "Ah... Dragons..." Dealing with dragonkind was no easy feat! Keep it up, young one! The Lux family, a powerful lineage within dragonkind, had taken an interest in him. Unless he personally intervened, returning to Nevis City would be challenging. Or, it depended on whether he could charm her into coming back with him... Garrett had no time to ponder abductions. Being snatched into the air, he wasn¡¯t scared, but frustration was genuine. Bernard was still running below! Taking him hundreds of miles away might be convenient for her, but what about him? Barbarians are both naive and honest; left behind, he¡¯d genuinely run to his death chasing after them! In the battles, her true form was revealed, and she was unstoppable with her claws, wings, and tail. The only casualty was a dagger stuck in her claw, breaking off between her toenails. Despite her efforts to shake, pick, gnaw, and bite it out, she couldn¡¯t remove it herself... Only those who¡¯ve experienced it know the agony of something wedged under a nail. A quarter hour later, Garrett, seated on a floating disk, directed Bernard to tend to the Silver Dragon¡¯s toenail. The barbarian, empowered by the "Strength of the Bull" and "Inspiring Aura," worked tirelessly, sweating profusely, while Garrett sighed: "That¡¯s why I said to bring Bernard along. Look, I¡¯m not strong enough for many things, but Bernard can help a lot... Without Bernard, who would remove the thorn from your nail..." "Whimper..." The Silver Dragon lay on the ground, chin resting on her front paw, tail swishing. The hard rock shattered under her tail¡¯s strikes, splintering outward: "But he¡¯s so slow... Flying with you, we could reach my aunt in two days. Walking with him on the ground, it would take twenty days... Ouch!" "Bernard, be careful!" Garrett shouted, grasping the "Endless Ink Pen" and casting a Feather Fall spell on Bernard. Bernard had just pulled hard, extracting the blade from the Silver Dragon¡¯s toenail, causing blood to spray. The pain caused Seri to reflexively swipe, sending him flying... Luckily, it was just a reflexive swipe. Bernard, fully armored, wasn¡¯t seriously harmed. Feather Fall softened his landing, and he was quickly retrieved with a rope by Garrett. After the rescue, they noticed the dragon blood corroding a deep pit in the rock. "Ahhh¡ª" Garrett screamed. That was dragon blood! He hadn¡¯t managed to collect it! On the council¡¯s inventory, dragon blood sold for 1000 contribution points per drop, priceless! The loss was breathtaking... --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 426: Garrett "The Indomitable" Nordmark A scorching surge accompanied by pain rose from the stomach, and in an instant, it swept through the entire body. Garrett cried out in pain, clutching his stomach, bending over to sit down. What was going on? Why did it suddenly hurt? Poisoning? Stomach perforation? Cholecystitis? Pancreatitis? Or something else? Which part hurt? What kind of pain was it? Colic, stabbing pain, pressing pain, rebound pain, radiating pain, referred pain... Before he could finish thinking, a torrent of technical terms had already flown out of his mind. Throughout his body, from flesh to spirit, there was only one sensation left: Pain! Pain, pain, pain, pain, pain! What... is... happening... "Garrett, what¡¯s wrong with you!" Seraina was at her wits¡¯ end, pacing around him. Her hands shone with white light, casting one healing spell after another without any improvement: What¡¯s going on? He was fine just now, why did he suddenly become like this? What happened? That fish brain is edible! Eating it is beneficial! I used to eat it all the time when I was young! In her anxiety, her bright silver-blue eyes unwittingly turned pure silver, and her elven round pupils turned into vertical slits. With the dragon¡¯s ability to observe energy, she saw a formidable power rolling inside Garrett¡¯s body, making his figure somewhat blurry. It was hard to see clearly. Seraina took a step back and instantly transformed back into her dragon form. On closer inspection, the power centered around the stomach, rampaging everywhere. And on Garrett¡¯s skin, from the top of his head to the tips of his hair, tiny particles were continuously rising... "Ah!" Seraina covered her mouth with her forepaw. She remembered, indeed, this fish was a delicacy, especially the brain, which greatly benefits the mental growth of young dragons, but that¡¯s for young dragons! Garrett was not a young dragon! He was just a human! A human! And he was a fifth-level priest, a fourth-level mage, with his physical strength, his warrior level, probably only 1-2! If Seraina were a player from China, she probably would use a phrase to describe this incident: The weak can¡¯t handle supplements... The lake water splashed and filled the "glass". Only then did Seraina take a breath, controlling herself, and blew out a very, very small puff of white mist onto the water surface. She curled her lips into a "shush" shape, then blew out a truly thin stream of white mist, watching it enter the water. Within the "glass", the icy lake water she directed circulated around Garrett¡¯s side, taking away his surface heat. In the special vision of the silver dragon, the particles steaming from Garrett¡¯s skin finally diminished, the redness of his skin gradually faded, and his expression seemed not so painful anymore? Hmm, I¡¯m awesome! To make the water flow like this without making him sway, my magic control is getting more precise! Seraina clenched her claw, giving herself a thumbs up. If Garrett had the strength to pay attention to the outside world, he would definitely say to her: Thank you, no need. At least, don¡¯t drop the water temperature so quickly. Do you know that the sudden constriction of peripheral blood vessels due to cold exposure can cause a rapid increase in blood pressure?! Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t know. But fortunately, his young and robust body, which had been baptized by the world¡¯s will several times, did not fear the sudden rise in blood pressure. Even if it went from 70/110 mmHg to 120/200 mmHg in a short time, with a level one warrior and fifth-level mage¡¯s body, it wouldn¡¯t burst a blood vessel or anything... He meditated wholeheartedly. Absorbing, transforming, settling. Then absorbing again, transforming again, settling again. The sun gradually moved westward, then slowly sank below the horizon, and the twinkling stars replaced the burning orb, dominating the sky above them. And the heat radiating from Garrett¡¯s skin had also dropped to a very weak level, no longer needing cold water to help cool down. Even, Seraina felt, he might need to be warmed up now... "Damn it... I¡¯m not very good at starting fires, throwing a Fire Spark Spell into the water doesn¡¯t seem right... Should I move him to the hot spring? Never mind, let¡¯s change the water!" The Silver Dragon girl hooked her finger again. With a splash, the water barrier collapsed, and the icy lake water instantly flowed everywhere. The mountaintop cold wind blew unobstructed onto Garrett¡¯s body. "Ah... Achoo! Seraina, are you trying to freeze me to death!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 396: Physical Calm and Magical Comfort The traveling party finally grew from two to three members. There was no helping it; having accepted Bernard¡¯s assistance, Lady Silver Dragon couldn¡¯t just turn her nose up and fly away with Garrett, let alone grab Garrett with one claw and a barbarian with the other¡ª That would be impossible! I am a noble Silver Dragon, the shining princess of the Glittering Light family! Carrying Garrett alone is already my limit! It¡¯s definitely not because my nails haven¡¯t grown back yet... However, this meant that our journey was significantly slowed down. From the Dwarf Kingdom to the Dragon¡¯s Nest, it¡¯s a straight distance of eight hundred miles, and Princess Moonlight could fly it in two days with Garrett¡ªconsidering slowing down due to Garrett not being able to withstand the wind. But now, with three people ambling on the ground... "So slow..." Seraina complained for the hundred and first time. A straight distance of eight hundred miles, winding along mountain roads, turning this way and that, it amounted to more than sixteen hundred miles. Just walking, even multiplying two days by ten and then doubling it, wouldn¡¯t get us there. Garrett looked apologetically at Lady Silver Dragon. He truly understood how she felt. Seraina¡¯s current state was akin to being capable of reaching the destination in one leap of ten thousand eight hundred miles but having to accompany someone on the ground for years on end¡ª Without being dug out from under a mountain, without a tight band around one¡¯s head, how could one possibly endure? He tried to comfort her: "Running so fast is pointless anyway! Don¡¯t you want to see me heal people? To heal, there must be patients! As we travel, if we encounter any new patients, I¡¯ll heal them for you, alright?" "And... what if there are no patients?" "How could there not be? People eat grains; how could they not get sick?" Garrett confidently replied. No patients? What a joke! With our medical outreach, just a single tour around any place could uncover dozens of patients; how could there not be any? Besides, in this area, literacy rates are pitiful, and the barefoot doctor policy doesn¡¯t exist. Whether a village has a healer is entirely up to fate¡ªeven a herbalist trekking over mountains and through valleys to treat patients with herbs is a rare resource! As a fourth-level priest, dressed in a burlap robe, leaning on an oak staff, I could certainly travel from the southern tip of the Black Gate Peninsula to the north and back again without spending a penny! ¡ªEh, why did "eating" come up? But the confident Garrett was soon faced with reality. The first night, no patients; the second night, no patients; the third night, from check-in to bedtime, the small village remained quiet. Until the middle of the night, a scream pierced the silence: "Ah¡ª" A man and a woman were inside, the man a middle-aged, strong-built fellow with silver streaks in his beard, pinned to the ground by Seraina, unable to struggle free, only able to curse; the girl on the right curled up in the blankets, crying, her face tear-streaked, and under the light spell, her complexion was abnormally pale, forehead covered in fine sweat. ¡ªClearly, something was wrong. But to intervene now would clearly make things worse... Garrett silently sighed. He gestured to Bernard: "Bernard, take over for Seraina, let this gentleman go out to cool off; Seraina, come and comfort the girl, help her sit up so I can examine her." "Sure thing, boss!" Bernard¡¯s large hand reached out. With a press and a twist, he pinned the middle-aged man¡¯s arms behind his back and dragged him out the door. Soon after, Garrett heard a splash not far from the door... That¡¯s not how you physically cool someone down! Well... Garrett pretended not to see or hear. He closed the wooden house door, turned his back to the girl, and allowed Seraina to softly comfort her. Behind him, the magical fluctuations of ¡¾Bewitching Humans¡¿ gently rippled, and Seraina¡¯s cheerful voice soon followed: "Garrett, you can come over now!" Alright... then... One providing physical calm, the other magical comfort, you two really are in this together... Garrett turned around to approach the felt, and at first glance, he saw the girl¡¯s prominently swollen abdomen. Fully distended. Ehmm... No wonder her father was so furious. But, there¡¯s a saying in clinical practice: if it looks like pregnancy, it might not be pregnancy; if it doesn¡¯t look like pregnancy, you must consider the possibility of pregnancy. Let¡¯s see what¡¯s actually going on... Garrett knelt on one knee, clapped his hands together, and began to rub them quickly. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 427: Supportive Casting, A Familiar First? Half an hour later, Garrett shivered in the hot springs. Although the fish brain had provided him with a significant amount of mental energy and a small portion of life energy, clearly, this life energy converted into heat was not enough to maintain his body temperature... ¡°Achoo!¡± ¡°Achoo!¡± ¡°Achoo!!!¡± ¡°Garrett, are you feeling any better now?¡± Seraina sulked on the other side. It was all her fault. If only she hadn¡¯t caught that big fish, or let Garrett eat the fish brain. Or maybe, she shouldn¡¯t have sprayed so much of her cold breath when she was controlling the water barrier earlier? ¡°Let me soak a bit longer...¡± Garrett sank lower: ¡°A bit longer, once I¡¯m warmed up, I¡¯ll start grilling fish for you... Achoo!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want it anymore!¡± The silver dragon girl stamped her foot. With a loud ¡°boom,¡± water splashed all around, like a small bomb exploding in the hot spring: ¡°Garrett, just cast a disease removal spell on yourself!¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t learned it yet... Achoo!¡± Poor Garrett, he had advanced to level five too recently. Priest spells weren¡¯t like mage spells, with loads of available material to study. After advancing, he had focused most of his energy on healing barbarians and researching electrocardiogram magic. He hadn¡¯t learned the commonly used third-tier healing divine spell, ¡¾Remove Disease¡¿... ¡°Well, alright then.¡± The silver dragon girl muttered annoyedly. ¡°Get up, get dressed, I¡¯ll take you back! Auntie will do it for you!¡± ¡°What about the fish?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want it anymore!¡± The long-dead fish had been lying stiff on a rock for 12 hours, its blood already drained. The incident happened so suddenly, Seraina did not freeze it with her frost breath. The picky silver dragon lady refused to eat fish that wasn¡¯t fresh, but for the barbarians, it was a cause for celebration: Such good food! Such powerful strength! Eating this, several warriors in the tribe would surely break through and advance! Sacrificial spirits? Her contemplative gaze shifted, looking at the barbarians busily chopping fish meat. Garrett had convinced Seraina to freeze the big fish and bring it back in a spatial bag. The fish had died half a day ago without preservation. The silver dragon girl found it not fresh enough, but the barbarians were overjoyed: Such good food! Such powerful strength! This feast would allow several warriors in the tribe to advance! ¡°Perhaps the answer you seek lies with them.¡± Ophelia pointed towards Elder Gushan: ¡°I¡¯ve heard, barbarians worship ancestors, nature spirits, and the spirits of mountains and trees. They contract with these entities, offer sacrifices, and borrow their power. In my youth, I¡¯ve seen shadows perching on the totem poles at the entrance to their villages... just don¡¯t know, can such beings grant power to outsiders?¡± Elder Gushan, seeing her gesture, immediately put down what he was holding and hurried over, standing attentively. After Ophelia finished speaking, he promptly replied respectfully: ¡°Normally, it¡¯s not possible. A village only has one guardian spirit, very precious, taking a long time to cultivate. But life in the wastelands is harsh, some small villages, small tribes vanish, and their guardian spirits, if preserved by larger tribes, become a suitable resource, brought out for exchange at the right time.¡± The elder bowed respectfully, his white beard fluttering, his gaze filled with gratitude and expectation towards Garrett: ¡°Annually, at the great gathering, such exchanges occur. Warriors who win the competition, spellcasters who earn the respect of all elders, even outsiders, might receive such gifts. Sir, the gathering is held at the end of autumn, beginning of winter, just over a month away. If you¡¯re interested, we¡¯d be honored to guide you.¡± ¡°What are we waiting for?¡± Before Garrett could reply, Seraina had already leaped up, eager: ¡°Let¡¯s go! Garrett, you go, I¡¯ll join! We¡¯ll pick a good one!¡± --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 397: Not pregnant - but the child is mine! "Hello, my name is Garrett Nordmark, a priest of the God of Nature. What¡¯s your name?" "Galina. Galina Sein." "How old are you this year?" "Fifteen." "What¡¯s wrong?" "My stomach hurts..." Garrett sat cross-legged on the felt, asking softly, while taking notes briskly: Female, 15 years old, appears to be of the barbarian race, experiencing severe abdominal pain... Forget about hospital admissions, that¡¯s not an option. The patient is unmarried, nulliparous, with no history of miscarriages, regular menstruation, normal menstrual cycle, period, and amount, and no history of dysmenorrhea. Miss Silver Dragon¡¯s [Charm Human] is really useful. When asked if she had any miscarriages or something, she didn¡¯t jump up and hit me! In my past life, when asking young female patients these kinds of questions, doctors always had to be on their guard. They needed to observe closely and engage in a battle of wits with the patient, and also beware of being attacked by the patient¡¯s parents. Unlike now, where you can ask anything, and after listening to her heart and lungs, when asked to lie down for an examination, she obediently listens... Garrett gratefully glanced at Miss Silver Dragon. Having her around is too convenient, making it unnecessary to find a female nurse for examining young female patients. What? She is a Silver Dragon? Well, a dragon is a girl too! Garrett sighed and focused his attention on Galina¡¯s abdomen. At a glance, his expression became serious: Asymmetrical.No?v(el)B\\jnn The bulging abdomen, instead of being highest in the middle and symmetrical on both sides, was noticeably leaning towards the right side. This could be troublesome... The bulge leaning to the right side could indicate an enlarged liver? Right kidney? Intestines? If it¡¯s inflammation, it¡¯s already very serious... "Garrett, is she pregnant?" "Shush!" Garrett hushed without lifting his head, signaling her to be quiet. He warmed his hands and carefully placed them on Galina¡¯s abdomen, his fingers together, gently touching around the bulging area: He could indeed feel a large mass. It reached up to the xiphoid process and down to the level of the umbilicus... This position could basically rule out pregnancy... If it were pregnancy, the bulge would be lower, located in the pelvic area, below the level of the umbilicus. So, if this girl¡¯s father were to accuse again, he could immediately retort: Not pregnant! Where does it look like she¡¯s pregnant! At least, such a big belly is not caused by pregnancy! Alright, seems like it¡¯s time for an ultrasound. Garrett quickly finished the abdominal X-ray, pulled out a precious little bottle, and applied ultrasound coupling agent on the patient¡¯s abdomen¡ªbasically, glycerin. Cheap, mass-produced, widely used, and can also be used to synthesize various useful things... Even if using this for ultrasound, the accuracy is far behind the aquatic coupling agent of his previous life, it didn¡¯t prevent Garrett from carrying a large bottle with him. Garrett shaped his hand like a claw, fingertips touching the patient¡¯s abdomen, closed his eyes in concentration, and activated the ultrasound magic. Instantly, Seraina¡¯s eyes lit up, she leaned over, her elf ears spreading out in a circle, revealing a round of sharp spikes and the semi-transparent membrane stretched by the spikes: "What¡¯s that sound? What are you doing with this sound?" She even tried to touch Garrett¡¯s fingertips. Garrett slapped her hand away: "Stop it! Examining!" The right side appendages¡¯ size and echo were normal; a cystic echo mass was seen in the left appendages, size... about half the size of his palm, approximately 6cm to 5cm, with thick internal fluid. Right upper abdomen... Finger moving little by little, Garrett¡¯s expression became increasingly serious: "Right upper abdomen shows a cystic echo mass extending from below the ribs to the level of the umbilicus, right side to the anterior axillary line, left side to the midclavicular line... with septations, clear internal fluid... visible liquid level, with, with strong echoic masses!!!" "How is it? Is she pregnant or not?" Seraina leaned in again, almost resting her chin on Garrett¡¯s shoulder if not for the spikes on her ears. Garrett frowned, silent: Definitely not pregnant, but... Suddenly, a commotion arose outside. A dry, hoarse voice, unlike the female patient¡¯s father, could be heard from afar, shouting: "My child! My child! Give that child to me!" Seraina pressed on the floor, leaped up, and in a moment, she dragged in a thin, emaciated necromancer clad in black: "Is that child yours?" "It¡¯s a ghost baby! I raised it! Of course, it¡¯s mine!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 428: Why is Communicating with Animals So Difficult? The barbarian tribes¡¯ grand gathering, also known as "Akula," is typically held at the end of autumn and the beginning of winter. At this time, the roads are dry, and the water levels are low. Both the animals on land and in water have stored up enough fat, making it the perfect time for a feast. Of course, as the host, the powerful tribes have stockpiled food to entertain guests from hundreds of miles around. Not all tribes attend. But centered around a certain point, tribes within a certain radius that can make it will try their best to come and participate in this annual event of competition, matchmaking, and trading. Warriors showcase their strength in combat, vying for the affection of eligible young women, who are looking for suitable partners. Spellcasters exchange and compare various techniques, while leaders discuss plans to subdue a powerful magical beast or to start a war... Every decent village or tribe places great importance on this gathering. Although there¡¯s still more than a month to go, time is already tight: Just getting there from Elder Gu¡¯s village would take half a month of walking! ¡°So, we¡¯re going to walk that long...¡± Seraina sits cross-legged on the wagon, muttering boredly as it rocks back and forth. To the left, overgrown grass; to the right, more overgrown grass... Garrett decides to journey with Elder Gu and his people, bringing along a few books looted from his aunt. The first two days were fine, with plenty of new patients to treat and new treatment methods to observe, but after setting out... It got boring. ¡°Garrett, let¡¯s go back! Isn¡¯t it better to continue reading at aunt¡¯s place?¡± Seraina complains, pouting: ¡°When they¡¯re almost there, I can fly you over. It¡¯d be so much more convenient! Why do we have to walk with them?¡± ¡°Because I need to conduct an experiment,¡± Garrett reassures her with a smile. On the wagon floor in front of him, four green vines bind a rabbit, legs in the air, its fur on the chest, abdomen, and thighs completely shaven. Conducting experiments involving inserting silver wires into a rabbit¡¯s heart, implanting vines, and occasionally dissecting it, wouldn¡¯t be appropriate in front of Lady Silver Dragon. The more lenient she is, the less we should take her for granted! Besides, it¡¯s easier to catch rabbits in the wilderness than in a dragon¡¯s nest... Garrett sits cross-legged in front of the rabbit. With his eyes slightly closed, his fingertips move the vines continuously, guiding them into the rabbit¡¯s body through its femoral artery. While guiding the vines, he observes the position of the silver wire next to it under the ¡¾Arcane Eye¡¿, and also opens his mind to sense the rabbit¡¯s condition: ¡°Ouch!¡± A huge wave of fear hits him! In an instant, Garrett¡¯s heartbeat accelerates, his hands sweat, and his face turns pale. His concentration breaks, the vines disappear, and the rabbit leaps up, the silver wire tearing open its femoral artery... Of course, they are. Not afraid of ordinary bleeding, but unexpected, massive bleeding that sprays all over the head and face, on the operating light, and even on the ceiling of the operating room, with countless gauzes unable to stop it, standing in blood after a surgery... How could they not be afraid? But the slightest panic or slackness, and the price might be a patient¡¯s life. So, all fears must be forgotten, all instincts suppressed. Focus entirely, with steady breath and calm spirit, all actions aimed at achieving one sole purpose: Healing! Healing! After healing the rabbit, he presses it back onto the wagon floor and binds it with vines again. Adjusting his breathing and calming his emotions, he opens his mind for the nth time, observing the rabbit¡¯s condition. The natural servitors, with their ability to communicate with animals, possess both a blessing and a restriction. When you can feel their fear, sorrow, and pain, when you can sense their tiny hearts beating furiously in the face of death¡¯s last struggle... Natural servitors seldom have the heart to harm them. Of course, to obtain food or warm fur, servitors of the nature god can still choose to hunt animals. At that time, they often shut down their senses¡ª But Garrett can¡¯t do that. He must communicate with the animals, understanding all their reactions¡ªcold? Hungry? In pain? Difficulty breathing? Nauseous? Itchy all over? Not only in quiet moments but also during surgery! For this skill, Garrett has practiced for a long, long time. He can now communicate in a calm state, but the moment he opens his mind during surgery, he loses connection. The 23rd experiment failed. However, he lasted half a second longer than before... Garrett, keep it up! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 429: The Hunchback of Red Stone Village Chapter 429: The Hunchback of Red Stone Village Seraina¡¯s complaint about boredom was resolved two days later. It wasn¡¯t that Garrett¡¯s skills had made a significant leap forward. In fact, his ability to communicate with animals had improved from 0.5 seconds to 1 second, then to 1.5 seconds, and finally to 2 seconds, before it stalled completely. Either the shock to his mind was too great, causing him to be blasted out of his casting state, or under extreme fear and pain, his heart rate and blood pressure would skyrocket, leaving him tottering on the brink, again interrupting his spellcasting... Whether it was magical or physical interference, Garrett¡¯s current ability to communicate with animals was not enough to smoothly continue his research. Fortunately, after a two-day journey, the elder from the ancient mountains met up with a large group from another village. On the wilderness, with the noise of cattle and horses, and the clattering of wagon wheels, the barbarians talked and laughed loudly, creating a chaotic din. After a long conversation, the ancient mountain elder brought the elder and leader of that village to introduce them to Garrett: "Garrett, this is the leader of Red Stone Village, White Wolf Wulfgar, and this old fellow, Hunchback Whitfen, is their spellcaster. Hunchback, this is Garrett Nordmark, a servant of the God of Nature, a young and talented healer." Garrett quickly jumped down from the wagon and greeted them. White Wolf Wulfgar, true to his name, stood tall, carrying a huge sword, draped in a white wolf pelt. The wolf¡¯s mouth was open, with its upper jaw resting above his head and its hind legs barely touching the ground, clearly a massive wolf in life. Its black, hollow eyes stared at Garrett, its teeth bared menacingly. Garrett only glanced at him before turning to look at the other. Hunchback Whitfen had a pronounced lump on the left side of his back, making one shoulder higher than the other, giving him a slight tilt. Trembling, he leaned on a bone staff. Garrett thought to himself about scoliosis, fibromas, lipomas, hemangiomas... Despite his internal musings, Garrett maintained an unaffected expression, his gaze steady and composed. The ancient mountain elder, clutching the hunchback¡¯s arm, pointed at Garrett and chattered: "A few days ago, I fell ill at sea, in agony from stomach pain, and it was he who cured me. Not only did he cure me, but he also said I had worms in my bile. When we checked, it was true! Then, he discovered that many in our village had worms in their stomachs and devised a treatment for us all..." Garrett offered them a smile befitting his age and status. In the Northlands, it was too cold for linen robes; he needed his oak staff. Ah, he quickly pulled out his oak staff, waved it in the air, and it transformed into a staff level with his eyebrows, which he placed on the ground. He seldom used this, so it was not easy to remember... Seeing the five green leaves at the top of the staff, both White Wolf and Hunchback¡¯s expressions warmed instantly. Hunchback, leaning on his bone staff with one hand, extended the other to shake hands with Garrett, bending down slightly: "Mr. Nordmark, it¡¯s an honor to meet you! I look forward to your guidance on our journey. My abilities are limited, so if there are any injuries or illnesses in the group, we¡¯ll be relying on your assistance..." "Not at all, it¡¯s I who should be learning from an experienced elder like you!" After exchanging pleasantries, the ancient mountain elder cautiously introduced Seraina, mentioning only that she was an elf traveling to the Northlands, accompanying Garrett. After their conversation, the two parties parted ways. Seraina watched them leave, far enough away not to hear their conversation. She suddenly turned and grabbed Garrett: "Garrett! What¡¯s with the hunchback? Have you seen this before? Can you cure it?" Her rapid-fire questions came one after another, barely giving Garrett a chance to respond before the next one followed. Initially, Garrett tried to answer, but eventually, he just closed his mouth, waiting for Seraina to finish, then he sighed slightly: "...I don¡¯t know." Ah, medical ethics, truly hard to explain to an otherworldly silver dragon. Garrett pondered for a moment: "Let¡¯s say, Seraina, a king is gravely ill and wants to live. There¡¯s no other way to save him except to resort to a Great Wish spell¡ªbut the cost of the spell would require selling his family, his children, and his subjects into slavery. Should we forcibly use the Great Wish spell and then demand payment?" "Uh..." "So, in reality, our medical interventions are like this." Garrett lowered his head and drew circles on the wagon floor with a "Mage Trick": "This circle represents the best medical intervention for this illness," a red circle; "This circle represents the medical interventions I, as a healer, can provide¡ªI obviously can¡¯t perform high-level healing spells," a yellow circle; "And this one represents the medical interventions the patient, based on their wishes and capabilities, wants to pursue," a green circle. The three circles overlapped in a small area, which Garrett marked in striking black: "See, this small part is what we can actually do." "It¡¯s so complicated..." Seraina slowly lowered her head. Garrett also sighed inwardly: there¡¯s so little doctors can actually do in reality. Sometimes, the three circles don¡¯t even intersect! As a doctor, all he could do was learn and research as much as possible, expanding his capabilities. And then, look up to leaders and researchers in various fields, hoping they could expand the range of treatments even a little bit more... The wagon fell silent. Seraina looked at the small intersection of the three circles, feeling blocked and wanting to say more. Suddenly, from far outside the wagon, a loud shout erupted: "Elder! What¡¯s wrong with you?!¡ªAncient Mountain Elder! Help!!!" Garrett abruptly pushed off the wagon¡¯s side and leaped out, darting away without looking back. "...And you say people should come to us!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 430: Old Hunchback Swallowed the Spoon! Garrett didn¡¯t catch Seraina¡¯s muttering. Even if he had, he would have just laughed it off: "Emergency rescue is not the same as outpatient care! In an emergency, you rush to the rescue wherever you hear a cry for help! What patient consent? The patient has lost consciousness; what consent can there be? Save them first is what matters!" Holding this thought, Garrett dashed forward. Unfortunately, with his short stature and the physical level of a Level 1 warrior, he was nothing compared to the barbarians present. By the time he reached the scene, a thick wall of people had formed, towering nearly half a meter taller than Garrett... "Make way! Make way!" Garrett had no choice but to shout while tiptoeing and pushing through: "I¡¯m a healer! Let me through!" His efforts were... not completely ineffective, but barely. After all, not every barbarian understood the common tongue, and Garrett hadn¡¯t learned the Level 3 Articulate Speech spell yet, nor could he casually throw around the Language Comprehension spell to the crowd... Hesitating for a moment, Garrett was about to cast Strength of the Bull on himself when the Silver Dragon Girl, like a whirlwind, reached the front. She grabbed a barbarian in front of him and easily dragged him aside, the barbarian offering no resistance and stumbling away. Seraina charged forward, parting the barbarians like Moses parting the Red Sea. With Garrett following behind, bolstered by the dragon¡¯s aura, he effortlessly made his way to the center of the circle to assess the situation¡ª "Stop! Don¡¯t touch him!" The old hunchback lay unconscious on the ground, limbs twitching, eyes rolled back, foaming at the mouth. At first glance, it was a clear case of epilepsy. A young boy, just over ten, knelt beside him, crying and calling "teacher" while trying to insert a long-handled spoon into the old man¡¯s mouth, desperately prying... Garrett¡¯s shout went unheard, the boy¡¯s hands never pausing. Nearby, "White Wolf" Wolfgar, the Elder of Grom, and two young warriors were busy pinching the patient¡¯s philtrum and casting healing spells, all hands on deck. Only the Elder of Grom looked up at Garrett, clearly hesitating: ...Should they listen to him? "Stop! Don¡¯t touch him!" Seraina echoed the shout. While shouting, she picked up Wolfgar and another warrior and threw them aside. She was about to grab the boy when a piercing scream halted her: "Ah¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª" The scream was excruciating. Even for the Silver Dragon Girl, with her robust nerves, her hands involuntarily paused. Looking down, she saw the boy holding half a spoon handle, looking up with a tear-streaked face: If the spoon ended up in the stomach, that¡¯s one thing, but if it¡¯s stuck in the esophagus, that could lead to death in eighteen different ways, none of them pleasant. He hurriedly cast Language Comprehension on the boy, asking anxiously: "What material is the spoon made of?" "Copper, with a wooden handle..." The boy replied with a mournful face. Garrett fell silent, took out the Endless Ink Pen, and, using Mage Hand, moved it behind the old man. He also unbuttoned the old man¡¯s collar and checked from the neck to the chest for any strange amulets, then lay on the ground, tilting his head to see¡ª No sign at the throat. Looking lower, the clavicle, the first rib, the second rib, !!!!!!! What was that oval object behind the shadow of the second rib! Garrett crawled closer for a better look. On the AP view, an oval shadow; on the lateral view, a flat "D" shape. Judging by its location, near the second costosternal junction¡ª Garrett broke out in sweat. That spot, that spot was near the aortic arch! The cursed spoon even had a piece of wooden handle attached; if the spoon¡¯s position in the esophagus was just so, and the handle pierced through to the aortic arch, the consequences would be dire! Don¡¯t panic, don¡¯t panic. Garrett tried to reassure himself. The spoon was wooden, and from the looks of the splintered handle, it wasn¡¯t very sharp; it might not have pierced the esophagus. Besides, even if it did pierce, the outer wall of the aorta is very thick and strong, often able to "clamp down" on foreign objects that pierce it. If lucky, there¡¯s still time to save him, still time... "Stop arguing!" He looked up and shouted: "Seraina, clear the area! Elder Grom, come help me! The spoon is stuck in his esophagus! We need to remove it quickly! If we¡¯re unlucky, he won¡¯t survive!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 431: The Conundrum of the Magical CT Scan "Stuck in the esophagus...?" Elder Gushan hesitantly touched his own neck. When he tried to reach for the humpback¡¯s neck, Garrett quickly stopped him: "Don¡¯t touch it. It¡¯s stuck right here in the chest, about level with the second rib, deep down. You won¡¯t be able to feel it. Try using a [Detection Magic]¡ª" He knelt on one knee, pointing out the spot to Elder Gushan. At the same time, he frowned, deep in thought: How to perform the examination? How to ensure the surgery is safe? Removing an esophageal foreign body, especially one lodged in the chest section of the esophagus, isn¡¯t difficult. Even though Garrett wasn¡¯t an ENT doctor, he had a rough idea of the procedure: If there¡¯s no perforation, an esophagoscope¡ªversion courtesy of the Divine Nature Sect¡¯s vines¡ªcould easily remove it: Even if the esophageal foreign body punctured the esophagus, a thoracoscopy could be performed by making an incision in the chest, in conjunction with a gastroscope, to remove the object; What if the foreign object pierced the aorta?¡ªPlace a covered stent on the aorta, oh, the vine version, aortic treatment! Or have the thoracoscopy on standby, as soon as the foreign body is removed, immediately apply a healing spell? All of these were feasible. But everything hinged on one thing: Diagnosis. For simple and smooth foreign bodies like coins, an X-ray would suffice for diagnosis. However, for complex, irregular, and sharp objects, especially those with a risk of perforation, it¡¯s widely known that the most reliable diagnostic method is: CT Scan. Only a CT scan could clearly show the size, shape, and position of the esophageal foreign body, whether it has pierced surrounding tissues like the trachea or aorta, and whether there are any complications like perforations, inflammation, or abscesses. In this respect, X-rays only show flat images, and barium meals could worsen injuries by clinging to the foreign object (Garrett didn¡¯t even have barium), and ultrasound was simply inadequate. No other diagnostic method comes close to its effectiveness. But where could he find a CT machine?! Garrett pondered hard. Glancing sideways, Elder Gushan had already stood up, his face pale: "How did it get stuck there? Can it be removed? Or... could he swallow it down?" Then, rotate a radiation source around the patient. By synthesizing the received information, all the points are combined into a flat image... I don¡¯t need many images, just two, three, or at most four, no larger than 10¡Á10 cm. For the patient¡¯s life, could I manually record and calculate, attempting it just once? To walk the path the pioneers walked... After all, the earliest CT images were created just like this... He bit his lip, determined. The situation wasn¡¯t severe; it was worth a try. Even if the diagnosis was incorrect, he was confident of saving the patient. Even if he made a mistake, with Seraina by his side, someone could cast a powerful healing spell... "Seraina, keep an eye on him." Garrett whispered, while rustling about, starting to take out a pen and notebook: "I want to try a new diagnostic method. If successful, it should save many more lives." A new diagnostic method? The silver dragon girl¡¯s eyes lit up. She nodded vigorously, squatting down, watching the humpback savage unblinkingly. Soon, ¡¾Humpback¡¿Whitfen moved slightly, letting out a pained groan: "Uhm..." "Don¡¯t move! Please don¡¯t move!" Garrett immediately rushed over, anxious. An esophageal foreign body near the aortic arch requires absolute bed rest in clinical situations, to avoid any forceful movement causing the foreign object to directly pierce the aorta. But now, he had to adapt: "Bernard! Bring a chair over! One with a backrest!" "Coming!" Before Bernard could search everywhere, Elder Gushan commanded, and soon a young man brought over a wooden stool, tying a wooden board to the legs. They even carefully adjusted the height of the board according to Garrett¡¯s request, not to hinder the swelling on the old man¡¯s back: "Lift him up! Move as gently as possible, don¡¯t let him exert himself, not even a little! Place him on the chair, let him sit upright! Once seated, back straight, good! Seraina, cast a binding spell!" Although spiral CTs are performed lying down, Garrett figured that the ¡¾Endless Ink Pen¡¿could rotate around the old man, but he couldn¡¯t lie down and rotate with him. As for lying underneath the patient, controlling the patient to rotate with magic... Imagining it, it really wasn¡¯t a pretty picture. Forget it, let¡¯s follow the practice of the first-generation CT experiments and have the patient sit upright! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 432: The First CT Experiment in Another World old hunchback ended up in garrett nordmark¡¯s hands. strictly speaking, he was kept in a state of imprisonment, carried along with his chair into the refuge hut conjured by seraina. this spell, known for its low consumption and significant utility, is consistently recommended in the council¡¯s "advanced compulsory: third-level magic" syllabus, which is revised and republished annually. in garrett¡¯s plan, this spell¡¯s learning priority is even higher than that of flight or fireball spells, essentially making it the first in the sequence of third-level magics. unfortunately, he hasn¡¯t advanced to a fifth-level mage yet, so for now, the task of constructing a makeshift operating room falls to seraina. seraina summoned a floating disc, and bernard placed old hunchback and his chair onto it, slowly rotating the disc at the edge; elder gushan, the village head of redstone village known as "white wolf" wolfgen, stayed far away, barely daring to breathe; meanwhile, garrett, clutching a thick, hardcover book, muttered to himself while sketching and writing at the edge of the floating disc: "high density... medium density... low density... high, medium, medium, high, low... turn it! ah, too much, come back! ¡ª stop moving, let me continue... low, low, low, medium, high, medium..." the pages were filled with densely packed grids, which he filled haphazardly, resulting in a messy sprawl. after completing one page, he moved on to the next, soon breaking out in a fine sweat on his forehead. "garrett..." "shh!" garrett instinctively silenced the interruption. wiping his forehead, he sighed at the notebook that only had two pages filled: this is hard... challenging a computer with manual efforts, is this task too daunting after all? but you must persevere, garrett! the daunting task of developing mushroom bombs was achieved through manual calculations and abacuses, let alone the simplest ct! keep at it, summarize the formulas, verify them, and then¡ª you can return them to the tower spirits! keep going, garrett! he meticulously recorded from one angle after another. recording, compiling, calculating... poor old hunchback remained motionlessly imprisoned in his chair, his face turning from red to pale, then from pale to blue, and back to red, unable to utter a sound. it was garrett who noticed his distress and asked seraina to release the head restraint, asking: "what¡¯s wrong?" "this... that..." old hunchback twisted his neck back and forth, glancing repeatedly at the silver dragon girl, refusing to utter a word. garrett suddenly realized: "seraina! can you step out for a bit?" "why?" "just do as i say! step out for a moment, and come back in when i call for you!" garrett signaled desperately with his eyes, blinking so hard it almost hurt, until seraina reluctantly moved out of the refuge hut. old hunchback finally breathed a sigh of relief, saying urgently: "i can¡¯t hold it anymore!" what... even if i knew how to release the imprisonment spell, if you went to the bathroom and came back, wouldn¡¯t all the ct work i¡¯ve done be for nothing? pointing to the phantom image in front of him, he simplified the explanation as much as possible. however, the more he spoke, the paler old hunchback¡¯s face became, eventually looking like he was about to faint: "your excellency, reverend, please decide how to treat this! i¡¯ll listen to you! whatever you say, i¡¯ll follow! even if it means opening up my chest to remove the object, i¡¯ll listen to you!" "nonsense!" before garrett could respond, elder gushan already shouted in rebuke: "your excellency, are you a necromancer?!" garrett: ¡ú_¡ú though i¡¯m not a necromancer, something about that comment feels odd... ahem, there¡¯s no need for a thoracotomy, at least not in the current situation. if garrett had encountered such a complicated esophageal foreign body when he first started working, it indeed might have required opening the chest. but now, with esophagoscopy, thoracoscopy, and possibly an aortic stent graft as a backup, everything can be resolved. the surgery would be quick, with minimal intraoperative bleeding and fast recovery. unless treatment is sought too late, when the interior is perforated, inflamed, purulent, and adhered too close to the aorta, making it impossible to remove with endoscopy, there¡¯s really no need for major surgery. after all, isn¡¯t the advancement of medical technology meant to benefit patients? "it¡¯s not as terrible as it sounds." he smiled reassuringly at old hunchback, quietly casting a remove fear spell. alas, i¡¯ve fallen... now, when communicating with patients, i¡¯ve started to take the easy route, using magic for comfort... garrett silently criticized his own laziness while manipulating the phantom to explain to old hunchback: "next, we¡¯ll use a method involving the growth of vines. they¡¯ll enter through your mouth, reach the esophagus, and directly extract the foreign object." a green vine entered the mouth, straight down the semi-transparent esophagus, wrapping around the half-visible spoon in the phantom image: "to ensure visibility of the foreign object during the procedure, we¡¯ll also place an arcane eye and a light source. considering the spoon might have punctured the aorta, we¡¯ll need to make a small incision in your chest¡ª" garrett spread his index finger and thumb to show a width of 0.5 centimeters, indicating that only such a small incision is necessary: "then extend another vine inside. if the aorta is injured, it will be treated immediately upon removal of the foreign object." second, third, and fourth vines, one wrapped around the arcane eye and another around a bundle of light, descend into the esophagus. the fourth, fifth, and sixth vines enter the chest cavity, with the arcane eye illuminating another field of vision. old hunchback watched dumbfounded as garrett said: "considering that any injury to the aorta would be minor, we have another plan: we won¡¯t make an incision in the chest, but prepare a healing spell instead, to be released immediately after extracting the foreign object. as long as the operation is quick and well-coordinated, there won¡¯t be excessive bleeding." "let¡¯s not make an incision then!" old hunchback eagerly exclaimed. after shouting, he fearfully glanced at garrett, worried about offending him: "your excellency, i¡¯m old, and well... quite timid..." inserting a few vines into his mouth was one thing, but making an incision in his chest sounded truly terrifying! --------------- your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. please take a moment to rate this novel at novelupdate. if you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that i can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 433: I Don’t Want Thanks, Just Get Bernard a Mount? "sit up straight! even straighter!" "head back! mouth open! open it wider! good, now hold it there!" "seraina! immobilize!" after a bout of intense lung-cleansing training, undergoing an endoscopy was nothing to garrett. he had the old hunchback sit up straight, tilt his head back, and open his mouth wide to breathe as much as possible. with a snap of her fingers, seraina cast an immobilization spell, and garrett, wiping away a bead of sweat, slapped the old man¡¯s throat¡ª local anesthesia, eliminating the gag reflex! the operation began! three tendrils advanced side by side, moving downwards. using tendrils as an esophagoscope was much more convenient than in garrett¡¯s previous life: the esophagus has an average diameter of 2 centimeters, whereas the esophagoscopes back then had an outer diameter of about 9 millimeters. a slight misalignment or too much force could puncture the posterior wall of the esophagus, directly into the chest cavity. but the tendrils garrett used? less than 1 millimeter in diameter! even with three tendrils together, the diameter was less than 3 millimeters, much higher margin for error than an esophagoscope. plus, the operation was more convenient¡ª garrett focused on the arcane eye display. the screen showed a rotating view of the mouth¡¯s bottom, the base of the tongue, the uvula, and then curved around the epiglottis. in the bright light, an entrance that kept opening and closing appeared. the silver dragon girl, not missing a beat, stood behind him, watching. upon seeing the entrance, she immediately shouted: "garrett! here!" "seraina... this is the trachea, we need to enter the esophagus..." garrett replied with a slight sense of resignation. while speaking, he controlled a tendril to gently lift the cricoid cartilage. the camera rotated, and under the light, another hidden entrance appeared. the arcane eye dived in. seraina, standing by garrett¡¯s side, had seen more than one endoscopic surgery before, but this was different. previous tendrils followed the trachea, which was supported by rings of cartilage, maintaining a relatively stable shape. the esophagus, however, constantly expanded and contracted with inhalation and exhalation, never ceasing its movements. "...didn¡¯t i use an immobilization spell..." seraina murmured softly, fingers twitching, eager to cast again. garrett coughed: "don¡¯t move!" as for the principle of immobilization spells, like the peace spell of the temple of war, or similar spells, garrett still hadn¡¯t figured it out completely. they certainly blocked pain by interrupting the central nervous system and could control voluntary muscle movement, but involuntary muscles likely couldn¡¯t be controlled? otherwise, like during general anesthesia, a dose of muscle relaxant would stop the lungs from breathing on their own, necessitating a ventilator. using a divine spell to this extent could be lethal! the arcane eye fluidly continued downwards. garrett, managing the flow of magic, estimated the tendrils had penetrated 20 centimeters deep and slowed the pace. 21, 22, 23 centimeters... suddenly, a reflection flashed on the screen, making him squint. "seen it!" cheered seraina. "seen it!" elder gushan held his breath. "seen it..." white wolf wolfgar¡¯s eyes widened, his large furry hands instinctively covering his mouth, afraid to make a sound. as for the old hunchback¡¯s young apprentice, the boy had already collapsed on the ground, trembling with fear. garrett took a deep breath. the screen showed, at the 7 and 11 o¡¯clock positions on the esophagus, a broken spoon head, with one end embedded in the esophageal wall. the depth of the embedded part was unclear, but as the arcane eye moved, not much bleeding was seen on the esophageal wall, nor any tears, which seemed promising. "seraina, prepare the healing spell," garrett commanded solemnly. the silver dragon girl stepped forward, her fingertip glowing with a fluctuating white light. garrett glanced at her, and suddenly, the tendrils expanded dramatically, parting thousands of fibers to forcefully expand the surrounding esophageal wall! "however, i¡¯ve always wanted to get a mount suitable for this follower¡¯s abilities. i¡¯m not familiar with the northlands. elder, do you have any suggestions?" "your follower is a remarkable warrior." the hunched whitfen squinted, examining bernard carefully, and said solemnly: "such a warrior deserves a worthy mount. a steed with the blood of demons, a giant wolf that breathes ice, or a stag taller than a man¡¯s shoulders¡ªonly such magical beasts are worthy to be ridden by your follower." a shael horse weighing a ton? winter wolves, frost wolves, moose? garrett sifted through his limited knowledge of zoology and magical beasts, selecting a few targets from his memory. it sounded like these mounts could indeed support bernard. so, the question was, where to find them? "healer, once you reach ¡¾akula¡¿, many tribesmen will boast their strength by hunting magical beasts or taming mounts," the old hunchback provided the answer: "at that time, i will use all the power of my tribe to seek opportunities for your follower." "that would be wonderful." garrett breathed a sigh of relief, grateful. heaven knows, he was tired of riding magical horses or phantom steeds while bernard ran on foot: "if your tribespeople have any ailments and need my assistance, please feel free to ask!" "that¡¯s excellent!" the old hunchback¡¯s eyes brightened. he raised his right hand, twisted it, and, with difficulty, reached towards his left back: "to tell you the truth, this has troubled me for many years. i¡¯ve tried medications, spells, various methods, and sought help from many healers. but either it was ineffective, the surface skin ulcerated, or it grew even larger the more it was treated..." he bowed respectfully, almost bending his head to his knees: "respected healer, your miraculous methods have reignited my hope. i earnestly request you to relieve my pain..." "okay!" seraina¡¯s voice, delicate and immediate, reached him. fortunately, she didn¡¯t shout but used a spell to direct her voice into garrett¡¯s ear. her tone was excited and full of anticipation: "he came to us himself! garrett, treat him!" i do want to treat him. but... garrett sighed. he glanced sideways at seraina, holding a thick record book in her hand. since the old man mentioned it could grow, prioritize various tumors. whether fibromas, lipomas, hemangiomas, or any other benign or malignant tumors... the examination method always comes back to ct. "uh..." garrett tentatively asked the old hunchback: "for a safe treatment, we need to repeat today¡¯s exploratory spell, which might take ten times longer... why don¡¯t you wait until we reach the gathering, and i can summon an ethereal body then?" please agree! you must agree! on my honor, he really didn¡¯t want to do it again today... that scan range was so vast! --------------- your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. please take a moment to rate this novel at novelupdate. if you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that i can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 434: Arrival at the Grand Gathering, Is This the Barbarian Way of Life? as garrett had hoped, old hunchback indeed declined the treatment for now¡ªpreferring to postpone it to a later date. in return, he promised to do his utmost to assist garrett in acquiring a suitable ethereal body. garrett expressed his understanding. after all, not everyone is willing to undergo a second treatment after nearly two hours of stiff sitting in a ct chair, barely holding it in... their two groups merged into one, meandering across the vast wilderness. along the way, they absorbed a third village, then a fourth... garrett was introduced to each village¡¯s chief and elders. meanwhile, he received over a dozen requests for help (including but not limited to: my horse has a poor appetite, my horse has trouble walking, my horse...). alongside, he casually conducted physical examinations, measured heights and weights, and took x-rays using [detection magic] for a large group of barbarians. in essence, he was having a great time, reminiscent of the fulfillment felt by doctors visiting rural areas in his past life. half a month swiftly passed by. finally, they reached ¡°akura,¡± the site of the tribal grand gathering. garrett emerged from the caravan, straightened up, and immediately froze, slowly opening his mouth in awe: at the camp¡¯s edge, a massive archway stood tall, at least five meters high, not made of bricks, wood, or any inflatable material familiar to garrett from his previous life, but of some colossal beast¡¯s bones. the bones¡¯ surface was pale yellow with a full luster. atop the archway, a beast¡¯s head was stacked high, its mouth wide open with interlocking fangs, and faint traces of pale red could still be seen within the bone crevices. clearly, these were not the bones of an ancient, weathered beast but rather fresh remains of a ferocious creature recently slain... further inside, clusters of small tents surrounded larger ones, scattered across the wilderness. each large tent had dozens of ropes tied to its top, with colorful flags fluttering in the wind. the larger the tent, the more ropes and vivid flags it boasted. the men and women coming in and out of these tents appeared more vibrant and well-dressed... garrett shook his head, unable to discern the barbarians¡¯ clothing as luxurious, but at least they weren¡¯t ragged? the animal claws and teeth hanging around their necks were exceptionally long and sharp. all in all, it seemed to be the hallmark of a powerful village or tribe... the tribal encampments didn¡¯t seem to be arranged in order of arrival but followed their own set of rules. elder gustan and his group navigated familiarly towards the center of the settlement to set up their tents, enthusiastically offering to set up accommodations for garrett and his companions as well. bernard¡¯s offer to help was firmly declined... what? let the guests, let the noble casters do it themselves? that simply wasn¡¯t done! with bernard unable to lend a hand, garrett found himself with nothing to do, so he, along with seraina and bernard, went out to explore. after walking around half the area, they came upon a crowded spot, bustling with people. curious, garrett stretched his neck to get a better view, then stood on tiptoes: ¡°what¡¯s happening there?¡± on a hill in front of them stood a large stone, about two people tall and very conspicuous. as garrett approached, a bearded barbarian wearing three strings of sharp teeth stood atop the stone, arms waving dramatically: ¡°article ten, if a man is killed, the victim¡¯s family has the right to revenge, an eye for an eye, forever!¡± ¡°article eleven, if a family¡¯s house burns down, the neighbors must help rebuild! if a family¡¯s cow dies of illness, the neighbors must also replace half of the loss with their own cows!¡± ¡°article twelve, arsonists must be tied to the burning post and burned to death!¡± ¡°article thirteen, those who murder their elders must be hanged alongside a live wolf that is also hanged, until death!¡± ¡°article fourteen, those who betray their brethren must be torn apart by five horses, or dragged to death by wild horses!¡± the crowd around the stone, mostly older barbarians with thicker, shinier fur coats, applauded fervently. behind them, a younger, more scattered group whispered among themselves. garrett squeezed through them, trying to get closer, but bernard pulled him back: ¡°don¡¯t go over there. those are the goti.¡± ¡°goti?¡± following were splashes, as a crowd jumped into the water. someone drowning? garrett hurried forward, then suddenly felt weightless as bernard expertly grabbed him by the collar and ran forward... it was a distressingly proficient act. upon reaching the scene, the drowned person had already been rescued, with people busily helping him cough up water and patting his back. garrett observed the man quickly recover consciousness and decided not to interfere. soon, another group of barbarians, carrying shields and axes, jumped into the water: a new weight-carrying swimming race had begun! garrett dispelled [heat and cold resistance], tried to gauge the air¡¯s temperature with his hand, and quickly reapplied the spell. as for the river¡¯s temperature, he had no interest in even dipping a finger. at the end of autumn, beginning of winter, even if it wasn¡¯t freezing, it was close enough! bernard, however, was enthralled. rubbing his hands together eagerly, he started to strip off his leather jacket: ¡°boss, can i give it a try?¡± weight-carrying swimming! it had been a long time since he last competed! back in his tribe, he always came first! ¡°you...¡± go ahead if you want to. before garrett could finish, seraina, full of excitement, interjected: ¡°garrett! i want to go too!¡± ¡°don¡¯t go!¡± garrett held onto her tightly. what¡¯s a silver dragon like you competing for? if you win, everyone else will feel humiliated; if you lose, are you going to transform into a silver dragon right there and have another go? ¡°seraina, i¡¯m here to provide healing and seek a contract body! i need your help! don¡¯t wander off!¡± seraina reluctantly stayed. garrett waved bernard off to enjoy himself and continued forward with seraina. they passed various martial arts fields, with javelin throwing, wrestling, hand-to-hand combat, and armed combat... the most bustling circle was filled with roaring cheers. garrett finally squeezed into the center, only to see a barbarian holding a shield in one hand, empty-handed in the other, fighting a snow-white giant wolf at least one and a half meters tall and over three meters long! the giant wolf roared, bit, and spat frost, imposing as a high-level magical beast. the barbarian dodged or blocked with his shield, and when caught off guard and frozen in ice, he shattered the ice layer at the last moment to dodge aside. then, he opened his left arm, pressed down on the wolf¡¯s neck, and delivered a heavy punch with his right fist! punch after punch thundered down. the wolf¡¯s howls turned from rage to struggle, and then to whimpers, eventually tucking its tail between its legs. the barbarian ceased his punches, mounted the wolf, and without any resistance, the giant wolf submitted, allowing the barbarian to parade it around the ring. ¡°looks like you can pick mounts here!¡± garrett¡¯s eyes sparkled: ¡°hey, should i call bernard over, see if he can tame a mount here?¡ªor should i start by healing a few people first, earn some points or something?¡± ¡°are you a healer?¡± suddenly, someone interjected. garrett turned to see an elderly man with white hair smiling at him, leaning on a bone staff adorned with strings of shriveled plant fruits: ¡°young healer, if you wish to exchange ideas, our camp is on the other side¡ª¡± --------------- your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. please take a moment to rate this novel at novelupdate. if you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that i can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 436: This Stomach Takes Up the Whole Belly! "bonk, right? age? warrior rank?...how big was that deer?" garrett asked while examining. yes, breathing 20+ times per minute, no rales heard in cardiopulmonary auscultation, obvious abdominal distension, tenderness in the upper abdomen, no rebound tenderness, and no other significant positive signs. you said you ate half a deer; how big was this deer exactly? in his life, garrett had seen bernard consume the most food in one sitting¡ªnearly an entire roast chicken and a whole roasted lamb (minus one leg) and washed it down with a barrel of beer! and then, garrett watched as bernard¡¯s abdomen remained flat as before, showing no bulge. where all that food went, he didn¡¯t know, but clinically, no abdominal distension meant that the digestive system hadn¡¯t lost its ability to move and digest; it was functioning perfectly normal. so, mr. bonk, your warrior rank¡ªapproximately determining your eating and digestive capacity¡ªhow high is it, and how big was that deer you ate? "bonk, 26, intermediate warrior. the deer was about this big..." someone nearby responded precisely, then paused and gestured with his hands. garrett looked up briefly, puzzled: so how big is that? garrett¡¯s concept of deer remained deeply ingrained in his mind as resembling a sika deer¡ªnot particularly large, at least not compared to the largest goat he had ever seen. given the vigor with which bernard ate the roasted lamb, he doubted bonk could eat half a sika deer and still stand upright. also, what level is an intermediate warrior? compared to bernard, is it stronger or weaker? "bernard! bernard¡ª" come and see if you can beat him? no response; bernard was probably busy with weighted swimming and hadn¡¯t come along. garrett called out without turning back: "seraila, how does this bonk compare to bernard in strength?" "not much difference, i guess?" the voice of the silver dragon girl was muffled, seemingly chewing something: "i mean, neither can beat me..." "..." thank you! of course, he dared not say that. firstly, he couldn¡¯t beat miss silver dragon in any way; secondly, bonk¡¯s warrior level was definitely above five, the [endless ink pen] had tried but failed to reveal, so... "seraila, lend me your headpiece!" alas, it hurt so much, there was a definite chance of perforation. x-ray films were fine for viewing perforation and intestinal obstruction, but for other conditions, you generally relied on a ct scan. however, with the abdomen now swollen like this, filled with content, almost turning from a hollow organ into a solid organ, it was probably still possible to check the morphology... "wow!" garrett couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. seraila leaned in at the sound, garrett waved her over, pointing at the patient¡¯s abdomen: "i¡¯ve never seen it stretched this far! look, the diaphragm has been pushed up to the eighth rib, and below, it¡¯s reached the pelvis!" "wow! really eh!" seraila peeked from behind him, scanned quickly, and immediately clicked her tongue in astonishment. the plume-crowned elder brock also came forward to look, without speaking. as he moved, the barbarian elders surged forward en masse, each peering in: "where?" "can¡¯t you see how bulging the belly is?" "i see the belly, but how can you tell from the chest?" "is this what he said, ¡¯some special methods, can see inside the human body¡¯? can we learn?" "i don¡¯t know... but if he wants a totem beast, maybe we could learn in exchange?" "i have no other choice." garrett turned to him with a pained expression: "i can¡¯t cut through!" seraila giggled from behind. garrett busily cleaned the patient, prepared the skin, and laid down towels. seven or eight mage hands simultaneously flew up, shaking open four green sterile sheets, laid them on all sides, then covered them with a fenestrated drape. with several cloths covering, in the eyes of the healer, there was only a bulging abdomen left. then, garrett stood beside the operating table, handed the surgical knife to the silver skeleton, casually tossing a [magic weapon] onto the knife. garrett closed his eyes and focused. the silver skeleton held the knife steady, making a cut. indeed, silver skeleton + magic weapon + dwarf-made surgical knife, invincible, unbeatable. with just one cut, a 20-centimeter-long incision was made right in the middle of intermediate warrior bonk¡¯s upper abdomen. garrett held his breath, controlling the silver skeleton to layer the abdomen open. with the belly bulging like this, it was easy to accidentally cut the organs below, requiring extra caution. as the peritoneum was cut open, four mage hands turned into flat hooks, gently pulling outward. the obviously dilated stomach wall immediately bulged eagerly. "wow, so big..." seraila murmured softly. she herself flew up four mage hands, took over the hooking, allowing garrett not to be distracted. garrett carefully observed, under the shadowless light, the stomach wall was almost a purplish-black color, unsure whether it was stretched to ischemia or so thin that the color of the stomach contents itself was visible. good thing the surgery was quick, otherwise... he sighed, controlling the silver skeleton to make a 2-centimeter incision on the stomach wall, and the vines immediately probed inside. this time, no need to suck much, the hollow vine¡¯s airflow hissed out, and soon, dark red gastric juice and food remnants surged out as well. "get a basin to catch this!" garrett shouted. he cut off controlling the skeleton himself, threw a wind magic at the vine¡¯s opening. a funnel-shaped whirlwind spun rapidly, creating a suction, propelling the stomach contents forward. suction! suction! suction! garrett carefully controlled the power of the suction. not too slow, as the patient¡¯s stomach pressure was so high, a bit slower, and more stomach contents would flow out from the perforation; not too fast either, as rapid decompression could lead to heart, lung, and blood pressure issues. this was the same principle as not draining too much ascites or catheterizing too much at once. as for the things pulled out of the vines falling into the floating disc, emitting a foul, sour stench, garrett had long lost interest in noticing these. controlling the vines, controlling the whirlwind, occasionally throwing a blood oxygen check or an ekg to see the heart rate. dense sweat soon seeped from his forehead. finally, bonk¡¯s highly distended belly visibly deflated. and in the floating disc, there was a thick basin of stomach contents, visually at least 4000 milliliters. garrett breathed a sigh of relief, freeing a mage hand to wipe his sweat. just then, elder brock asked: "is it done?" "done?" garrett smiled wryly: "we¡¯re just getting started!" --------------- your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. please take a moment to rate this novel at novelupdate. if you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that i can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 437: The Stomach in Circles outside the hastily erected "refuge hut," the tribal elders examined the exterior walls of the hut, discussing animatedly. "why didn¡¯t he just use a healing spell?" "maybe healing spells aren¡¯t always effective? i¡¯ve treated one with a healing spell, and it eased for half a day, but he still died eventually..." "actually, receiving a blessing from the bear god might be better. a warrior blessed by the bear god recovers stronger and can endure more severe injuries. with one blessing, someone who has overeaten can digest it all by themselves." "could a blessing from the deer spirit work too?" "would the enlargement spell work? if the whole person gets bigger, the stomach that was stretched tight and couldn¡¯t vomit before might be able to after enlarging, right?" "do we need to cut open the stomach for any of these methods?" "who knows?... but that healer is so slow!" amidst the sounds of discussions and complaints, the walls of the "refuge hut" suddenly rippled like water waves. seraina maneuvered a floating disc filled with a large basin of stomach contents back to the hall and looked around: "where do i dump this?" immediately, three or five elders jumped up to direct her, and two elders ran out to fetch more buckets. another two used their magic to gather the flames on the hearth, pointing out the glowing hot charcoal beneath. as if the previous discussions and complaints had never existed, seraina moved the floating disc over to the charcoal pit and casually dispelled it. a "swoosh" sound was followed by an overpowering smell of sour rot, mingling with the scent of burnt odors. the hall was instantly a scene of chaos. people backed away, covered their noses, and summoned winds¡ª "what is this smell? it¡¯s ten times stronger and a hundred times worse than the smell of someone drunk throwing up!" only seraina remained unfazed. before beginning the procedure, she had cast a bubble spell and hadn¡¯t smelled anything. after dumping the contents, she turned and left without stopping: "the surgery is only halfway done; garrett is still waiting for my help!" inside the "refuge hut," garrett was extremely busy. he took out sterilized saline solution, one bottle after another, carefully heating them. seeing seraina return, he immediately called out: "seraina, heat these up, then cool them down with a frost ray! adjust the temperature to 37 degrees celsius, 37 degrees, not hot, not cold!" "all of these?" "yes, all of them!" an entire abdominal cavity! such a hugely bloated stomach! even with a cleansing spell, garrett was uneasy about not rinsing with saline solution back and forth. he knew well that this batch of saline rinses wouldn¡¯t be complete without using up 10 bottles. thankfully, the floating disc was there¡ªsummoned when needed, dismissed when done, sufficiently large and easy to move¡ª as seraina prepared the saline, garrett concentrated intensely and flew two mage hands. the translucent force palms delved into the abdomen, supporting the stomach and intestines, exploring carefully everywhere. an elder with a feathered crown had been standing behind. seeing garrett¡¯s grave expression, he was somewhat puzzled: "isn¡¯t everything drawn out already? what else could be troublesome?" and indeed, it looked like there were big troubles still! "troubles abound..." garrett sighed: liver, gallbladder, pancreas, although he had already briefly checked earlier, before closing the abdomen, he still needed to take a careful look... hmm, about 200 milliliters of ascites, murky with gastric contents... first, cast a cleaning spell, then rinse, suction, cast a healing spell, and rinse again! check for no active bleeding... check that all organs are normal, mesenteric blood vessels are normal... for safety, garrett cast healing spells specifically for the gallbladder and pancreas, the organs most prone to problems after acute gastric dilation. very good, normal color, normal shape, all normal. hmm, if it were in a past life, here he should leave a gastric tube and a jejunum nutrition tube, sew the stomach wall incision, place an abdominal drainage tube between the stomach and pancreas, then close the abdomen and transfer to sicu. but now... intestines, mesentery, sweep a healing spell! the mesentery around the stomach, healing spell, let it grow back! then layer by layer, close the abdomen, healing spell, healing spell, healing spell! faint white lights flickered in sequence. when the incision on bonk¡¯s stomach finally contracted and returned to smoothness, ser aina waved her hand to release the constraining spell, and the next moment, the reckless warrior jumped up: "am i okay? am i really okay?" he frantically felt his stomach from top to bottom, touching only smooth flat skin. the young warrior jumped a few times to confirm he felt no pain at all, and his face burst into joy: "i¡¯m okay! hahaha, haha! respected healer, thank you!" he spread his arms, rushing forward to embrace garrett. just in the nick of time, garrett flicked his fingers, hanging a series of spells on himself: shield spell, mage armor, bull¡¯s strength, bear¡¯s endurance... oof... "pop!" a crisp cracking sound. garrett¡¯s cheek twitched, nearly fainting. his bubble spell had been popped! it stank to high heaven! bonk hugged garrett tightly, then bowed to the elder and the beautiful elf lady, and like a whirlwind, he rushed out of the surgery room. outside the refuge hut, spirited shouts soon rang out: "who was it just now? who said i couldn¡¯t do it? step forward! let¡¯s go another round!" this... can a dog ever change from eating *? garrett¡¯s face darkened in an instant. he glared angrily outside, then turned to find the feather-crowned elder: hey, take care of your people! i worked hard to save him, not so he could go and stuff his stomach till it bursts again! "lord nordmark." facing garrett¡¯s complaining gaze, the old man stepped forward with a smile and a bow: "your healing methods are truly impressive. ¡ªif you were to contract a totem spirit, could your miraculous medical skills advance even further?" is he sizing me up? preparing to make an offer? or does he have some complex case he can¡¯t handle and wants help? garrett¡¯s mind raced. he smiled and said: "of course! my healing methods rely heavily on sensing the patient¡¯s internal condition. like tow¡ªoh, whitfen, the lump on his shoulder, if i had contracted with an ethereal, and could see the condition, perhaps i could have treated it!" --------------- your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. please take a moment to rate this novel at novelupdate. if you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that i can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 438: Is this the contract spirit I borrowed? A beaver? The barbarian elders all stood up, crowding around the operating table, staring at the old hunchback lying on it. Next to the operating table, Garrett watched the tumor intently, pressing, kneading, and pushing... The old hunchback¡¯s lump of a tumor had been observed and pondered over by everyone present for a treatment method. But upon applying a healing spell, it either had no effect or grew larger; when medicated, it ruptured even more; blessings summoned from the gods of cows, bears, deer, and eagles all ended in vain, chuckling. Elder Brock had once treated him himself. With a resolute heart, he cut off a large chunk of yellowish substance that looked like fat and healed it with a healing spell. The effect was immediate, earning the old hunchback¡¯s endless gratitude and the admiration of all healers: Truly a divine healer! However, in less than a year and a half, the thing grew back even bigger than before. The old hunchback¡¯s left shoulder was raised, and his right lowered, making him appear completely misshapen. This time, he dared not ask Elder Brock to cut the tumor again, and Elder Brock himself was hesitant to proceed. And in the entire Akula, all healers were buzzing with speculation: Could it be a curse from a malevolent god? Or possessed by a demon? It could be the spirit of a magical beast he had slain in his youth, coming back to haunt him? Or, according to rumors, some necromancer who could implant a necrotic pouch in living beings, growing larger until it consumed the person? ¡ªThat thing should not be cut! If not done properly, it might splatter all over you, transferring the necrotic pouch onto you! But as the strongest healer in Akula, Elder Brock always wanted to try. It wasn¡¯t that he and the old hunchback were particularly close, but it was a matter of pride for all spellcasters... An elder walking around with such a tumor was a slap in the face to them all, making it seem like none of them could cure it. Just then, this foreign spellcaster, who dared to make cuts on people, let him give it a try! If successful, it might also resolve his own concerns... Garrett, unaware of these intricate details and uninterested in knowing, focused all his energy on the massive tumor in front of him: Tsk, tsk, tsk. The volume of this tumor is not small! It occupies almost the entire left back and even covers a part of the right back, including the deltoid, infraspinatus, trapezius, teres major, and latissimus dorsi... All covered by it! Even the central groove of the spine was pushed aside; considering if it had invaded the spine... Of course, issues with the spine could be discussed later. First, Garrett examined the tumor: smooth surface, soft consistency, fairly mobile. Skin color and temperature normal, clear boundaries, slightly painful on pressure, size... Let me measure it with a ruler; it¡¯s over 30cm*20cm... He pressed and pushed on the edges of the tumor, feeling quite satisfied. Although he was just an emergency doctor, not a dermatologist next door, his instincts told him this wasn¡¯t something dangerous: Normal color, smooth surface, currently no ulceration, excluding squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma, etc.; soft consistency, clear boundaries, excluding fibromas, hemangiomas, and the like. Basically, his instinct was that it was a very safe, very straightforward thing. A lipoma? Given the history, having previously cut off a large chunk of yellowish substance, resembling fat, the likelihood of a lipoma was indeed high. Now, let me check the spine! Garrett stood straight and stretched his back. Elder Brock was watching him closely, and immediately asked: ¡°How is it? Can it be cured?¡± ¡°Wait, I haven¡¯t finished checking yet.¡± Garrett shook his hand, still unable to say if it could be cured as the examination wasn¡¯t finished. He helped the old hunchback stand up properly: Skin, fat, muscle, blood vessels... too blurry, move closer, clearer vision... the capsule surrounding the tumor... Elder Brock slightly closed his eyes. Using his own spirituality and the contract spirit as a bridge, he facilitated communication between Garrett and the beaver spirit. This was the so-called "lending to him," as the elder could sever their connection at any moment with just a thought. Acting as a bridge also had extra benefits. What Garrett saw in the spirit realm, he could also see, but the speed was a bit too fast for the old man to keep up: What is this? What is that? A smooth, fine, intact membrane? The beaver spirit¡¯s view moving along the edge of the membrane? Hmm, the capsule is quite intact, no messy stuff leaking out... That¡¯s a quick round? Still going deeper, what does he want to see? Suddenly, the spiritual vision brightened as Garrett voluntarily cut off the connection, exiting the spiritual view. He stood surrounded by the crowd, his demeanor calm, full of confidence: ¡°It can be cured. It¡¯s just a subcutaneous lipoma, just cut it out.¡± Hmm, such a simple subcutaneous lipoma, even a county hospital could perform the surgery. The tricky part is the diagnosis; he had seen lipomas that infiltrated the cervical spine, compressing the spinal cord, causing hemiplegia. So, without a CT or MRI, Garrett wouldn¡¯t dare perform the surgery. The alternative was to use an ethereal form to take a look... ¡°So... cut it now?¡± The old hunchback asked tremulously as he lay on the operating table. Garrett nodded firmly: ¡°If you think it¡¯s okay, let¡¯s cut it now!¡± A subcutaneous lipoma, merely a minor task for dermatology, publishing a paper on this would be laughable. At their hospital, to publish a paper on a lipoma, it had to be something like a cardiac lipoma, brainstem lipoma, or a massive subperitoneal lipoma... Prepare the skin, clean, apply local anesthesia, then the surgical knife dances. A long incision was made right in the center of the left back, and the mage¡¯s hand pulled the skin apart. Garrett had already examined beforehand and was confident. The mage¡¯s hand glided along the outer side of the capsule, pulling, tearing, bluntly separating. Cutting open the lipoma without damaging surrounding muscles and blood vessels, his movements were deft and quick, never hesitating from start to end. Soon, a huge lipoma, along with its capsule, was lifted out by the mage¡¯s hand. The tumor was so large, those mage¡¯s hands were three to five sizes larger than a normal palm... ¡°Who¡¯s going to weigh this? How heavy is this tumor?¡± Garrett called out while rinsing. The largest tumor they had removed in general surgery was three kilograms, and rumor had it that dermatology had removed ones over five kilograms. Tsk, if this could break a record, though it would be embarrassing to publish a paper, he could still boast about it with them... A group of barbarians looked at each other. What, it¡¯s cut and now they even want to weigh it? Is this the foreign healer¡¯s quirk? Is this healer truly a servant of the God of Nature, not a necromancer? --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 439: Garrett’s New Mount Garrett¡¯s healing magic had earned him the respect of the barbarian elders. On the third day, wrapped in a large cloak and protected against the cold and heat, he sat atop Bernard¡¯s mount, joining the barbarian hunting party for magical beasts. Indeed, after discussions among the elders, chieftains, and oracles¡ªa certain overlap in these roles¡ªthe venerable Elder Brock of the Laquila tribe formally informed Garrett: The unclaimed spirits of the totems could be bound to him for use in healing support. "Of course, this comes with conditions," said the elder with feathered headdress, leaning on a pale bone staff topped with a pair of glossy raptor talons, which rattled slightly with a shake: "Foreigners who have taken spirits from us have always left generous gifts, sufficient for compensation. Young healer, what can you offer?" Garrett: "...What do you need? Gold? Weapons? Magical equipment?" Gold? He did indeed have a few hundred coins in his spatial bag, but it seemed that might not be enough; Weapons? His oak staff was spiritually bonded and always with him, surgical tools were his treasured possessions, and nothing else really qualified as "weapons"; Magical equipment? He did have several pieces, such as the spoils of war from Andrew Lynn, which he had previously given him a pile of... but whether that was enough for a spirit was uncertain. Can you just name a price? "To know, a totem spirit signifies a century of worship and sacrifice by a tribe," the elder continued with a smile, his feathered cloak rustling like an eagle spreading its wings across the sky. Garrett had reason to suspect that his cloak too was imbued with a spirit: "A totem spirit means that a slightly talented youth can inherit its power to become a caster and protect the tribe for decades. Young healer, what can you offer?" "I can¡¯t provide a century of worship and sacrifice, nor can I protect a tribe for decades..." Garrett paused for a moment, then looked up directly at the elder: "During the tribal gathering, I¡¯m willing to do my best to treat the sick and injured. If someone seeks medical knowledge from me, I will teach them honestly according to their ability and understanding." "That will do!" The elder beamed, extending his hand for a clap to seal the agreement: "Of course, we are also willing to show some sincerity first¡ªyou are looking for mounts for your followers, aren¡¯t you? There are some magical beasts kept by the tribe; you and your followers can go and choose one to your liking." Oh! Garrett¡¯s eyes lit up. A mount! Bernard was finally going to have a mount! He wouldn¡¯t have to just run on his legs anymore! Winter wolves! Frost wolves! Kodo beasts! Giant rhinos! Bernard, you¡¯re not going to pick a boar, are you? A boar would be too lame! The roar of the beasts thundered through the pens. Garrett had been marching forward eagerly, but soon found himself trailing behind Bernard, casting one defensive spell after another. Mage armor, up; shield spell, up; ranged protection, up; energy resistance, up... Serrano shook her head at his precautions and hummed a tune from a distance. Instantly, all was silent¡ªwolves howled, horses neighed, various grunts all muted. The night wind brought a faint stench. Garrett then cast a bubble spell and hurried forward. Peering ahead, Bernard had already passed a black wolf and a giant silver wolf, shoulder height about one and a half meters. Now, he was standing in front of a well-fed wild boar, weighing perhaps over a ton, and after a moment¡¯s thought, shook his head and moved on. Garrett: "...Bernard, wait! Why not choose that silver wolf?" How handsome a silver wolf would be! And it¡¯s capable in a fight! The man and stag tumbled and wrestled from morning until dusk, finally settling down. Bernard, dusty and disheveled, with his arm around the stag¡¯s neck, brought it out of the pen to Garrett. The barbarian grinned broadly and laughed heartily: "Boss, it¡¯s done!" "Mm, well done." Garrett cast two healing spells to treat the bruises on Bernard¡¯s arms and legs, then looked up at the white stag. From up close, it looked even more formidable. Garrett tiptoed, stretched his arms, but still couldn¡¯t reach its head... The white stag also looked curiously at him. Its almond-shaped eyes were gentle and peaceful, none of the ferocity seen during the struggle with Bernard. Its nostrils flared, it lowered its head to gently sniff his palm, then licked it wetly. From its posture to its gaze, it embodied the reputation of a "forest sprite." The only thing spoiling the image was its silky fur, now mottled black and muddy, rolled and tussled, a sorry sight... "Hey, you need a bath!" Garrett tiptoed to pat its forehead. The white stag snorted, gathering a moonlit glow, and pressed it against its scraped right front leg. Then it bowed deeper, and the next moment, the world spun¡ª The white stag had gripped his collar in its mouth, tossed its head back, and flung him. With a slap, Garrett landed sprawling on the deer¡¯s back... ...He was wrong; aside from using a ladder or a flying spell, there were other ways to mount... "Ah ah ah ah ah ah! Where are you going! Let go of me! I don¡¯t want to swim! You¡¯re dirty and I¡¯m not! I don¡¯t want to catch a cold in this cold water!... Help!!!" In the end, Bernard¡¯s new mount accepted Garrett in a rather unexpected way. Without the need for violence, and even without being there, Garrett could safely sit on the deer¡¯s back, roaming around. Of course, with the deer¡¯s size, it could comfortably carry Garrett, Bernard, Serrano, Andrew Lynn, Aurora, and even Mr. Troka could lie on the antlers, and Andrew¡¯s golden skeleton could hang from the antlers... Garrett was very pleased, looking ahead at the antlers. Wide, flat, he had measured them earlier, nearly four meters across. While moving with the party, it could easily clear a path. Of course, in the vast, sparsely populated wilderness, he could wander as he pleased. But once back in Nevis City, he¡¯d likely have to take detours from the suburbs every day. Garrett let his imagination run wild, caressing the smooth fur on the deer¡¯s neck. The antlers, with about a dozen branches, were not sharp, the tips almost tender¡ª A natural IV stand. Hmm. Such a silvermoon deer standing in the hospital lobby could accommodate a dozen lounge chairs underneath, hosting a dozen patients for infusions... Perfectly, this magical beast itself also possessed some healing abilities, almost substituting for a priest. Perfect! Garrett pulled out a handful of seeds, sprouted vines with green leaves, and offered them to the silvermoon deer. The white stag slightly turned its head, its long tongue rolling out, chomping down the leaves and vines, swallowing them whole. Then, pawing the ground, it snorted contentedly. "Bernard, how much longer do we have to walk?" "Not long now, boss! Just ahead is the Black Crow Forest. Through the Black Crow Forest, and we¡¯ll be at our hunting grounds!" Garrett, feeling safe and secure atop the deer, continued to explore the possibilities of their journey ahead. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 440: The Hunt Begins, A Narrow Escape from the Leopard’s Jaws! One could run a horse to death by trying to reach a distant mountain, but luckily, not a deer. From where Garrett was located to the Black Crow Dense Forest, and then crossing through to the hunting area, it took almost half a day. Fortunately, the back of the Silvermoon Deer was wide enough that Garrett could sit any way he wanted¡ªleft, right, or forward, tossing and turning as he pleased. Whenever he got tired, he would adjust his position and then continue reading on the deer¡¯s back... During the great hunt in the Akula period, more than a couple of thousand people were mobilized. Apart from those necessary to stay at the camp, all warriors and spellcasters were deployed. This winter, the fresh meat, furs for trade, and animal tendons and bones used for crafting tools and medicinal ingredients, all depended on this wave! Warriors spread out in all directions. In an area spanning a thousand miles, nearly a hundred tribes, big and small, gathered, amounting to more than two or three thousand warriors. They formed a large circle based on pre-divided areas, working together to drive the beasts towards the center. Garrett, sitting on the Silvermoon Deer, only needed to concentrate slightly to hear distant whining sounds, coming and going. It sounded familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before... ¡°They are using bark whistles to lure the deer,¡± Bernard explained from behind, pointing towards the distance. ¡°In the Black Crow Dense Forest, there¡¯s a type of tree where you can peel the bark off and roll it into a whistle, which can mimic the call of a female deer. Skilled hunters can use these whistles to attract male deer, and other animals will follow. Of course, if there are formidable magical beasts, then high-level warriors will have to take action..." He pointed nearby. Following his direction, Garrett saw elders surrounded by a group of barbarian warriors. Each was tall and muscular, standing there with a formidable presence. Looking at their weapons, a few carried bone clubs and hammers, but most held steel axes and rods. Each piece gleamed chillingly, reflecting patterns in the sunlight off their steel surfaces, clearly forged by dwarves. Given the barrenness of the great wastelands, having weapons made by dwarves indicated that these warriors were exceptional. ¡°When does the battle start?¡± Garrett sat up straight, stretching his neck to see. The great hunt was interesting, but the luring and trapping before the hunt were not at all appealing¡ªthere was no action! From his position, he could only hear the faint deer whistles and see the trees shaking in the distance. Occasionally, someone lifted a dark cloth high with a long stick and shook it vigorously, though he had no idea what that meant... Should he cast Eagle Eye on himself? Or wait until the great hunt started? It was rather boring. Garrett patted the deer¡¯s back: "Apa, let¡¯s go drink some water!" The Silvermoon Deer snorted and started walking towards a nearby stream with Garrett and Bernard. This new mount, originally named "Apollo" by Bernard after an ancient divine beast, was shortened by Garrett to "Apa" for convenience. The Silvermoon Deer didn¡¯t mind; at Garrett¡¯s call, it came over, wagging its tail and kneeling down on all fours to let Garrett climb on. Bernard, unable to do anything about his own boss, watched helplessly while Seraina laughed uncontrollably: "Apa is a good name. When you ride it alone, if no one manages it, it could easily become¡ªah, slap!" "Seraina!!!" Despite the mockery, Apa accepted its new name. When Garrett gave an order, it would lumber to the stream and lower its head to drink. Bernard jumped down first, and Garrett cast a Feather Fall spell on himself, floating gently to the ground. Fetching water, setting up the stove, boiling it, and applying a freezing ray, all steps were smoothly done in one go. After filling the waterskin, Garrett poured himself a cup and slowly sipped. Mid-drink, a loud noise erupted from the bushes across the stream, and a group of warriors, covered in blood, burst out of the dense forest. "Black cloud leopards! It¡¯s the black cloud leopards!" The warrior at the front shouted. By Garrett¡¯s side, the sound of the wind whooshed as high-level warriors rushed towards them, some to meet the attack, others to rescue. In the next moment, roars, growls, and shouts filled the air in the forest, branches breaking and crashing down. Garrett threw the water in his cup to the ground and turned towards the direction of the injured. After a few steps, Apa¡¯s hooves thundered towards him, and Bernard picked him up and leaped onto the deer, the wind roaring past his ears. When they stopped, they were The young man with the amputated arm started to sob. Around him, the warriors who had returned with him, the high-level warriors guarding the elders, all cast sympathetic glances, but no one came forward to console him. ¡ªWhat could they console? What could they help with? Life on the great wastelands was so tough... No tribe could afford an extra mouth! Sevi fell to the ground, sobbing loudly. Sobbing, he grabbed the wrapped arm in his embrace and slammed it forcefully to the ground: "Why bring it back! What for!" To snatch the arm from the jaws of the black cloud leopard, the team leader had been clawed bloody, his body crisscrossed with wounds... The bloodied arm fell towards the ground but suddenly stopped its descent. Then it hovered in mid-air, rising, rising... Sevi¡¯s hair stood on end. Even though he knew a spellcaster had intervened, the eerie scene before him still made him shiver. Then, a young human quickly approached, examining the severed arm. After a moment, he raised his hand to Sevi and asked softly: "How long have you been injured?" It was miraculous that he understood the human¡¯s words. Sevi, however, had no mind to marvel at this, trembling as he replied: "About... a mealtime?" The battle, the escape, the severe pain¡ªhe wasn¡¯t sure how much time had passed¡ªit felt like a year, but also as if it had been just a blink of an eye. Would this answer satisfy him? Would he think it too long, that the arm couldn¡¯t be reattached? Indeed, the human spellcaster seemed somewhat dissatisfied as he frowned slightly. Sevi held his breath in tension: Even though he came from a remote frontier, he knew that this Akula had brought a human healer. Bonk had his belly burst in a duel, and it was that human who had healed him, something many elders couldn¡¯t do... Could he reattach Sevi¡¯s arm? Would he be willing to treat him? "Can my arm still be reattached?" "Maybe, maybe not." Garrett examined the severed limb in his hands and was surprised to find that it still retained a significant amount of vitality. He squatted down, looking eye to eye with the warrior with the severed arm, and answered seriously: "Let me be clear, your amputation site has already healed, and your life is no longer in danger. I can try to reconnect your arm, but if the results are not satisfactory, it could endanger your life¡ªeven so, are you willing to let me try?" "I¡¯m willing! Of course, I¡¯m willing!" Sevi¡¯s joy was almost incoherent. Supporting himself with his good arm, he crawled up and grabbed Garrett¡¯s garment: "Sir! Please, I beg you to reconnect it! Please..." --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 441: Reattaching the Arm? Seeking Bystanders, Taking Notes! Elder Brock had been watching Garrett closely. Hearing Garrett mention, "We can try to reattach the severed arm," he frowned and immediately walked over. Before he could even ask, the elven girl beside Garrett had already crisply spoken up: "Garrett, can you really reattach it?¡ªRegeneration is a seventh-tier divine spell! I can¡¯t even do it! Can you really manage it?" Indeed, that is a seventh-tier divine spell! Elder Brock had heard of this classification. Beyond the Wasteland, humans categorize spells from first to ninth tier. Below that are apprentice spells, and above, the legendary ranks of ninth tier and beyond. A seventh-tier divine spell implies at least a level 13 priest or a mage of the same level specializing in medical magic could perform it! And Garrett? The classification of power in the Wasteland is not so detailed. They only go as far as low, middle, and high tiers. According to Elder Brock¡¯s perception, Garrett was about mid-tier¡ªjust entering mid-tier, the kind that had just stabilized. And Elder Brock himself was already at a moderate level among high-tier casters. Even for himself, casting a limb regeneration would drain all his mental and magical power! Could Garrett manage it? Elder Brock, holding his bone staff, couldn¡¯t help but step forward once, and then again. Was this young human healer boasting recklessly to obtain the spirit totem? Or, was it out of genuine concern for the warrior¡¯s condition, even at the risk of depleting his own power? Either way, it wasn¡¯t a good sign. Elder Brock¡¯s bushy eyebrows quivered slightly as he gazed at Garrett, hesitating whether to speak. However, at the end of his gaze, Garrett had already started to smile lightly. "Ah, I really can reattach it." He smiled confidently, undeterred, looking into the eyes of the silver dragon girl: "Seraila, trust me. This surgery isn¡¯t too difficult, within my capabilities¡ªof course, I¡¯ll still need a little help from you¡ª" Reattaching a limb, in clinical terms, is considered a level three surgery. Meaning, a highly experienced senior physician could lead it, while a less experienced senior physician could perform it under the guidance of a superior. And himself, before he crossed over, had already been a deputy chief physician. Of course, microsurgery for limb reattachment differs significantly from emergency surgery. In reality, specific surgical qualifications are required, and it¡¯s not something one can just decide to do. But the success of a limb reattachment surgery largely depends on the healing process. If there¡¯s no bleeding in the vessels and blood flow can be restored, the surgery is half-successful. He wouldn¡¯t even need to suture the vessels! "Then let¡¯s get started quickly!" Seraila urged immediately. Garrett waved his hand with a smile: "Wait a moment, let me prepare¡ªHmm, one last question, has it really only been as long as a meal since this arm was severed?" He didn¡¯t look at the injured warrior but towards a few recently healed comrades who had brought him back. The four soldiers nodded continuously, especially the one who had carried him back, assuring repeatedly: "Definitely less than a meal. If it had been longer, we wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to escape from the clutches of the black cloud leopard¡ª" Alright, that¡¯s fine. Garrett summoned a floating disc, placing surgical tools onto it one by one: a scalpel, hemostats, saline, irrigation equipment, and a silver rod embedded with fine glass fibers for guiding the healing spells. Lastly, a palm-sized magnifying glass, with cleansing spells and saline washing over it back and forth, repeatedly cleansing. "Seraila, help me fix this magnifying glass in place later, don¡¯t let it float around. For reattaching the limb, I¡¯m counting on it!" No need for a microscope, just a magnifying glass would suffice. Though limb reattachment is a part of microsurgery, it¡¯s not as intricate as reattaching fingers. "Is it bad to attach an arm that has grown?" Elder Feathers stepped forward, unable to resist asking: "Isn¡¯t a longer severed arm less likely to die completely, and shouldn¡¯t it be easier to reattach?" "Elder, a severed limb generates toxins, you know..." Garrett sighed. To be precise, such high-severance limbs, because they are rich in muscles, will start to release toxic substances such as potassium ions, myoglobin, and peptides due to degeneration and necrosis under normal temperatures after 6 to 8 hours of ischemia. These accumulate in the tissue fluids and blood of the severed limb. If not reattached, that¡¯s one thing; but once reattached, they will surely flow throughout the body. "So, attaching a toxic limb back to a person means the person will die?¡ªThen, what kind of limb is non-toxic?" Elder Brock spoke softly, almost to himself. He always remembered that dreadful failure, his first attempt at casting Regeneration to reattach a limb for a high-ranking warrior of his tribe¡ª During the spell, there was a powerful force draining his magic power. It was as if the warrior¡¯s body was saying: "Not enough, not enough, to make me recover, this amount of healing is far from enough..." And it turned out to be not enough. The leg was reattached, but a day later, the warrior fell into a coma, struggled for another two days and nights, and ultimately, couldn¡¯t be saved. That failure was etched deeply into his memory. His teacher who taught him the Regeneration spell had also said: "This spell, it¡¯s better to let the limb regrow rather than reattach the severed one. If it doesn¡¯t regrow fully the first time, you can try again; but if the reattachment goes wrong, the person will die!" Elder Brock discreetly observed Garrett, pretending to be indifferent. Such valuable knowledge¡ªwould this young human healer mention it? What would he ask in exchange, perhaps, for a spirit totem? Actually, if the secret to reattaching limbs were exchanged for a spirit totem, it wouldn¡¯t be a bad deal. But as a tribal elder, he always hoped to exchange for a bit more... Unexpectedly, Garrett didn¡¯t set any conditions. He gazed at the severed limb, looking at the ghastly pale bone stub, the horrifying break, the blood vessels, muscles, and tendons, his hands fluttering, casually tossing out a remark: "If the time is short, it¡¯s no problem; if it¡¯s long, it gets troublesome. Generally, such a long arm or leg, if severed for 6 to 8 hours, can¡¯t be reattached¡ª" Toxic substances entering the body can cause systemic reactions, even leading to death, clinically referred to as reperfusion injury. Thus, the reattachment time for high-severance limbs is strictly controlled within 6 to 8 hours. Fortunately, not much time had passed since the injury. The rugged constitution of barbarians should still withstand it. Alas, unable to perform liver function or kidney function tests, unable to administer timely targeted medications, if something goes wrong, they could only rely on healing spells to tough it out¡ª Garrett muttered to himself, hastening his pace. Behind him, Elder Brock silently concentrated, memorizing every word and every action of Garrett¡¯s. Perhaps, a trick here could improve the success rate of Regeneration by 10%? Later on, a few elders who were lucky enough to squeeze in, although they had no qualifications to cast Regeneration, were also desperately memorizing, almost wishing they could take out a notebook and copy down every detail. Reattaching a limb, ah! Such a rare sight, ah! If this human healer succeeded, just these methods, just these few words, could be exchanged for a treasure among other tribes¡¯ healers... Huh? What is this servant of the God of Nature doing? Why is he holding a strange tube, sucking up some saline, and starting to inject it into the severed limb? --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 442: How can I know if he’s fainting under anesthesia? Garrett¡¯s hands were steady. His heart was also calm. A 20ml syringe, filled with saline solution, was inserted smoothly into the cut end of the brachial artery. His right hand¡¯s index and middle fingers held the syringe while his thumb pressed on the plunger, slowly pushing it forward. In his past life, syringe needles used for flushing blood vessels were supposed to be blunt-ended to avoid damaging the inner lining of the vessels. Unfortunately, Garrett had not considered this when making the needles earlier. All the needles were beveled! It was too late to have new ones made and sterilized on the spot. Limb transplantation required racing against time to minimize damage... He had to rely on his steady technique to keep the needle parallel to the axis of the vessel, preventing the sharp tip from piercing the vessel wall. Then, he slowly and steadily pushed the liquid forward, allowing the saline to enter the artery and flow along the vessel pathway. It couldn¡¯t be too fast or too slow. Too fast, and the jet of fluid would damage the delicate inner lining; too slow, and the saline wouldn¡¯t reach the end of the limb before returning via the veins. The limb was severed, there was no heartbeat or arterial contraction, only the pressure from the syringe pushed the saline forward in the vessel. It had to reach the end to wash out accumulated metabolic waste and blood clots, expanding spasmed, closed-off capillaries and small blood vessels. In his previous life, Garrett hadn¡¯t performed limb reattachment or organ transplants. He had to estimate the correct speed of injection, testing it bit by bit. "Firstly, there¡¯s no resistance, which means there are no clots nearby, that¡¯s good..." After one syringe of saline was injected, he drew another and continued. As Garrett flushed the area, he muttered: "Ah, if only I had a pump... Using a syringe always makes it hard to maintain even pressure... This should be heparinized saline..." "Heparin?" The silver dragon girl suddenly chimed in. She sat on a floating disc turned into a stool right next to him, watching intently. Hearing Garrett¡¯s muttering, she immediately asked: "Is heparin something squeezed out of a liver?" "Did you hear that!" Elder Brock¡¯s voice boomed from behind the operating table, his feathered crown rustling: "Lord Healer needs a liver! Who will fetch a fresh one!" Under his heavy gaze, someone immediately turned and dashed out. Garrett broke out in a sweat: "No!" Heparin, indeed, was discovered in the liver, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can just take a piece of liver, squeeze it, and get heparin! Whether it¡¯s regular heparin or low-molecular-weight heparin, the production process is quite complex and precise! Giving me a piece of liver wouldn¡¯t be useful! Moreover, nowadays, heparin is mainly extracted from cow lungs or pig intestinal mucosa, nothing to do with actual livers... The elder who dashed out skidded to a halt. Serila, sitting at the far end of the operating table, asked softly through her arcane eye focused on the limb: "What do we do then?" "Nothing much, if we don¡¯t have it, we don¡¯t have it..." Garrett responded dully through his mask. Ultimately, saline flushing was a physical method to remove thrombi, while the use of heparin was to prevent blood from clotting again. As long as he reconnected the vessels quickly enough and threw enough healing spells, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about clots! "Garrett, what are these red, blue, and yellow things?" "Ah, those are the vessels and nerves I¡¯ve marked... Red is the arteries, blue is the veins, yellow is the nerves..." "So later, it¡¯s red to red, blue to blue, yellow to yellow, right?" "Exactly. That¡¯s roughly it..." Garrett explained softly, staring at the limb. Mage tricks were so convenient¡ªif this were in his past life, he¡¯d have to tie threads to mark them during debridement. Not to mention the difficulty of the procedure, how fragile vessels and nerves are, any physical damage is certain with a tie! The delicate periosteum was best not damaged! With the periosteum in place, the bone ends would heal easily. Although the healing spell was powerful, it was best to save wherever possible... "Alright! Serila!" "Here it comes!" A clump of white light, as solid as reality, descended. Garrett stared intently at the humerus fracture, watching the periosteum tightly wrap around the bone ends, watching the bone gaps gradually close together. Lean down a bit more, using Serila¡¯s headgear to light it up, looking at the distal end bitten by the black cloud leopard, following the healing spell, filling up, leaving no cracks... Awesome! Healing spell, Serila, awesome! This healing spell, strong enough to be considered for serious injuries, focused entirely on a single bone. No wonder the bone immediately sealed perfectly, just like it had never been injured! Garrett¡¯s face lit up with joy, giving Serila a thumbs up, and continued working. Ah, the bone was secured, now onto the vessels. If the vessels successfully joined, this arm would live, then it was just a matter of how much function would recover. Garrett stowed away the silver skeleton, closed his eyes, and concentrated for a moment. Then , making a circle with his right thumb and index finger, he signaled to the silver dragon girl: "Spell magnifying glass, come~~~" "Too close! Move it further! Even further!" "Increase the magnification! No, I¡¯m not asking you to make the magnifying glass bigger, make the magnification larger!" "It¡¯s tilted! Lift the left side a bit!" "Raise it a bit, you¡¯re about to touch it! You¡¯ll contaminate the lens!" It turned out that Garrett and the silver dragon girl¡¯s rapport still needed some work... Up and down, stumbling along. The magnifying glass finally adjusted to a comfortable position for Garrett, who then focused entirely on joining the vessels. Brachial artery, cephalic vein, basilic vein. One artery, two veins, all three vessels joined, ready to release the vascular clamps¡ª "Serila, prepare the healing spell! If he feels dizzy, palpitations, or sees darkness, cast it immediately!" Blood volume hadn¡¯t been replenished, blood pressure hadn¡¯t risen back, and once the artery was opened after connecting the limb, the patient was very likely to have a sudden drop in blood pressure! At that moment, only the healing spell could save the day! "...But he¡¯s bound there, how would I know if he feels dizzy or has palpitations?" "..." "..." That¡¯s a good question... How would you know if someone under general anesthesia is fainting! We should have produced a sphygmomanometer sooner! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 469: Promoting Cowpox Vaccination? Ask the Legendary Mages First Using sailors as subjects for cowpox vaccination was a method Garrett had decided on after much contemplation. Previously, when he tried to attract the poor with low-cost treatments, his efforts to find volunteers had failed nearly 90% of the time. The main reason was that the adults in this world simply did not have the time to be isolated for observation: Men had to work in workshops, at docks, and in shops; Women had to work in laundries, dye houses, or at the very least, take care of the household chores, cooking, and cleaning; Even children as young as five or six, regardless of gender, had to earn money for their families. Missing a day meant missing a meal; missing ten days¡ªno, even just three days¡ªwould certainly mean losing their job. In this harsh world, the lives of the poor had almost no margin for error. The only ones who could afford the time to be isolated were children as young as three or four. However, the thought of cramming twenty or thirty children into a hospital ward and caring for them over ten days gave Garrett a splitting headache. He wouldn¡¯t take that step unless absolutely necessary. Of course, unless absolutely necessary, Garrett ¡¯Social Anxiety¡¯ Nordmark did not want to wave his teacher¡¯s banner at the city hall, gathering a group of death row inmates as subjects... Using sailors was so much better! They were young and strong. A ship would dock, unload, resupply, load goods, and sometimes even repair. There would always be some idle time! Garrett just needed to provide them with room and board during their port stays to lure them into participating in isolation observation for ten to fifteen days. Having familiar sea merchants bring them over was excellent; from one merchant to dozens, gathering a thousand sailors required only a few dozen ships¡ª The only problem was the higher loss of cowpox vaccines. Sailors might change jobs, stay in other ports, or even die at sea. Of the first group of subjects, less than 50% would come back for the human pox trials. Even then, that was with the organization of sea merchants and shipowners; hoping for 10% of the sailors to come on their own was a blessing Garrett was thankful for. But then, was the cost of the cowpox vaccine even considered a cost? Garrett, with a tower of mages and now a hospital in his name, Nordmark, could afford it... Garrett wanted the sailors to be free of smallpox forever, and the gouty sea merchants were naturally willing to comply. He not only reviewed his personnel but quickly organized the transportation of fifty to sixty sailors, vigorously promoting the cause. Soon, in the merchant circles, the legend of Garrett began to spread: "Have you heard? The illness of Sanger¡¯s father, which even the Temple of the War God couldn¡¯t cure, was healed by that mage Nordmark!" "Have you heard? Nordmark mage pulled a chili pepper out of old Karel¡¯s lung!" "Have you heard? Nordmark mage took out old Karel¡¯s lung and replaced it with a new one!" The promotion turned into boasting, and the boasting turned into a hot topic among circles. When Garrett¡¯s story of treating lungs traveled from the merchants to the alchemy workshops and from the transmutation to necromancy schools, the story had already morphed into: "Did you really replace an old man¡¯s lungs with cow lungs?" Garrett looked at the hurriedly approaching Edgar mage, his hair all messed up, speechless. Replace cow lungs? Do I look like someone who would replace human lungs with cow lungs? I¡¯m not a gene editing master, I can¡¯t create anti-rejection drugs... Besides, if I did replace them, I¡¯d prioritize pig lungs. Why would I use cow lungs?! Pig organs are about the same size as human¡¯s! He went through great pains to clarify the actual facts... Speaking of which, how did cowpox and lung treatment get twisted into cow lung transplantation? Rumors spread too fast! "...just publish a proper shaping school paper! Stop messing with these!" If it weren¡¯t for your strict rule that I must show you any paper before publishing, I wouldn¡¯t have to send it to you... Garrett muttered to himself and sent the paper out. Following tradition, the paper first went to the Tower Spirits, who were responsible for verification and sorting¡ª "Keywords: plague, smallpox, cowpox, immunity? Transfer to the necromancy school, plague branch¡ª" When Edgar mage rushed into his friend¡¯s study, he saw his friend holding a stack of papers, his eyes blank, his face full of doubt about life. "Corresponding author, Garrett Nordmark? First author, Leon Carlos?" he showed the cover of the paper to Edgar mage: "¡ªI know this Nordmark mage, a person praised by the Immortals. But he¡¯s only level five, isn¡¯t it a bit early for him to be a corresponding author? And who is Leon Carlos? Never heard of him!" "He¡¯s a necromancer too, level one..." Edgar mage replied weakly. Just a level one mage, able to lead a major project against smallpox, damn it! He couldn¡¯t just poach the man to be his disciple... "Submitted by, Thunder Horn, Oakwood Medical Research Institute." His old friend continued reading with a puzzled face: "Why is a paper from Thunder Horn sent here? And, a paper produced by a medical research institute should be sent to the curse magic department!" "Look at the keywords." Edgar mage turned the paper to the title page and pointed up: Plague, smallpox, cowpox... Except for the word "cow" in cowpox, which might suggest sending it to the transformation school, it indeed matched the necromancy school a bit more. The two necromancers, shoulder to shoulder, read on. As they read, a black aura slowly rose from Edgar mage¡¯s skeletal face, as if he evolved from a necromancer into a lich: "My old friend, this paper is really something." His gaunt fingers gently stroked the paper, as tenderly as caressing a perfect, unblemished corpse: "A plague¡ªsmallpox, such a deadly plague¡ªnot relying on magic, not relying on divine arts, able to protect every ordinary person from it¡ªtruly achieving this, the significance of this paper, is no less than, no less than..." His throat gradually dried up, unable to continue speaking. The colleague responsible for reviewing the paper also stared blankly at the paper for a while, then suddenly asked: "Should we support it?" "What?" "This¡ªcow..." the necromancer was still unfamiliar with the new word, paused for a moment, "cowpox, if the review committee decides to promote it widely, should we support it?" "Are you crazy? Of course, we should! Such a good thing!" Edgar mage was startled. His old friend stared blankly at him for a while, his red eyes rolling: "...support a mage from Thunder Horn?" "Uh... I¡¯ll still ask the Immortals first..." --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 443: Exchange Totem Spirit, How Many People Do I Need to Heal? Garrett looked at Seraina. Seraina looked at Garrett. They faced each other, silent without words. After a moment, hurried footsteps came from behind Garrett, and a thin, middle-aged healer ran up from the crowd, rushing forward: "I¡¯m here! I¡¯ll do the healing! Don¡¯t conserve healing power, the warriors of our village are my responsibility!" A middle-rank warrior! Such valuable combat power! He couldn¡¯t do it himself, but now someone could help. A few healing spells, and he could let the other person decide when to release them. Is he still human? Seraina snickered. Silently counting in her mind: one, two, three... Sure enough, just as she reached three, Garrett shouted: "Don¡¯t come any closer!" "???" "Don¡¯t come any closer! Stay at least three feet away from the operating table! Don¡¯t come near!" Garrett wished he could set up a force field barrier to divide the operating room in two. Damn it, the sterile standards of the "Refuge Hut" were already subpar, and these people kept crowding forward! Once he learned this magic, he would definitely find a way to transform it into a laminar flow operating room! The middle-aged healer reflexively stopped. He chanted softly, his bone staff shaking, swaying. Above his head, antlers and the staff¡¯s moss-filled pine cone emitted a bright light. From dark brown to light brown, and from light brown to a hint of red¡ª A red light enveloped Seraina. At the same time, Garrett¡¯s thoughts moved slightly, and the hemostatic forceps formed by the Mage Hand suddenly released. Blood vessels throbbed vigorously, fresh red blood flowed along the brachial artery, gushing into the newly attached arm. Eight or nine pairs of eyes stared at the right arm. One second, two seconds... Suddenly, the middle-aged healer cried out and dashed forward. He stood with his hands behind his back, bowing his body, trying to avoid touching the operating table. His eyes, however, seemed to want to stick to the palm of the severed hand: "It¡¯s warm, it¡¯s warm!" According to his teacher¡¯s teachings and his own experience, if the hand turned warm and red, it was already half alive! From the beginning to now, that Priest Nordmark, a fifth-level cleric of the God of Nature, had used only one healing spell! And when connecting blood vessels, he didn¡¯t even release a formal spell but merely guided energy with a silver rod to the wound... If such a minor effort could reattach a limb... Elder Brock trembled all over, his feathered cap and cloak rustling audibly, visibly brightening. Garrett immediately spoke: "Step back!" How much dust is on your clothes! He didn¡¯t lift his head, continuing to focus on the severed limb. The brachial artery, jugular vein, and saphenous vein, all major blood vessels, were filling well; He touched his wrist, feeling the rhythmic pulsing of the pulse under his fingertips; The skin began to regain its rosiness; he pressed and released the skin, which quickly returned to red, although it took more than two seconds, but it was promising; The skin gradually warmed; "It¡¯s very time-consuming. I¡¯ve seen Brock cast spells, a half-arm grows out of nothing in just the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, but how long has he been grinding away?" "But the consumption is really small! Looking at the spell fluctuations, I could do it too!" "But tell me, could we do it ourselves, join it up?" "It looks simple, align it strand by strand, throw a healing spell, and that¡¯s it... But it feels like it needs to be particularly meticulous, and those tools, I couldn¡¯t make them." "Yeah, it looks simple, but I always feel like I couldn¡¯t join it well myself." "If he¡¯s willing to teach, maybe we could learn some of it?" "Do you think he would teach?" "Exchange it for a Totem Spirit?" "We don¡¯t have any to spare in our tribe... Maybe several tribes could pool together one, and ask him to teach us all together?" "Good idea... Vilrad from the Bluebird tribe is my brother-in-law, I remember they have a Spirit of the Azure Falcon..." "The Azure Falcon is too powerful, can¡¯t be exchanged, right? What about the Grey River tribe? They swallowed a small tribe a few years ago, and that family¡¯s Raven Spirit is not bad..." The healers discussed quietly. Seraina glanced over subtly, then glanced again, pondering how to get a suitable spirit body for Garrett: It should have strong benefits, be able to fight, look beautiful, and have prestige when taken out. Ideally, it should also be fluffy¡ª When Garrett was lost in thought, she could take the opportunity to pluck its fur! Hmm, I wonder which of these barbarians has a wolf spirit? Last time when choosing mounts, Garrett seemed quite interested in the Silver Wolf... The Silver Dragon girl¡¯s eyes darted about, one thought after another bubbling up. Finally, Garrett straightened up, stretching hugely: "Seraina, the healing spell! Finish the skin healing, then scan from top to bottom, and that¡¯s it!" "Got it!" The Silver Dragon girl sprang up energetically. Healing minor injuries, then another healing minor injuries, a few balls of white light tossed over, skin wounds, bruises, and hematomas healed; Then a healing moderate injuries spell, from a fist¡¯s height above the broken arm down to the fingertips, scanning bit by bit; Finally, picking up the arm, flipping it over to check¡ª "All good, all right! Hey, you get up!" With a slap of her hand, the immobilization spell was released. Seraina jumped down from the floating disc, incredulously touching her right arm, from top to bottom, from bottom to top, pinching each finger from thumb to little finger.¡ªReally! It¡¯s real! Both hands, the tips of both hands, could feel! He waved his arm, clenched his fist, then, sidestepping, gathered momentum. Garrett didn¡¯t even have time to stop him when he saw him swing two punches into the air, the sound of breaking wind resounding. Garrett: "...Don¡¯t move! Come here! Let me check your arm! Don¡¯t exert too much force, start rehab gradually, be careful some parts might not have healed properly!" Seraina turned to Garrett with a face full of ecstatic tears. With a thud, she fell prostrate. When she raised her head again, her face was covered in tears: "My lord! My benefactor!¡ªFrom now on, this life of Seraina¡¯s is yours!" Thanks, but I¡¯m not really interested. By the way, how many contribution points does reattaching an arm for such a middle-rank warrior count for? Enough to exchange for one-tenth of a Totem Spirit? --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 444: Sir, which totem speaks to your heart? "To reattach a limb, first, you must know what kind of limb can be reattached. Generally, for high-level amputations, especially those involving the upper arms or thighs, if it¡¯s within six hours¡ªhalf a day¡ªthe limb can still be reattached using my method..." The elders wanted to learn about limb reattachment, and Garrett made it easy for them. He didn¡¯t haggle, impose additional conditions, or selectively invite a few for backdoor dealings to inflate prices through bidding... Should more people listen to the lecture? No problem, anyone who wants to can come; Which spirit of the totem to choose? Wait until the lecture is over to decide; When to start the lecture?¡ªWhenever you have time to listen. As a result, the evening of the next day, right after the grand hunting event ended, the healers, without exception, gathered in the largest tent. Garrett even specially called some warriors over: "They are on the front lines of battle, the most likely to encounter severed hands, feet, or fingers. At the very least, they should know how to preserve a severed limb on the way back..." So, warriors from various tribes crowded together, standing three or four rows deep behind the tent. Garrett¡¯s generosity, in turn, made the elders feel embarrassed. Especially the barbarians and dwarves, known for their hospitality, would feed and drink any traveler who knocked on their door, even if they came empty-handed. Otherwise, it would be a disgrace to the host. The reputation for being stingy spread, and the whole tribe, even all the tribes in the region, would be pointed at! "So which spirit of the totem should we choose for him?" During a break, led by the Elder with antler-shaped horns, the elders from five or six nearby villages gathered to discuss: "That raven we talked about earlier seems a bit embarrassing to offer..." "Yes, the falcon seems too weak. How about we go to Brock and exchange for his golden eagle?" "He wouldn¡¯t agree, right?¡ªThat golden eagle has been worshiped by him for twenty years, and it seems he plans to give it to his grandson. They say his grandson is a once-in-a-century genius. When he was born, birds circled and chirped above his tent for a whole day and night!" "Whichever one it is, it should be worthy of what he has done for us." Elder Gushan squeezed into the circle, dropping a huge leather bag with a thump. He casually shook the bag, and it jangled and clattered¡ªa mix of crisp, dull, and dry sounds. From the sounds, it likely contained various gold and silver jewelry, rare minerals, and medicinal bones and horns. This stash must have emptied their homes. "Lord Nordmark has healed half of our tribe. Or rather, all our young lads. These items are what the entire tribe could gather. Whichever family¡¯s spirit of the totem he wants, we¡¯ll give it as compensation!" "And mine too!" An old hunchback, no longer stooped, also pulled out a bag. He was poor, his rank low, his tribe not wealthy, but he too had given his all. Elder Antler quietly set down a third bag. Previously, Lord Nordmark had reattached an arm for one of the only two mid-level warriors in their tribe. This medical fee was absolutely non-negotiable! "...Wait, while we¡¯re here pooling money, does anyone know what kind of totem the healer would want?" "Well..." Garrett¡¯s lecture on limb reattachment lasted three days. After the grand hunt ended, on their way back to the gathering place, each night when they camped, the elders found time to rush to the large tent: Rarely does someone explain in such detail! The first day covered limb preservation and wound cleaning, the second day discussed bones, blood vessels, muscles, and nerves, and the third day was practical. Interested elders each chose a wild animal, chopped off a leg, and began repairs under Garrett¡¯s guidance¡ª "Use boiled water for saline solution! Or boil it after mixing! Using raw water is not acceptable!" "Concentration! Pay attention to the concentration!" "Look at the vitality of the blood vessels. If they aren¡¯t a normal pink, lack luster, or have lost their normal smoothness and elasticity, becoming soft and bendy, then the blood vessel is dead! If it¡¯s dead, it can¡¯t be used, must be cut off, and cut a bit further up!" "If you can¡¯t see clearly, use a magnifying glass¡ªDon¡¯t have a magnifying glass? The merchants don¡¯t bring them to sell? Then consider using eagle eye spell, or a similar spell. I personally don¡¯t recommend using enlargement spells. I haven¡¯t experimented, so I¡¯m not sure if enlarging or shrinking the limb poses additional risks." I can pick? No one else has objections? Garrett¡¯s eyes lit up. He looked behind the feather-crowned elder, at the healers who had and had not attended the lectures, standing densely packed in several rows. Seeing him look over, each one nodded vigorously: "Just pick! That raven is from our tribe! We are willing to offer it!" "Pick ours! Our tribe¡¯s white wolf is the strongest!" "Whichever is chosen, we all chip in for the compensation! No one will lose out! Don¡¯t worry!" Oh, oh, oh, no one will lose out, that¡¯s great. Garrett smiled, nodded in thanks to everyone, and approached the nearest totem pole. It was short, only reaching his chest, and the top was rubbed smooth and round. What kind of spirit of the totem was inside¡ª He closed his eyes, extended his mental power, and touched the spirit inside the totem pole. Immediately, in his meditative world, a loud, coarse, and deafening caw sounded. "Ptui! A crow! Garrett, don¡¯t take this one!" The Silver Dragon Maiden was clamoring on the side. Garrett nodded and continued walking: Good, he didn¡¯t really want a crow either. The thing gave him too harsh a feeling, not at all kind or gentle... The second totem pole revealed a small fox. Its fur was bright red, and it rolled on the ground as soon as it landed. Garrett¡¯s heart stirred, he extended his mental power to connect, but the fox shook its tail and scampered away. After running a few steps, it leaped high, head down, and dove straight into the snow. Garrett¡¯s mental power chased and blocked, but the fox ran all over the place, ignoring him. After three failed attempts, Garrett shook his head, gave up on communicating, and continued walking. The third totem pole housed a white wolf, which, touched by Garrett¡¯s mental power, looked up and elegantly walked over. Just the shoulder height of the white wolf reached Garrett¡¯s chest. It sniffed him twice and then licked his cheek. Garrett couldn¡¯t help but smile. In his meditative vision, he extended his arms, embraced the white wolf¡¯s neck, and gave it a robust stroke. The fur felt thick and lustrous, radiant like silver, and just looking at it made one¡¯s heart stir. "Choose it! Garrett, choose it!" Seraina cheered from the side. Garrett hesitated for a moment, tried to use his mental power to communicate with the white wolf, to command it to shrink, shrink, and shrink again... Ah, he couldn¡¯t do it! What about deeper observation inside the body? What, you can¡¯t do that either? Then sorry, I can¡¯t choose you... Garrett embraced the white wolf one last time in the meditative realm, resolutely breaking the connection. If he could contract two at the same time, if his mental power could also handle two at once, he might consider coming back for it, but for now... Forget it... He continued to pick and choose. Crow, no; beaver, no; rat, no; golden eagle, no... Ah, what¡¯s this? It¡¯s a white weasel! How cute! Completely white, with just a tiny black tip on its tail. When it stood up, it was round and adorably plump! And its face wasn¡¯t even the size of a palm, maybe it wouldn¡¯t need to shrink to explore inside a body? Come, let¡¯s communicate... Garrett once again extended his hand in the meditative view. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 445: Standard Medical Totem, Got It! Garrett stepped forward subconsciously, his expression one of excitement. In his meditative vision, he saw the little creature with a round face, round nose, and round ears, standing upright and looking around, as adorable as an elf. Its fur was completely white, with a black dot on the tip of its tail that kept twitching non-stop. Every detail of its body was a trigger for his sense of cuteness. "Ah..."@@@@ To the right, the Silver Dragon Lady also made a sound charmed by cuteness. She had even less resistance to the little white weasel, squatting down, stretching out her right hand, her silver-blue eyes slightly glazed as she too entered her meditative vision. The elders looked askance. This spirit of the totem was meant for the healers to contract, so why, Miss Elf, are you more excited than the healers themselves? A spirit trying to materialize would consume a vast amount of the contractor¡¯s mental energy. Do you plan to take it out to play every day? Lord Nordmark, are you planning to contract whatever she chooses? Well... as long as you two are happy... Amidst a general murmur of assent, a voice of dissent emerged. From the back of the caster¡¯s formation, an old man, limping and with a face full of sorrow, pushed his way forward. Seeing Garrett fixated on the white weasel totem pole, he hesitated again and again, then whispered: "Lord Nordmark... that, contracting this white weasel can be troublesome, you should be more cautious..." "Old man, what is it?" Garrett withdrew his eyes from the meditative world and turned to the elder. Cautious? What¡¯s the situation? Is there something wrong with this white weasel? Although weasels are generally capable of battling, it¡¯s said a white weasel can hunt prey ten times its own weight and even confront wolves for it... But this is a spirit of the totem, it shouldn¡¯t be aggressive, right? "Ah, my lord." The elder bent over subconsciously, rubbing his back as if it hurt continuously: "To contract with this white weasel, you must pass its test. First, you have to dance with it..." "What?!" The elder, with a bitter smile, made a few gestures, unsure of how to continue, only shaking his head. Garrett, not understanding, nodded at him with a smile, turning his attention back to the spirit of the white weasel. His mental energy reached out to the weasel, expressing his intent to make contact, and then he was dumbfounded. The white weasel leapt up wildly. It jumped high, dived down, darted to the other side, stood upright, and began shaking crazily. Then suddenly, it flopped down, rolled over a few times with its belly up, rubbed its back on the ground, and jumped up again. In short, it was completely engaged in a bizarre state of frantic, twitching, Brownian motion... Garrett stood watching, utterly unable to understand what it wanted or what it was demanding. Trying to connect with it mentally, the vague feedback seemed to suggest "keep up with me"... Keep up with you? Keep up with your twitching? After a long bout of wild thrashing, seeing no response, the white weasel suddenly darted up to Garrett. It stood upright, flopped down, belly up. Do you want to follow me? Can you become my partner, my eyes, assist me in observing patients¡¯ conditions, and help me with treatments? Almost immediately, a cool sensation silently permeated from across. Garrett slightly tilted his head back, relaxing his mind, savoring that sensation: Like stumbling out of the emergency building after a busy overnight, the morning breeze blowing in his face; Like hiking up a mountain path during a department team-building exercise, guzzling a bottle of ice-cold mineral water; Or like finishing several hours of surgery, dizzy and blurry-eyed, then downing a bag of glucose in one gulp... That sufficient, comfortable feeling made him unconsciously exhale a long breath. "This viper spirit was a previous great healer¡¯s contracted partner." At some point, the plumed elder had come up beside him, softly explaining: "When I was a child, I often saw it bring herbs to help its master treat diseases. It¡¯s said that it could taste any common herb in the wild and know what it could cure." A snake that carries herbs? A born healing magical pet! To take it away like this, was it really okay? Knowing that the barbarian¡¯s healing power was still lacking... Perhaps sensing his doubt, the plumed elder sighed softly, his voice low: "Unfortunately, his disciple was more focused on battle, not much interested in healing, and didn¡¯t quite mesh with the snake spirit. No descendants could gain the snake spirit¡¯s favor, and it has been decades now." Okay, purely a mismatch. Just like that white weasel, cute but not a match... Garrett sighed silently. Since that¡¯s the case, this viper spirit, following him, wasn¡¯t too bad. Speaking of which, his knowledge of this world¡¯s herbs was very limited, a perfect complement... "So, shall I contract with it?" "Please." Following the plumed elder¡¯s direction, Garrett stood next to the totem pole, his hands pressed against the wooden column, completely immersing his mind inside. Around him, four elders held animal blood, medicinal powder, and mineral ink, sketching on the ground: "Wait a minute... first release your spirit, get ready... once it¡¯s drawn, I¡¯ll personally conduct the contracting ceremony..." Elder Brock prattled on, directing disciples to bring out various items, placing them at designated spots in the magic circle. There were animal teeth, horns, fruits, and powders unknown to Garrett. Then, he took off a small pouch from his waist, carefully extracting various colored minerals and gems, placing them one by one into the circle. Garrett casually glanced over, spotting what seemed to be rubies, emeralds, sapphires, amethysts, amber, and onyx. Although the quality was hard to describe, gathering these materials on the great plains was no easy feat. "Uh, this isn¡¯t necessary, right? Too valuable..." "Needed, needed. The more powerful the spirit of the totem, the more arduous the test for the master; a spirit without a master for a long time might even drain the master¡¯s mental energy. These magic circles and offerings are both a binding and a protection..." "Uh, I didn¡¯t mean that." Garrett removed his hands from the totem pole, picked up the oak wand, swaying it left and right: "What I mean is, it seems like I¡¯ve already completed the contract...?" Under the watchful eyes of all, that spirit snake slowly revealed itself on the oak wand, about the length of a stick of eyebrow pencil. Its tail hooked around the end of the wand, its body coiling round and round down to the handle, its head poking out, tongue flicking. Garrett tilted his head, looking up and down, more and more satisfied. A simple oak wand, with a green leaf flourishing at the top, a spirit snake coiling around its body¡ªthis was indeed the emblem of the medical system! This viper spirit was naturally meant to be his partner! "What¡¯s your name?" He asked in his mind, "Do you have a name? What did your previous master, or perhaps your first master, call you? ¡ªNo? Then, do you need me to give you one?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 446: The Barbarian’s Secret Childbirth Recipe?! As soon as he grasped the snake staff, Garrett Nordmark looked around and felt immediately invigorated. His back wasn¡¯t sore anymore, his legs no longer hurt, and the way people looked at him... it was different. It was as if he had become radiant, bathed in layer upon layer of holy aura. Ahem, they wouldn¡¯t think I¡¯m possessed by the god of medicine, right? Surely not, there¡¯s no such god of medicine in this world, not like the legends of Asclepius. But maybe, just maybe, if I work hard to enhance my reputation, I could turn this snake staff into a symbol of healing in this world? Garrett held the snake staff and let his mind wander. He was eager to try out the functions of the spirit snake. He looked left and right, then suddenly stopped: At his feet were all sorts of shapes, round and square, horizontal and vertical, a summoning circle only half-drawn with numerous ingredients scattered about. Garrett estimated his non-existent ballet skills and knew that tip-toeing out would inevitably disturb something. Jump out? Sorry, but ever since middle school, he had never passed the long jump. He looked down, two apprentices were underfoot, one organizing materials within the circle, another following with a small shovel, scooping up dirt. What a pity, these ritual materials could have been reused, the beast blood and medicinal powders used for the circle were being wasted... Two warriors, rolling up their sleeves, stood far off to the side, rubbing their hands together, preparing to move a totem pole. "About this pole...?" Should I be taking it with me? It looks so heavy! ¡°This pole is used to nurture the spirit of the totem, especially when the caster¡¯s strength is insufficient, or there is a gap in power, allowing the spirit of the totem to reside on the pole, sustained by the tribe¡¯s sacrifices,¡± explained an elder with feathered headdress, smiling gently. ¡°As a priest like you, you can directly supply it with psychic energy, no need to carry the pole around.¡±@@@@ ¡°Oh, oh, oh...¡± Garrett felt relieved. Indeed, there are many ways to contain ethereal and spiritual entities back at the council. He¡¯d get a copy of those methods later. As for the pole, let it stay here for the next tribe to use! Garrett waited patiently. Fortunately, the quick-witted apprentices swiftly cleared a path for him. Garrett, holding the snake staff, dashed out and was immediately stopped by the elder with a smiling intercept: ¡°Mr. Nordmark, is there something urgent?¡± ¡°Ah? I was going to try this snake spirit...¡± Try out the spiritual enhancement from the totem spirit to see if it¡¯s satisfactory enough for electrodiagnostics; also to explore what the totem spirit itself can reveal by probing inside a human body. After all this trouble, how could he not make a thorough attempt! ¡°Since it¡¯s an attempt, could you perhaps take a walk through our tribe?¡± Elder Broc asked with a genial smile, his face amiable. Garrett understood his implication: it¡¯s rare to have such a unique healer around, why not take the opportunity for a free health check, and perhaps, a free treatment session as well? However, elder, do you realize your face now looks exactly like that chief physician back in the day who used to say, ¡°This symptom is quite typical, let the students have a look,¡± and then summoned a bunch of medical students all at once... Though reminded of some not-so-pleasant memories, Garrett did not refuse. He followed the elder into the host tribe¡¯s residential area. Upon entering the first house, he reflexively cast a protective bubble around himself, then discreetly dispersed it when unobserved. Even in the comparatively prosperous tribes of the great plains, living conditions were hardly something to look forward to. Most homes were supported by beast bones, the walls were made of mud-brick, and beast skins covered the top. An entire family¡ªmen, women, the elderly, and children¡ªlived in one room, even sleeping together on a single heated brick bed. The wealthier homes had beast skin curtains dividing the brick bed, while the poorer homes lacked even that. Stepping inside, he was greeted by the smell of years of accumulation... R?a??¦¯?E?? Garrett had no choice but to endure the odor while conducting check-ups. After all, odors are also an important clinical indicator that can¡¯t be ignored. For instance, the smell of diabetic foot or the rotten apple scent of ketoacidosis¡ªyou know what¡¯s happening as soon as you smell it. Besides, I only know about administering oxytocin for inducing labor... and I don¡¯t have that medication on hand! Elder Broc chuckled, not pressing further. They reached the patient¡¯s dwelling, and as soon as they lifted the curtain, the agonized moans were already audible. The pregnant woman, drenched in sweat, lay on the heated brick bed, her belly clearly showing full-term. The only thing Garrett could do was quickly cast an electrocardiogram spell. Hmm, her heart rate is a bit fast, which is natural, but not yet abnormally so. As for the position of the fetus, he wouldn¡¯t know unless he performed an ultrasound. But, the pregnant woman¡¯s husband might not be comfortable with him touching the pregnant belly. Garrett discreetly glanced over; when Elder Broc moved closer, the young man was already struggling... ¡°Child, don¡¯t be afraid, the spirits always protect you.¡± Elder Broc used his healing skills to boost the pregnant woman¡¯s strength, then from the inside of his robe, he flipped out a small pouch, pouring out some powder: ¡°Here, drink this.¡± What is that? Garrett curiously peeked. The pregnant woman obediently drank the powder, but her condition hardly improved, nor did it trigger immediate labor. Garrett, while unnoticed, pulled Elder Broc aside to a quiet spot behind the house, and quietly asked him: ¡°What is that medicine made of?¡± ¡°That, ah...¡± Elder Broc looked around once more. If it were another tribal elder or even his own disciples asking, he would absolutely not reveal the secret recipe unless absolutely necessary; but this generous human healer could be made privy to it. He straightened his clothes, his smile restrained: ¡°That¡¯s our tribe¡¯s secret recipe. It¡¯s made from pumpkin seeds, gourd flesh, and the feces of a hawk, mixed together to induce labor. It has to be from our tribe¡¯s sacred hawk, or the feces won¡¯t be effective. You better not tell anyone else!¡± What... Garrett was stunned. That works? That¡¯s effective?! In fact, it really wasn¡¯t effective. The pregnant woman tossed and turned, struggling for nearly an hour, her breathing growing weaker. Seeing the situation turning dire, Elder Broc had no choice but to produce a new secret recipe: ¡°Let the fluid that impregnated her also induce her labor. Let her husband go over, @#$%...¡± A series of operations involving sound that must be censored below the neck. Garrett was dumbfounded: Wait, wait. Theoretically, prostaglandins do indeed promote the maturation and softening of the cervix, which means, they can induce labor... but your method is way too rough! I might as well do it myself! At least, a simple cesarean section, I can handle that! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 447: A Wishful Level Up Garrett stood by the earthen hut¡¯s doorway, his gaze blank, hair disheveled by the wind. Following a wave of imaginative and witchcraft-like maneuvers, the pregnant woman inside the hut actually started giving birth. And in just a few hours, she delivered a hefty baby boy weighing about ten pounds. The process went smoothly, and both mother and child were safe. It¡¯s fair to say that barbarians have a different constitution, more resilient. Garrett shuddered to think of the mortality rates if it had been a human woman. However, Garrett¡¯s daze was interpreted by the Elder with a feathered crown as awe of medical skills. Consequently, Garrett was exposed to more of the barbarians¡¯ unique healing practices: Taking the patient into a steam room, letting them breathe in steam and smoke from smoldering medicinal herbs; (Garrett: No! Vaporization isn¡¯t supposed to be done like this! Herbal vaporization is ineffective!) Boiling the inner bark of a certain tree and using the cooled liquid for enemas; (Garrett: Be careful of disrupting the intestinal flora!) Whipping the patient or piercing their skin with thorns while offering animal sacrifices to the totem spirits; (Garrett: This would only backfire, wouldn¡¯t it?) Stringing a foul-smelling resin with garlic into a necklace for the patient, supposedly to drive away evil spirits; (Garrett: Are you sure you¡¯re not trying to repel vampires?) Indeed, barbarian constitution must have been selected this way, right? After a whole day of such treatments, Garrett returned to his room, pale and shaky, his mind in a daze. He opened his notebook and began updating medical records: Edar, male, 18 years old, beginner warrior, heart rate 52 bpm; Iomon, male, 31 years old, intermediate warrior, heart rate 49 bpm; Yocul, male, 27 years old, beginner (low-level) warrior, heart rate 55 bpm... According to the ECG results, the heartbeats and waveforms of barbarians weren¡¯t much different from humans. But their heartbeats were stronger and slower, likely related to their harsh living conditions and robust health. Ah, the rational, professional world suited him better. Speaking of which, he had also learned ECG magic and obtained the Totem Spirit. Maybe it was time to head back to Nevis City? ????a?O???E?s? Or should he delay a bit? It had been over half a year, and his mage level hadn¡¯t yet risen to five. Archmage Carlisle and the others would probably be furious... Thinking about it, Garrett felt a bit guilty. No matter how much he overestimated his friendship with the dwarves, he knew: His mission to the Dwarf Kingdom wasn¡¯t indispensable. Archmage Carlisle sent him probably because he was stuck at the same level too long, needing a change of environment to broaden his horizons. This journey involved a lot of favors to ensure his safety... Cough, for the sake of the Archmage¡¯s health, he should probably wander around a bit more and reach level five before returning. Garrett sighed and continued to write. It wasn¡¯t like he didn¡¯t want to level up; he just hadn¡¯t found the right opportunity. How could he be blamed? He had been working hard all this time. Laboring by day, meditating by night, developing new spells, treating patients¡ªnever a day off. Whether in the Silver Dragon Cave, on the road, or hunting with the barbarians, he wouldn¡¯t touch his pillow until he completed his nightly meditations. "The world is vast, and I am but a traveler who has just started. I dare not claim to know what this world is like. I can only be certain of what I have explored and proven to exist. Breathing, heartbeat, blood circulation, nerve functions, elements, electrophysiological responses¡ª" The cosmos fell silent, the world speechless. Unbeknownst to Garrett, the meditation world he defined, devoid of anything but magical constructs, subtly transformed: Electric currents surged, magnetic fields spiraled. Sound waves rippled in rings, light split into seven colors with invisible infrared and ultraviolet rays at the spectrum¡¯s ends. Powerful rays emanated from all magical elements, penetrating the human body, revealing bones and internal organs. Microorganisms silently grew, waging wars in the microscopic realm. With every heartbeat, with every movement, tiny electrical currents reached every limb... So subtle, so beautiful. Worth every person, every researcher on this path, spending their life in pursuit. Garrett didn¡¯t know that every mage undergoing orthodox training, at the threshold from level four to five, had already solidified their understanding of the world. Training, research, knowledge, and learning stimulated each other, essentially defining the world as outlined by their school. And the world, in turn, responded based on the mage¡¯s understanding. Advancing from level four to five was about choosing and solidifying one¡¯s path. To turn back now would cost a great deal. And few mages dared to confront their inner selves at this threshold, admitting their uncertainty about the world¡¯s true nature. A world of shaky beliefs struggled to enrich a mage¡¯s feedback; even if it did, the fragmented and potentially contradictory responses could tear apart a mage¡¯s meditation realm. "So, what is your ultimate purpose? Which school of magic do you lean towards? If the world¡¯s truth isn¡¯t as you believed, what then?" In the ethereal silence, a voice continued to inquire. Garrett didn¡¯t hesitate: "I dedicate this body to medicine. The eight major schools, even magics not covered by these schools, as long as they benefit medical science, I welcome them. As for the world¡¯s truth¡ª" He chuckled lightly: "The deeper the research, the stranger the truths of this world appear. Regardless, the people I heal, the people I help, their existence is real and does not shift with my perceptions." More power flowed into his meditation realm. Garrett even felt an illusion that his meditation world, particularly the parts between the core and the outer shell, was beginning to materialize. Of course, that was impossible; materialization of a meditation realm required level ten or higher. However, amid a howling sound, a snake spirit arose, tumbling in the air, swiftly growing with power drawn from the void. Half a foot, one foot, two feet, three feet¡ª Hey, don¡¯t turn into a dragon! I don¡¯t have enough power to sustain your transformation into a dragon! Garrett simply let go of his control, absorbing all the power from the void. Opportunities driven by the world¡¯s will were rare, coming once in a blue moon; he had to seize it fully! And his recently completed meditation core, especially the new brain and central nervous system, strengthened just like the earlier ¡°bones¡± and ¡°muscles.¡± Then, following the ethereal connections, directly nourished his physical body. Garrett suddenly realized his memory and cognitive abilities had significantly improved. Memorizing eighteen hundred digits of pi, calculating calculus in his head¡ªthose were nothing! So this is the confidence high-level mages have when manipulating complex spells? Enhanced mental capacity greatly leaps in thinking and calculating abilities? Garrett pondered silently, guiding the power for this final step of advancement: In the meditation environment, he carved a unique spell model! As for which one to choose, did he even need to think about it? --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 448: Riding on a Silver Dragon’s Back? Garrett was shut away writing his paper when Seraina was squatting next to a totem pole, gleefully playing with the spirit of a white weasel. Reaching out, pulling back; flipping her hand over, rotating her wrist; lifting it up, then smacking it down... Bringing it back was out of the question, a mere spirit of a white weasel could never be brought back in this lifetime. But since it couldn¡¯t be brought back, that was all the more reason to make the most of the few days in Akula, to play as much as possible! However, just as Garrett began to advance, Seraina stopped her play. She turned her head, looked back, her ears twisting left and right, then abruptly stood up and strode forward. Halfway there, she casually grabbed Bernard... Then, the two of them squatted on either side of Garrett¡¯s door, waiting. The barbarians were baffled. Seraina raised her index finger to her lips, making a "shush" gesture, focused and sensing the magical fluctuations in the room. Ah, for a level 5 priest and a level 4 junior mage, these fluctuations were quite strong... Garrett is the best, after all! Seraina clenched her fist energetically. Then, faced with the barbarian elders rushing over, drawn by the fluctuations, she grimaced fiercely. Garrett was unaware that the Silver Dragon Girl was squatting outside guarding his door, blocking numerous probing minds. At that moment, he was immersed in the infusion of the world¡¯s will, focused and constructing spell models: Which one to choose this time? No need to think about it¡ªit was definitely the ECG! The utility of an ECG was immense! Moreover, the casting required high skills and took time. With the world¡¯s will infusing power, perhaps the support time could be extended from three to five minutes to an hour? Perhaps save some energy, and while maintaining the ECG, perform a surgery simultaneously? Garrett guided the power with concentration. Each node, each line, every square on the plane, whether fixed, mutable, or needing free flow... Although it was only a first-level spell, the complexity of the ECG magic was several times that of the ultrasound magic he had constructed before, even surpassing many second-level spells! A cloud screen, twelve interfaces, twelve remote probes. The entire spell model involved electricity, magnetism, light, time, and spatial positioning, thoroughly testing a mage¡¯s basic skills. Fortunately, after advancing, Garrett¡¯s mental and cognitive abilities had greatly enhanced. Some modules that he used to memorize laboriously without understanding, now, as he reconstructed them, he could grasp their principles. Of course, changing was out of the question. The magic foundation of the Silver Dragon Lady was much stronger than his; the magic she created, Garrett was not yet capable of altering... Lost in meditation, he was unaware of time passing. Garrett set up the last spell node, tweaked it to ensure smooth mana flow, and the lines lit up normally on the cloud screen. Good, in the future, he might consider adding an automatic recording mode, to simultaneously produce ECG paper... He breathed a sigh of relief, just about to exit his meditative state when a serpent spirit suddenly slithered by his side. Opening its mouth wide, it swallowed the cloud screen in one gulp! R?a??????B?s Garrett: !!! Don¡¯t! I just finished setting it up! Don¡¯t make me do it all over again! He scrambled to retrieve it, and if not for the inconvenient movements of the meditative core¡¯s light figure, he would have commanded it to extend two hands and pry the cloud screen out of the serpent spirit. After two failures, he found the correct method, calming his mind and touching the serpent spirit with his psychic power... Eh? It seems, the spell model can still be triggered? And, he could delegate the task of maintaining the spell to the serpent spirit, allowing himself to be distracted by other tasks? After all, maintaining the spell state on the cloud screen did not require much active operation? If so, that would be wonderful! Garrett was immensely relieved. As the infusion of the world¡¯s will was nearing its end, trickling down to a few sparse drips. Garrett gathered this last wave of power and poured it all into the serpent spirit: Eat as much as you can, and help out more! And, don¡¯t rush to transform into a dragon! Your master can¡¯t afford you! However, Garrett, even before setting off for the Dwarf Kingdom, had been forced by Archmage Carlisle to memorize a whole bunch of spell structures. Lest he advanced and had no spells to learn, delaying his efforts, affecting his combat power... So, Garrett picked and chose, selecting the one he most wanted to learn at the moment, and spread out his paper and pen. ¡°Seraina, look at this refuge hut¡¯s structure, how can we change its air entry and exit routes?¡± ¡°Why are you learning refuge hut spells! We have me! Learn flying magic! Flying magic!¡± Seraina swept away the manuscript on the table. She didn¡¯t take the pen, that ¡¾Endless Ink Pen¡¿ was Garrett¡¯s lifeline, always tucked close to his heart on the left side with an oak wand; but that didn¡¯t stop her from waving the rolled-up paper up and down, boosting her own momentum: ¡°Learn flying magic! Once you learn, fly with me!¡± ¡°Uh...¡± Garrett wanted to say that learning this thing was of no use, flying over Nevis was prohibited, at least for mid-level mages; Wanted to say that when flying magic was first learned, its speed was just so-so, flying with her, he¡¯d be left so far behind he couldn¡¯t even see her tailwind; Wanted to say that flying by her side, he¡¯d probably be directly smacked to the ground by the airflow of her wingtips... But, seeing the Silver Dragon Girl with widened eyes, waving the manuscript, her cheeks flushed and puffed up, he still raised his hands, surrendering honestly: ¡°Alright, alright, we¡¯ll learn flying magic...¡± Indeed, operating rooms were common, but traveling was not. Traveling on the great wilderness with Seraina allowed her to transform into a dragon without restraint, a chance to fly together that, if missed, would be hard to find again... The spell structure of flying magic wasn¡¯t too difficult. After three days of intense learning, Garrett felt confident, believing he had mastered it. So, on the first clear day, he bid farewell to the elders, and with Seraina and Bernard, rode on Apa, embarking on the return journey. The silver moon deer galloped along, leaving the settlement far behind, out of sight, Seraina immediately began to prod Garrett vigorously: ¡°Flying magic! Flying magic! Fly!¡± ¡°Wait, when you transform into a silver dragon and take off, they might still see you¡ªlet¡¯s run a bit further, a bit further...¡± The silver moon deer kept running until midday, covering a few hundred kilometers, before Garrett was willing to attempt flying magic. He carefully controlled the spell, gathering the magical power into a cluster, lifting him into the air. But then, what to do next? How to determine the direction of travel? Garrett flew up, dropped a little, then flew up again, still not mastering it. Theoretically, he knew he should use his mind to control the magic, but he always feared, the slightest distraction and the flying magic would dissipate... Below, Seraina laughed so hard she doubled over, waving her hands urging him forward. Garrett steeled his heart, waved his arms and kicked his legs, dog-paddling through the air~~~ ¡°Hahaha! Garrett is so silly!¡± The Silver Dragon flapped her wings, soaring up. She swooped under Garrett, and in an instant, her smooth, icy, hard back lifted him high into the sky. ¡°Silly Garrett! Learn to fly faster!¡± --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 449: Southward! Home! Two Thousand Miles in Five Days! It turns out that for humans without wings, learning to fly quickly is indeed quite difficult. Perhaps some can manage it. But that list certainly doesn¡¯t include Garrett Nordmark, who had all his athletic skills focused on surgery. Flying, falling, caught by a dragon¡¯s back. Flying, falling down, quickly casting a feather-falling spell on himself before the silver dragon could rescue him. Flying again, only to be tossed about by a crosswind... Having exhausted all his third-level spell slots for the day, Garrett¡¯s achievement was limited to safely taking off, landing, and moving in a straight line in the air. Flying alongside a silver dragon seemed out of reach for now. No matter, tomorrow is another day! Garrett, panting, sat on the back of a deer, wrapping his coat tighter. Ah, although the spell "Resist Heat and Cold," even at minus forty degrees, allows one to move comfortably, the fur coat indeed provides a sense of security! Garrett buried his face into the fur collar. The fluffy black fox fur was soft and thick, just rubbing it on his face made him feel warm and cozy. Speaking of which, this coat was stuffed into his space bag by Andrew Lynn before departure. Back then, Garrett, who disliked cumbersome things, had struggled fiercely: "I know ¡¯Resist Heat and Cold¡¯! I¡¯m not going to live there until winter! The Dwarf King abdicates in June, I¡¯ll be back by July! No need to bring it! It¡¯s said that the Dwarf King¡¯s city is underground, filled with lava, very hot!" "Bring it!" Andrew slapped him on the head and pushed him back into his seat: "When you¡¯re traveling, you have to consider all sorts of accidents! What if you have to climb a snowy mountain? What if you end up staying till winter? What if you¡¯re busy saving someone and run out of mana? When that time comes, without a big fur coat, you¡¯ll just cry!" ...Speaking of ¡¯what if,¡¯ it seems like you¡¯re the one who ends up in so many ¡¯what ifs,¡¯ big brother Andrew! Being chased by a seventh-level knight to the Arctic Circle and forced to live there for half a year, your ability to attract accidents is unmatched... Ah, big brother Andrew, and Aurora, how are they now? And Mister Norwood, who said he was saving up a dowry for his daughter, half a year has passed, has his daughter gotten married yet? The new apprentices, Miss Anita Vineya and Leon Carlos, how are they progressing? That new maid, Jenny, who borrowed books from him, how many has she read by now? Unconsciously, Garrett¡¯s thoughts had drifted across the sea. Seraina peeked at him, seeing his distracted gaze, she waved her hand in front of his face, but no reaction came. The silver dragon girl bit her lip, thought for a moment, and then secretly smiled, took a deep breath: "¡ª¡ª!" The breath was forcibly held back in her throat. Above them, a somewhat familiar mountain hawk folded its wings and shot down like an arrow, shouting mid-air: "Mr. Nordmark! ¡ª¡ª Lord Nordmark!" "Ah?" Garrett startled awake. Seraina had already raised her hands high behind him: "Here!" While shouting, she gently kicked the silver moon deer with the tip of her toe. Apa slowed down and gradually came to a stop. The mountain hawk fluttered its wings and landed three to five meters in front of them, scratching the ground with its claws: R?a??¦Ï?§¦?s? "Mr. Nordmark, I am ordered by Lady Glorious Scale to relay a message. The lady says: The council has asked her to relay a message, telling you to return immediately, as quickly as possible, to the port where you came from. A ship is waiting there for you, from the full moon, waiting only seven days!" "What?" "Why?" "What happened?" Garrett, Seraina, and Bernard asked in unison. The mountain hawk fluttered its wings again: "Apu doesn¡¯t know. Apu is just following orders. Okay, Apu is leaving~~~" Garrett tied the written cloth strip around the mountain hawk¡¯s leg. Watching the hawk finish the meat and take flight, he turned to the silver moon deer: "Apa, it¡¯s going to be tough for you." At the start of their journey, Garrett had looked at the map. From the northernmost tip of the Black Gate Peninsula to the port where they had landed, it was almost two thousand miles. The location of Akula was about a thousand miles east from the northernmost dragon¡¯s nest¡ª On the day the Great Hunt ended, the moon was already half full. Counting from then, they had best reach the port within seven days! With Apa¡¯s level and speed, even carrying three people, it could be done. But it would be extremely tough, requiring all-out effort! "Bernard, take off your armor, hand me the staff!" Garrett reached out to the barbarian: "Seraina, the two of us, take turns casting Levitation to reduce weight as much as possible! Apa, let¡¯s change course south! Run at a steady pace, straight south!" The silver moon deer left a trail on the great plains. The three, squeezed together, made their weight as light as possible with the aid of Levitation, utterly negligible for a level eight magical beast. In fact, if not for being tied with vines¡ª Right now, they could have let go a giant kite. Run, run, run. Towards the south, towards the direction of the sun, run as hard as possible. On the east side of the Black Gate Mountain Range, mostly gentle hills and crisscrossing rivers, the silver moon deer ran very smoothly. Narrower streams could even be jumped over¡ª They ran non-stop until evening, the silver moon deer hanging its head, ribs heaving, its fur all stuck together in tufts. Bernard rolled up his sleeves to brush the mount, while Garrett took out all the sugar cubes he had and fed them to it by the handful: "Apa, it¡¯s tough... Hang in there a few more days... Apa, I know there¡¯s not much tender grass here, once we get back to the city, you can have sugar if you want sugar, eggs if you want eggs..." "Why make it so complicated? Just feed him meat!" With a slap, the silver dragon miss dragged over a freshly caught wild sheep, directly throwing it in front of the silver moon deer. Before Garrett could react, Apa lowered its head, opened its mouth wide, and crunched the sheep¡¯s leg bones to pieces. Garrett: "......" What, it eats meat? Alright, a level eight magical beast, there¡¯s no reason it doesn¡¯t eat meat, nor is there anything it can¡¯t digest. Besides, the energy contained in meat is indeed higher than that in tender leaves or fruits... Wait! You¡¯ve eaten it all, what will we eat! With Apa¡¯s all-out effort, with Seraina flying high twice a day to scout ahead, they headed south smoothly. They traveled by day, set up a "Refuge Hut" to rest at night, Garrett even had time to practice his flight spells... On the third day, they found a village. On the fourth day, they encountered a town, and on the fifth day, following the trade routes between the mountains, they arrived at the largest trade port on the Black Gate Peninsula, the port where Garrett and his companions had landed, Annya Port. Annya Port, although it was deep in winter and the vegetation was withered, looked no different from before. Giant logs formed a pier where sharp, long warships with both ends curved upwards were docked side by side, dozens, perhaps hundreds at a glance. Though there was no one on the ships, and no shields neatly arrayed on either side, just looking at those narrow hulls and the fierce dragon heads on the ends, one could feel a surge of killing intent. Garrett walked around, unable to find any ship that seemed to be there to pick him up. Having no other choice, he returned to the urban area, staying at the Crow Inn where he had stayed before. Just as he entered the inn, someone stood up next to the door: "Ah! You¡¯ve finally come!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 450: That was close, almost got abducted! Who? Who is it? Who has been waiting for me? The boat isn¡¯t due for another two or three days, so why is someone looking for me now? At the door of the inn, a short man got up from his table and charged over like a cannonball. His momentum was so fierce that Garrett didn¡¯t step forward to inquire but instead stepped aside to dodge. Behind him, Seraina stepped forward, blocking between him and the short man. The lobby of the inn quieted for a moment. Then, laughter, applause, and whistles erupted from all directions. The Crow Inn is one of the largest and most upscale inns at Anya Port. Its spacious lobby doubles as a dining room and tavern, easily accommodating twenty to thirty tables without feeling crowded. It was dinnertime, and waiters bustled among the patrons, the room filled with the aroma of meat and wine. Nearly every table was occupied. Barbarians, dwarves, orcs, humans¡ªthe most common races were all gathered here. Warriors, spellcasters, craftsmen, merchants, each had their own presence, each with their own eye-catching qualities. However, no one could attract more attention than Seraina. A rare elf, a beautiful woman, tall with radiant silver hair hanging straight down to her waist. Her silver-blue eyes, under the firelight, took on a hint of purple, both noble and mysterious. What made people even more envious was that when the dark-haired human moved aside, the elf lady actually stepped forward to block for him. Although the human looked like a spellcaster and it made sense for a warrior to stand in front of him, still, she was an elf beauty! What luck this guy has! The short man braked hard. The elf lady slightly lifted her chin, looking down at him with a posture that was defensive yet charmingly playful. He couldn¡¯t just charge past, so he stopped and flashed a badge at Garrett: "Ah! I was really here to find you!" He raised the badge towards Garrett. With the inn bustling, he didn¡¯t call out Garrett¡¯s name but raised his voice: "Mr. Troka sends his regards!" Huh? Garrett peered out from behind Seraina. The man quickly put away the badge after flashing it, leaving Garrett only to see a faint magical shadow, a neat hexagram. This was the symbol of the Magic Council, so it was one of their own? He felt a bit embarrassed. Pulling on Seraina, he peeked out from behind her and waved towards the bar from a distance: "Hey, got any private rooms?" "No!¡ªOnly rooms!" Ten minutes later, Garrett, Seraina, Bernard, and the short man who introduced himself as Jelant Poppe, sat down in a room Garrett had just rented. Bernard was burying his head in his food. Seraina nibbled on fruits while perking up her ears to listen. Jelant laid a scroll of parchment in front of Garrett for him to check, while explaining in a low voice: "I¡¯m the third mate on the Albatross of the Third Fleet. Kalas is my brother. ¡ª You might not remember, but when he was dying from the plague at sea, it was you who cured him and cleaned his wounds. I was there to see my brother then..." r¦¡??o???§¦?S Garrett was clueless. Not just this sailor, but even his brother, he had no recollection at all. Scurvy, yes, he had cured a group of that before, and then? You tell me the age and symptoms, I might remember... He scrutinized the man. Not very tall, half a head shorter than himself. Wearing a deep blue wool coat embroidered with an anchor. A fishy smell permeated, making Seraina scrunch her nose and shuffle back. Jelant¡¯s curly brown hair stuck to his ears. His tanned face was a bit peeling, indeed looking like he was long-exposed to sun and wind, but whether he was a sailor, Garrett couldn¡¯t tell. With sleeves rolled up to his elbows, the arms exposed didn¡¯t look particularly strong, and there weren¡¯t many calluses on his palms. As for rust on the lower legs, sorry, pants and boots on, nothing visible. Luckily, there was a council¡¯s certification document. Garrett unfolded the parchment, first checking the lower right corner, hmm, there was a secret arcane mark, the symbol of the Magic Council. Beside it flashed another mark, the symbol of the Tower Spirits from the Tower of Heaven, which was hard to fake... "What are you doing?" "What did you do to Jelant?" "Put him down!" Good thing he hadn¡¯t followed that guy! These people were clearly Jelant¡¯s accomplices; following him would definitely have led to him being sold out! Garrett turned around. Seraina turned around. Bernard dropped the short man to the ground, picked up a large bone club, and swung it a couple of times. Taking a step forward, he bent into a charging stance, while unintentionally stepping on Jelant¡¯s arm¡ª "Crack!" "Boom!" "Bang bang pop pop..." An eighth-level warrior and a monster girl who had transformed into a human form, whose strength level was unknown, fought side by side. Garrett crouched behind, sneakily casting Grease spells, emitting subsonic waves, and growing vines to trip. Although the opponents numbered ten times more than Garrett and his companions, they were beaten black and blue, and soon there were several more rolling on the ground like g ourds. "Stop! Stop!" Soon someone shouted loudly. Garrett looked up just to see the inn¡¯s chef, wielding a meat cleaver in his left hand and a long-handled spoon in his right, charging forward with formidable momentum. His apron glistening with grease, along with the barbarian¡¯s mass and belly, his charge was as daunting as a Tiger tank. Helpers wielding sticks, door bolts, or pot lids formed a formation, pushing forward. Further back, the onlooking drinkers and lodgers crowded the corridor... "Who dares to fight in the Crow Inn! ¡ª Those who don¡¯t follow the rules, get out!" The innkeeper also rushed out. His left hand holding a ledger, his right surprisingly wielding a studded hammer, clearly, to run this inn, he had considerable fighting prowess. Charging up, he pointed the hammer outwards: "Get out!" Garrett: "......" "Don¡¯t be rude to the honored guest." From outside the crowd, suddenly a clear female voice sounded. Then, Garrett saw the packed passageway clear as people on both sides made way. They pressed against the walls, sucked in their bellies, trying to clear a path. A tall, muscular woman, clad in white wolf fur, holding a bone staff, quickly stepped inside. The crow-shaped head of the staff shimmered brilliantly as she walked, and the barbarians bowed their heads in greeting: "Olga." "Olga." "Thinker, my lady." The woman nodded slightly in return. She entered the circle, her gaze sweeping over, then she bowed to Garrett, gracefully: "Our apologies for allowing ulterior motives to disturb our honored guests. It is no longer safe here. Please, come stay at our place. These people will be dealt with by us, and we will surely provide an explanation to our guests." --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 451: Garrett Returns Again! As soon as Olga spoke, people rushed to clean up. Some tied up the captives, others carried the injured, and still others cleaned the battlefield. Garrett and his group were then invited to a large estate surrounded by walls, not far from the Crow Inn, where they were treated as honored guests. Even the Silver Moon Deer Apa was taken care of by someone assigned to wash and comb it, and it was fed the freshest grass and fruits, with eggs mixed into its corn kernels. "What a treatment! Is it someone you¡¯ve healed before?" Seraina curiously poked Garrett. Garrett smiled reassuringly at her, then turned to ask Olga: "I haven¡¯t seen your husband since I treated him last time. How is he? Has he regained his sanity and clarity?" "Thank you for your healing, Horik has recovered and is able to return to the battlefield," Olga said with a generous smile. "The Thinker" Olga, a woman who leads her tribe with the abilities and wisdom of a caster, explained: "He has gone out to battle, not in Anniya. Otherwise, he would have come to thank you in person." Garrett politely did not inquire about her adversaries or whether she needed help. He had heard a bit about it in Akula; barbarians say they are going out to battle, but in fact, they are going out to raid. Nearby, they raid the Carolingian Kingdom and the Rhine Kingdom; Farther away, they raid the Norman Kingdom, which also worships the Radiant Lord but is ruled by another religious order; Even farther, it is said they raid into the Orc Kingdom. Elder Brock and their eastern tribes, it is said, raided the Rhine Kingdom and then sold the captives along the waterways to the Orc Kingdom. Recalling the past, Garrett¡¯s Kent Kingdom had also been raided more than once by fierce barbarian warriors swinging their axes. In fact, the capital had been trampled several times... If it weren¡¯t for the rise of the Magic Council, which united various forces to fiercely battle the barbarians and continuously made alliances with powerful tribal leaders. At least, the coastal areas and the capital of Kent Kingdom wouldn¡¯t have been so peaceful. So, it¡¯s better not to ask about the adversaries. What if, by bad luck, you raid someone you know? Would you help them, or fight them? Just pretend not to hear, wait for people to return, and then provide healing if needed! Garrett simply smiled and asked about Horik¡¯s recovery: "Does he have headaches, dizziness, nausea?" "Does he experience ringing in the ears or blurred vision?" "Any neck soreness, fatigue, unsteadiness in his steps?" As a healer, Garrett asked these questions, and Olga openly shared everything. After a round of questions, Garrett carefully advised: "Having suffered this injury, your husband should take care in all aspects in the future. Avoid overeating or consuming too greasy foods; do not overexert himself or exert too much force all at once; keep emotions stable, and take care to keep warm when going out in cold weather..." The Thinker lady laughed and noted down his advice, raising her glass to Garrett with a sincere smile: "You are Horik¡¯s lifesaver, and thus a friend to us all. I had already instructed them to report your whereabouts as soon as they found you. Yet these foolish boys couldn¡¯t find you, and you were deceived by a spy, for which I am truly sorry." "It¡¯s nothing..." Garrett tried to be polite for a few more words. To Olga¡¯s right, a young man with five or six freckles on his nose, already dissatisfied, muttered: "But you spoke of a black-haired, black-eyed human mage and his warrior followers. What they reported to me was a beautiful elven lady riding a deer and her two companions..." r?a????o???E?s? "Dorey!" Olga scolded. Before she could utter more rebukes, Garrett had already laughed: A magician with a space bag, his ship had carried more than one; but no one except a necromancer had ever been willing to take away the body of an ordinary sailor... "Alright, Sir! We¡¯re going home!" He turned to lead Garrett out. Polite to the barbarians, and when he saw the beautiful elven lady, he maintained a perfect gentleman¡¯s composure. However... "What is this..." He pointed at the large Silver Moon Deer in front of him, his fingers trembling, his voice somewhat broken: "Is it coming with us?" "Ah, this is Apa, my mount." Garrett blinked guiltily, trying to add a bit of merit to the beast with antlers over three meters wide: "Please, take it with us. I¡¯ve prepared its food for the journey; it¡¯s all in the space bag, you don¡¯t need to worry about it..." "But our guest rooms, the captain¡¯s quarters, the cargo hold, none have doors wide enough!!!" In the end, it was Miss Silver Dragon who solved the problem. She casually cast a shrinking spell, and the over two meters tall giant deer instantly became small and cute. As for whether it was convenient for Apa to move around in its original form in the cargo hold... "Are you all made of wood? Run! Clean the cargo hold!" The captain shouted, hands on hips: "Lord Apa is a tier-eight magical beast, his combat power is stronger than all of you idiots put together!" Hurriedly, a large group of sailors, each carrying a bucket or cloth, ran off. "Uh, it¡¯s really not necessary for everyone to go to so much trouble..." Garrett showed an embarrassed smile. He followed the crowd down to the cargo hold, waving his hand randomly: "Cleanse! Cleanse! Cleanse!!!" That night, a longship with a narrow body and pointed ends at both ends led the way, cutting through the moonlit sea surface. Under Olga¡¯s command, the most capable sailor personally steered the "Albatross" out of the harbor. All night long, after leaving the bay, the "Albatross" opened its sails on the open sea, heading southwest. Sticking close to the coast for half a day, just as the coastline was about to disappear, it crossed paths with a high-speed boat flying the flag of the Rhine Kingdom. Garrett stood at the ship¡¯s rail, peering through a telescope at the fluttering flag on the mast, silent for a long time. Behind him, the captain coughed deeply. "Fortunately, Sir, you arrived ahead of time. These ships are always troublesome; we have to fight every time we encounter one at sea." The "Albatross" sailed away. Riding the cold wind from the Black Gate Peninsula, it circled the southern tip of the peninsula and headed full-force to the east. In just three days, it crossed the deep sea and reached the eastern coastline of the kingdom. After another full day of sailing, Garrett finally stepped onto the solid ground of Nevis Port, holding his mage¡¯s robe. In front, Lynn and Aurora, two long-lost friends, stood shoulder to shoulder, greeting him with warm smiles. "Garrett, you¡¯re finally back... um... who is this?" Garrett sadly realized that he had fallen out of favor in his friends¡¯ eyes in just a second. Whether it was Lynn or Aurora, their attention had drifted to Miss Silver Dragon... Only the Golden Skeleton by Lynn¡¯s side clacked its jaw, its hollow eyes still staring at him. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 452: I Want to Buy a Skeleton! I Want to Open a Hospital! Finally home. Finally back in his own Mage Tower. Finally, he could eat the normal food of Nevis City. Oh, but that last item, Garrett didn¡¯t find particularly appealing. Fried fish. He had had enough of it in the Black Gate Peninsula, and to be honest, though delicious fresh from the fryer, it became disgustingly greasy as it cooled; Potato cakes. God knows, with the Black Gate Peninsula¡¯s northerly location, many things couldn¡¯t grow there, and potatoes were their staple food; Beetroot salad, red wine stewed lamb, roast goose, oxtail soup, apple pudding, chicken pie... Oh, and donuts, gingerbread, and delicious, honey-drizzled pancakes. The entire dinner, with its fat content, meat content, and sugary desserts series, was clearly over the top. "First, a toast to the beautiful elven lady!" said Andrew Lynn, the first to raise his glass in the dining room of the Mage Tower. Following his toast, everyone at the long table raised their glasses: Seraina, Norwood, Aurora, and the two apprentices positioned further back, Priestess of the God of Nature, Miss Annivya, and Necromancer Leon... Under the constant white light of the Undying Flame, the red wine gently swayed, rippling beautifully in the glass. See, not even first in line for toasts anymore. Indeed, they are a bunch of fickle folks, no longer loving me... Garrett silently raised a glass of water, sneering internally as he clinked glasses with everyone in turn. Clink, clink, clink, and with a final dull thunk, his glass met Bernard¡¯s enormous beer mug. "Next, a toast to Garrett for safely returning!" "And after that, to Garrett for successfully advancing to a fifth-level mage and a fifth-level priest!" Smiles exchanged among friends. At the end of the table, the two apprentices gave a soft cheer: Though the Mage Tower was not lacking in fifth-level mages, having the owner of the tower advance to a fifth-level priest still made the future seem more promising. At the very least, attending the council to pick up projects would now be even more justified. Garrett looked around, his smile growing slightly. Having traveled extensively for over half a year, he had improved, and so had his friends: The mage badges on Lynn¡¯s and Aurora¡¯s chests had changed from five bronze stars to a gold star, clearly indicating advancement to sixth level; Mage Norwood¡¯s badge had also gained a star, his entire demeanor more radiant, his white hair significantly reduced; Even the apprentice necromancer, Leon Carlos, now wore an official mage badge, a bronze star shining brightly. Garrett stood up, smiling as he filled his glass with water and raised it high: "Like me, everyone has advanced! To our collective success and progress, cheers!" Everyone stood, Aurora stretching out her arm to clink glasses with him, shouting ahead of the others: "Of course, we have to try to advance! Otherwise, you¡¯d surpass us!"@@@@ "Exactly, when I first met you, you weren¡¯t even a mage yet, now you¡¯re a fifth-level mage," Lynn also smiled as he clinked glasses with him, creating a ringing sound: ?¦¡?NO?B?s? "First, any mage able to buy a skeleton would know a bit about ¡¯seeing through disguises¡¯; second, regular maintenance of skeletons still involves dealings with Black Crow Swamp; and most importantly, no matter how much the appearance changes, the inside is still a skeleton, you can fool others but not yourself!" Well, if you have a mental block, there¡¯s nothing to be done. However, Garrett considered himself well-adapted to skeletons, and ordinary people didn¡¯t have the ability to see through disguises. So... "Brother Lynn, ordinary skeletons, the kind that can lift people and do rough work, with illusions, how much would one cost? How many could our Mage Tower¡¯s savings buy? How many can a first-level necromancer control simultaneously?" "What... are you planning to do?" Lynn looked at him warily. Seeing Garrett¡¯s enthusiastic interest in skeletons, more than a typical necromancer would, he felt something big was brewing... Actually, the Mage Tower didn¡¯t need that many skeletons. Most chores, controlled by the tower spirit MOSS and invisible servants, were adequately handled. What invisible servants couldn¡¯t do, the two apprentices, Annivya and Carlos, could easily manage. Besides, Garrett was now a fifth-level mage, officially able to recruit apprentices. Of course, Aurora and he had already reached this standard, but since Garrett wasn¡¯t recruiting, they didn¡¯t want to step ahead of him... "I want to open a hospital." Garrett set down his knife and fork. He looked earnestly at Lynn: "Brother Lynn, you know me, my mage level advancement largely depends on medical practice. So, I want to open a place accessible to everyone, where they can receive treatment. Of course, I can also do some related research." Without sufficient donations, not everyone could receive treatment in a temple; the infectious diseases hospital wasn¡¯t his, and he couldn¡¯t handle such a big institution; the port clinic covered too small an area. That time, when he surveyed the entire city for public health matters, he realized there were far too many impoverished people without any access to medical resources. More importantly, he wanted to recruit a few apprentices, guiding them on this path. Spreading the seeds of medicine, while he himself conducted research and performed surgeries, at least he¡¯d have some help! Lynn also put down his utensils. He stared at Garrett¡¯s serious face, pondered for a moment, then couldn¡¯t help but laugh: "Sure! With your current status, opening a small clinic and recruiting three to five apprentices is entirely feasible. ¡ª I¡¯ll go back and speak to the teacher, just from our branch, we could send five or six people over!" "Wait! ¡ª I don¡¯t want to recruit only necromancers!" Garrett, enthusiastic, immediately unfurled the new hospital¡¯s blueprint. This hospital, compared to his clinic in Hartland City, was significantly larger: A three-story building, outpatient services on the ground floor , inpatient services upstairs. It had 20 beds, expandable to 50 in extreme cases. It also included a research building for animal care and experiments, all in one place. Clinical departments included internal medicine, surgery, an operating room; medical technology departments included a pharmacy, a laboratory, and a sterilization room. Planned for five healers, five apprentices, plus a number of skeletons for rough labor... As for how to turn these blueprints into a hospital, Garrett boldly looked to Norwood, the Mage Tower¡¯s oldest and most experienced mage. "Mr. Norwood! Could you please accompany me tomorrow to tour the lower city area, to find a suitable place where we can buy land and build a hospital?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 453: Have Garrett Come Over Here Garrett¡¯s scheming was clanging like a busy abacus. Tomorrow, he planned to tour the slums to scope out a suitable site for a hospital. Preferably, it would be on ownerless land, so he could directly negotiate with the council office. If no such land was available, he would have to figure out a way to buy some... Building the hospital would not be difficult for the seasoned construction teams of Nevis City. A few stories high, it could be completed in half a month, at most one month. Of course, the hospital would rely on magic for security, sterilization, and sewage treatment. He would need to consult with the Alchemy Guild to see if they could help set up a magical array. As for staffing, he planned to "shear some wool" from the three temples to have enough healers. As for apprentices, he would think about it¡ªpublic recruitment of apprentices might require certification... However, all his planning halted at the first step. Dinner had just ended, and an invisible servant was still tidying up the table when a tapping sound at the dining room window began. Aurora jumped up to open it, and in a moment, a mechanical bird was let in: "Garrett, you¡¯re back?" The bird, cloaked in toasted blue feathers that gleamed brilliantly, boomed. As it spoke, Aurora quickly shrank back: "Since you¡¯re back, come see me tomorrow!" "Ah... oh... the teacher is looking for you..." Aurora froze in place, slowly turning around on her heel as stiffly as if she were a novice necromancer controlling a skeleton. Garrett spread his hands in resignation. Well, the big shot has summoned, tomorrow¡¯s plans for hospital scouting are on hold... Left with no choice, Garrett worked overnight to finalize the hospital site requirements in writing and asked Master Norwood to scout the site on his behalf. As for himself, he began rummaging through his space bag like a hoarding hamster. The next morning, he rode out on his mount, Apa, crossing hills to catch the first train up the mountain. Aurora, stubbornly tagging along, followed him from the back of a silver moon deer onto the train: "Why do you insist on following me?" "It¡¯s been so long since you¡¯ve been here, I¡¯m afraid the teacher will scold you..." Aurora clung tightly every step of the way. Off the train and onto the summit, they entered the Thunder Tower¡ªonly then did her pace slow, dragging her feet unwillingly forward. ?ANO??bE?s Garrett: "...So who exactly are you afraid will get scolded?" No matter who was afraid of being scolded, they had already arrived. A cut when sticking one¡¯s neck out was the same as a cut when withdrawing it. Garrett knocked on Archmage Carlisle¡¯s door, greeted him, and then hurriedly presented a pile of items: "So, this is my new research paper... This stack is related to blood oxygen detection magic, this bit is related to ECG magic..." "These are spell scrolls, I¡¯ve drawn out the models for the related spells..." "These are related medical records, the Curse Magic Department might be interested..." "These are gifts for you... Mink fur, weasel fur, beaver fur, these bottles are monster blood, this gemstone is a specialty from the great wastelands..." When Garrett first entered, Archmage Carlisle was initially blustering and rolling his eyes, exasperated. This boy, gone for over half a year, running from one end of the Black Gate Peninsula to the other, even fraternizing with a silver dragon¡ª@@@@ Of all Carlisle¡¯s disciples and grand-disciples combined, none were as troublesome as Garrett! Yet, as the table piled up with more and more items, Archmage Carlisle¡¯s expression softened. He squinted, sizing up Garrett rhythmically tapping his fingers on the table: "Level five now... hmm..." "No!" Garrett cried out. Before he could protest further, Archmage Carlisle already commanded: "This is for your own good! For your safety! If you were just staying in the Mage Tower, I wouldn¡¯t say anything, you could study whatever you want first, research whatever. But opening a healing facility? That¡¯s not acceptable!" "I¡¯ll be careful..." Garrett tried to struggle again. Archmage Carlisle waved his hand: "What¡¯s the use of just being careful?! Do you know why I urgently called you back? Your name is on the Radiant Church¡¯s wanted list, a team has specifically been sent to the Black Gate Peninsula to kill you!" What? Although Garrett had many guesses, he hadn¡¯t expected this reason. Archmage Carlisle sighed: "The team that the Radiant Church sent to the Dwarf Court caused trouble, for some reason, not one of them returned. Their ship was delayed, coming neither from the left nor the right. Upon inquiring, only then did we find out about the events of the selection battle¡ªyou made quite the spectacle!" Garrett shrank his neck, chuckling sheepishly. Archmage Carlisle continued to sigh: "Lucky for you. There was waiting, and asking for permission, and back and forth, it took a lot of time. There¡¯s no strong action team on the Black Gate Peninsula, by the time they dispatched from the headquarters, our people heard and managed to call you back in time." Garrett remembered the warship that brushed past them as they sailed out of the bay, and he shivered on the spot. Archmage Carlisle stroked his beard: "The Mage Tower¡¯s defense is sufficient, not afraid of their attack. But you want to treat the poor, which means anyone can walk into the healing facility, right up to you¡ªthis is very unsafe, do you understand?" Garrett shivered. In his previous life, it was the same¡ªother professions, a bank president, a big company CEO, or a scientist, ordinary people rarely even had a chance to meet them. However, however... A medical expert of similar social status, even if he received a national subsidy as a national treasure, his clinic slots were still available to the general public. Without security checks at the hospital entrance, without guards beside the doctor, this meant that any ill-intentioned patient or their family could wield a knife at the doctor. "I understand." His voice suddenly lowered: "Rest assured, I will definitely take care of my own safety. I will prioritize learning a few important protective spells, as well as Fireball. I will increase the defense measures at the hospital, add guards, to ensure that if we can¡¯t win, we can at least escape¡ª" "Those few aren¡¯t enough! I¡¯ll mark eight for you, no, ten!" Archmage Carlisle calculated and felt every spell was important, wanting to be able to fight and defend, to run and heal, missing any spell could be disastrous. Thinking of the hit list that came from the review board, he couldn¡¯t help feeling anxious: "Forget it, just stay here with me first, learn these spells well, master them, then go on with your healing facility antics!¡ªAnyway, from advancing to encountering barriers, it¡¯s always several months, this little time doesn¡¯t make a difference!" Ten spells, three days for each, a month would pass. If any were difficult and took three months, it was a matter of minutes. Garrett calculated the time, arguing his case: "They won¡¯t come so quickly!¡ªI¡¯ll be careful these days!¡ªI¡¯ll always bring guards!¡ªI¡¯m just going out once, to finalize the hospital site!" Archmage Carlisle furrowed his brow, unwilling to agree. Aurora looked at her teacher¡¯s face, then at Garrett, cautiously tugging at his sleeve. Garrett shook off his hand, stepping forward: "How about this, let¡¯s make a bet!¡ªI¡¯ll learn a new third-tier spell, you learn a new spell I just researched, if you learn it later than me, you let me go! Otherwise, I won¡¯t learn anything!" "...Do you think I¡¯ll learn slower than you?" Archmage Carlisle laughed outright: "Tell me, which one should I learn?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 454: The Archmage’s Mysterious Journey of Heart Monitoring Magic Archmage Carlisle was smiling, and so was Garrett. Which one to study? None of them is easy to learn! The blood oxygen monitoring magic seems simple¡ªit¡¯s really just a modified version of the "Lineage Clarification" spell. However, without sufficient practice and a variety of patients to practice on, you might end up doubting your life choices:@@@@ Wasn¡¯t it supposed to display the body¡¯s blood oxygen saturation? Why does it keep showing 100%? Then there¡¯s the ECG magic. The difficulty with this magic isn¡¯t in learning it, but in practical application: positioning the probes is one challenge, interpreting the ECG is another. Although you are a 14th-level grand mage, mastering this magic might take you half a month... He casually lifted his chin: "So, tell me, which magic should I study?" Archmage Carlisle stroked his beard. Seeing Garrett¡¯s smug expression, he really wanted to throw the most difficult spell at him to learn. Spells like "Portal Analysis," "Shadow Storage," and "Basic Draconiform"... These spells involve entirely new fields. "Portal Analysis" involves spatial concepts, "Shadow Storage" involves the Shadow Plane, and "Basic Draconiform" involves understanding of dragonkind... Oh, the last one probably wouldn¡¯t be a problem for Garrett... Anyway, these spells would take at least two to three months to master. However, a 14th-level grand mage competing with a 5th-level mage in learning first and second level spells already has at least an 80% chance of winning. To deliberately choose a difficult one to increase his own chance of victory, if word got out, his friends would probably die laughing. Archmage Carlisle¡¯s thoughts raced. He quickly scanned through the third-level spells and decided to make a fair choice: "Then choose Fireball Spell! ¡ªAs long as you can proficiently cast Fireball before I learn your spell, you win, and I¡¯ll let you go back to self-study!" This representative third-level spell has significant destructive power among its peers. Indeed, third-level spells can stand on their own, able to stride across any place largely because they have Fireball at their disposal. Garrett, this boy, is kind-hearted and soft-hearted, not strong in combat. Once he learns Fireball, coupled with his technique of augmenting it with the energy of fire, raising its power to fifth-level¡ªthat is, the level of 9th or 10th-level mages¡ªshould be no problem. In that case, even when facing high-level adversaries, he would have the ability to defend himself. "Agreed!" Garrett stepped forward, flipped through the table, and picked up the thesis and scrolls related to ECG magic: "So, as long as I learn Fireball before you master this detection magic, able to cast it proficiently and successfully interpret it, I will stay on the mountain peak, learn ten more spells, then come down!" Hmm, a bunch of divination spells, like "Magic Detection," "Thought Detection," "Poison Detection," the standards for learning them are all about successful interpretation. So, my request is perfectly reasonable! With a snap, a young mage and a 14th-level high-ranking mage clapped hands in midair. The old and the young looked at each other and both smiled, each thinking they had gotten the better deal: Ra?No????¦¥S? I¡¯m definitely going to learn faster than you! "Let¡¯s go, teacher!" Before Archmage Carlisle could speak, Aurora already spontaneously grabbed a pack of spellcasting materials¡ªa ball made of bat dung and sulfur¡ªfrom her teacher¡¯s cabinet. Then, she dragged Garrett straight to the guest room: "Come on, this magic is quick to learn! I mastered it in just 10 days! I¡¯ll teach you!" Thus, Garrett began his secluded study. Swiping the grand mage¡¯s card, staying in the grand mage¡¯s guest room, using the grand mage¡¯s materials, he set his mind to learn Fireball. Meanwhile, Archmage Carlisle plunged into the papers on the table. Emmm... ECG? Electricity in the heart? Electricity? Archmage Carlisle took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and began to sense the electrical currents inside his body. One second, two seconds, three seconds... Hmm, it seems he couldn¡¯t perceive anything? Should I consider using a tool? Like that little gadget inside the Thunder Horn, used to measure whether there¡¯s electricity when studying electrical magic? He closed his eyes slightly, 12 magical probes floated out in sequence, entering the rabbit¡¯s body. With his level and mental power, controlling 12 leads simultaneously was no trouble. Adjusting, adjusting, hmm, the position seems about right, let¡¯s look at the lines on the cloud screen¡ª Hmm, there are the lines! Just as I said, the difficulty isn¡¯t high, the magic framework is a bit complicated, but the strength is just at the level of a first-order, not even reaching second-order. To master it proficiently, it¡¯s just a matter of practicing for a day or two... Archmage Carlisle was brimming with confidence. Casting the spell, stopping, then casting again, stopping again. The progress was swift, after a day of practice, he had already managed to compress the time for releasing the spell and positioning the magic probes to within a second. This should be considered proficient, right? Then, the next step is interpreting the detection results... His Excellency the Grand Mage focused intently on the cloud screen. The thin cloud mist screen displayed 12 lines fluctuating up and down, never still for a moment. So, what do these lines mean? Archmage Carlisle turned back to continue flipping through Garrett¡¯s papers. A thick stack of parchment, the first ten or so pages discussed the spell model, casting method, and probe positions, while the dozens of pages that followed were all about interpretation. Archmage Carlisle casually flipped through: Chapter One, Basic Knowledge of Clinical Electro cardiology; Chapter Two, ECG Measurement and Normal Data; Chapter Three, Atrial Enlargement and Ventricular Hypertrophy; Chapter Four, Myocardial Ischemia and ST-T Changes; Chapter Five, Myocardial Infarction; Chapter Six, Arrhythmias; Chapter Seven, Electrolyte Disturbances and Drug Effects; Chapter Eight, Analytical Methods and Clinical Applications of ECG; Chapter Nine, Dynamic ECG; Chapter Ten, ECG Stress Testing... After finishing the first chapter, His Excellency the Grand Mage already started doubting life. Looking further, the long series of R waves, Q waves, S waves, P waves, wave groups, elevated ST segments, tombstone-like ECGs, made him feel dizzy and disoriented. Looking up at the lines on the cloud screen, feeling that none of them looked right, none matched... You¡¯re waiting here for me! I refuse to believe I can¡¯t understand it! Just these few dozen pages, I¡¯ll memorize them if I have to! Archmage Carlisle desperately dived into the ECG. But without a foundation, it¡¯s genuinely hard to get started. Often while memorizing, phrases like "must be combined with other positive indicators..." "must be combined with clinical findings..." "accuracy, sensitivity, specificity..." would pop up. After memorizing three chapters, Archmage Carlisle felt his brain was filled with various ECGs. Up and down, high and low, it became a tangled mess like a cat¡¯s plaything. Three days later, when the Lord of Thunder summoned his disciple, he was shocked to see him with disheveled hair, red eyes, cracked lips, and a staggering walk. The legendary mage was slightly startled: "What happened to you? That little Garrett, did he cause you trouble again?" "Yes... these past few days, I¡¯ve been studying his newly created magic..." Archmage Carlisle revealed a weak, powerless smile. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 455: Range 200 meters, Blast Radius 300 meters "What kind of magic has given you such trouble?" The Lord of Thunder was curious too. It¡¯s not unheard of for a high-level mage to fail with low-level magic. Indeed, the path of magic is vast like an ocean; even he wouldn¡¯t dare claim mastery over all low-level spells. But for a high-level mage to be brought to such a state by learning a low-level spell... Usually, it involves decoding ancient magic, magical runes on magical beasts, or delving into the deeper principles of magic, which would cause one to be so disheveled. Learning a self-created spell from a fifth-level mage shouldn¡¯t be this difficult! "So, what spell is it?" The legendary mage reached out to his disciple. Archmage Carlisle, with a pained expression, obediently presented a stack of papers. He knew it, he knew it, thankfully he had made copies before coming! The Lord of Thunder smiled and pushed up his monocle, flipping open the first page, then the second, then the third... Soon, his gaze became focused, and he was silently immersed in the papers. Archmage Carlisle stood beside him, hearing his teacher¡¯s monocle crackle. Line after line of pale blue text chased each other, swiftly flowing across the lens. Some words even floated out of the confines of the monocle, gently undulating around the Lord of Thunder: Cells, electrical current, heart, drive, waveform, probing... Archmage Carlisle held his breath, careful not to disturb his teacher¡¯s contemplation. The Lord of Thunder pondered as he read, and when he reached the one-third mark, a flicker of electricity, almost tangible, flashed beside him. Archmage Carlisle was startled, thinking the emotional surge had somewhat unleashed his teacher¡¯s power, and quickly erected a defense. High-level energy protection, high-level mage armor, high-level... Before the third spell could manifest, a blue-white Thunder Heart had already formed in front of the Lord of Thunder. Thump, thump, it gently pulsed, with tiny sparks rhythmically flickering on its surface, ceaselessly circulating. "Emmm...this spell is very interesting, indeed quite interesting..." After a while, the blue-white heart turned into a streak of lightning and shot into the edge of the monocle. The Lord of Thunder chuckled, turning to look at his disciple with a half-smile: "How¡¯s your learning going?" "The casting isn¡¯t hard, but the interpretation is too tedious..." Archmage Carlisle answered honestly. The Lord of Thunder flipped through the papers, flipping a few times and chuckling each time. When he reached the end, he couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud: R?¦Á?o???E?? "It seems ten more days wouldn¡¯t be enough for you to finish learning it. ¡ªBy the way, how¡¯s the little guy doing? Has he gotten fancy with his Fireball Spell yet?" "Should I go summon him for you?" Archmage Carlisle asked cautiously. The Lord of Thunder nodded, then thought better of it and shook his head: "No, let¡¯s just go and see for ourselves. ¡ªMr. Hermunculus, where is Garrett Nordmark now?" Following the guidance of the Tower Spirit, they arrived at the fifth floor of the Thunder Tower, a practice room reserved for mid-level mages. Just as they approached the door, from afar they heard: "Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!" "See, he¡¯s learned." The Lord of Thunder shrugged at his disciple, his tone unexplainably pleased. Archmage Carlisle barely resisted rolling his eyes, unwilling to respond: Yes, yes, teacher, I know, he¡¯s learned, and I¡¯ve been ruined¨C¨C But why are you so happy? Are you pleased to see me fail? Of course, the Lord of Thunder didn¡¯t wait for his response. This legendary mage briefly concentrated, sensing the fluctuations in the room, and exclaimed: "What are they up to?" Boom! "That¡¯s what burning with white phosphorus looks like! Is this a white phosphorus bomb? No, this research can¡¯t be released!" After the Fireball Spell exploded, the white flames stuck to the stones, the floor, the magic barrier, burning long and unceasingly... "Let¡¯s try that one!" Finally, Garrett held a handful of magnesium-aluminum powder and an oxygen test tube in one hand. Looking left and right, he carefully made up his mind: "That¡¯s the last one for today! We¡¯ll leave after this! Aurora, suit up!" High-level mage armor, energy protection, shield spell, distant protection... Magical light flickered. The Lord of Thunder stood behind, watching the two youngsters hang all sorts of protections, chuckling inwardly: This is being very confident in oneself, believing that one¡¯s own spell power couldn¡¯t be contained by the practice room¡¯s shield. Reminded of his youth, when he experimented with self-created spells, it was much the same... After all the protections were up, and the practice room¡¯s magical shield was raised, Garrett still felt a bit uneasy. Thinking it over, he loudly asked: "Mr. Hermunculus! Mr. Hermunculus, are you there?" "Here." The Tower Spirit¡¯s voice floated calmly, undulating and even, sounding exceptionally peaceful: "Maybe what you need is to open a high-level practice room?" Uh... that¡¯s not just about 50 contribution points anymore... Bargaining even with the Tower Spirit and still losing... I feel so useless, my combat ability is so poor, it¡¯s simply embarrassing... Garrett hung his head in dejection, heading to the magic circle to swipe his badge. Immediately, the practice room¡¯s floor silently flowed, forming a trench nearly half a person tall. Perhaps as a complimentary service, steps were thoughtfully made on Garrett¡¯s side to facilitate movement up and down. Otherwise, Garrett felt that with his physical prowess, he might need to cast a Featherfall Spell... To prevent spraining an ankle. The two young mages looked at each other, then both stepped down, checking their defenses one last time. Then, Garrett crouched in the trench, half his head and one palm out: "Three, two, one!" The Fireball, slightly larger than a standard fire orb and much brighter, flew out rapidly. Its flying speed hadn¡¯t changed, nor had its distance, just flying and flying and flying... Confident in his own defenses, Archmage Carlisle didn¡¯t reinforce his barrier. Out of the corner of his eye, though, he saw his teacher stretch out a hand, thumb pressing against the middle finger, flicking outward. Shield after shield unfolded, nearly transparent. Positioned directly across from the blast center, parallel to the trench, every five meters. Just before the fire orb exploded, the Fireball Spell unleashing its full power, they quietly appeared, stretching all the way to the practice room¡¯s wall. Then¡ª Boom!!! Shield after shield silently shattered. The entire practice room shook with it, a rush of hot air rolling over the trench, over the heads of Garrett and his companion, all the way up to Archmage Carlisle. "This..." Archmage Carlisle slowly opened his mouth. This Fireball Spell is way too unreliable! Range 200 meters, blast radius 300 meters! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 456: Lord of Thunder: Young man, I see something special in your bones… Shockwaves spread in all directions. Garrett and Aurora were well-prepared, crouching in a trench without looking up. After the aftermath of the fireball spell had passed, they popped their heads out to see that the ceiling and floor alternated between light and dark. The magic circle flickered uncertainly, accompanied by the frantic warnings of the Tower Spirits: "Spell fluctuation exceeds limit, please replace with a higher-level practice room... Spell fluctuation exceeds limit, please replace with a higher-level practice room..." Whew... That was close... If the floor had been blown up, or the ceiling had collapsed, he wondered if his account had enough contribution points to compensate for the damage. Garrett and Aurora exchanged glances and simultaneously shrunk their necks. Thankfully, it seemed that the Tower Spirits were paying attention here, timely transferring enough defensive energy to prevent disaster. Aurora hastily recorded the last piece of data, then turned around 180 degrees on the spot and left the trench via the stairs. Garrett took a few more looks at the magic circle and quickly followed. Aurora, who was stepping two steps at a time and rushing upwards, staggered unexpectedly. Garrett instinctively reached out to help her. Then, he saw Aurora taking a forward step, leaning forward, almost falling onto his knee. Then, he straightened up inch by inch, his body stiff, his voice even stiffer: "Te-te-te-teacher... Th-th-thunder, Lord of Thunder..." What? The Lord of Thunder himself came? It couldn¡¯t be that their recent ruckus, nearly blowing up the building, had alarmed the legendary mage, right? Thinking deeper, the ceiling and floor hadn¡¯t collapsed¡ªcould it be that the Lord of Thunder had intervened to dissipate the fluctuation, saving them from disaster...? Garrett suddenly felt a bit guilty. He braced himself against the ground outside the trench, leaning out from behind Aurora¡¯s legs. Sure enough, at the far end of the practice room by the wall, two people had appeared, unbeknownst to him. One was Archmage Carlisle, a familiar figure these days, his eyes red, his demeanor weary, his hair and robe a bit disheveled even after being tidied; The other, though Garrett had only seen him twice, gave enough hints with his familiar monocle. Speaking of which, you¡¯re still wearing a white shirt, black bow tie, and a neat black three-piece suit¡ª Such a stiff outfit, don¡¯t you ever change it? Or is it that your clothes are actually a magical robe transformed in appearance? So that¡¯s why there are strangers in a locked practice room, the Lord of Thunder himself has arrived. Well, he could probably control the entire Thunder Tower, opening a door would be trivial for him. ...Privileges, oh the privileges! "...Cough." As if sensing something, the Lord of Thunder glanced at Garrett, a flicker of writing passing over his monocle. Garrett suddenly remembered the "Detect Thoughts" spell, quickly ducked his head, hiding behind Aurora. ?¦¡??obE?s However, his last cover soon vanished. Aurora was lifted by a large force hand, her feet off the ground, and was set down in a different direction. Garrett, with no cover left, had to brave it and climb out of the trench to face the legendary mage: "...Greetings, Lord of Thunder... Hello, Archmage Carlisle." "Garrett, you¡¯ve been quite a troublemaker for me," the Lord of Thunder said with interest. Ever since the little guy arrived in Nevis, his name had been funneling into his ears every other day: Diseases carried by bats, overturning the theory of combustion, smelting mithril, cultivating plague pathogens, establishing public health departments, treating plagues... Oh, and that alternating current. The little guy treated it like a tool, casually releasing it, which he and a few core disciples had been studying until now! They still hadn¡¯t thoroughly figured it out, and the youngster casually threw out another blockbuster! The human body, cells, the heart, electrical currents... After stepping on the path of the legendary, one method to extend life, enhance battle capability, and probe the secrets of the world is semi-elementalization. However, this is a difficult and dangerous path, countless legendary mages have lost control due to it, half of their bodies turning into stone, or parts of them becoming ice and snow. The more unstable elements of fire or lightning, even more likely to cause problems. For a flesh-and-blood body to undergo elementalization, it¡¯s always walking a tightrope over an abyss. Senior mages often consume precious herbs or place themselves in a magic-rich environment for a long time, allowing their bodies to adapt to the elements and accommodate more of them, to take the first step towards elementalization. However, such actions are Garrett couldn¡¯t help but laugh. He turned to Archmage Carlisle and bowed deeply: "I¡¯m sorry, Archmage Carlisle. Interpreting an ECG without a medical background is really not doable. I only set that condition to win the bet... Sorry for the trouble." That¡¯s right. This magic is very interesting, but learning how to read ECG lines is purely asking for trouble. Archmage Carlisle exhaled sharply, retreating to the back: Wasting several days memorizing useless stuff, cough! Garrett smiled as he watched him retreat. Then, straightening up, he bowed again to the Lord of Thunder: "I am honored to become your disciple, Your Excellency!" "...What did you call me?" "Teacher!" "Hmm, good." The Lord of Thunder tugged on the chain of his monocle, nodding in satisfaction: "Garrett, come with me to the study, let¡¯s discuss your upcoming learning and research plans. Carlisle, you come too, later you take him around, add some privileges to his mage badge, so he can enter my lab. Alright, let¡¯s go." What? Is that it? A bow, a call of "teacher," and everything is concluded? No apprenticeship ceremony, no crowd of legendary spectators, no meeting of fellow disciples? But, hehe, I like it! The Lord of Thunder said, turning to leave first. The practice room door naturally opened, not daring to block its master¡¯s path. Garrett followed behind Archmage Carl isle, stepping out of the room just to be blocked by someone. "Decar, you can¡¯t be so petty!" The newcomer, draped in a black robe that seemed almost entirely empty beneath, was flustered: "Garrett is clearly more suited for our house! It¡¯s too much for you to try and snatch him away like this!" "Immortal Lord." Archmage Carlisle hurriedly bowed, simultaneously kicking Garrett in the back with his right foot. The Black Crow Swamp¡¯s legendary figure, too quick with the news... How did he know the teacher wanted to take Garrett as a disciple? "Immortal Lord." Garrett and Aurora, honestly, bowed together. At the front of the group, the Lord of Thunder scoffed: "Now you come to snatch, what were you doing earlier? ¡ªHmm, good that you¡¯re here, maybe you can give him some gifts on the way!" With that, he gestured, and a portal of interwoven thunder and void opened. Archmage Carlisle waved at Garrett, stepping through the portal first. Garrett second, Aurora third, the Lord of Thunder looked at the Immortal Lord indifferently, stepping in as well. Only the black-robed skeleton remained, spinning and floating, circling several times, cursing loudly: "Damn! Decar, you¡¯re too ruthless in snatching people!" With a whoosh, it shot up towards the top of the Tower of Heaven. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 457: Following the Teacher to Shear the Legendary Wool The Immortal soared into the sky and immediately alerted everyone in the Tower of Heaven. First, it was the Puzzle Hall. The mage monitoring the surroundings of the Tower of Heaven with the Arcane Eye let out a cry of surprise, tracing the black robe from low to high until he raised his hand above his head; Then, Lady Helena, the "Deep Blue Song," who presided over the Tower of Heaven with the highest authority over the locks, looked up and stepped forward; Lastly, several legendary mages interested in fresh excitement, like those from the School of Protection and the head of the Alchemy Workshop, also arrived one after another. Of course, the enchantment-controlling rotating legend, Lady Almeida, the "Philosopher¡¯s Rose," who always ran the fastest to catch up on gossip. Wherever she went, she was never absent. His Excellency the Immortal, with his black robe fluttering, had just reached the study door of the Lord of Thunder when the other legends were already arriving on his heels. Lady Almeida stepped forward with a smile and asked the Immortal: "What¡¯s the matter, Mr. Aquinas? Are you angry because Mr. Decar offended you?" Her lips slightly pursed, and as she smiled, her head tilted slightly, making the tourmaline earrings by her ears sway like water, which only made her emerald-green eyes seem deeper. Even though he had become a lich, the Immortal couldn¡¯t get angry facing that smiling face, and he turned his head resentfully: "He acted too quickly!" ...What are they fighting over? What does the Lord of Thunder desire that the Immortal also wants? Their research paths are nothing alike, almost contradictory. Surely, the items in the Lord of Thunder¡¯s vault are not even worth picking up by necromancers! No... Wait... Lady Almeida chuckled softly. She stepped forward, raising her hand, on which a chain of fine gold bracelets tinkled, and knocked on the study door of the Lord of Thunder:@@@@ "Kristin? Kristin, are you there?" "Garrett, go open the door." Inside the study, a familiar voice, cold through the door, commanded. Following, the door silently opened, and a young mage with short black hair released the doorknob and bowed slightly: "Your Excellencies, my teacher invites you in." Who is this young man? Decar¡¯s disciple? I¡¯ve seen all his disciples, but not him? And he looks familiar, not as if I¡¯ve seen him before, but as if I¡¯ve read about him... Lady Almeida quickly searched her memory. Suddenly, she smiled again, covering her mouth lightly: "Little Garrett, it¡¯s you. Madam Syatt mentioned you last time, saying you haven¡¯t visited our tower for over a year since you learned that magic..." Garrett sweated profusely. Last time, to develop regional magic, Archmage Carlisle had someone introduce him to the enchantment-controlling Archmage, Madam Syatt, to consult on the [Alleviate Pain]. R??a?No?bE?S?? They had a pleasant chat, and afterward, with one thing and another, he indeed hadn¡¯t visited the auxiliary tower of the enchantment-controlling sector... This lady, appearing no older than thirty, was even more graceful than Madam Syatt. Seeing her calling the Lord of Thunder by name, could she be the enchantment-controlling sector¡¯s current legendary mage? He didn¡¯t dare to delay, bowed, and cleared the way. Several legendary mages entered in single file, familiar with the place, and sat in the guest seats. Garrett closed the door, turned around, and saw the Lord of Thunder beckoning him: "Garrett, come here, meet a few legendary mages. ¡ªThis is the protective sector¡¯s current legend, Lord Steiner of the ¡¯Temporal Barrier.¡¯ Mr. Steiner, this is my new student, Garrett Nordmark." "It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Your Excellency." Garrett immediately bowed: "I¡¯ve dealt with the review committee before, and your sect¡¯s Archmage Albert took good care of me." Er... Me? Teach a necromancer apprentice? Teach a high-ranking necromancer apprentice? Sir, are you overestimating me, or are you recruiting right in front of me? Laughter echoed in the study. Garrett turned his face, saw the Lord of Thunder also smiled slightly, and nodded lightly. He quickly stood straight, facing the lich, trying to smile as humbly and warmly as possible: "If a necromancer apprentice comes knocking, then I can take him on as an apprentice¡ª" "You can go pick one yourself." The Immortal huffed again: "Cutting corpses, dissecting living people, cultivating plague seeds¡ªdo you still think you¡¯re not a necromancer?" I can¡¯t accept that. Garrett silently bowed his head, pretending not to hear, and retreated to his teacher¡¯s side: Surgery, dissection, in this world, with a bit of brainpower, there¡¯s always a way; but those things like electricity, magnetism, light... Ultraviolet spectrophotometers, mass spectrometers, electron microscopes... CT scans, MRIs, PET-CTs, Gamma Knives... Energy manipulation is still the way to go! Yep, I must cling to the Lord of Thunder¡¯s coattails for 100 years without faltering! Garrett formally acknowledged a teacher, research directions, thesis topics, and reading lists had not yet been discussed, but he had already received a bunch of gifts. Summing it up, all were fourth or fifth-level magical items, together worth nearly all his current fortune. Indeed, the platform of a person determines the heights he can reach... He secured the gifts, standing beside the Lord of Thunder, listening to the protective sector¡¯s old man, Lord Steiner of the "Temporal Barrier," and his own teacher chatting. The first question was directed at himself: "You finally decided to take him as a disciple. I say, you were too demanding; such a talented kid could have been accepted even if he wasn¡¯t fifth level! ¡ªHmm, Kristin, what do you plan to teach him?" "That depends on his own direction." The Lord of Thunder chuckled. He turned his head to the right: "Garrett, what direction do you plan to research next?" That¡ª Can I just be honest? In front of an enchantment-controlling legendary mage, a necromancy legendary mage, I don¡¯t mention electricity, magnetism, fire, or light, but say I want to build a hospital... Will they laugh me to death, or will the Lord of Thunder be laughed to death, then strike me dead with lightning? Garrett felt quite guilty. However, with the teacher above and five legendary mages beside, he could only brace himself, under the gaze of all the legends, carefully choosing his words: "I plan to establish a healing center, to treat diseases while collecting magical data, improving spells. Like an electrocardiogram, like analyzing the operational principles of [Mechanized Mind], like combining [Bloodline Detection] and [Toxin Detection] to try to decipher other information in the blood..." --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 458: Garrett Nordmark’s Medical Research Institute Garrett Nordmark presented his research with a heart full of apprehension. Fortunately, the legendary mages listened intently without mocking or nitpicking. Even the slightly displeased Immortal merely clicked his jaw without grumbling: "Are we just going to end up cutting people open anyway?" Ms. Almeida of the Enchantment Control faction raised several pointed questions about Garrett¡¯s understanding of the "Mechanized Mind" spell. Garrett responded earnestly: "Although it¡¯s not mentioned in the spell¡¯s description, I know more than one mage who has used this spell on themselves in battle to prevent pain from interrupting their casting," like Brother Andrew Lynn, like Minister Johnny Colin from the Emergency Management Department. "So, I want to know if this spell can allow one to ignore pain on a psychological rather than sensory level, and what exactly is its mechanism of action?" Garrett was especially curious about which part of the brain the spell affects. Perhaps it overly stimulates or suppresses the frontal cortex¡¯s response to the emotion of pain? The notoriously problematic frontal lobotomy surgeries of the past indeed caused significant issues, but perhaps a temporary, reversible suppression using magic could be a viable therapeutic approach. "So, how do you plan to use it?" Ms. Almeida asked with a smile. Even without intending to unleash her charm, her charisma naturally soared above 20 whenever she raised an eyebrow or tilted her head. Garrett, however, seemed oblivious and continued ponderously: "For example, during esophagus, stomach, or intestinal examinations, or during brain surgery. If the patient is conscious, they can immediately inform the doctor if they feel pain or if something seems about to go wrong..." Ms. Almeida fell silent. High-ranking members of the Enchantment Control faction, while possessing spells like "True Word of Death" that cause instant death, generally dislike bloody affairs. Meanwhile, the Immortal, his eyes flashing red, clacked his jaw as if he were laughing... Garrett sighed inwardly. My lord, is it because people don¡¯t usually notice your expression¡ªor rather, a skeleton doesn¡¯t have an expression¡ªthat you always have to make a scene? The legendary mages nearby watched the drama unfold without minding the stir. They whispered not so quietly: "It¡¯s over." "He can¡¯t be taught anymore." "Such a good spell for accelerating research, and he thinks about using it for brain surgery." "Even using it in combat would be better." "He should be sent to the Curse Department, let the medical branch take him... Hey, Helena, do you want him?" Garrett pretended not to hear, the Thunder Lord and the Immortal both looked straight ahead, also pretending not to hear. The legendary mage of the "Temporal Barrier," Steiner, grinned and beckoned Garrett: "Master Nordmark, I¡¯m old enough to give advice. It¡¯s good that you want to open a clinic to treat the poor, but you shouldn¡¯t advertise low-cost or free treatments." The wealthy won¡¯t be exempt from treatment fees. But if it¡¯s not free, the poor can¡¯t afford it. Garrett wanted to explain, but the "Temporal Barrier" continued: "Temples of the War God, the Spring Goddess, and the medical branches of the councils charge for healing. Even followers of the God of Nature ask for donations in one way or another. The port¡¯s clinic offers some free treatments daily, but the quota is very limited." The implication was, if you offer free treatment, where does that leave other healers? In the face of great disasters, alternative payment methods can be used, but free treatment can¡¯t be the norm. The white-haired legendary mage smiled warmly, his gaze passing over Garrett and becoming sharp as he looked into the distance: "Just check for any obvious nonsense or inconsistencies. If there are any, send them back; if not, attach your comments and send them to me. Don¡¯t worry, although I¡¯m a special reviewer for ¡¯Arcane¡¯ and ¡¯Thunderclap,¡¯ I can¡¯t get through more than 20 papers a month. It¡¯ll be quick." "..." It turns out, in this world as in others, graduate and even undergraduate students first review papers for a professor... Garrett received a slew of instructions and returned to his mage tower in a daze. Before leaving, Archmage Carlisle helped him refresh all the necessary permissions: The Thunder Lord¡¯s study, the waiting area of the Thunder Lord¡¯s guest room, the Thunder Lord¡¯s laboratory... Most importantly, the laboratory. In theory, Garrett could use his teacher¡¯s high-end laboratory, facilities, materials, and funding for his own research, making whatever he wanted. According to Archmage Carlisle, this was a privilege every new disciple enjoyed, generally lasting from three to ten years, or until the next disciple joined. After that, only projects designated by the teacher would be permitted. Garrett silently recalled when he had used a lab for electrolyzing saltwater... Ah, that tall column that attracted lightning was indeed thrilling, and importantly, the power was truly high. "But surely, I won¡¯t fail to understand all their research topics?" "So you better start researching too!" This time, it was Archmage Carlisle urging him: "As long as you start getting involved, they also won¡¯t understand your topics, and then there¡¯s no problem!" It made so much sense... And starting the hospital¡ªor rather, the medical research institute¡ªwasn¡¯t difficult at all. Garrett hurried back to the mage tower, where Mage Norwood was already waiting at the door, bringing a map as soon as he entered the study: "We¡¯ve found four possible locations for the hospital. One is owned by the city hall, one by the Temple of the Spring Goddess, one by the Temple of the War God, and one is privately owned.¡ªBoss, which one shall we negotiate with?" Garrett carefully examined the red circles on the map. The one owned by the city hall was the most remote, farthest from the mage tower, with the advantage of being near the wilderness, offering a large area; The one owned by the Temple of the Spring Goddess was originally an inn, with big courtyards enclosing smaller ones, but it had been abandoned after some incident; The one owned by the Temple of the War God had the best location, close to the main road, within a kilometer of a large slum area, apparently not lacking in patients. The only problem was the nearby slaughterhouse and coal warehouse , creating significant environmental pollution; As for the privately owned one, Garrett looked and wanted to cover his eyes: What had he done wrong to consider opening a hospital next to a cemetery? Even if he didn¡¯t mind, shouldn¡¯t he consider the psychological tolerance of the patients? --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 461: Write a Thesis to Build a Hospital! The archmages burst into laughter. Even the disciples in the back rows, nearly half of them, slightly bowed their heads and chuckled softly¡ª As high-ranking mages, as direct disciples of a legendary mage, apprentices are not lacking, only unsearched. Besides the need to regularly visit the academy to scout for exceptionally talented prospects, the rest is easy¡ª Just stand at the entrance of the Mage Tower for a while, and you can have as many as you want. "Do you seriously want to take on disciples, or are you just looking for some helpers?" Byrd was the first to ask with a smile, giving Carlisle a knowing look¡ª With Garrett¡¯s achievements, it¡¯s still early for him to seriously take on disciples. As a disciple of a legendary mage, reaching level five is just the beginning of their earnest ascent. How could they have the capacity to mentor others? But it¡¯s a different story when it comes to helpers. As long as they don¡¯t blow up the Mage Tower or swindle using their master¡¯s name, the more unpaid apprentices, the better. By the way, Carlisle, can¡¯t you spare a few for him from your disciples and grandchildren? Archmage Carlisle rolled his eyes at his fellow disciple. What Garrett wants are not our Element Manipulation apprentices. He¡¯s interested in Necromancy, Cursing, Alchemy, even Priest apprentices, not caring for our field! He hadn¡¯t found the opportunity to explain when Phileb already interjected with a grin: "If you just need people to work, just name a number. Byrd, myself, a few of us can easily gather twenty or thirty." Among the five present, each could pick disciples who are average in talent but serious and hardworking to send to Garrett¡¯s Mage Tower for labor. Each contributing five or six was no big deal. If that¡¯s not enough, there are always more from other brothers and sisters we could pull from. Garrett was immensely grateful. At the forefront of the group, the steps of the Lord of Thunder slowed down: "Don¡¯t assign anyone to him. Garrett, just add a sentence about recruiting apprentices at the end of your thesis, and everything will be solved." "¡ªBut I still need to write the thesis first!!!" Garrett¡¯s scream was stifled back into his throat under the intense scrutiny of his fellow disciples. After lunch, while others could return to their own territories to work, Garrett had to stay. He respectfully presented his revised thesis for his teacher to review and rolled up his sleeves to begin proofreading his teacher¡¯s manuscripts. "On the Principles of High-Energy Aggregation and Distortion in Teleportation Magic" "Study of Materials for Summoning Magic in Anti-Magic Zones" ... With some luck, he could understand the first few lines; from the formulas and derivations onwards, it was all Greek to him; with bad luck, he couldn¡¯t even recognize half of the characters in the abstract... He sorted all the submissions into a stack, trying to make as little noise as possible, and carried them into the inner study. At the large desk inside, the Lord of Thunder was annotating his thesis with a quill. Hearing him enter, he didn¡¯t even look up: "How is it?" "...Only one seems somewhat insightful..."@@@@ "Which one?" The Lord of Thunder glanced up. The papers that made it to his desk were all concerning eighth or ninth ring magic, as well as issues concerning the essence of magic. Letting Garrett review them wasn¡¯t really for his opinion but to expose him to: R?¦¡?NO??b§¦?? The highest level of current magic, the deepest research, the cutting edge of what¡¯s happening! Don¡¯t think that just because you¡¯re my disciple, everything is set for you, that complacency exists, it never does! If you want to relax, at least understand these first! Now, this kid actually says he can understand? Is he sure he really understands? Garrett couldn¡¯t watch anymore, with a gesture, two powerful Mage Hands flew out, timely lending support. Then, he cast a Levitation spell to help lighten the load of the corpse. Next, a dozen Mage Hands flew out, helping the family dig the grave a foot deeper... Thinking of situating the hospital next to the cemetery, where cries were heard every other day as people brought their loved ones for burial, Garrett felt why should he depress himself. Forget it, better go talk to the council¡¯s administrative department. Garrett shook his head and walked out. Returning to the Mage Tower, Master Norwood had already returned from the White Tower, bringing a series of appraisals: The plot Garrett wanted, the city hall quoted 1000 gold coins, or 500 contribution points; Construction costs, including material costs, three construction teams quoted prices ranging from 1500 to 2000 gold coins; The cost of enchanting the hospital, Master Norwood looked at Garrett¡¯s face, cautiously: "I think, you might not want to ask..." "Tell me!" Garrett¡¯s expression was firm. Master Norwood hesitated for a moment, pulling out two price lists. Garrett only glanced at it, and was so shocked by the long string of zeros that he almost passed out. Just the first item, the cost of permanently expelling rats, mosquitoes, fleas, bedbugs, and the like from the entire hospital, had already exceeded Garrett¡¯s mental budget. ¡ªFive figures. "...You know, permanent enchantments are always expensive..." Not to mention covering the entire hospital, not to mention the many enchantments you requested... Garrett grimly realized that public service projects really can¡¯t be funded out of private pockets. One, you can¡¯t afford it, and two, even if you manage to scrape it together, how high would the fees need to be to recoup the costs, let alone make a profit? Still have to fleece the council! Fleece a lot! Hmm, I really should write more papers. Once the paper is written, it¡¯s easy to send out the notice for recruiting apprentices; Once the paper is done, the reward will come; Once the paper is done and the teacher is in a good mood, applying for funding also becomes easier... Speaking of which, I have the ultraviolet light, just take the mercury rectifier to it, but how to prove infrared light? How did the previous scholars prove the existence of infrared light? "MOSS¡ªbring me a prism¡ªMOSS, where did I put my prism?" "Your prism will be here soon. My dear master, would you even remember where you keep your equipment without me?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 462: Invisible Light Magic Proof Garrett started the experiment with a grunt. He set up the experimental station, arranged the light source, placed a prism, and positioned a white board on the other side of the prism¡ªa classic dispersion experiment. Then, on both sides outside the spectrum, he placed a thermometer and squatted down to scratch his chin: How to prove ultraviolet light? The proof of infrared light is simple; beyond the red light area, the thermometer heats up significantly, thus proving the existence of infrared. But what about ultraviolet light? The thermometer in the ultraviolet light area doesn¡¯t heat up... Silver bromide seems sensitive to ultraviolet light, it can be proved using photosensitive silver bromide film... but where to find silver bromide? Has bromine been refined in this world? "Oro! Oro!" Garrett called out. The Tower Spirit MOSS transmitted his voice layer by layer, and soon, Aurora came running up: "Garrett, what¡¯s up?" "What¡¯s the recent progress in the council on elemental substances?" Garrett asked in a burst, "Have you found a reddish-brown element with a foul smell?" "I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard of it..." Aurora paused, searching her memory, and shook her head doubtfully. Seeing Garrett¡¯s disappointed look, she immediately raised her hand: "I¡¯ll go through the papers! I¡¯ll go! This is a matter for the neighboring transmutation school, a bit far from our conjuration school, you¡¯ll have to give me time to check!" Aurora ran off clattering. Garrett sighed helplessly: Assigning a Level 6 mage to do such tasks seems a bit wasteful? Perhaps it¡¯s better to recruit more apprentices... At least tasks like flipping through journals, searching papers, and finding data in the council¡¯s database can be delegated to apprentices... Sigh as he might, the ultraviolet light still needed to be proved. Garrett, hands behind his back, bent over and turned a few circles on the ground, then began to pull at his hair: How to prove it? The sterilizing effect of ultraviolet light? This he was good at, but to make his teacher cultivate bacteria and verify it under a microscope, he feared the Lord of Thunder would kill him; Simply measure the wavelength of ultraviolet light? But how to measure the wavelength of light? He¡¯s a medical student, not into physics! Or find another substance sensitive to ultraviolet light, even an animal would do... Right, undead creatures! Undead creatures! It¡¯s said that undead creatures, like vampires, are vulnerable to sunlight mainly because they are easily harmed by the ultraviolet light in the sunlight! If he could prove that undead creatures are sensitive to light outside the violet section of the spectrum split by the prism, that would prove the existence of ultraviolet light! Emmm... Garrett dashed down. He rushed to the laboratory next to the negative energy room on the second basement floor of the Mage Tower, and naturally extended his palm to Mage Andrew Lynn: RaNo???E?s? "Brother Lynn! Do you have any weak undead creatures here, especially weak ones that would fall over just from sunlight, for me to use in an experiment?" Andrew Lynn raised his eyebrows in surprise. Moments later, Garrett left with the tower¡¯s newly acquired necromancer, Student Leon Carlos, and a bag of processed bones and finger bones, ready to be used as skeleton soldier replacements... The experiment was a huge success! After the white light was split by the prism, the bones reacted with the invisible light waves outside the violet light zone! Garrett was thrilled. Following the same approach as measuring infrared with a thermometer, Carlos laid down a long bone saturated with necromantic energy (it looked like a rib). Then, timing with a stopwatch, Garrett observed the changes at different parts of the bone... It turned out, the areas exposed to infrared and red light suffered the most damage (Garrett guessed, it¡¯s the same principle as undead creatures fearing fire), and the damage decreased towards the back. Then, in the ultraviolet light zone, the damage to the skeleton¡¯s rib suddenly spiked! This evidence was enough to prove the presence of high-energy rays in the ultraviolet zone! Not bad, not bad, not bad, fantastic! "The vibration of a point in front of the wavefront is the superposition of subwaves emitted by elements on the wavefront at that point..." Confirmed by the eyes, it¡¯s the text I completely don¡¯t understand... Garrett calmed down and looked at the third, the fourth papers. After flipping through a thick stack of papers, he confirmed only one thing: In the magical world, a large group of magicians believe that light is a wave. OK, so the other side supports the particle theory? Garrett leaned over to the other side and flipped, flipped, flipped, flipped, and sure enough, in four or five consecutive papers, he saw the familiar "ether". Very good, very good, the particle theory and wave theory, as expected, also started fighting here! Garrett put down the paper. He took a deep breath, stared directly at the Lord of Thunder, and boldly said: "I don¡¯t want to study this." "Hmm?" "My interest is not here." The wave theory, the particle theory, wrestling and squabbling for three hundred years until the development of wave-particle duality¡ªthat¡¯s the end. The problem is, you haven¡¯t even measured all the elements, protons, neutrons, and electrons haven¡¯t been observed, and the photoelectric effect is even less likely to be discovered, so why bother with wave-particle duality? The big pit of theoretical physics, I don¡¯t want to jump! "If you don¡¯t study it, the honors that come after will not belong to you," the Lord of Thunder said solemnly. Such a pity, discovering infrared and ultraviolet light isn¡¯t much, but if he could analyze their properties, this paper would definitely make it to [Arcane ]! He silently regretted it, but Garrett shook his head so fast it almost flew off. The Lord of Thunder didn¡¯t force him, and immediately offered an alternative: "Then, I¡¯ll find someone to complete this part, as a co-first author, okay?" Fortunately, he had already thought of this, even had three candidates circled in his mind. Although sharing the honor was a bit of a pity, measuring the wavelength of light is not an easy task. Magic strength, laboratories, experimental equipment, all conditions must be met, at least a high-level mage could do it. Considering the strength comparison between both parties, the position of co-first author had to be given. Fortunately, young Garrett wasn¡¯t that focused on research honors... However, Garrett hesitated and didn¡¯t utter a word. The Lord of Thunder slightly narrowed his eyes: "What?" "How long will it take to measure this... I¡¯m waiting to publish the paper, good to recruit apprentices!" "...Get out!" Garrett turned and ran. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 463: Recruiting Far and Wide, Ready to Open! Chapter 463: Recruiting Far and Wide, Ready to Open! The moment the Thunder Lord acts, success naturally follows. In the first hour, the mages he summoned joyfully returned with their half-completed theses. By the first night, the infrared and ultraviolet frequencies had been determined. By noon the next day, the final thesis had moved from the Thunder Lord¡¯s desk to the desks of the Arcane journal¡¯s reviewing editors and the committee members... Then, by the next night, they couldn¡¯t wait for the thesis to be reviewed, scheduled, and published, when two apprentices showed up at Garrett Nordmark¡¯s Mage Tower, bearing letters of introduction from their mentors. "...What? People are coming now?" Garrett lifted his head from behind a pile of journals, a look of bewilderment on his face: "Has my paper even been published yet?" He had been tasked with a multitude of assignments by the Thunder Lord and was currently overwhelmed. Arcane, Magic, The Ordinary Mage¡¯s Monthly, and Thunderclap¡ªthese four prestigious journals featured articles that were more complex and brain-burning than the last... Just getting through them had already maxed out his brain¡¯s CPU at 200%. Concepts like being worldly wise or adept in human affairs were out of the question; his brain was fried with no cells to spare for such thoughts. "What are you thinking! Of course, it hasn¡¯t been published yet!" Andrew Lynn looked at him with a mix of frustration and exasperation, almost wishing he could knock some sense into Garrett with a copy of Arcane: "So you should consider, who could have the news already!" "Ah... Oh..." Garrett shook his head to cool it down and finally caught on. His thoughts shifted from the thesis to the current situation, and he quickly figured out what was happening: "Is it someone who co-authored the paper with me? Or recommended by an editor of Arcane? Or maybe my seniors?¡ªNo, the last one¡¯s not possible; our teacher has forbidden it..." "It¡¯s from the editors of Arcane." Okay, he wasn¡¯t too slow after all. Andrew¡¯s tone softened: "The letters of introduction for both bear the secret marks of an Archmage, but they are not handwritten, probably a favor asked by relatives or students. One is from the shapeshifter Archmage Erela, and the other, from the enchantment Archmage Kramer." "An Archmage¡¯s favor must be returned." The face of the Arcane editor had to be respected. After all, Garrett would have to rely on himself to publish papers in the future; his teacher couldn¡¯t cover for him forever. Garrett muttered: "What about the people?" "One is a mage apprentice, 14 years old, a great-nephew of an old friend of the Archmage, from another province. He has been studying magic for a year and a half and hasn¡¯t chosen his specialization yet. The other is a nephew of one of the Archmage¡¯s students, a level one enchantment mage, 19 years old." This background didn¡¯t sound very impressive. The apprentice¡¯s transition to an official mage, with room and board covered in the Mage Tower, had a maximum limit of two years; if they didn¡¯t advance within that time, they were sent home. At one and a half years, he was almost at the limit; A 19-year-old level one mage, if starting from the average age of 14 for mage school admissions, was also almost at the limit. In Garrett¡¯s elite class, most were advancing to level two by the age of seventeen or eighteen. Seeing that Andrew didn¡¯t even bother to mention their names, his evaluation of them was probably average at best. Fortunately, recruiting apprentices at the Mage Tower wasn¡¯t the same as taking on disciples¡ªit was basically just hiring workers. Garrett nodded: ?a??????E?S? "Alright then, let them work¡ªAndrew, Orla, do you want to take on apprentices?" "We have our own channels." In fact, Andrew had already spread the word through his siblings and expected to start interviews within a week. He was only level six and temporarily only wanted to take on one disciple, so he needed to choose carefully. As for Orla, Archmage Carlisle hadn¡¯t permitted him to take apprentices yet... While it was nice to be cared for, standing in Andrew¡¯s power field, he hoped more for Garrett to strive for advancement: Come work! Elder Wood, I offer free guidance on exclusive healing techniques, isn¡¯t that tempting? At the Temple of the War God, I offer free guidance on battlefield first aid, isn¡¯t that tempting? What about the medical grand mages? Don¡¯t your apprentices need a place for internships? Of course, he couldn¡¯t forget the necromancers. Garrett, along with Leon Carlos, whom he had groomed and who had now advanced to a level one mage, paid a visit to Archmage Edgar. The Archmage was very dissatisfied: "Only two slots? What good are two slots? At least five! Garrett, do you hear me? Five! If there¡¯s one less, don¡¯t bother coming back today!" "...But, my medical institute is only so big..." Garrett couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly: "There are already twelve apprentices, rotating between research and treating patients, and we have enough manpower! If we take on any more, they¡¯d only be able to help with hospital chores!" "Chores then!" Archmage Edgar puffed his beard and glared, utterly unreasonable: "What¡¯s with apprentices acting all high and mighty? Sweeping, cleaning windows, washing bed sheets, anything you can think of, just assign it to them! Five slots, not one less!¡ªFor every apprentice you take on, Black Crow Swamp will throw in a corpse!" What kind of exchange is that? Buying apprentices and getting corpses for free! Garrett really wanted to complain. However, he had to admit, shamefully, that he was tempted: "Well, Archmage, I should clarify one thing. If there are suitable apprentices among them, I intend to take them as disciples¡ªand once I take them, I¡¯m not giving them back!" "Take them, take them all!" The words of the Immortal at the legendary gathering had clearly spread across Black Crow Swamp . Archmage Edgar was very generous: "Take whoever you fancy, and even better if you take them all! If you can train a grand mage and pass down the skeletons given by the Immortal, you¡¯ll be an honorary elder of Black Crow Swamp!" "..." Garrett conceded defeat. Thinking it over, he could accept fewer other mages, but he really needed to take on more necromancers. At the very least, those skeletons sweeping, cleaning windows, fetching water, and wheeling patients needed to be controlled by necromancers... "Well, Archmage, about those skeletons for manual labor, I¡¯ll place an order for 10. ¡ªBulk purchase, make the illusion appearances cheaper for me!" The healers were in place, the apprentices were in place; the experimental animals such as mice, rabbits, dogs, and pigs were all ready. Garrett also sent Bernard around the city to round up ten barbarians: Four to guard the hospital entrance, four to maintain order in the clinics and wards. The remaining two were responsible for raising the mice, rabbits, dogs, pigs, and all other experimental animals... In short, Garrett happily realized his dream of using barbarians as security. He no longer had to worry about medical disturbances. When the new issue of the Arcane journal published Garrett¡¯s paper on infrared and ultraviolet light, Garrett¡¯s new hospital was fully equipped and ready to open. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 464: Smallpox Antibody... Can this be obtained through magic?! "Although it¡¯s a hospital, there are no firecrackers, no ribbon-cutting ceremonies, and no one sends flower baskets; it feels like something is missing." Garrett stood at the entrance of the hospital, hands behind his back, head tilted back, muttering to himself. He didn¡¯t really want these things... As a medical practitioner, he hoped for a world without illness, preferring dust to gather on medicines rather than advertising with gongs and drums everywhere. Of course, some hospitals are exceptions. But at least, the local people should know that there¡¯s a treatment facility here! When they have ailments or injuries, they should know to come here for help! "Come on, raise our flag!" he called out cheerfully. At Leon Carlos¡¯s command, several necromancer apprentices clumsily directed the skeletons to climb up high and hang... A white flag with a red cross. In this world, the flag of the Radiant Lord¡¯s Church was a fist clutching a golden thunderbolt. No one contested the red cross flag. Yay. Happy! Elsewhere, Miss Anita Winvey, accompanied by two apprentices of the God of Nature, walked through the streets. Each of them carried a bag of candy, distributing it to little vagrants one by one, giving out one piece of candy and advising: "Walk in that direction to the end, the place with the red cross flag, there are people there to treat you..." Even so, on the first day, no patients came to Garrett¡¯s hospital. The same was true for the second day, and the third day remained patient-free. Garrett was not in a hurry; he calmly continued working with his apprentices on the smallpox vaccine. "First of all, to prevent smallpox infection, we need to vaccinate first..." Garrett gestured, and two skeletons, dressed as nurses, led a cow into the courtyard. The row of apprentices immediately stirred. Garrett ignored them. Smallpox was too virulent, transmitted through air, droplets, used items, and scabs from infected people. Allowing students to study it unprotected was criminal, it was akin to murder! "Vaccination is very convenient." Garrett smiled warmly: "Using the pustule fluid from this cow, injected into the upper arm muscle, just a little bit... About ten days later, you might experience mild fever symptoms. After recovery, you¡¯ll never get smallpox again! I¡¯ve tried it myself recently!" Leon Carlos was very effective, having found a cow with the right symptoms in the countryside. After verifying experiments, Garrett confirmed it was indeed cowpox and couldn¡¯t wait to vaccinate himself. Wow, this world is too dangerous. Even just for one¡¯s own safety, it¡¯s crucial to get vaccinated quickly! Silence fell below. After a moment, a slender, strong arm was raised. Garrett followed the direction of the arm and saw a medical apprentice step forward, face serious: r?A?¦­O????E?s?? "But sir, how can you be sure that the pustule fluid on this cow can be used?¡ªSome cows with similar pustules, when used on humans, still result in smallpox!" "Well said." Garrett nodded with a smile. Edward Jenner, the discoverer of the smallpox vaccine, faced this problem: some cows with pustules provided protection, others did not: "Because on cows, there¡¯s ¡¯true cowpox¡¯ and ¡¯false cowpox¡¯. Both types can infect humans and the symptoms are similar, but only ¡¯true cowpox¡¯ can provide protection. How to distinguish them, I¡¯ll explain once you all are protected." Cowpox had to be diagnosed against milker¡¯s nodules, sheep pox, primary cutaneous tuberculosis, among other diseases. The method of differentiation depended on the symptoms and pathological examinations of the infected areas. This was too cumbersome to discuss at a vaccine lecture! "But it¡¯s so troublesome!" an apprentice wrinkled his nose: "The failure rate is still very high! Sir, we clearly have a better method!" "What method?" "Of course, during a major smallpox epidemic, deliberately infect oneself¡ª"@@@@ What? Either you have money, or you have power... Potions expire and become ineffective. During a major epidemic, getting help from a spellcaster is much harder than usual... "So, this is where our work¡¯s value lies." Garrett looked up and smiled, his eyes gleaming. He paced a few steps closer to the cow, patting its head: "We can significantly reduce the cost of combating smallpox, bringing it down to a level manageable by first-level spellcasters, apprentices, or even ordinary people. The cost of gaining resistance can drop from 750 gold coins to 50 gold coins, maybe even less¡ª" Garrett remembered that when discussing infectious diseases, his teacher had once gossiped that in 1797 in the United States, private smallpox vaccination clinics charged between 10 and 15 pounds per case. That meant the cost could indeed be reduced to under 10 gold coins. In fact, in England, the birthplace of the smallpox vaccine, it had once been promoted nationwide as a mandatory free vaccination. That meant its vaccination costs could be reduced to a level the public finances could afford... "We are healers. Our goal is to take care of the public¡¯s health as much as possible. As much as possible, to make this world a little less sick and painful." Garrett¡¯s expression gradually became more serious. He looked up toward the roof above, under a sky covered with leaden clouds, where the bright red cross fluttered, like a flame that would never be extinguished. He opened a hospital, took in apprentices, not just for labor, but more so, looking for companions willing to walk together under the guidance of the red cross¡ª His gaze shifted, Miss Anita Winvey, the young priestess of the God of Nature, smiled and nodded at him. Leon Carlos straightened his back, his expression barely containing his excitement. Among the new apprentices, the temple priests, the young medical ones, most had their faces flushed red. Garrett nodded at them: "Those who want to participate in this project, come here, we¡¯ll vaccinate one by one. Those who don¡¯t want to participate, no pressure, there are other research projects for you. Volunteer to sign up, participate voluntarily, don¡¯t worry about having nothing to do, I have plenty of projects here¡ª" Before he could finish, five necromancer apprentices had already neatly lined up. Behind them, Anita Winvey pushed a recent priest apprentice, her tone slightly angry: "Hurry up!¡ªYou actually let the necromancers beat you!" Really, losing face for the God of Nature, who doesn¡¯t know that priests of the God of Nature can fight and run! Everyone has a herd mentality. Necromancer apprentices took the lead, medical-oriented apprentices followed, those from transformation, control, and protection schools, holding introduction letters for work, also pushed and shoved into the line. ¡ªThe owner of this mage tower, the director of this medical facility, wouldn¡¯t harm them. Even if he did, he wouldn¡¯t harm so many at once. Getting a smallpox protection for free, isn¡¯t that sweet? Leon Carlos extracted fluid from the cowpox pustules, and Anita Winvey divided it into small vials. Garrett rolled up his sleeves and personally vaccinated each apprentice. While working, he muttered: "Vaccination is usually done in the upper arm... The deltoid here has thick muscle, less likely to have problems..." "Disinfect first, the angle of the needle should be perpendicular to the skin..." "One needle per person, can¡¯t be shared, to prevent cross-infection..." Whether they understood or not, he filled their ears first. After all, this knowledge was beneficial to memorize; if it were to be promoted on a large scale later, they would rely on them for the hard work! After the vaccinations were completed, the apprentices collectively exited. Garrett breathed a sigh of relief, just about to tidy up when he saw Miss Silver Dragon leaning by the door, smiling: "Garrett, vaccinate me too?" ...Madam, please don¡¯t joke! Let¡¯s not even talk about whether dragons can get smallpox, my syringe can¡¯t pierce your scales! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 465: Miss Silver Dragon’s Nursing Team Chapter 465: Miss Silver Dragon¡¯s Nursing Team Seraina requested the cowpox vaccine, but it was just a joke. Seeing Garrett¡¯s face lined with frustration, she giggled and waved her hand behind her back: "Come on, it¡¯s your turn!" "Alright, Miss Seraina!" The responses came unevenly. Soon, about 20 men and women lined up neatly in front of Garrett. "I¡¯ve already spoken with the nurses! Garrett, vaccinate them with that... what... smallpox vaccine!" Seraina looked triumphant. Garrett glanced over and immediately held his forehead. Ah... this team of nurses... no matter how many times I see them, it still stings the eyes... At the front was a girl about eleven or twelve years old. With soft blonde hair and deep blue eyes, her cheeks were chubby and rosy, invoking tenderness. Dressed in an extra small white nurse¡¯s uniform, she appeared shy and adorable. Seeing Garrett, the little girl¡¯s eyes brightened. She gracefully lifted the hem of her nurse¡¯s dress and performed a curtsy: "Mr. Nordmark, I am here!" "Ah, Jenny, you¡¯re here too," Garrett nodded to her. Looking behind Jenny, from the second to the fifth... In short, a line of women ranging from their twenties to forties stood there. Strong and with large, rough hands, they were clearly accustomed to hard work. Their nurse uniforms were visually acceptable. Behind the women stood a row of barbarians in nurse uniforms... Seraina, what are you doing with barbarians! Not to mention, even if you involve a group of barbarians, why make them nurses! While nurses do need strength, for tasks like pushing patients or moving beds, hospitals don¡¯t lack people for heavy work. There are skeletons for carrying water, lifting things, and mopping the floor, aren¡¯t there? They even come with their own look and can be regularly replaced, all above standard in terms of appearance... If you¡¯re going to make barbarians nurses, at least don¡¯t put them in nurse uniforms! If it really came down to it, you should have consulted me first! There are uniforms for male nurses, so you didn¡¯t have to directly copy the female ones! Nevertheless, Garrett had no intention of changing the nurse uniforms. If Seraina didn¡¯t bring it up, he wouldn¡¯t either: I can¡¯t be the only one fussing over this! Seraina creating a nursing team wasn¡¯t entirely for humor. On one hand, it was at Garrett¡¯s request; on the other, she was bored during her time in Nevis. Garrett was too busy. Journals to read, papers to write, new spells to learn. Visiting dignitaries, checking apprentices¡¯ work... Writing research proposals, applying for research funding, one thing after another, all his responsibility. With such a busy schedule, his time with Miss Silver Dragon naturally dwindled. After a month, Seraina was left wandering aimlessly, utterly bored: No need to learn third-tier magic, can¡¯t visit other mages¡¯ towers, journals are uninteresting¡ª Even the Tower Spirits MOSS stopped chatting with her! According to that necromancer, if they kept chatting, MOSS would have broken down... And that black cat, after being petted once by her, would immediately flee upon seeing her from afar. So boring! Super boring! Utterly boring! If it weren¡¯t for the microscope to play with, infrared and ultraviolet light to experiment with, and plenty of seaweed, coral, beef, and corn to cook, acidify, and alkalinize... "Feeling unwell recently?" "Have you had any illnesses lately? Pneumonia? Liver discomfort? Dizziness or headaches?" "Are you pregnant?" "This injection we¡¯re giving you in the arm can provide protection, but there¡¯s a small chance it could lead to serious illness. Of course, we will treat you, but we still need to confirm¡ªAre you willing to be vaccinated? It¡¯s okay if you¡¯re not, everything is voluntary..." As Garrett asked, Carlos, sitting to his right, furiously recorded everything. Once done, he pushed the form forward, smiling at the person: "If everything¡¯s confirmed, please press your handprint here¡ªyes, dip it in the ink pad first, then press the handprint, thank you..." Why does sir need to keep these records? These washerwomen are hired anyway, they only have to obey! Garrett noticed his gaze, just offering a gentle smile. It¡¯s still too early, if this young man wishes to pursue a medical path, the principles and constraints of medical ethics will gradually be taught to him¡ªhe just finished asking the peasant women, then continued with the barbarians: "Feeling unwell anywhere recently?" "No! We¡¯re very strong!" The leading male nurse thumped his chest so hard, Garrett nearly got blown away. Alright, I know you¡¯re sturdy, I know you¡¯re tough... but I still have to ask! Answer me! One asked, another recorded, while Miss Anita Winvey handled the injections. Once all the nurses were dealt with, Garrett stretched lazily, pulling Seraina towards the back research lab. Hmm, vaccine development and such. They passed through a corridor and suddenly heard a few washerwomen chatting quietly not far ahead: "This thing... can it really prevent us from getting smallpox?" "Who knows. The master told you to do it, dare you not?" "Isn¡¯t it said to be voluntary?" "Psht!¡ªOf course, it¡¯s voluntary. The master employing us is voluntary too!" Seraina¡¯s eyebrows shot up, ready to rush out and interrogate. Garrett quickly grabbed her, Seraina stopping and turning to see Garrett¡¯s face devoid of anger, just serious, quietly listening: "You think... putting stuff from cattle on us, might make us grow cow skin?" "Cow skin wouldn¡¯t be bad, considering my husband¡¯s already dead, I wouldn¡¯t fear beatings then. Just hope it doesn¡¯t grow cow horns..." "If it grows the cow¡¯s... that, you¡¯d die laughing!" "Die old woman, it¡¯s you who¡¯s gonna die!" The conversation took a sharp turn, Garrett shaking his head, only able to lament that veteran nurses and head nurses, when they start driving, can flatten a young doctor face-first. He quietly slipped away with Seraina, only exhaling deeply when they returned to the study: "It¡¯s a long road ahead!" He spread out his notebook and quickly wrote. Seraina leaned over, seeing his notes: "People are quite resistant to the cowpox vaccine... Worried about growing bovine parts... During promotion, consider not mentioning the origin of the vaccine..." --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 466: The Biggest Challenges in Developing the Smallpox Vaccine Chapter 466: The Biggest Challenges in Developing the Smallpox Vaccine The hospital is ready, the staff is in place, and Garrett Nordmark rolled up his sleeves and got to work. In the front yard, which is the outpatient department, it remains desolate, with hardly a visitor. Only about ten patients come daily, leaving the five attending healers so idle that they jokingly wish everyone had a cat: It¡¯s not about petting cats to relieve irritability, but rather about throwing a ball of yarn to the cat to keep it entertained and thus find something to do for themselves... In the backyard, the research department, work progresses smoothly and orderly. The issue that had troubled Leon Carlos for half a year was practically a non-issue for Garrett: "Try freezing, drying, and freeze-drying. Use these three methods alternately, with freezing temperatures ranging from -20 degrees to -10 degrees, and 2 degrees to 10 degrees, each degree being a point." He reported a long list without changing his expression or thinking twice. Hmm, how should vaccines be stored? Don¡¯t know, didn¡¯t study it, it¡¯s not in the textbooks. This isn¡¯t within the scope of applied medicine; making vaccines is a job for neighboring bioengineering... Luckily, before crossing over, Garrett had heard a bit about several storage temperatures. He relied on this fragmentary knowledge to talk confidently, and it was quite bluffing. Well, as long as he¡¯s the boss, just giving directions is enough. The actual experiments, naturally, others will run around to do! Leon Carlos scribbled down notes, barely keeping up with his speed. As for how to achieve Garrett¡¯s requirements, adjusting the magical array could certainly do it, although it might burn through the budget... "For drying, don¡¯t use heating methods, you can use natural drying, desiccants, or magic to draw out moisture," Garrett continued: "I remember... there¡¯s a magic called ¡¯Thirsty Touch¡¯?" "Correct, it¡¯s a first-tier necromancy spell," Carlos perked up. This spell, through touch, can cause living beings to rapidly lose a significant amount of moisture, leading to dehydration. Although it has many limitations and its cost-effectiveness isn¡¯t high, it seems perfect for dehydrating vaccines? "But I don¡¯t know that spell..." He felt a bit ashamed. Although he was a necromancer and had advanced to a formal mage, he was just a student at the academy¡ªin other words, he had no direct mentor, no affection from grandmother or uncle. The most common necromancy spells, like striking the undead (yes, the introductory trick of necromancy is striking the undead, a perfect example of "I kill myself"), touch of fatigue, touch of cold, ray of enfeeblement, are still learnable in the academy. ¡¯Thirsty Touch,¡¯ a niche spell... "Oh, I¡¯ll send you the information later." Garrett nonchalantly responded. Thunder Horn had rich storage, previously Archmage Carlisle had thrown countless spell models at him, among them was ¡¯Thirsty Touch¡¯. Just a first-tier spell, teaching it to the mages in his own mage tower, the school probably wouldn¡¯t mind... As for freeze-drying, they had done it once before when making penicillin, they just had to copy the same method now. Carlos took his orders and went. Garrett sat alone at his desk, propping his cheek in thought: How to verify the efficacy of the vaccine produced? If it were a cholera or plague vaccine, that would be simple; a large number of animals could be used for experiments. But not for the smallpox vaccine, smallpox is notoriously human-specific. Rats, rabbits, dogs, pigs, nothing else could be used... Garrett began to furiously scratch his head. After a while, an oak wand leapt out of his pocket with the "Endless Ink Pen" and began writing: Technical route 1: Use cattle as the verification subjects. 20 freezing temperatures, 10 vaccine samples per group, with preservation times of 2 days, 3 days, 4 days, 15 days, 30 days. A total of... 1000 cows?! Do the surroundings of Nevis have so many cows? Getting so many cows, how much budget would that require? Technical route 2: Use primates as verification subjects. Same grouping method, need... 1000 monkeys? The oak wand shook slightly. Pressing down with the "Endless Ink Pen," it drew a deep, long line across this technical route. Technical route 3: Use humans as verification subjects... "What¡¯s bothering you?" "Stand up, let me see... ah, take off your coat, all those metal ornaments, take them off!" "Alright, lie down, lift up your shirt, let me see further..." Visual inspection, questioning, listening, palpation. X-rays, ultrasounds, ECGs. The time spent gathering patient information was three times longer than the time for treatment. Even so, the final answers were mostly: "Sir, take this medicine..." "Sir, I¡¯ll give you a healing spell..." Just, a huge waste of time. And also stealing patients! The priests working with him looked askance. Mr. Garrett Nordmark, although you are our employer, could you not steal our jobs? We need to accumulate healing experience to advance! Because there¡¯s too little treatment volume here, we¡¯ve already divided the work, each person only comes for half a day! The war god¡¯s temple¡¯s third-level priest Mark Saren rolled up his sleeves, hoisted the treatment table onto his shoulder, and silently moved it to the front door. The nature god¡¯s sect¡¯s second-level priest Hannah immediately followed. She didn¡¯t even need to call for help, she urged the plants to curl up two table legs, lifted one side of the table herself, and moved the treatment table to the other side of the door. Garrett: "......" Is it necessary? Is it necessary to treat me this way? I¡¯m just taking a bit more time for examinations! I¡¯m not making you stay overtime! Hmph! If you can, just keep stealing! If you can, don¡¯t encounter an intractable disease! Garrett grumbled in his heart. However, a difficult case soon arrived¡ªMark came over with a troubled face to call him: "Master Nordmark, can you come and see? I¡¯ve treated this patient more than once, keeps relapsing!" Garrett stood up and went outside. The visitor smiled broadly upon seeing him, his chubby, plump face overflowing to the sides, his eyes squinting to mere slits: "Master Nordmark! ¡ª Do you remember me?" ...Honestly, the face is a bit familiar, can¡¯t remember the name. Garrett scanned from top to bottom, from bottom to top, paused at his noticeably enlarged finger joints, and suddenly realized: "Oh... you¡¯re that... I treated your gout! How¡¯s it been lately? Still pain in your fingers and toes? Still eating seafood and drinking?" "No, no, dare not eat anymore," the merchant nodded and bowed, all smiles. He assisted an elderly man with white hair into Garrett¡¯s clinic, sat down opposite him at the desk: "My father¡¯s coughing up blood again... sought more than one priest, always cured temporarily, then relapses after a couple of months... Master Nordmark, please have a look?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 467: Wow, there’s fluid in his chest! Chapter 467: Wow, there¡¯s fluid in his chest! Garrett hastily got up and sat opposite the old man. Coughing up blood is no small matter. Clinically, it could be minor or severe, and a major episode could be fatal before any help could be administered. Garrett had seen and personally handled such emergencies in his past life in the emergency department. Though the old man looked fine and walked in without needing support, it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry. He took the seat opposite the old man, forcing the gout-stricken merchant to sit by the wall. As for the War God Priest, Martin, he didn¡¯t even sit, standing by the side instead. Garrett, noticing Martin¡¯s concerned and slightly anxious expression, casually asked: "Have you treated this before?" Martin smiled wryly and nodded. Garrett¡¯s attention briefly shifted to the gout-stricken merchant. The two did not look like father and son; the old white-haired man was thin, while his son was bloated as if all the father¡¯s fat had shifted to him. Regardless of being fat or thin, neither resembled a warrior¡ªGarrett thought to himself, asking casually: "So it was the War God¡¯s Temple that treated you? I thought you would go to the Spring God¡¯s Temple!" The gout-stricken merchant quickly stood up again. He looked at Priest Martin, smiled wryly, and said: "Don¡¯t joke about that. How could someone as insignificant as us get into the Spring God¡¯s Temple? The War God¡¯s Temple is more accessible..." At least, as long as the offerings were sufficient, treatment was guaranteed... While examining the old man, Garrett listened to Priest Martin recount the medical history, quickly understanding the situation. It seemed Priest Martin had treated them several times before, detailing the medical history, general condition, treatment process, and various tidbits. The old man, named Karel, was 72 years old, had served in the navy in his youth, and spent ten years stationed in the New World. He smoked and drank, never missing a beat in forty years. ...Who wouldn¡¯t cough up blood with such a history? Opening his chest, you¡¯d see his lungs have blackened, right? Garrett braced himself for the possibility of lung cancer as he continued to listen. According to Priest Martin and the gout-stricken merchant, Karel had coughed up blood about seven or eight years ago. The treatment method involved a single treatment spell... The spell was exceptionally effective. Of course, the old man continued his habits, and while changes in weather would cause coughs, it was only two years ago that he coughed up blood again. "And this time?" Garrett asked while taking notes. The gout-stricken merchant smiled wryly: "This time I was delayed returning from sea by half a month, and the old man stubbornly refused to go to the temple. When I came back and took him, the treatment could only alleviate, not cure, the problem. The ¡¾Remove Disease¡¿ spell cured him that day, but it relapsed after half a month... Oh, and it was very painful during the treatment that day..." A fifth-level priest was already a mainstay in the temple. Seeking someone of a higher order was not an option for the old man as he was too stingy. Left with no choice, hearing about Garrett¡¯s newly opened clinic, they decided to try their luck here. "Do you produce a lot of phlegm? What kind of phlegm? Do you have a fever? How high... never mind, is it a high fever or a low one? When do you get the fever? Other than coughing and coughing up blood, where else do you feel uncomfortable?" As Garrett asked, he reached over and touched the old man¡¯s forehead; it seemed slightly warm. He got up, took a thermometer, and let the old man hold it in his mouth while he took out his stethoscope to listen to his chest and back attentively: Hmm... The heart sounds are mostly normal, the heartbeat is slightly fast, but not too much. Moist crackles can be heard in the lower right lung... Just from the breath sounds, it seems not too bad... Garrett bowed his head and wrote swiftly. The patient had been exposed to cold three weeks ago, which led to coughing and phlegm that was yellow and sticky, easy to cough up. The cough was intermittent, more noticeable in the morning, and symptoms worsened thereafter, accompanied by fever with an irregular temperature pattern... He took a breath, checked the thermometer¡ª37.2¡ãC, a slight fever. Alright, that indicates the ¡¾Remove Disease¡¿ spell did work... One week after the onset, a ¡¾Healing Spell¡¿ was administered, and the fever slightly subsided, but relapsed on the third day. Two weeks later, a ¡¾Remove Disease¡¿ was given during which severe chest pain occurred on the right side, sharp and persistent, accompanied by heavy sweating. What an odd medical history... Garrett sighed. After completing the history, he started on the physical examination and diagnosis: Temperature 37.2¡ãC, pulse 85/min, respiration 20/min. Blood pressure... still unclear, the 1100th reminder to himself to get a blood pressure monitor... "It changes position!" "What? There¡¯s something inside my father¡¯s chest that changes position?" The gout-stricken merchant immediately exclaimed. In his haste, he kicked the corner of the examination bed with his toe, yelping in pain. Garrett glanced at him sideways: Are you having a gout attack again? For now, that was the least of his concerns. He pointed at the arc and explained to Priest Martin: "Think about what could cause this? Think?" He casually picked up a cup, filled it halfway with water, tilted it left, then right. No matter how much he shook it, the water level always remained constant. Priest Martin¡¯s eyes lit up: "There¡¯s fluid in the chest! Er, wait..." There¡¯s always fluid in the chest! If you open up the chest, there¡¯s blood and other fluids... But... "Pleural effusion." Garrett seriously provided the technical term: "This is in the chest cavity, where there shouldn¡¯t be fluid, but now there¡¯s a large amount. So much fluid pressing down, that¡¯s why the old man feels chest tightness, breathlessness, difficulty breathing. Now, we need to solve one problem¡ª" He turned to old man Karel. After explaining, the old man lay slanting on the treatment bed, right armpit inserted with a vine, the other end dipping directly into a glass bottle. In no time, yellowish-white fluid gushed out, dispersing under the water in the bottle. "Ah..." Priest Martin stared intensely at the fluid spreading under the water, unblinking. As a priest of the War God, he was all too familiar with such colored fluids: "Is this pus?" "Yes, pus." Garrett nodded lightly: "Releasing a healing spell to let the body absorb this pus isn¡¯t impossible. But the strain on the body, the consumption of the healing spell, is too great, it¡¯s better to drain it. This is how your War God¡¯s Temple would do it, right?" But we can¡¯t see the pus in the chest cavity, nor dare to operate inside. Priest Martin quietly memorized the details of Garrett¡¯s procedure, while the gout-stricken merchant had already rushed forward: "Draining the pus will solve it, right? My father will be okay, right?" "Not so fast." Garrett squinted, staring at the lesion inside the old man¡¯s right lung: "We still need to see what this pus is..." "How? Open it up?!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 468: Vaccine Experimenters, the Turn of the Road Chapter 468: Vaccine Experimenters, the Turn of the Road ¡°Should we cut open?¡± Garrett chuckled as he began to rummage through his items, presenting them to Priest Mark and the patient¡¯s family: ¡°No, we have another way. A method that is more comfortable for the patient and causes less damage.¡± In the void, a Silent Phantom outlined the images of the lungs, trachea, and bronchi. A green vine wriggled inside, moving left and right under the guidance of the Arcane Eye, the light screen displaying the inside of the lungs. The vine excised the damaged parts, released a healing spell, and then coiled around the removed section to carry it away... ¡°Can it really be done this way?¡± The elderly man in the bed, a gout-ridden merchant, and Priest Mark all widened their eyes in astonishment at Garrett and then at the phantom above... Could this really work? ¡°Yes, it can.¡± Garrett smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve done this hundreds of times by hand in the Dwarf Kingdom, filling the lungs with water and then drawing it out, never failing. If I had failed there, I would have been driven out long ago.¡± It wasn¡¯t that Priest Mark lacked imagination. In fact, the earliest thoracic surgeries were indeed performed this way¡ªcutting through the skin, pulling back muscles, sawing through ribs, and prying the breastbone open with steel wires... This gave surgeons space to operate, commonly known as, ¡¯the big reveal¡¯. However, such methods obviously caused significant trauma to the patient. So later on, surgeons had more tools at their disposal: lung surgeries were done using tracheal and bronchial scopes; thoracic surgeries were done using thoracoscopes. Before Garrett came to this world, he heard that even organ transplants could be performed with thoracoscopes... The pus continued to drain into the bottle. Garrett was in no rush, settling the patient in for the day¡ª The first day of closed thoracic drainage, the fluid should not exceed 600ml to avoid re-expansion pulmonary edema, which can cause frothy sputum, difficulty breathing, and in severe cases, threaten the patient¡¯s life. From what he could see, the amount of pleural effusion definitely exceeded 1000 milliliters. He personally carried the chest bottle, calling two barbarians to lift the bed, and took the patient to the inpatient department. The unfortunate otherworldly industry, still without wheeled carts, had no choice but to carry the patient. Well, a cause for celebration, the hospital had finally welcomed its first inpatient... Garrett patiently waited two days, draining about 1000 milliliters of yellowish-white pus, then allowed Priest Mark to cast a couple of healing spells. They reduced inflammation, treated surrounding infections, and then¡ª The bronchoscope, begin! It hadn¡¯t been long since Garrett had arrived in this world when he had removed a bronchial foreign object from Master Lorenz¡¯s grandson, that bear-like child. Back then, he still used X-rays to guide the blind operation. Now, with the Arcane Eye, equivalent to having a bronchoscope, the procedure was much easier. But, from another perspective, this operation was more difficult. The bear-like child¡¯s bronchial foreign object was choked in a few hours and then removed, causing minimal damage to the trachea, at most a little edema. But this time... Garrett¡¯s expression was serious as he stared at the image on the light screen, not blinking an eye. The Arcane Eye went down to the base of the right lung¡¯s lower lobe bronchus and immediately stopped: mucosal edema, and moreover, new granulation tissue at the duct! ¡°Troublesome...¡± He muttered softly. Priest Mark stood behind him watching the light screen, not daring to speak, while the Silver Dragon girl immediately asked: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Do you see these granulations?¡± Garrett controlled the tip of the vine, pointing it out within the view of the Arcane Eye: ¡°These indicate that there is something undesirable below, prompting the body to encapsulate it with granulation tissue. Soon, we might have to remove them altogether... troublesome indeed!¡± He pinched his nose and poured in 15ml of sterile saline, then sucked it out, and repeated. After several rounds, the situation below was clearly revealed on the light screen. The Arcane Eye now had a clear view: further down the bronchus, there was a strange foreign object encapsulated by granulation tissue. Garrett manipulated the tip of the vine to slightly touch it, immediately causing bleeding, and pus began to overflow. ¡°Ugh... that¡¯s gross!¡± ¡°What on earth is this...¡± Garrett shrugged. As the saying goes, listen to the wisdom of an elder, or suffer the consequences¡ªanything removed from the lungs, chest cavity, abdominal cavity, or inside the body, none smell good. Luckily, the bubble spell was powerful... If this were his previous life, there truly would be no place to escape... Wearing double masks, a cotton pad sandwiched between them, sprayed with perfume, still couldn¡¯t block that smell... He continued to draw pus, clean the bronchi, and guide another round of healing spells. After all was done, he withdrew the vine, then cast two more healing spells from outside the body to reinforce the work. The Silver Dragon girl, at some point, had sneaked back into the operating room, peeking in: ¡°Is it done? Is he cured? Can we wake him up now?¡± ¡°...Give the room some air first!¡± Heaven¡¯s mercy, such a choking odor, wouldn¡¯t it knock the old man out! The operating room¡¯s ventilation was indeed a problem... Fortunately, the Silver Dragon brand blower was truly effective. The air quality quickly returned to a level tolerable by ordinary people, allowing Garrett to lift the hypnotic and restraining spells, awaken the old man, and carry the pathology dish out of the operating room to show the patient and his family the foreign object in the lung: ¡°Look, this is the granulation tissue your body grew to protect itself around this thing. Inside the granulations is what fell into the lung...¡± He used Mage Hand to separate the granulations, revealing the inside: ¡°...a chili pepper!¡± Moreover, a chili pepper that had been buried in the lung for at least seven to eight years, if not a dozen years. After years of decay, it had completely softened and turned black, a stench of rot mixed with spiciness assaulting the brain. Priest Mark¡¯s face instantly turned pale. Chili peppers, usually just passing by and smelling the smoke from burning peppers could make one cough for a while, let alone an entire pepper buried in the lung. No wonder the healing spells were ineffective, no wonder remove disease couldn¡¯t fully cure... The gout-ridden merchant¡¯s legs went weak. Without any acting, he was already in tears: ¡°This... such a terrifying thing! In the lung! No wonder, no wonder...¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the lung.¡± Garrett nodded silently. That thing, with its strong corrosiveness! A whole chili pepper choked in, not coughed out, capsaicin through the mucosa entering the lung, over time, if it hadn¡¯t corroded such a large area, that would be strange! ¡°It¡¯s the pepper... the pepper in the lung...¡± The gout-ridden merchant looked half-crying, half-laughing, staring at the object in the pathology dish, mumbling back and forth. After mumbling for a while, he came to his senses and started to pull out his wallet: ¡°How much should I pay? The price for one remove disease is definitely not enough, double? Triple?¡± Garrett didn¡¯t care about taking his money. The merchant, after all, had money. He signaled an apprentice from the astrology department¡ªtemporarily assigned to accounting duties¡ªto go and collect the money, then advised the old man on some precautions. With a thought, he went over to discuss with the merchant: ¡°That... do you have any ships? Any sailors?¡± ¡°Look at what you¡¯re saying, of course. Mr., do you need them? Got any cargo to transport? Just say the word, and they¡¯ll go wherever you tell them!¡± ¡°...It¡¯s not about transporting goods. It¡¯s like this, I have a method that might prevent people from getting smallpox for life. Could you let them try it out?¡± --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 470: Legendary Necromancer: Promote Cowpox Now, Immediately! Chapter 470: Legendary Necromancer: Promote Cowpox Now, Immediately! Master Edgar went to meet His Excellency the Immortal with the thesis in hand. Every necromancer, unless they were inadvertently recruited during their academy days, carries a tragic past. Master Edgar always remembered that before he was even ten years old, a great plague swept through the county, leaving nearly every household empty. His gentlest mother and his most obedient, adorable sister both fell victim to that epidemic and never woke up again. The following year, his father remarried, and he was then sent to Nevis City, never to return to his hometown. Although that epidemic was not smallpox, Edgar decided to follow in his teacher¡¯s footsteps. Although he was not the most accomplished among the disciples of His Excellency the Immortal, being only a 12th-level mage, meeting his teacher was not too difficult. Moreover, this thesis was written by a child who his teacher took an interest in... ¡°Has it arrived?¡± His Excellency the Immortal, floating in the air, whisked the thesis from Edgar¡¯s hands with a swirl of his black robe: ¡°Is this thesis written by little Garrett? You say it¡¯s quite interesting?¡± ¡°Yes, teacher.¡± Master Edgar stood respectfully, deftly removing the bindings of the thesis. The robe, seemingly made of condensed energy, vibrated, and the pages of the thesis spread out and hovered as if stuck to an invisible whiteboard. ¡°Hmmmm...¡± Red light glimmered eerily from the skull¡¯s eye sockets as it scanned the thesis swiftly. Midway through, it paused, then slowly started over. After reading two pages, it seemed to recall something, and the robe vibrated again: ¡°Edgar, take a look at this. ¡ª Our little friend has stirred up quite a commotion.¡± A scroll of parchment floated gently towards him. Just as it approached, it suddenly sank. Edgar, flustered, caught it and unrolled it, pulling it down continuously... This scroll seemed inexhaustible, and Edgar, though not concerned with this, was captivated by the information on it: As Garrett¡¯s thesis on infrared and ultraviolet light was published, the council had manipulated its distribution into territories controlled by the Radiant Church. In the Kingdom of Carolin, the Kingdom of Rhein, and territories directly governed by the Church. The major and minor churches, the manor houses of lords, all received the newspaper that morning. Opening the second page, they would see the headline printed in large letters¡ª After sunlight is split into seven colors, two more types of light are found! The report from across the Strait, written respectfully, stated: "After the publication of the newspaper, the seven major churches guarding the Holsea Strait rang their bells, with white light undying for three days;" "In the Kingdom of Rhein, Archbishop of Kolanna reportedly fell seriously ill, missing the next day¡¯s ceremony. Archbishop of Trier declared a retreat;" "The Radiant Holy City urgently held a purification ceremony, calling together all clerics and above, praying day and night..." Master Edgar read and chuckled. The seven major churches along the Holsea Strait formed an indestructible array with their interconnections. Without external threats, the sudden use of stored holy power indicated significant trouble; The Kingdom of Rhein based its governance on the Radiant Church¡¯s doctrine of the seven holy lights, with the Golden Decree affirming the election of kings by the seven major lords. Among these lords, three were archbishops, now suddenly reduced by two; Naturally occurring, non-magical plagues, about seventeen or eighteen kinds; non-naturally occurring, cultivated by magic, seventy to eighty kinds. Infecting humans, infecting animals, both... Regrettably, the magically cultivated plagues, whether in terms of cost, transmission, or lethality, still could not compete with the naturally occurring ones. For instance, the Black Death or cholera, these major killers that leave nearly every household empty, the imitations made by the Black Crow Swamp could never be cost-effective. Otherwise, His Excellency the Immortal would have led a group of necromancers to attack the Church to avenge his teacher! There was only a little hope recently. After little Garrett created the ¡°Plague Seed,¡± at least five or six high-ranking mages, along with their disciples, were twisting magic around these seeds. From this point, Garrett Nordmark was truly born a necromancer... His Excellency the Immortal was both excited and regretful. Even though his body had turned into a skeleton, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh: ¡°Edgar, tell me, why won¡¯t this kid agree to enter the Black Crow Swamp? If he would, I guarantee he¡¯d become a legend within fifty years, and the title of ¡®Lord of Plague¡¯ was meant for him!¡± Master Edgar silently bowed his head. Regarding the issue of plagues, the Radiant Lord¡¯s Church and the Black Crow Swamp had been at odds for more than seven or eight hundred years¡ª The Black Crow Swamp asserted that plagues were the weapons of necromancers; the Radiant Lord¡¯s Church claimed that plagues were the divine power to punish humanity, accusing the Black Crow Swamp of stealing the divine authority... Ah, by the way, on this issue, all mages were united against their common foe. According to the doctrine of the Radiant Lord¡¯s Church, every mage had stolen divine power. For instance, the energy-shaping faction; the power of thunder and lightning had always been a symbolic divine punishment. Thus, the Lord of Thunder was also a thorn in the side of the Radiant Church, ranking second only to the chairman of the council on their purification list... His Excellency the Immortal zipped around the study. Whatever he thought of, his speed increased, his robe spreading into a ghostly shadow¡ª It was only because he was half-lichified, with just a skull and a small section of spine remaining, that he could dart about like this. After darting for a while, he suddenly zoomed back to Master Edgar: ¡°You! Go find Grom! Tell the review committee to hurry up! Get this, what¡¯s it called, cowpox, spread around! As soon as possible!¡± ¡°This...¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Should we inform Lord Thunder? After all, he is his disciple...¡± The skull came to an abrupt halt. After being motionless for a while, the robe shook, rolling up every spread-out paper, and whooshed out. Moments later, it whooshed back in: ¡°What are you staring at? Follow me!¡± --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 471: Let’s Trap the Radiant Church with Another Paper! Chapter 471: Let¡¯s Trap the Radiant Church with Another Paper! When two legends agree on something, the process naturally progresses very rapidly. Mage Edgar brought the paper to the review committee, and an emergency meeting was promptly convened to discuss it. Then... A team dressed in standard equipment, with the sound of horse hooves, approached the hospital where Garrett Nordmark was. ¡°Is Mage Garrett Nordmark here?¡± The team consisted of seven people. Two mages rode side by side; one shouted the question while the other held the reins, looking up at the flag on the rooftop¡ª Hmm, a white background with a red cross, they hadn¡¯t gotten the wrong place. By the way, what does this flag mean? Is it the Nordmark family crest? Inside the kingdom, on this continent, which family uses this as their crest? He frowned in thought. Meanwhile, four barbarian guards gathered inside, blocking the way. The head of security, Bernard, hurried out: ¡°Who are you? What do you want?¡± Seeing the barbarians move forward, the five knights immediately acted: they spurred their horses, advanced, and formed a semicircle, effectively protecting the mages inside. Bernard stood firm on the steps, took a relieved breath upon seeing familiar faces: The knights all wore neatly uniformed light steel armor, draped in dark blue cloaks. The hilts of their swords each sparkled with three gems; The two mages wore identical high-collared riding attire, wrapped in black cloaks with hoods; Both had badges on their chests, flashing the emblem of a fifth-level mage. This group was from the Magic Council¡¯s Emergency Management Department. They had visited their boss before, and he had seen them! Even so, Bernard didn¡¯t relax his vigilance. He remembered the team¡¯s first visit; his boss had been so worried that he was pulling his hair out. He vigilantly watched them and didn¡¯t instruct the barbarian guards to clear the way. The leading mage looked around, then dismounted, and after fumbling in his coat, he produced a document: ¡°We¡¯re the Council¡¯s law enforcement team. By order of the review committee, we¡¯re here to escort Nordmark Mage to the committee for consultation.¡± ¡°...Wait here!¡± Bernard took the document and went inside. He returned shortly, his demeanor much politer but still firm: ¡°The boss is in surgery. Gentlemen, please come in and wait!¡± Thus, unbeknownst to Garrett, he was already enjoying the ¡°protection of the law enforcement team¡± and the privilege of ¡°the review committee waiting until after my surgery¡±... This was a stark contrast to when the virus laboratory had leaked, and he was summoned by the review committee back then. Of course, even if he knew, Garrett wouldn¡¯t mind: surgery was of utmost importance, even if it was just for appendicitis, it deserved his full attention: From opening the abdomen, mobilizing, removing the appendix, to washing and closing up. He meticulously completed the surgery and came out in his scrubs: ¡°What? The review committee wants me now? Hold on, let me change my clothes...¡± Damn, scrubs plus ¡¾Cold and Heat Resistant¡¿, basically a personal air conditioner. Plus, it¡¯s his own hospital, no medical department watching and checking uniforms, completely forgotten... And, just a notification would have sufficed, now that I have the ¡¾Endless Ink Pen¡¿, I could just teleport to Igor¡¯s enchanted door... Never mind, you have to give face to the law enforcement team. Garrett mounted Apa and under their protection, sped through the wilderness. Before long, they switched to a train, up the mountain, into the Tower of Heaven. Upon entering the conference room, within ten minutes, all the review committee members had arrived. It felt like everyone was there just waiting for him. Mage Edgar was still accompanying the necromancer from the review committee. As he entered, he clapped lightly and smiled: It¡¯s my fault again? Garrett was stunned. He took the intelligence from Old Sam and skimmed through it, not knowing how to respond. Is this my doing? Clearly, you made a mess, and I¡¯m taking the blame! Despite the complaints, Garrett knew the situation was serious. The cowpox vaccine¡¯s technical barrier was practically paper-thin. Once broken through, the application was straightforward, and it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for the Radiant Church to learn¡ª Garrett, as compassionate as he was, wouldn¡¯t want them learning it now. What a joke, the Radiant Church is currently strong, and the council is weak. Promoting it now would be aiding the enemy¡ª No, wait, there¡¯s still a barrier to cowpox vaccination! Garrett slapped his forehead. Then, leaning forward, he lowered his voice: ¡°Masters, how about we trap the Radiant Church a bit?¡± ¡°How do we trap them?¡± ¡°First, in the paper, don¡¯t disclose the technical details of cowpox...¡± Not disclosing the details was really trapping them. You see, not all the pustules on a cow are cowpox. If they choose the wrong pustules, thinking they¡¯re vaccinated, then face smallpox unprepared... Heh. The committee members exchanged glances and smiled simultaneously. The idea was good; after all, they weren¡¯t actively harming anyone, just preventing them from learning! ¡°And then what?¡± ¡°Then... another paper, no, two...¡± One paper would be a discussion on human variolation. Using human variolation to prevent smallpox also existed in this world. However, with divine magic at play, it had developed much more slowly than in Garrett¡¯s previous life: ¡°Review the development process of human variolation, such as how to cultivate it generation by generation, selecting strains with weaker toxicity, selected strains, lower mortality rate for vaccinations, and so on. Then, compare it with cowpox.¡± Obviously, no matter how carefully selected, the mortality rate from human variolation was still much higher than from cowpox. And, this would be a very normal paper, completely viewed as paving the way for cowpox. ¡°What about the second paper?¡± ¡°The second paper...¡± Garrett smiled slightly. He tilted his face up, his eyes sparkling as if he saw a future thousands of miles away: ¡°The second paper¡¯s title will be ¡®On the Preparation Method of Attenuated Vaccines.¡¯¡ªThis one, I¡¯d like to use mad dogs as the research subjects, so I¡¯ll need the review committee¡¯s help in gathering them.¡± The principle of making attenuated vaccines wasn¡¯t difficult. Simply put, it involved treating infectious substances that could infect humans and animals in various ways, iterating on animals, then selecting strains with weaker toxicity¡ª ¡°It sounds reasonable.¡± Grom, from the Necromancer Department, frowned and muttered. Old Sam was concerned about something else: ¡°Isn¡¯t that guiding them in making a smallpox vaccine? If they use human smallpox to infect cattle¡ª¡± Garrett¡¯s eyes twinkled with a mischievous smile. ¡°That¡¯s the catch. This kind of plague, smallpox, won¡¯t infect cattle for ten thousand years!¡± --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 472: Accelerating Vaccine Research with Magic Chapter 472: Accelerating Vaccine Research with Magic "What? The smallpox virus can¡¯t infect cows?" The eyes of several archmages lit up. If it can¡¯t infect, that means this path is incorrect; it means that using this method to develop a cowpox vaccine either won¡¯t work, or... Or, God knows what will come out of it. If the Radiant Church really fell into this pit, then... that would be great! But the problem is¡ª "Can¡¯t?" "Are you sure?" "How do you know?" "Why?" Eight committee members, along with Archmage Edgar, burst out almost simultaneously. Garrett¡¯s smiling face froze, and cold sweat broke out: Oh no! Oh no! I spoke too quickly! Smallpox and cowpox are not the same virus¡ªwait, this world hasn¡¯t even established the concept of "virus"¡ªand, smallpox cannot infect cows, it¡¯s just because the two viruses have a similar structure, so the antibodies produced after cowpox infection can also fight smallpox¡ª This world doesn¡¯t have the concept of "antibodies" either! There¡¯s no way to explain it! Kill me now! "I¡¯m sure! Carlos has done experiments!" Garrett quickly responded. Thank goodness, Carlos¡¯ experimental records show that he has conducted experiments in this area... This young necromancer, in the process of searching for cowpox, tried to infect cows with the pustules from smallpox patients. Of course, he failed dozens of times. With these records, it was enough to counter the archmages¡¯ skepticism. As for why... "Why I don¡¯t know. Anyway, the experimental results look like this!" Garrett, suppressing his guilt, replied with a chest-thumping confidence. His logic might not be sound, but his demeanor was strong: Well, knowledge of this world starts with observation and then delves deeper into principles. I¡¯m not the only one who knows only the appearance and not the reason! This explanation was widely accepted. Then, Garrett witnessed the spectacle of the war machine starting up: "How many cows do you need?¡ªStart with 20? No problem! By tomorrow night, everything including the cowshed, hay, and the caretakers will be delivered!" "How many rabid dogs? Ten for the first batch? No problem! And 100 rabbits? A magical formation for operating cryogenics? It¡¯ll be ready by 8 o¡¯clock tonight!" "Need operators? No problem, we¡¯ll start with ten apprentices from the plague branch, and call more if needed!" "Let the rabid dogs bite the rabbits? Are you joking? The rabbits will be dead from the bites before they even show symptoms!" Wait... Garrett suddenly paused. Back in the day, Pasteur spent five years developing the rabies vaccine, with a lot of time spent on virus iteration. But, in this magical world, could it be accelerated? "Bring a few infected rabbits over!" he called out loudly. Soon, a row of rabbit cages was moved in front of Garrett, and he recalled the relevant spell models: "Pestilence Spell!" "Pestilence Spell!" "Pestilence Spell!" "...Sir, this rabbit seems off!" Garrett breathed a sigh of relief. Among the necromancy spells, there¡¯s a specific Pestilence Spell that can infect healthy subjects with disease or accelerate the onset of disease. Although it¡¯s a harmful spell, it¡¯s just right for this use. "Wait for the rabbits to die from the disease, then use their extracts to infect new rabbits, and observe naturally to see if they will get sick!" If they do get sick, it means the [Pestilence Spell] indeed sped up the rabies disease process without introducing other diseases. Following this, all the diseased rabbits can be accelerated this way! Fortunately, after five or six days, the second iteration of diseased rabbits all showed symptoms of rabies. Once this was confirmed, Garrett¡¯s vaccine development took on wings of speed. "Pestilence Spell!" "Pestilence Spell!" "This one is no good, take it for dissection!" "This one seems to have a lighter disease..." "Select those that appear to have a lighter disease, continue injecting, continue iterating!" "That... Sir, can we eat these rabbits?" "..." While theoretically they could be eaten if cooked thoroughly, what if a student doesn¡¯t cook them long enough, or they¡¯re not done properly? What if the person eating has gingivitis? Garrett decisively kicked them all out: "Burn them all! Experiment animals infected with the disease are not to be eaten!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 473: The Kid Who Made the Cowpox? Kill Him! Chapter 473: The Kid Who Made the Cowpox? Kill Him! Garrett was deeply immersed in his research, and his papers were being published in an orderly fashion. The first one, "On the Prevention of Smallpox Epidemic via Human Vaccination Method," required the mage apprentice who penned it to bury himself in the library, sorting through case studies, to the point where he lost a third of his hair within half a month. Of course, with the direction and outline provided by Garrett, and such sleepless effort, the paper was innovative and creative, solid enough not to disgrace Garrett. Once submitted, it landed in the hands of the reviewing editor and did not let Garrett down: The methods of vaccinia, dry vaccination, liquid vaccination, and arm-to-arm inoculation¡ªhow to operate, what to pay attention to, and the success rates. The structure was clear, and the logic was rigorous; as a review article, it did not disgrace Garrett at all. Half a month later, this paper was quietly published in a second-tier journal in Black Crow Swamp, with Garrett merely listed as the corresponding author. Essentially, except for mages and priests who studied plagues or even smallpox, hardly anyone noticed it. Even so, for the apprentice publishing for the first time in his life, he was ecstatic enough to run around the research institute twice with the journal, then distributed it to every one of his friends¡ª "Beat him up!" "Yeah, hit him!" "Bash his head! Pluck his hair!" The necromancer apprentices rolled up their sleeves and swarmed in. Garrett stood outside the circle, hands folded, watching for a long time before he finally coughed loudly: "Stop fighting! Let¡¯s discuss something serious¡ªhave all the rabbits been injected today?" The apprentices instantly dispersed like birds and beasts. Half a month after the paper on human vaccination was published, Garrett¡¯s article on "The Rationale and Effects of Cowpox Vaccination for Preventing Smallpox" slowly made its way to the "General Magicians Monthly." With that as a milestone, the implementation phase of cowpox vaccination also progressed. With the council¡¯s manpower and resources invested, the promotion of cowpox vaccination became instantly straightforward. Finding healthy cattle, infecting them with cowpox vaccine, and then using the vaccinia to infect more healthy cattle... This chain reaction continued unceasingly; within a month, the number of vaccinia cattle exploded from two to ten, then to fifty, a hundred. Following the storage protocol provided by Garrett, specialists sent by the council collected the vaccinia, dried it, and sealed it in a refrigeration box at 4 degrees Celsius. After quietly accumulating a batch of vaccines, the powerful propaganda machine roared into action¡ª "Did you hear? Last month, there was a smallpox outbreak in the eastern city of Nevis, they say coffins for children were sold out!" "What now?" "Your Excellency, Lord Arezo mentioned after his last mission that he should not be disturbed for five years..." "Tell him that he will receive my treasured piece of dragon bone upon completing the mission!" "Yes, Your Excellency!" The black-robed attendant bowed respectfully and left. Alas, the Grand Judge was furious, truly sparing no expense... That piece of dragon bone was a war trophy from ten years ago, heavily sealed in the treasury, too precious for even him to use! Meanwhile, in another church in the Radiant Holy City, the elder monk, [Saint of the Mortal World] Carnino, flipped through the paper over and over again, lost in thought. After a while, he put down the paper, walked barefoot to the back of the church to the vegetable garden, and picked up a hoe again: "He¡¯s a thoughtful child. Pity... Continuously challenging our Lord¡¯s authority, the Black Knights probably can¡¯t accommodate him... Ah, I hope his method can be preserved before he¡¯s eliminated..." He carefully weeded the garden, then picked up a watering can, sprinkling water scoop by scoop. The sparkling water droplets formed an arc, and Carnino squinted at the rainbow in the droplets, as if trying to discern additional colors beyond the seven visible ones. "Actually, if you talk about blasphemy... those who commit various sins in our Lord¡¯s name, the clergy, are the real blasphemers..." The paper on cowpox was like a stone thrown into a pond, creating ripples, neither too large nor too small. However, at the center of the pond, on the streets of Nevis City, a loud shout was heard: "Not 750, not 750 gold coins! Not a single [Remove Disease]! Just 10 gold coins, 10 gold coins, and you can be free from smallpox for life!" Apa ran swiftly from not far away. Garrett painfully clutched his forehead on the back of a Silvermoon Deer: What¡¯s with this hawking-like promotion? I didn¡¯t teach them "not 998"! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 474: Vaccine Promotion, Soul Bargaining for Centralized Procurement? Chapter 474: Vaccine Promotion, Soul Bargaining for Centralized Procurement? The pricing of cowpox vaccination... wasn¡¯t determined by Garrett. He couldn¡¯t set it. In fact, the review committee once asked Garrett about the cost of cowpox vaccines, and the answer he gave was complicated: "The cost is divided into fixed and variable costs," Garrett counted on his fingers: "Fixed costs mainly include the construction costs of the research institute, daily maintenance expenses, and expenditures for researching cowpox. This, I¡¯m not exactly sure how much it is... anyway, check the accounts, and then allocate it to each vaccine..." "What about variable costs?" An alchemist from the transformation school perked up his ears. Ah, this statement seems something our alchemy workshop could use too! Kid, say a bit more, if you make a good case, the alchemy workshop will give you a discount! "Variable costs... are the production and vaccination costs of the vaccine..." Garrett furrowed his brows, deep in thought: "A dairy cow is about 10 gold coins, but there¡¯s no need to buy, renting is also possible, and I don¡¯t know the rental, how many vaccines a cowpox blister can produce, you have to ask them;" More than one committee member facepalmed. You don¡¯t know this, you don¡¯t know that, what are we doing with you? It would be more convenient to deal with an accountant! "Then, the production and sterilization of the syringes also cost money, if it¡¯s mass-produced, the price can be asked from the alchemy workshop;" The transformation school mage, instantly the target of everyone¡¯s glares. He shrugged: Does it make any sense to ask me now? I also need to take a sample, go back and let them evaluate it first! "The training and labor costs of the vaccination personnel... I¡¯m not clear about this, but, it¡¯s not necessary to use spell-casters, ordinary people can do it too, which is cheaper..." "So, what about the research institute¡¯s share?" Urged by the collective gaze of the audience, Old Sam, as a mage from the Thunder Horn, spoke on behalf of the review committee: "How much do you want?" "Uh..." Garrett scratched his head again. The profit from drugs can be very high or very low: high enough to make hundreds to thousands of times profit, things like heart stents, artificial joints, vaccines not to mention, at times, robbing a country isn¡¯t a big deal; Low enough to just cover costs, or even give it away for free. Anyway, the herbs are picked from the mountains, not bought with money, giving away some when we have enough to live on is no big deal. As long as his hospital can operate normally, it seems, he doesn¡¯t need to set the share too high? Anyway, if the money isn¡¯t enough, just start a project and ask the council for it... But it also can¡¯t be set too low... it¡¯s easy for him to ask the council for money, but future vaccine researchers might not have it so easy. By being too idealistic here, he might block the way forward for others. Garrett was caught between two values, struggling back and forth, unable to give a definite answer. Sigh, I¡¯m just a clinical doctor, why do I have to take on the jobs of a pharmaceutical CFO, the Health Commission, and the Pricing Bureau! Seeing Garrett¡¯s troubled face, the members of the review committee knew it was useless to ask him, waved their hands, and let him go. In the mage tower, the medical research institute, isn¡¯t there a sensible person to talk about the price? If not, ask the Lord of Thunder, can someone stand up for little Garrett? The price is pressed too low, it seems like we are bullying the kid... Then, anyway, when Garrett pulled his head out of the rabies vaccine research, what he saw was the street vendors shouting "Not 750, just ten gold coins." 10 gold coins are still too expensive for the poor, and even for the middle class, they need to save up carefully for a long time. But for merchants, farmers, and workshop owners, this money, they can afford without much pain. It¡¯s just a dairy cow, or two pounds of salt, or a set of good woolen clothes for meeting guests! Don¡¯t talk about a 90% discount, try not returning to the original price after the Double Eleven discount period! Try giving an 80% discount! Complaints wouldn¡¯t flood you! If you don¡¯t promise ¡°no price reduction within 1 month¡±/ ¡°refund the difference within 15 days¡±, just forget about it! A 90% discount, aren¡¯t you afraid those who paid ten gold coins will come over and smash the vaccination site? You think this is selling shield machines at a fracture price to the market!¡ªEven if it¡¯s shield machines, it¡¯s not the same seller! ¡°Mage Nordmark, please rest assured, we have already made adequate preparations.¡± The middle-aged official across smiled confidently. He adjusted the chain of his pocket watch, his voice calm and measured: ¡°Firstly, the earliest batch of vaccinations was carried out collectively. Among the students at the magic academy, among students at other schools, among the military and city guards, the fees were collected collectively.¡± Those who can afford school are middle-class families and above... Garrett quickly thought: ¡°So, under the guise of collective procurement to reduce prices?¡± ¡°Not only that.¡± The middle-aged official continued smiling: ¡°We can also promote externally that the council subsidized the students and the military out of educational and safety needs.¡± emmmm... But the gap is still quite big... Garrett struggled, still feeling that those who paid ten gold coins previously would be unwilling... ¡°And, in the method of vaccination, we will also make some adjustments.¡± The middle-aged official¡¯s smile remained, trying to sound sincere and solemn, not daring to show any impatience: This man in front, is said to be the inventor of the smallpox vaccine. Although he doesn¡¯t manage the specific vaccination details, the power needed to have the bigshots issue an edict from top to bottom to spread this thing comprehensively, isn¡¯t just a little or two! If he casually says ¡°can¡¯t do this¡±, everyone¡¯s efforts of a month or two would be ruined! ¡°What? Adjust?¡± Garrett almost jumped up. This thing can¡¯t be adjusted randomly! It¡¯ll cause cross-infection! ¡°How are you adjusting?¡± ¡°The one gold coin per person vaccination scheme, no syringes, using a steel needle to dip the vaccine, directly piercing the patient¡¯s skin. Of course, the steel needle will definitely not be reused, one per person, sterilized at high temperature after use.¡± Garrett was relieved. This method wouldn¡¯t cause cross-infection, just a bit wasteful of needles. Damn industrial level, an embroidery needle is more expensive than a small knife... ¡°What if the fee is reduced further?¡± ¡°Change the embroidery needle for a small knife, sterilize with fire, then, use a wooden stick to dip the vaccine and drop it on.¡± The middle-aged official answered without hesitation, obviously having prepared in advance. Seeing Garrett¡¯s expression unchanged, he furrowed his brows, heavily sighing: ¡°But even so, the fee can¡¯t possibly drop below five copper coins, can¡¯t be popularized to... we are currently in a meeting discussing whether we can impose an additional tax to pay for this expense, haven¡¯t discussed a result yet...¡± Fortunately, the second and third waves of promotion still have several months to go. Sigh, if it really doesn¡¯t work, we¡¯ll just have to use the name of the review committee, enforce a tax. Also don¡¯t know how much backlash this will cause... --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 475: The Church Assassin, Viper Arezzo Arrives Chapter 475: The Church Assassin, Viper Arezzo Arrives ¡¾Viper¡¿ Arezzo, carrying a suitcase, stepped onto the wooden dock of Nevis Port when the spring was in full bloom. It had been nearly ten years since he last visited, and Nevis Port had changed quite a bit from his memory. Arezzo squinted in the sunlight, looking around, always feeling something was missing yet something new had appeared, but in his urgency, he couldn¡¯t figure it out. He walked slowly through the constantly moving crowd. After passing several piers and a few ships loading and unloading passengers, he noticed what was different: The port area was cleaner. There was less sewage on the ground, almost no cow or horse dung, and certainly, gentlemen no longer just stood anywhere and began... heh. Instead, there were conspicuous signs everywhere, pointing towards small houses emitting an indistinct smell. Not only was it cleaner, but it was also hotter. A wave of heat hit Arezzo, and he instinctively stepped aside, seeing in a small roadside house, steam rising from two large pots boiling water. Soon, a row of shirtless dockworkers lined up, opening the faucets under the large pots, each filling a bowl of water. As they leaned against the water house, carefully blowing on the boiling water to cool it, Arezzo clearly saw more than one person¡¯s face show a sincere smile of happiness. Emmm... Public toilets, free water supply? Instinct told Arezzo that these measures could reduce the occurrence of epidemics and allow the poor to die less¡ªfrom the essence, they could also cultivate the vitality of the city, making it more vibrant. And the one who implemented these... Was Garrett Nordmark. He had specifically come to assassinate that person. Arezzo continued with the flow of people. Walking down the wooden dock onto solid ground, it wasn¡¯t long before he heard a bustling noise ahead, with people on both sides pulling their voices loud and clear: "Vaccination! Smallpox vaccine! Only 1 gold coin per person, one vaccination, lifetime immunity! ¡ª Sir, you look like you¡¯re from out of town, would you like to get vaccinated?" "Opposing universal vaccination! Opposing tax increases! Our legitimate income should not be endlessly plundered!" Huh? Interesting. Universal vaccination? One gold coin per person? How many people were in Nevis City again? Let me think... wasn¡¯t it over a million? Among them, at least eight to nine hundred thousand people couldn¡¯t afford a gold coin head tax, right? That means, they had to scrape together eight to nine hundred thousand gold coins from the remaining merchants and nobles... Hehe... Hehe... Arezzo¡¯s eyebrows raised, revealing an extremely joyful smile. He followed the crowd to the vaccination station, curiously asked: "Can this thing really prevent smallpox forever? Is it that effective?" "Of course, sir!" The person at the vaccination station, clean and tidy with a snow-white collar, looked up spiritedly: "It¡¯s definitely effective! There are papers published in ¡¯Magic¡¯ and ¡¯Arcane¡¯! The research of the great mages can¡¯t be wrong!" Hehe... you still read ¡¯Magic¡¯ and ¡¯Arcane¡¯? Aren¡¯t those journals one gold coin each? Can you afford them? Arezzo smiled outwardly, but inwardly he sneered. He inquired curiously about the vaccination method, left a silver coin, and said goodbye. Not a few steps away, the little man came running up: "Si-, Sir!" Oak Forest Medical Research Institute. It was here. This master assassin, known as "Viper," silently told himself. The master of this place was his target this time, a young low-level mage. Hmm, said to be a priest as well? Anyway, more difficult to kill than a pure mage or priest, but not too hard. Then, the key to completing the mission lay in the defensive forces around the target. Arezzo leaned back in the carriage seat, half-closing his eyes, peering through the slits of his eyelids at the medical institute. Some barbarians at the gate as door guards, low level, not a concern; Some magic fluctuations inside the wall, but not high level, at most second or third tier spells, probably no powerful figures; No trace of a mage tower, no sense of tower spirits scanning, the defenses here should not be a concern... So, the guards around the target? The target¡¯s magical equipment? Find an opportunity to go inside the medical institute to see, but no rush... Killing, well, killing a mage with a mage tower, scouting one or two months beforehand, that¡¯s normal. The church didn¡¯t set a time limit, if he succeeded within half a year, they probably wouldn¡¯t rush him¡ª Arezzo closed his eyes, drifting away, no longer looking back. His cover identity abroad was a naturalist, visiting friends in Nevis and planning to publish a book. From proofreading, typesetting, to printing, it would take several months, he could plan slowly, aiming for a sure kill¡ª And moreover, the undercurrent stirred by the smallpox vaccination incident also piqued his interest. Maybe, besides completing his target, he could play a bigger game? Arezzo¡¯s thin lips pursed into a line, then slowly curled up. Thinking of stirring up an unprecedented turmoil in such a city, his narrow eyes couldn¡¯t help but flash with excitement: Too interesting! Hiding in the shadows, stirring up chaotic hearts, instigating complex desires, greed, and fear, leveraging a strange city to rise up, ultimately brewing an uncontrollable storm... What¡¯s the fun in just killing one person? If you¡¯re going to do it, do it big! "Dear old Stephen¡ª" Feeling good, his tone became especially gentle, causing the church spy playing his "old friend" to shiver: "Do me a favor, find me the recent papers on the smallpox vaccine. Of course, especially those by Mage Nordmark and the two articles in ¡¯Magic¡¯ and ¡¯Arcane¡¯..." The council¡¯s journals, theoretically not open for subscription, but not so difficult for someone with real connections. That spy, rooted in Nevis City for twenty years, soon brought over a thick stack. Under the bright light of the undying flame, "Viper" Arezzo eagerly began reading the papers. While reading, he laughed: "The smallpox vaccine is taken from cows? ¡ª To this day, has no one vaccinated thought of this?" "Aren¡¯t they afraid of any complications?" "According to the papers, it really doesn¡¯t need to be one gold coin per person... those who are taxed, have they never suspected the council of taking the opportunity to embezzle?" "Interesting, interesting... there¡¯s so much that can be done here..." --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 476: Can’t Hit Garrett, Hit Smallpox Instead! Chapter 476: Can¡¯t Hit Garrett, Hit Smallpox Instead! A week later, Mr. Areszo sat under the table lamp, silently opening his notebook. February 15th, playing cards at the tavern. February 16th, playing cards at the tavern. February 17th, playing cards at the tavern. February 18th... You can¡¯t keep being so decadent! Cheer up! Think of something! February 19th, playing cards at the tavern. February 20th, playing cards at the tavern. Uh... Actually, he hasn¡¯t been completely idle... At least, every day he diligently observes the target¡¯s daily patterns, venturing out early and returning late. Mr. Areszo is quite serious about it. In the morning, he hides outside the Mage Tower, watching Garrett ride past the wilderness on a Silvermoon Deer, heading straight for the Oak Forest Medical Research Institute; In the evening, from afar, outside a hospital in the woods, he watches Garrett ride the Silvermoon Deer, speeding through the fields back to the Mage Tower; Or in the morning at the hospital, in the evening at the Mage Tower; morning at the hospital, evening at the hospital... That deer, standing over two meters at the shoulder with antlers nearly four meters wide, is clearly a mid-to-high-level magical beast. Its combat ability is not weak, and its running capability is even stronger. Mr. Areszo estimates that if it were to run at full speed, even if he could catch up, he would definitely expose himself... Though the target really doesn¡¯t match up to such a mount. Mr. Areszo can see clearly, every time when getting on or off the mount, Garrett either steps on a stool to climb onto the deer¡¯s back, is lifted up by a barbarian, or is picked up by the Silvermoon Deer itself... Without help, he can¡¯t even climb up! Oh, and there¡¯s that barbarian! Every time the target travels, there are either two or three people on the back of the Silvermoon Deer. The barbarian is also a near-high-level warrior, full of vigor and exceptionally vigilant. Having a warrior close at hand to protect the mage makes killing the mage more than twice as difficult. And then there¡¯s that elf beauty. Although it¡¯s hard to tell how strong she is from a distance, occasionally she turns around on the back of the deer, her eyes brilliantly shining, chilling him to the bone. Mr. Areszo feels it¡¯s better to be cautious, preferably unnoticed, striking a fatal blow from afar. That kind of botched job where one hasn¡¯t even succeeded before alarming the entire city and causing numerous spies to be rooted out, is something Mr. Areszo, the "Viper," won¡¯t handle... Speaking of which, that idiot who had half the city¡¯s spies eradicated, what was his name? Never mind, it¡¯s not important. What¡¯s important is that the target is really not easy to approach. Mr. Areszo made plans, overthrew them, and made them again, repeatedly shaking his head: A truck breaks a wheel while moving, blocking the road? A funeral procession passing by the target, and the coffin falls? A rich man¡¯s bodyguard chasing a thief, getting close to the target? Creating these accidents, blending into the crowd and striking a deadly blow, is Mr. Viper¡¯s specialty. But, the target always travels in the wilderness, and moves fast. A near-high-level magical beast, it¡¯s not something a trap or snare could take down... Never mind, better than staying in the Mage Tower, not leaving the house 365 days a year. Mr. Areszo shook his head and continued to play cards at the tavern. In the smoky environment, many semi-true and mixed messages silently spread out. Inside a high-end villa in the garden district, a dozen gentlemen in silk jackets passed around a drawing, occasionally emitting low laughter: In the drawing, a woman was rolling up her sleeve to receive a smallpox vaccination. Beside her, there were already five or six people growing cow noses, cow horns, cow heads, even small cows sprouting from various parts of their bodies... "Mr. Tangde¡¯s pen is truly marvelous." "The expression on that woman, extremely vivid." "It¡¯ll be published in the tabloids tomorrow, definitely spreading through every tavern, right?" "I wonder how many people it will frighten..." "...So, we must stop all of this." A gentleman wearing a deep blue velvet jacket with curly wool hair slammed the table. He stood up tall, waving his arms, trying to amplify his momentum: "Even the mages can¡¯t do whatever they want... Nevis City is everyone¡¯s Nevis City, not just the mages¡¯ Nevis City! They can¡¯t just decide to take money and inject strange things into our bodies by just snapping their fingers and passing a bill!" "Even if it¡¯s a legend speaking?" Someone asked softly from below. The speaker¡¯s momentum faltered, his white curly hair seemingly also turning a bit gray. He paused, then struggled to respond: "Even a legend can¡¯t ignore the opinions of all citizens! Nevis City has a million people, it¡¯s not up to him alone! Mage, temple, nobility, citizens, jointly govern this city, that¡¯s the agreement made when the city was founded, written on the first stone slab at the foot of Igor Peak, at the start of the mountain path!" "The goddess teaches us to be kind, to be merciful, to care for the poor and sick who have neither clothes nor food." At the edge of the oval table, another person spoke softly: "Just because ¡¯we can already resist this,¡¯ refusing to pay to free the poor from smallpox, that argument doesn¡¯t hold water¡ªat least, you can¡¯t say it outright, openly in front of everyone." "Do you oppose my opinion?" "No. I just hope for a better reason." "How about ¡¯Vaccination leads to growing cow skin and horns¡¯? " "It¡¯s been confirmed already, the horns are a rumor, a clown from a circus dressed up for fun. As for cow skin, servants of the God of Nature, and the goddess¡¯s priests, as well as a pharmacist, have confirmed it¡¯s just a simple dermatitis, easily cured with herbal remedies." "..." "Using such unfounded reasons to secretly incite the citizens is possible. Openly opposing the council, not acceptable. The rules of this world are ultimately in the hands of those with power¡ªusing fabricated reasons to attack the council, wouldn¡¯t a legendary mage kill people?" The initial speaker fell silent, quietly sitting down. But the person who rebutted him stood up from the shadows, looking around, raising his voice: "Gentlemen, not wanting to pay, not wanting to pay for the poor, this statement can be said by ordinary citizens, we can¡¯t say it. In the newspapers, in the squares, in the town hall meetings, we need stronger reasons¡ª" He paused, looking around. And the audience around him looked up with respect: "Let¡¯s be more specific, we need more noble reasons to support our goals! Gentlemen, at all times, we must be morally impeccable!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 477: Someone Smashed Garrett’s Hospital! Chapter 477: Someone Smashed Garrett¡¯s Hospital! After half a month of secretive planning, ¡¾Viper¡¿ Aleso realized for the first time that Garrett¡¯s routine had changed. ¡ª¡ªHe didn¡¯t show up at the clinic today! Mr. Viper had been scouting the clinic vicinity for five consecutive days. Disguised as a wealthy man, a running errand servant, a poor patient, and a beggar; by carriage, on foot, squatting across the street with a broken bowl. After observing for five days, he concluded: Around eight o¡¯clock, Garrett always arrived riding his silver moon deer, kicking up dust all the way to the doorstep, spirited and ready to start his shift. Whether sunny or cloudy, windy or rainy, without exception, always within five minutes. ...... It was exactly like his time praying in the church. Mr. Viper couldn¡¯t understand why he came so early every day when the clinic was his own target and no one else was managing him. If Garrett heard his question, he would definitely respond that he was used to clocking in at the hospital from his previous life. The emergency department was packed with patients 24 hours a day; if one person was late, their colleagues had to carry an extra burden, so everyone tried their best not to be late...... But today, Garrett didn¡¯t come! Where had he gone? Mr. Viper, huddled with his broken bowl across from the clinic, sneezed seven or eight times in the cold wind before he could be absolutely certain: Today, Garrett really changed his routine. Where did he go? Garrett was pulled to the White Tower. In the fifth-floor meeting room, surrounded by an oval table, sat a room full of people. Each spot was piled high with newspapers, flyers, and notes. The council member, Master Grom from Black Crow Swamp, sat at the head, his expression grave: "The issue of smallpox vaccination becoming mandatory for all citizens is now facing substantial resistance. ¡ª¡ªToday¡¯s meeting is to internally discuss the situation and figure out how to proceed." Garrett, silent, began flipping through documents. At the top of the pile, occupying the largest area and with the strongest visual impact, was a tabloid with a bold headline: "Turn People Into Cows?" Indeed, the worries of fools are similar. Garrett sneered and looked below the headline. Next to it was a cartoon with exaggerated bodily language and bizarre faces. Cow heads, cow noses, cow horns, all sorts of appearances. Even though the tabloid was of poor quality, the vivid strokes of the artist could not be hidden. Especially the expression on the cow face, unknowingly deformed, yet proudly depicted with great detail. Garrett burst out laughing. Across the table, the Minister of Emergency Management, Mage Colin, used a newspaper to cover half of his face and stared at him discreetly: Smallpox was your doing, and you¡¯re laughing! "Where did this thing come from? Can it be banned?" Master Grom¡¯s expression was dark. Mage Colin raised his head, and before he could speak, Garrett had already taken the lead: "It can¡¯t be banned! ¡ª¡ªAnything officially banned will definitely spread even faster!" "That¡¯s right." Beside Minister Colin, a thin, small mage with mouse whiskers murmured: "Our intelligence department is also responsible for monitoring public sentiment. Recently, citizens¡¯ views on the smallpox vaccine have rapidly turned negative, and it seems there are hidden manipulators behind it." "No need to suspect, there definitely are manipulators, more than one or two." Another city hall official with a dark expression added: "In the past week, the number of citizens voluntarily vaccinated against smallpox has dropped by 50%." It was said that a thousand years ago, Nevis City belonged to the domain of Count Agil, later gifted to the council for use. The original deed of the gift was still preserved in the Tower of Heaven! This count himself was not to be underestimated. Garrett had heard from Archmage Carlisle that the current Count Agil was a level 15 high-order knight, wielding the inherited weapon ¡¾Flame Sword of Gold¡¿, capable of contending with a level 18 archmage for a short duration. During the previous conflict with the Radiant Church, Count Agil had also led his troops alongside the council. The relationship between the two parties was quite close. It was because of this closeness that he could barge in directly and participate in the meeting. The giant nodded casually, ignoring everyone else, and walked directly to the other end of the oval table, standing opposite Master Grom. He pressed down on the tabletop, and the heavy elm long table nearly flipped over: "How many people die from smallpox in a year? Is it worth such a big fuss?" This wasn¡¯t about how many people died, but about competing with the Radiant Church for the narrative, a direct order from a legendary mage! Master Grom¡¯s words reached his lips, but in front of a room full of people, he hesitated to speak outright. He was about to order everyone to leave when suddenly a clear and bright voice rang out: "According to the past 20 years¡¯ death statistics, in 1163, smallpox deaths were 278. In 1167, 327. In non-epidemic years, the average death toll is around 300. In epidemic years, like 1170, the death toll was 5,738¡ª" "Who are you?" The count¡¯s gaze, sharp as a hawk, shot over. His physique was robust, his face determined, and his eyes bright and commanding. Just turning his head like that, the two young mages beside Garrett involuntarily stepped back. Yet, Garrett remained unmoved. His eyelids lowered slightly, he bowed politely, his tone even: "Garrett Nordmark. Greetings, Your Excellency the Count." "You¡¯re the inventor of the cowpox vaccine?" Count Agil stared at Garrett, his gaze stern. Seeing that Garrett remained unaffected, he grunted, his tone slightly softer: "You¡¯ve done your homework. ¡ª¡ªSo, for 300 people a year, you plan to turn Nevis upside down? Then what about cholera, typhoid, scarlet fever, so many other plagues, do you plan to turn the city over several times for those?" With this remark, everyone in the meeting room stared at Garrett. Master Grom frowned, wanting to explain for Garrett, such as the promotion plan wasn¡¯t set by the youngster¡ªafter thinking it over, he waved to the people inside: "Everyone, please leave." The attendees exited noisily. Master Grom motioned for Count Agil to sit down and gestured for Garrett to do the same: "Sit down, take your time talking. ¡ª¡ªSaral, little Garrett barely broke even in this incident, he hardly made any profit. He developed the cowpox vaccine not for his own gain¡ª" "That¡¯s no reason to cause such a stir." In private, Count Agil¡¯s demeanor softened a lot, he sighed deeply: "I saw something amiss outside, felt someone was causing trouble, so I came over specially. But then again, you guys are too hasty..." Before he could finish his sentence, the noise outside grew from soft to loud, rapidly approaching. In a moment, Minister Colin of the Emergency Management Department knocked on the door, not waiting for an answer, he hurriedly pushed the door open: "Urgent report¡ªimpoverished people incited by someone, storming Garrett¡¯s hospital!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 478: Stealing chickens without success, Mr. Viper sneaks into the hospital? Chapter 478: Stealing chickens without success, Mr. Viper sneaks into the hospital? Since someone was attacking Garrett¡¯s hospital, the meeting naturally couldn¡¯t continue. Garrett immediately excused himself to return, and Archmage Grom also decided to adjourn the meeting and followed to see for himself¡ª After all, it was the little guy personally mentioned by the Immortal. One should take a closer look. They dared to attack a medical facility, what wouldn¡¯t those people dare to do? Huh, in his long life, he had seen people throwing stones at the temple doors more than once. Attacking a mage¡¯s medical facility, however, was indeed a first. What, do they think mages won¡¯t kill? Mages are not there to heal you! They are not like the temple folk who, nominally, have to act ¡°merciful¡±, ¡°compassionate¡±, and ¡°godly caretakers of the faithful¡±... Archmage Grom arranged the schedule for the next meeting and exchanged a few pleasantries with Count Agar, then leisurely descended the stairs. Standing at the entrance of the White Tower, he saw a white figure, amid swirling dust, charging into the wilderness¡ª Garrett waited for no one, having Bernard lift him onto a deer back, and he sped off into the distance. ¡°Really, what¡¯s the rush?¡± Archmage Grom shook his head, casually casting a spell to summon a phantom steed. Beside him, an emergency response team from the emergency management department, comprising two mages and five knights, was fully equipped and ready to depart. The team expanded outward, surrounding the Archmage to protect him as they hurried away. Of course, ordinary horses couldn¡¯t match the speed of a Level 8 magical beast, the Silver Moon Deer. Garrett led the way, as fast as lightning, rushing back to the hospital. Just stepping onto the street in front of the hospital, from afar, his face darkened: The entrance of the hospital was swarmed with a dense crowd. The entire wide street, at least as wide as a four-lane road, was completely blocked from about fifty to sixty meters on the left to fifty to sixty meters on the right. The crowd was shoulder to shoulder, chest pressed against back, chaotically shouting: ¡°Kill the devil healer!¡± ¡°Death to the black-hearted healer!¡± ¡°Sucking our blood and sweat money! They even want to turn us into cows!¡± ¡°Smash this place! Destroy it!¡± As they shouted, they pushed and shoved their way inside. If there were dead bodies, drawn circles, and people in mourning attire weeping, it would definitely look like a major medical dispute. ¡ªWhere¡¯s the security? Where are the police? At the entrance of the three-story building, barbarian security guards lined up. The barbarian nurses that Seraina had recruited hadn¡¯t even changed out of their nurse uniforms before they had rushed out to join the security guards¡¯ battle formation. Barbarians, averaging over two meters tall, faced the less than one meter seventy human poor. Just by standing there, they formed a wall of bronze and iron. Garrett breathed a sigh of relief. Not bad, the hospital¡¯s defense forces were still sufficient for now¡ª At the other end of the street, the city guards under the city hall had arrived, blowing whistles vigorously to prevent more people from approaching. As for the crowd that had already gathered, they seemed to have no good solution, and it was up to the hospital side now. The barbarians apparently hadn¡¯t received orders to attack, merely holding their shields high above their heads, forming a wall to keep the assailants out. Those shields, they looked a bit familiar? Garrett squinted to take a closer look and realized they were long wooden planks, about half a foot wide, nailed inside a frame¡ªcase solved, those were the bed boards from the hospital beds. Well, against these poor, nothing worked better than bed boards¡ªnot kite shields, not square shields, not tower shields... Just as Garrett breathed a sigh of relief, he saw the rioting crowd swinging their arms, clanging and clattering, throwing all sorts of improvised weapons. On the bed boards, on the hospital walls, immediately leaving one smear after another: Mud, dirt, horse dung, dog shit... Impossible to find rotten vegetable leaves or cabbage stalks, spoiled eggs or rotten tomatoes¡ªthey needed those to eat! Even if they were spoiled, they would still be eaten, definitely not thrown! ¡°Damn it!¡± Garrett exclaimed aloud. My medical beds are dirty! My hospital is dirty! This volley, how much effort will it take to clean it up! Research work would have to be paused by at least half, all the mage apprentices had to be pulled out to cast cleaning spells! Garrett was furious. The Silver Moon Deer beneath him also sensed its master¡¯s anger, lowered its head, ready to charge into the crowd: Foolish humans! A direct charge to disperse them would do! As if a young child hiding under the bed, listening to the continuous screams of parents and family, watching blood slowly seep under the bed... Areszo swayed, barely stabilizing himself. However, in front, behind, to the left, and to the right, the poor who had just been shouting and smashing, now began to scream loudly, running around like headless flies. Fear spell... It¡¯s a necromancer¡¯s first-tier magic, Fear Spell! Instantly instilling tremendous fear in the hearts of the affected, causing them to lose their reason and start running! This magic, in one-on-one combat or small group battles, can effectively break the opponent¡¯s formation; but in a crowded environment, it has another effect... When three, five, or about ten people in a dense crowd start to run frantically, it¡¯s very likely to cause a stampede! Mr. Viper Areszo was stepped on five or six times in an instant. All around, screams and shouts rose, and the physically weak had already been pushed down. From afar, he heard the deer¡¯s hooves, rapidly returning, and the young mage on its back shouting loudly: ¡°Disperse! Dispel the magic effects! Calm them down!¡ªThis could cause accidents! People could die! Quick!¡± Dispelling is easy, calming is hard. Whether it¡¯s a Fear Spell or a Terror Spell, the duration isn¡¯t long, and even without deliberate dispelling, it¡¯s only a matter of a few seconds. But calming down a panicking crowd is not so simple¡ª Necromancers, necromancer apprentices quietly retreated, the shield wall¡¯s footsteps scrambled, priests took their places, beginning to earnestly release Blessing Spells, Inspire Spells, and the like. Even the barbarian security guards, at a command, dropped their shields and rushed into the crowd, trying to separate the panicked people. Alas, fear is contagious. Once a Fear Spell is cast, only one person is hit; but when he screams and runs, stepping on a few others, the affected instantly becomes three, five, ten. Garrett shouted from above, and by the time the priests came forward, the fear had snowballed. In an instant, everyone was shouting, everyone was running. From a high vantage, Garrett saw, in the crowd, three or five had already fallen¡ª This was going to be a disaster! ¡°Save them! Save them!¡± he cast a Voice Amplification Spell on himself, shouting into the hospital. While shouting, he quickly pondered: How to stop them? How to stop these people from running wild? Mass Healing Spell? No, remove group fear? Can¡¯t do it; Quicksand Spell? Grease Spell? Got it! Garrett¡¯s eyes lit up. He quickly slapped his spatial bag, pulling out a small bundle of soft spiderweb, pointing forward: ¡°Web Spell!¡± Tough, sticky, dense spiderwebs, in an instant, spread across the entire street. Whether it was the endlessly running poor or those being crowded and almost trampled to the ground, all were firmly stuck in the spiderwebs, unable to move. I¡¯d like to see you run now! Web Spell, the first tool to prevent stampedes! Garrett clapped his hands in satisfaction. Barbarians started rushing in to drag people out, carrying door panels, first picking up those who had fallen and carrying them into the hospital. Far away, the city guards finally blew their whistles, stepping forward to negotiate, ready to help. Garrett raised his hand to stop them: ¡°Wait, wait, wait! It seems someone is injured, let me check first, treat those in critical condition first!¡± Huh? Treat people? Mr. Viper Areszo¡¯s heart stirred, obediently lying in the Web Spell, clutching his stomach, loudly groaning. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 479: Magic Security Device Exposed! Chapter 479: Magic Security Device Exposed! ¡¾Viper¡¿Alezio clutched his stomach, lying in a pile of spiderwebs, pretending to groan continuously. While groaning, he sneakily observed: Surrounded by a vast expanse of spiderwebs. The tough and sticky webs covered the entire street. The crowd that came to cause trouble at the clinic¡¯s door, each one of them was stuck and could not move; The barbarian guards who had formed a human wall, and another group of barbarians in eye-scorchingly white clothes, moved unevenly through the webs. They would pull out an injured person and hand them over to a priest outside, then pull out another injured person, passing them hand to hand to the priest outside... Surprisingly kind-hearted, huh. Mr. Alezio clicked his tongue: People come to make trouble, and still think of saving others, truly soft-hearted! At this rate, do they intend to heal all the injured? By heavens, Garrett had never intended to treat all the injured. Clay people also have a temper, and blocking the clinic¡¯s door was a serious taboo for him. Making him heal everyone was a joke! Before, there was no choice, controlled by the hospital director and the health committee, he had to treat. Even if someone stabbed a doctor in the hospital and then jumped down seriously injured, the doctor had to hold his nose and rescue them. Now, hmm! After Garrett cast the spiderweb spell, he detoured back to the hospital from the back door, standing far away in the lobby on the first floor, constantly directing: "Don¡¯t bother with the uninjured! Let them lie there! The spiderweb spell will dissipate in half an hour, just enough time for them to cool down! They dared to smash my door!" "Those with limb injuries but no bleeding don¡¯t need attention! They won¡¯t die! Leave them to the city guards!" "Bring here the ones with head injuries, stomach injuries, or those who were trampled! Let me take a look! We only save lives, not treat injuries, keep them alive then hand them over to the city guards!" "Also, when handing over to the city guards, leave a group of people behind! Have them wipe the door before they leave! And my bed! My treatment bed! Clean it thoroughly!" The barbarians struggled through the spiderweb spell. One after another, they pulled out people. Thick webs clung to their arms and legs, not moving far before their hands and legs were wrapped in thick layers. Hearing Garrett¡¯s shouts, they shrugged at each other: "Not too bad, no rotten good hearts... Hey, since the sir said not to bother with people with limb injuries, can we secretly kick them? Can¡¯t let people smash so many times for nothing!" "Sounds reasonable... Keep it down a bit, I don¡¯t think the sir will mind..." A large foot suddenly came towards them. Mr. Viper startled, quickly closed his eyes and curled up, shouting: "I didn¡¯t do anything! I was trying to stop them! My... my stomach hurts so much! Ouch..." The stench of the big foot hovered in front of him and then retracted. Mr. Viper tried hard to keep his eyes closed, pretending to be weak and feeble, and was picked up by two large hands, swaying left and right¡ª Breaking a few spider threads, carrying him along with the remaining webs overhead, handed over to another pair of large hands. As for how sticky the spider web was, and how many torn clothes and rags were stuck during the transport, that was completely ignored. Mr. Viper felt a chilly sensation on his legs. Sizzling, then another sizzle. After three or four changes of location, he was placed on a flat board, and two people picked it up and ran. The person in front shouted as they ran: "Make way! Make way! This one has a stomach injury¡ª" "Got it! Come this way and line up! Take a picture first!" The board was put down, and Alezio felt himself lifted again, turned in a direction. He slightly opened his eyes and saw a crowd bustling in the lobby: transporting the injured, checking, and sending them into treatment rooms. Those carrying the injured hurried out to meet the next group... No one was idle, nor did anyone block the others¡¯ way. Although coordination seemed a bit clumsy, everyone knew what they were doing. The casters¡¯ ranks were mostly low, mainly mage apprentices and first-level mages. The target was at the deepest part of the hall, at least ten meters away from him, a sprint might not be enough to take it down. The magic devices in the hall... Dressed in tattered clothes, blending into the crowd, pretending to be trampled by civilians, definitely suspicious! The physical strength of a level 3 warrior, lying casually on the ground, couldn¡¯t possibly be injured by peasants! Damn, really exposed! Alezio¡¯s heart sank: I had been particularly cautious when loitering at the door earlier, didn¡¯t see any monitoring arrays related to level detection! Such devices are either very large or extremely expensive, usually installed in places like royal palaces, major temples, major auction houses, etc. How could such a newly built clinic have one? Forget it, don¡¯t dwell on it, just leave! Alezio¡¯s hand flipped, and a dark dagger slid out, stabbing forward. The ¡¾Ice Wall Spell¡¿, a fourth-level magic, was not yet solidified and cracked into pieces under his full-force strike. Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t the enhanced version... Alezio dashed out of the shattered ice. Glancing towards the back door of the hall, he turned his head and fled. Such a pity! This opportunity to get close to the target was too rare, just to be exposed like this, it would be even harder to kill him later... But with a fourth-level magic array in the hall and who knows what traps in the backyard, better to play it safe and give up this chance! His dagger whirled rapidly. At the main entrance of the clinic, a thick iron gate was lowered, but it couldn¡¯t stop the ¡¾Dark Fang¡¿ in his hand. Making a hole, he bent slightly and slid out flexibly. No one dared to pursue. Only Serrano in the entire clinic could match a master capable of breaking the ¡¾Ice Wall Spell¡¿ quickly, and this lady happened to be out shopping... But Mr. Viper didn¡¯t know all this. He fled desperately, turning down one street after another, plunging into a forest. When he came out again, his whole person was half a foot shorter, fatter, and his attire and demeanor completely changed. He slowly walked onto the street, raised his cane, and hailed a carriage. Some time later, when Archmage Grom arrived at the clinic surrounded by the enforcement team, he saw a street blanketed in white, the clinic¡¯s main door tightly shut, the city guard armed as if facing a great enemy. ...What¡¯s going on? The high-ranking necromancer was momentarily perplexed. Everyone was bound in spiderweb spells, it should have been safe! What happened to the clinic? He cast an amplification spell on himself, shouted several times, and the iron gate at the entrance finally creaked open. Garrett emerged with his team: "Just now, there was a suspicious person... The clinic had activated the alarm, but he still escaped..." Archmage Grom¡¯s face remained impassive as he cast a detection spell. Under the magical vision, a trail was exceptionally clear: first loitering across from the clinic for a long time, then suddenly rushing into the crowd and being carried inside. Inside the ice wall, a powerful energy suddenly erupted, breaking the ice wall, and he dashed out at high speed... Straight towards the distance, without turning back. "I will send someone to investigate." Archmage Grom nodded to the enforcement team, signaling them to start by questioning nearby witnesses and handle some peripheral tasks. As for himself, he grabbed Garrett: "As for you, come back to the Tower of Heaven with me immediately. Don¡¯t come out until the person is caught!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 480: Vaccine Hearing... Are You Trying to Be Foolish? Chapter 480: Vaccine Hearing... Are You Trying to Be Foolish? If the "Viper" Aleso knew that his target had been sent directly to the Tower of Heaven due to this unsuccessful probe, he would probably be in tears: Why on earth?! Why are they being so cautious? Any slight movement, and they shove the person under the watchful eyes of legendary mages. Do you lack confidence in Mage Nordmark¡¯s combat abilities? If you¡¯re really afraid of trouble, just send him back to his mage tower, why take him directly to the peak! But he doesn¡¯t know. So, Mr. Viper is roaming from bar to bar, market to market, pricking up his ears to eavesdrop on various whispers, all the while filled with doubts: Who is so considerate to stir up trouble? It definitely isn¡¯t their own people! He¡¯s just a field agent, without the authority to issue such commands to local spies. And certainly, those lying in wait wouldn¡¯t organize such a mess¡ª The chance of success is next to zero! And the benefits, there seems to be no benefit at all, sending a bunch of poor people into the city hall¡¯s prison, and then having to figure out a way to get them out. What¡¯s the point? What¡¯s the point of making such a scene? "The organization of the poor people¡¯s protest went well." It¡¯s still that high-end villa in the garden district, by the club¡¯s long table, someone contentedly lit a pipe: "It fully expressed the displeasure and protest of the public, especially the poor and small business owners. Hmm, one gold coin each, that¡¯s about eight or nine hundred thousand gold coins, and this money will ultimately be passed on to the poor!" "Exactly! A laundry shop collects 100 gold coins, they definitely can¡¯t continue, and if they close down, a hundred laundry women will be unemployed..." "Previous tabloids, comics, tavern performances, and the protests conveyed by you gentlemen, were finally ignited by yesterday¡¯s event. The latest news, the council has decided, to hold a hearing in five days to discuss the vaccination law!" "Exactly! Those magicians, inventing something new today, something new tomorrow, when they run out of money, they reach out to us. If they want to raise taxes, they must go through a hearing, otherwise we won¡¯t survive!" The wealthy merchants and nobles all nodded. Please, who really wants to smash and loot? Huh... would testimony derived from divination spells be effective at this kind of hearing? Garrett wasn¡¯t sure. However, priests from the natural god¡¯s church groups, the Temple of the God of War, and the Temple of the Spring Goddess, who had helped during the smallpox vaccination, were also behind them. Well, their words should be somewhat objective and fair... The first item on the agenda was the distribution and reading of the draft of the "Vaccination Law." Garrett had already seen it, and most of his attention was now on observing the attitudes of the others: "Vaccine inoculations to be overseen by the public health department..." There didn¡¯t seem to be any opposition to this, it appeared everyone thought it was normal; "Funding for vaccines to be outlined by the government, with insufficient budget for the year to be supplemented by special tax revenue..." This point made the faces of the wealthy merchants and nobles a bit uneasy, seemingly reluctant to be taxed; "The authorities are required to sign agreements with legitimate practitioners to promote free vaccinations, with the costs to be covered by the authorities..." The priests of the natural god were pleased, the Temple of the God of War was indifferent, the Temple of the Spring Goddess had mixed reactions; "All children must be vaccinated within three years of age, otherwise the parents will be penalized; vaccination registrars are responsible for informing parents and recording vaccination information..." Hey hey! I haven¡¯t done clinical trials for children under three yet! Why are we implementing this now! As soon as the draft was read, the debate stage began immediately. A man wearing tortoiseshell glasses stood up from across Garrett, waving a pamphlet called "The Anti-Vaccinators," and began his passionate discourse: "Outbreaks of disease primarily originate from poor environments! Ensuring environmental hygiene and clean air is the only way to eradicate diseases, and so-called vaccinations are useless!" What? Garrett pressed against the table in front of him, ready to rebut. The man pushed his glasses up and tapped on the table with the pamphlet in his hand, making a snapping sound: "Injecting pathogens into the human body contaminates the blood, harms the entire body, increases the risk of contracting deadly diseases like syphilis, and threatens the lives of those vaccinated!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 481: Overloading the Tower Spirit with an Epidemic Simulation Chapter 481: Overloading the Tower Spirit with an Epidemic Simulation Garrett rested his chin on his hand and sighed. The outbreak of diseases, primarily due to poor environmental conditions, is somewhat true¡ªcleaning up the environment certainly has its benefits. But to say that ensuring environmental sanitation and clean air will eradicate diseases, while vaccination does not work... Ah, humanity has indeed taken many, many detours in the journey of medical research. He was still organizing his thoughts when someone in the back row raised their hand impatiently. After getting permission from the moderator, the person stood up, leaning on the back of the chair, and asked: "What should I call you, sir?" Garrett slightly turned his head and saw that the speaker was about thirty-something, burly, wearing a white robe with a small silver shield-shaped badge on the chest, about half a finger long¡ªokay, a Priest of the God of War. Looking at the person in front, thin and scholarly, his tortoiseshell glasses barely staying on his nose. Clearly a civilian route, either a caster or a scholar. However, in this setting, without a mage or priest badge on the chest, then he¡¯s a scholar? It makes sense that the Priest of the God of War wouldn¡¯t recognize a scholar... Just thinking about it, the person who initially claimed that "vaccines are useless" pushed up the edge of his glasses and proudly answered: "Charles Clayton. My views on diseases are discussed in detail in my modest work, ¡¯On Epidemics.¡¯ As for vaccines, I have just completed writing ¡¯Studies on the Smallpox Vaccine,¡¯ which has not yet been published but addresses this issue." As he spoke, he pushed forward a stack of pamphlets. The conference hall attendant quickly approached to collect and distribute them. The Priest of the God of War glanced through rapidly and then looked up: "Mr. Clayton. You just said that the outbreak of diseases is mainly due to poor environments. But a few years ago, Mage Nordmark¡¯s ¡¯Study on Pathogenic Bacteria of Various Epidemics¡¯ has already proven that outbreaks are mainly due to the massive reproduction of pathogenic bacteria. Mr. Clayton, how would you explain that?" Garrett silently lowered his head, pretending he didn¡¯t exist. It¡¯s somewhat embarrassing to be suddenly called out like this in public... If he were that Priest of the God of War, he definitely wouldn¡¯t use the bacterial theory as his point. Indeed, Mr. Clayton then declared: "Poor environments and pathogenic bacteria are not mutually exclusive. The dirtier the environment, the more it breeds pathogenic bacteria. But conversely, the bacterial theory does not explain all plagues¡ªwhat is the pathogen of smallpox?" "Uh..." The Priest of the God of War was at a loss for words. From the row in front, Archmage Grom sent a telepathic message to Garrett, secretly asking: "What is it?" Garrett pursed his lips and shook his head silently. Smallpox virus, not bacteria, that thing is hundreds of times smaller than bacteria¡ªhow am I supposed to explain the concept of "virus" to you? Either bring me an electron microscope, or at the very least, invent a bacterial filter! Only if it can still infect after filtering bacteria, can we prove that "there is a pathogen much smaller than bacteria but can still cause disease" exists! Clearly knowing the answer, but unable to explain, feels so frustrating! ¡ªOh, wait, in this world, we still need to prove that diseases are caused by pathogens, not some kind of magic... Fortunately, in the following verbal duel, the Priest of the God of War had a slight advantage. He brandished the thick medical records from Garrett¡¯s side, "records of vaccination against cowpox that prevent smallpox," and successfully rebutted the "vaccination is useless" argument. He pushed Mr. Clayton into a corner, forcing him to change the subject: "So, the vaccine harms the body and increases the risk of contracting syphilis, how do you explain that?" "This..." The Priest of the God of War hesitated. Vaccines, after all, are supposed to make people sick first. As for syphilis... He hadn¡¯t heard of that! Garrett cleared his throat and took over: "According to our research, contracting syphilis is not because of the cowpox vaccine, but because the needle carries one person¡¯s blood, and is not sufficiently sterilized before being jabbed into another person¡¯s skin." He spoke clearly, looking around: "So during the vaccination process, we always strictly control it, one needle per person, never sharing needles. All injection equipment must be collected back, sterilized at high temperatures, and then reused." As soon as the words fell, a gentle murmur rose in the hall. In the back, gentlemen who had paid ten gold coins or one gold coin for vaccination nodded to each other and whispered: "True, the syringe used on me was immediately put into a box, never taken out again." "Mine too." "My needle as well¡ª" cautious..." Garrett and the Archmage went back and forth, finally prevailing. Archmage Grom pulled some strings and borrowed a spare Tower Spirit. Archmage Grom still muttered beside him: "Are you afraid you¡¯ll break the Tower Spirit? If you really can break it, I¡¯ll pay for the Tower Spirit!" Garrett: ¡ú_¡ú If I weren¡¯t afraid of accidents, I¡¯d randomly throw a barber paradox at it and blow it up for you to see! Of course, business matters now. Garrett watched the Archmage manipulate the Tower Spirit, temporarily connecting to the magic tower¡¯s power pool, thought for a moment, then started directing: "First, project a screen, a grid of 1000 by 800 will do." "Alright." The Tower Spirit, not overwritten with a personality template, still in its initial settings, agreed and wove a screen in the void. Garrett issued the next command: "Generate 100 balls, random locations..." "What does random mean?" "Uh..." Garrett began to pull his hair. What does random mean, that¡¯s a good question, especially when you need to explain it clearly to a Tower Spirit¡ªor say, an artificial intelligence... "Use coordinates to confirm the positions of the balls¡ªrandomly pick a number between 1 and 1000 for the horizontal direction, and a number between 1 and 800 for the vertical direction, to set as the position for ball number 1. Do the same for the remaining balls, if it overlaps with a previous ball, discard that value and try again..." The screen flickered, flickered again, and soon the first ball appeared. Then, balls number 2, 3, 4... appeared one after another, scattered chaotically across the entire screen within a few breaths. "Alright¡ªnow, mark balls 1 to 5 as black, let all the balls randomly roll and collide, as if a hand is shaking them in the dish¡ªballs that collide with a black ball turn black, then blacken more balls..." "How do you randomly roll? How do they bounce on collision?" "Randomly rolling¡ªyou divide a circle into 360 degrees, let¡¯s make it 36 degrees, randomly pick a direction, then let the balls roll at a random speed of 1 to 10 squares per second. After collision, the manner of bouncing back, well, assume it¡¯s an elastic collision, meaning, both don¡¯t lose kinetic energy, then, the speed and direction they scatter after colliding should be..." Garrett started to write formulas. Fortunately, he remembered the formulas from his medical physics class... The screen gently flickered, as if the Tower Spirit was also trying hard to learn, understand, and apply Garrett¡¯s formulas. After a while, 5 black balls and 95 white balls wildly jumped around, and soon, a creaking noise came from within the Tower Spirit, and a wisp of black smoke started to rise. Garrett quickly activated a shield spell. Uh... Random rolling and collisions seem too hard for the Tower Spirit... Even if you don¡¯t consider friction, the calculation load is too large for handling 100 balls¡¯ movement and collisions... Or is my programming ability too poor? In my previous life, there were experts who wrote programs and created more complex demonstration animations. They also had to consider different R0 values, different incubation periods, symptomatic periods, and death times... Having played with a spare Tower Spirit until it blew up, Garrett hadn¡¯t managed to get the main Tower Spirit from Black Crow Swamp or even the Tower Spirit from the Tower of Heaven for a simulation demonstration. So now, he could only stretch out his hands, each holding one side of the wooden tray, and shake it vigorously: "Now, these people are working, living, studying, entertaining, moving around everywhere, with a high chance of contacting each other¡ª" The black balls dirtied the white balls, the dirty balls collided with other clean white balls, and soon blackened a whole area. Garrett shook back and forth dozens of times, his back got warm, sweat appeared on his forehead, and he finally sat back, summoning several enhanced Mage Hands to shake the wooden tray. Before long, out of the 100 white balls in the wooden tray, seventy or eighty were covered in dirty black ash. "Look, if everyone could get smallpox, then in a major epidemic, this many people would end up infected. Now let¡¯s see, if some people had been vaccinated against cowpox and wouldn¡¯t get smallpox again, what would happen?" He picked up the dirty balls and poured down 80 clean white balls. Then he took out a smooth, transparent glass ball and held it high: "Look, this glass ball has been processed and won¡¯t stick to charcoal powder, we use it to simulate someone who won¡¯t get smallpox¡ªlet¡¯s try it again¡ª" Of course, the processing was very troublesome, the precision could never be achieved. In the end, it was necessary to employ a Transmutation Mage to attach a cleansing spell to these glass balls, giving them the ability to self-remove charcoal powder, but that didn¡¯t need to be specifically mentioned... Garrett dropped 20 glass balls and shook the wooden tray again. Obviously, the white balls got dirty much slower. Garrett kept reducing the white balls and adding more glass balls. When there were only 20 white balls and as many as 80 glass balls, obviously, the Mage Hands needed to shake for a long time before a white ball got dirtied by the charcoal powder. "Very intuitive." The moderator smiled appreciatively. Garrett nodded in thanks, and the audience erupted in applause, from soft to loud. "So, promoting universal vaccination is for each of us, for the health of our loved ones¡ªare there any more questions?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 482: Mandatory Vaccination for Specific Groups, Any Objections? Chapter 482: Mandatory Vaccination for Specific Groups, Any Objections? "So, promoting vaccination for all is for each and every one of us, for the health of our loved ones¡ªany more questions?" "Yes!" Several hands were raised high across. The moderator looked at him and then at those opposite, banging the gavel: "Second row on the far right, the gentleman in the black coat, please speak!" "First, thank you for inventing the cowpox vaccine, which has protected the public¡¯s health," said the man as he stood up gracefully, first bowing to Garrett. Garrett quickly returned the bow, and the man smiled slightly before continuing: "I have a question that I would like Master Nordmark to clarify¡ªjust as with preventing smallpox, do I have the right to decide what method to use? If I decide to use smallpox infection followed by the use of [Remove Disease] to acquire¡ª" He paused, recalling the terminology used in Garrett¡¯s thesis, then continued: "¡ªto acquire immunity, then, can I be exempted from receiving the cowpox vaccine?" ...This definitely should be possible. The founding principle of the City of Mages is freedom¡ª "All churches and the Magic Council, free citizens and their descendants, in any event and at any time, shall fully and completely enjoy the following freedoms..." This phrase was inscribed on the stone tablet of the Oath of the Alliance, located at the beginning of the mountain path leading to Igor Peak! Before Garrett could respond, several mages on either side of him nodded simultaneously. The man smiled and said: "Since there are exceptions, mandatory vaccination for all seems unnecessary. Mr. Nordmark, what is your opinion?" Luckily someone had raised this issue during the previous discussions. Garrett breathed a sigh of relief. He smiled confidently and turned to the clergy opposite him, bowing slightly: "Gentlemen of the clergy, I have a question. Accepting divine healing and recovering quickly can have certain drawbacks on a person, right?" The Church of the Nature God, the Temple of the Spring Goddess, several healers nodded gently. A bishop from the Temple of the War God bluntly said: "That¡¯s right. Therefore, even if soldiers are healed by divine magic, they shouldn¡¯t immediately return to battle. They need good food and rest for some time. This is common knowledge about divine healing, you should know this, why do you ask?" Uh... My lord, you¡¯re too honest; I was just setting the stage for the next question. Garrett managed to ignore the laughter around him: As long as I¡¯m not embarrassed, the embarrassment belongs to others. He looked directly into the eyes of the bishop and continued: "Then, if a young child receives excessive divine healing, could it overtax them and affect their future development potential?" "Uh..." Several healers exchanged glances. Priest Matthew from the Church of the Nature God was the first to speak: "Our treatments are mainly for the poor and underprivileged, so we don¡¯t have much data on this. But from what I recall, some talented youths who were severely injured during their growth periods, even though healed, had their paths cut short." "We mainly treat warriors," the bishop from the Temple of the War God added as the second to respond. "Children who are not yet of age to train rarely come to us for healing." Well, there¡¯s no data here. All eyes in the venue then turned to an official of the Spring Goddess: "As a goddess, the teachings of the Spring Goddess naturally include ¡¯protecting mothers, infants, and families.¡¯ Correspondingly, her divine magic involves more healing, purification, and disease removal than others." The official adjusted the end of his belt and hesitantly said: "Generally speaking, children who frequently require divine healing from a young age seldom become high-ranking warriors. But, perhaps they were inherently frail?" Being frail = lack of potential = at least unlikely to achieve much on the path of a warrior, this explanation made sense... "Agreed." Agreement was voiced unevenly. The moderator seized the opportunity, banging the gavel: "So, among those receiving relief, the implementation of mandatory vaccination, funded by the government, is there any opposition?" No one opposed. The cost for 40,000 people was just four thousand gold coins, a drop in the bucket compared to eight or nine hundred thousand, or even eighty or ninety thousand gold coins. Even if the nobles didn¡¯t contribute, it was an easy burden for the city¡¯s wealthy to share: Just skipping a few fancy meals or buying two fewer outfits, it¡¯s not a burden. And honestly, the destitute also have value. The gentlemen could see clearly, establishing a poor relief system, supporting these destitute people, besides adhering to divine teachings, soothing the poor, and increasing social stability, also had practical value: Those living in the poorhouses had to work tirelessly every day. Even children aged six or seven had to sort thread ends and weave ropes suitable for cable making, doing whatever tasks they could; Those receiving external relief couldn¡¯t get enough to eat with just that ration. To receive relief, they had to follow the directions of the poorhouse and work in the most exhausting and laborious jobs in workshops and shops to earn their keep; At worst, these destitute people could still have children! Once grown, the children could work in factories, join the military, or even go to the New World to claim territory! Population is an important resource for society! Compared to that, throwing in another silver coin per person as a one-time expense to ensure the previous annual silver coin didn¡¯t go to waste was not a loss! "Next, mandatory free vaccination for infants born this year, any objections?" This too met no opposition. An infant¡¯s death from smallpox meant a mother had to give birth again, occupying a fertile woman¡¯s labor for a year¡ªlabor value far exceeding one silver coin. Not to mention the current high maternal mortality rate... After all, only a few thousand infants were born in Nevis City each year, a matter of a few hundred gold coins, affordable. "For those workers in close contact with the public, potentially spreading smallpox¡ªsuch as coachmen, porters, restaurant servants, laundry women, tailors, garment and blanket factory workers¡ªmandatory vaccination, any objections?" Silence filled the hall. Garrett looked around, understanding the gentlemen¡¯s mindset clearly: these workers were most likely to spread disease, and for their own safety, it was best not to oppose... Well, immediate city-wide mandatory vaccination was not very feasible. Mandatory vaccination for specific groups, covering the most necessary protection, the plan was through! Garrett gave himself a mental thumbs up. Seeing the moustached city official finish speaking, he raised his hand and added: "Also, for those setting off for the New World, they should be vaccinated against cowpox before boarding. Any objections?" Those natives in the New World had the worst resistance! Sending over one smallpox patient by bad luck could wipe out a settlement!" Garrett felt he was far-sighted and made a lot of sense. Unexpectedly, Master Grom beside him coughed and said: "Master Nordmark, this kind of thing doesn¡¯t need to be discussed at the conference..." Garrett: ??? --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 483: Blood Anticoagulation, Let’s Try Magic! Chapter 483: Blood Anticoagulation, Let¡¯s Try Magic! ¡¾Viper¡¿ Aresol found that the messages opposing, mocking, and attacking the cowpox vaccination had suddenly disappeared. They were no longer published in the newspapers. The minstrels no longer sang about them. As he was playing cards in the tavern and venting about it, someone actually retorted him! "Who needs eight or nine hundred thousand gold coins? At most ten thousand! It¡¯s said that the gentlemen at the hearing donated half on the spot, we only need to share five thousand!" "Those poor who are on relief, compulsory vaccination is only right, isn¡¯t it? It also saves us from getting infected!" "All employees are vaccinated, and the city hall issues a certificate plaque! ¡ªI have already had all the carpet workers vaccinated. With this plaque, I can proudly shout, buy our carpets, don¡¯t worry about getting infected!" What happened? How did the wind suddenly change overnight? Mr. Aresol inquired and inquired, and finally figured out what happened. It turns out, after the city hall quietly spread the word, the nobles and wealthy merchants who didn¡¯t want to pay taxes created public opinion, and after the final hearing, multiple forces reached a satisfactory compromise: 1. Temporary halt on mandatory vaccinations for all, shifting to mandatory vaccinations for certain key groups. 2. Abolition of the special vaccination tax, replaced by a one-time special tax for poverty relief, and the shortfall to be met through donations. 3. Price reduction, encouraging the general populace to pay for vaccinations themselves, with the city hall giving preference to those who have been vaccinated in hiring temporary employees and procuring services. 4. ... All the previous efforts were in vain... Mr. Viper was a bit annoyed. Luckily, he was just playing an idle game of chess; he hadn¡¯t expected to make a killing from the cowpox incident. Let bygones be bygones, then¡ªjust look for another opportunity¡ª Speaking of which, where did the target go? Garrett was still at the peak of Igor Peak. Archmage Grom had taken him to the city hall, then brought him back to the mountain top, not letting him out of sight for even a step. In fact, as long as the Thunder Tower didn¡¯t come calling for him, they intended to keep him in the pyramid in the Black Crow Swamp and not let him leave! Garrett settled into this situation. This mage tower, named the Tower of the Sleepless, was cold and dark, an uncomfortable place to live, but it had one advantage: abundant resources. Since he had been left here, it would be a waste not to make use of the resources of the Tower of the Sleepless. Garrett boldly asked the Archmage: "What? You want human blood? ¡ªWhat do you need human blood for?" "I¡¯m developing a magic!" Garrett declared boldly: "Transfusing blood is always such a hassle, having to cross-match every time. If there was a spell that could just be cast to figure out the blood type, that would be great!" "Wait... first explain what a blood type is?" "Ummm... just give me some human blood! Fresh, not much, find... four people, two milliliters each should do!" This was nothing for Archmage Grom, even one of his students could easily procure it. What is most abundant in the Black Crow Swamp? First, corpses; second, naturally, fresh blood! At Archmage Grom¡¯s command, in less than ten minutes, a necromancer came holding a tray with four syringes full of fresh blood. He set it in front of Garrett, turned around, and leaned against the wall, refusing to leave. Garrett: "..." Fine! Blood type isn¡¯t some great mystery anyway, if you want to watch, watch. Later, during the experiment, when developing the magic, maybe I¡¯ll even need some strong men! He pretended not to see and didn¡¯t speak to chase them away. A minute later, another necromancer brought in a microscope, set it up properly, and also stood still against the wall. In the third minute, another necromancer brought the centrifuge Garrett had specified, and briskly entered. Next, one person brought test tubes, another brought straws, another brought saline, another brought a water bath. Two others had nothing else to bring, so they came in empty-handed and shamelessly leaned against the wall. Archmage Grom: "...... What are you all doing here?" You¡¯re not even my disciples! Not the disciples of my disciples! Coming in and not leaving, what are you trying to do? "What are you standing around for? Go help! Can you label? Can you stick tags on tubes?" It seemed Garrett was easygoing and wouldn¡¯t mind everyone joining in. Just right, let the youngsters lend a hand, get to know each other, Necromancers¡¯ robes fluttered, a crow-like flurry, instantly crowding the experiment table. Garrett gladly stepped back. Using the necromancers as labor, he took the boss¡¯s position, directing: "Don¡¯t rush, don¡¯t rush! Five plans, each person in charge of one, those in charge grab eight test tubes! You four, with the syringes, inject 2 milliliters of blood into each tube, make sure the names match the names on the tubes!" "Those providing anticoagulation plans, process the fresh blood in your hands... alright, line up for the centrifuge..." Another round of hustling followed. Centrifuging, separating serum and red blood cells, preparing red cell suspensions, cross-matching blood, and then, Garrett, looking at the test tubes in his hand, once again issued a wail: "This... they all clotted again! The anticoagulation isn¡¯t strong enough!" "This one turned into a mess! I mean, blood treated with negative energy can only be used in undead bodies, right? The cells have completely lost their vitality!" "This... this one didn¡¯t clot, but it all dissolved! This isn¡¯t right either! Let me do a microscopic examination to see if all the red cells burst..." "This... this..." "All unusable..." Archmage Grom was somewhat embarrassed. At the experiment table, the five magicians who provided anticoagulation plans stood in a row, each not knowing what to say¡ªtheir provided solutions had already covered the most common blood preservation methods of the necromancy school. To find something else, they would have to dig through old papers, oh no, the spell library of the council... Or... "Go ask someone from the medical school?" The first necromancer providing solutions involuntarily clenched his fist. Black powder trickled between his fingers. Garrett¡¯s gaze swept by, and he suddenly jumped up: "What is that in your hand?" "Spellcasting materials..." "What spellcasting materials?" Garrett crouched down, staring at the powder on the floor, almost sticking his face on it. The necromancer, looking at his black hair, subconsciously replied: "Mosquitoes..." "Why not use leeches?" "What?" "Why not use hirudins?!" Garrett¡¯s tone became increasingly fervent. Mosquito saliva contains anticoagulants, so using mosquitoes as casting materials is fine; but using leeches, or hirudins, is clearly better! Hirudin contained in leeches is a potent anticoagulant, often used clinically for anticoagulation and anti-thrombosis! "Try again! Please, try with leeches again!" Garrett grabbed the test tubes, swiftly prepared the samples. A row of four, each with two milliliters, filled them up, pushed them forward full of hope: "Please, let¡¯s do this again!" Just not sure if using hirudin for anticoagulation might overdo it, ending up unable to clot at all... If it really doesn¡¯t work, maybe they¡¯ll have to bring a blood clan member over to see if he can taste the different blood types... --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 485: Blood Transfusion Verification in Black Crow Swamp Garrett was ceaselessly bustling among the necromancers, gesticulating and issuing commands: "Keep the serum on top! Extend the red blood cells to the bottom! Don¡¯t suck the serum above into it!" "Don¡¯t skimp on the straws! Change them after using! Change one!" "First angle the straw into the test tube, then straighten it, dip it deep into the tube! Don¡¯t touch the tube walls! It¡¯s all wasted!" "Keep the water bath temperature at 37 degrees, the same as body temperature, but this is the blood of the dead, so 37 degrees might not be correct. Thus, get a few more water baths, adjust several temperatures!" It must be admitted that the hands-on ability of magicians has surpassed that of college students in the past world, and even those who have tinkered in a lab for a year as master¡¯s students. Among magicians, necromancers are particularly skilled¡ª The consensus in the field is that only those mages in the alchemy branch of the transmutation school can compete with them in operational skills. Even so, Garrett had many areas to personally supervise. Details are the devil, even a simple cross-matching blood test has seven or eight, maybe even a dozen details to pay attention to. Almost there, he could have missed it, maybe the results would be wrong... Garrett was stepping from one foot to the other, and finally, after the necromancers finished centrifugation, dilution, and had added red cell suspension to the serum, he couldn¡¯t wait to jump in and grab a syringe: "Give it to me! Give it to me! While the mixture needs to incubate in the water bath, give me one first, let me take a look under the microscope!" Ah, the blood was even darker than venous blood! Dark red, blackish red, the color, caught up with a blood clot! Drawn directly from the corpse¡¯s blood vessels! Still flowing! Woo woo woo, he must personally see what the red blood cells look like under the microscope! Garrett held his breath, dripped blood, pushed the slide, and stained. Adjusted the objective lens, adjusted the eyepiece... Couldn¡¯t see clearly. Er, the dye that can stain living red blood cells, couldn¡¯t stain the dead blood drawn from the corpse... Garrett hung his head in frustration, secretly deciding to check the papers after today¡¯s experiments to see if there were any experimental methods for observing the morphology of red blood cells in corpses. To his right, a bottle of liquid was already handed over: "Do you need dye? Or should we help you dye it? There¡¯s a knack to dyeing the blood of non-living creatures, it¡¯s not just about dropping the dye¡ª" Seeing Garrett¡¯s somewhat surprised look, the necromancer smiled: "Strange, isn¡¯t it? You¡¯ve been using the microscope for so long, seen so many bacteria for so long, of course, we also use it to look around! It¡¯s just that staining is more troublesome. If you had come a month later, the paper would have been published!" Since the paper was already written, Garrett didn¡¯t bother with drawing, just took a look to satisfy his curiosity. Hmm, many of the red blood cells still had shapes, hadn¡¯t burst. Perhaps the cross-matching blood test could work... After this series of operations, once the mixture had incubated long enough in the water bath, results began to emerge one after another: "This group won¡¯t work! All clotted!" "This group too!" "This group didn¡¯t work either! None clotted!" "This group..." About ten necromancers, each trying three different methods, all failed. They didn¡¯t look discouraged at all, quickly discussing and immediately starting a new round of experiments: "Forget the anticoagulation spells! After all, this blood, it¡¯s all been processed!" "Adjust the temperature again! Adjust several more groups, down to freezing!" "Increase the proportion of negative energy!" "Split half the people off to work with fresh blood! First, get 100 people to draw blood, compare, and see how many blood types there are!" As the experiment progressed to this step, Garrett simply handed over the leadership, sitting aside, watching the necromancers work. After two days of tinkering, the side using fresh blood first came through with cheers: "We did it! We did it!" "There are four types! Four different types of blood, each either clots with the others or one tube will clot! The same blood type, both tubes don¡¯t clot!" "Time to write a paper!" "Publish a big one! This time we must publish a big one!" "This time I¡¯ll at least get second authorship!¡ªResearch points! Contribution points! Rewards within the school!" "Finally can level up to a three-ring arcane mage!" "Let¡¯s try a transf usion!¡ªNo, Mr. Nordmark doesn¡¯t allow transfusions, then just mix a large amount of the same blood type, see if it clots!" Garrett leaned against the lab bench, watching the necromancers cheering and couldn¡¯t help but smile. Even if a bit thinner, skin a bit waxier, demeanor a bit gloomier, necromancers are still human, not skeletons. When they get excited, they¡¯re truly infectious. Plus, necromancers celebrate with double the excitement, double the joy¡ª Living people were responsible for shouting and cheering, running around with test tubes. Skeletons were responsible for waving their arms, jumping and flipping, doing handstands, taking off their own heads, tossing them back and forth... Aside from being unable to make noise, they made for an excellent atmosphere team, tireless, not crying out when they fell, perfectly filling in for the necromancers¡¯ lack of physical prowess. Garrett watched happily for a while, then returned his attention to the blood in front of him. This previous round of work was all preparation; his real goal was to develop a blood-testing magic. 100 samples, each one milliliter, all had been labeled by number. Someone had already sorted them into four piles according to blood type. Garrett casually grabbed a test tube, drew a drop of fresh blood, and cast ¡¾Determine Lineage¡¿¡ª Since his return to Thunder Horn, he had searched through the archives and found an advanced version. This casting, the magical feedback provided more information than the original version: The blood belonged to a human, male. Strength level, ordinary. That was it. That was it... Strange. Why could it identify the species but not the blood type? Garrett spread out paper and pen, began to write and draw. Module a, module b, module c, module d... During his trip to the Dwarf Kingdom, Garrett had based on ¡¾Determine Lineage¡¿ developed a blood oxygen monitoring magic, gaining some experience in dissecting this magic. Now, it was easy going. Back then, he had discovered that removing the feedback unit from this magic would yield many miscellaneous messages. And the feedback unit, in a sense, was combing through these messages, extracting a fixed few, interpreting them for the caster: For example, species: human, elf, orc, dwarf, half-breed, Garrett read from the spell data that it could even distinguish some magical beasts, even dragons; Gender: male, female (other species might have different genders); Strength level: commoner, then from level one to over ten levels, seemed all decipherable; Amazingly, this spell could even roughly distinguish whether one was a fighter or a caster... There must be more chaotic information it couldn¡¯t interpret, buried in the feedback! And among these messages, maybe one was about blood type? Meaning, I just need to find among all the information, the same spot that¡¯s exactly the same for one blood type, different for four types. Ideally, it would be in the same position in the stream of information¡ª So, all the work starts with recording information! Garrett clenched his fist, cheered himself on, and started drawing. 100 blood samples meant 100 pieces of chaotic information, needing to be recorded as accurately as possible. The more accurate the record, the easier the comparison, the greater the chance of finding what he wanted. Go for it, Garrett! He immersed himself wholeheartedly. The ¡¾Endless Ink Pen¡¿ fluttered up and down, leaving chaotic ink spots, circles, arcs, and various stripes on the paper. Large and small, thick and thin, like a child¡¯s scribblings. But of course, no one dared to underestimate these smudges. Observing necromancers saw him writing and drawing, even deliberately taking a roundabout way to avoid that side, not even the skeletons went there. Garrett buried himself in recording, not knowing the time, until he finally heard someone shouting nearby: "Master Nordmark!" "Master Nordmark!" "Garrett!" Garrett jolted, coming back to reality. Beside him, seemingly even drier than before, Master Grom, his dry, yellow face tinged with a layer of red, said excitedly: "The little guys did it! They successfully determined the blood type of the corpses!" "...Oh." Garrett blinked, showing a smile that met the archmage¡¯s expectations. So? So? What does it matter if this corpse, dead for ten or eight years, still had flowing blood, and its blood type was determined? I¡¯m a doctor! I don¡¯t want to become a forensic scientist! "After determining the blood type, they transfused the corpses with matching blood, and the blood didn¡¯t clot! And indeed, the vitality of the corpses increased!" Master Grom was excited beyond measure. Preserving corpses, maintaining corpse vitality, has always been a focal difficulty for the school of necromancy. Previously, everyone had tried transfusing living human blood into corpses, and most of it clotted, but now, Garrett¡¯s discovery had solved this problem! "Don¡¯t worry, this paper will be published under your name, you decide who gets second authorship! The results are all yours!" Master Grom took it all upon himself. Besides, to thank Garrett, he had also prepared an additional gesture: "I¡¯ve contacted the Temple of the War God, the city guards, the council¡¯s enforcement team, and several nearby military units. They all said, there hasn¡¯t been any military action recently, occasional training injuries, everyday healing power can handle it. But!" Without waiting for Garrett to inquire, he suddenly raised his voice: "I thought of a place that will definitely need transfusions!" "Where?" "Women in labor!¡ªDuring childbirth, they will definitely lose a lot of blood! We just need to bring those from the charity hospital and those receiving relief who are pregnant together in advance, and give them transfusions during childbirth to verify if the blood type theory is correct!" Garrett¡¯s eyes lit up. Seeing his agreement, the archmage thumped his chest even more resolutely: "If you agree, I¡¯ll apply for the project right now! Rest assured, the cost of supporting those pregnant women will come from the Black Crow Swamp account, it won¡¯t spend your funds!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 486: Garrett Entices the Assassin Blood transfusion for a woman in labor? Garrett blinked and considered the idea feasible. Indeed, many women in labor do need blood transfusions, and often they, or their families, simply cannot afford the cost of divine healing treatments¡ª In cases of real need, organizing community blood donations under the banner of medical aid, with the council (or the Black Crow Swamp) providing technical and financial support, even guaranteeing healing magic as a safety net, would be a rational approach to clinical research. However... Garrett turned hopefully to the Archmage: "Are you finally letting me go back to the clinic?" "Uh..." The Archmage choked up. Previously, he had brought Garrett to the Sleepless Tower under the pretext of "suspicious activities outside, Garrett needs to stay in a safer place." Now, before the suspect was even caught, to send him back to the hospital immediately¡ª The expert who could break through the Ice Wall spell might actually get close enough to kill Garrett! There¡¯s only so long you can be a thief; you can¡¯t always be on guard. Archmage Grom hesitated and proposed a plan he had long considered: "Garrett, how about we lure him out?" "How do we lure him?" Garrett was clueless. The last spy¡ªthe Level 7 assassin he had dissected himself¡ªwasn¡¯t his catch either. Garrett still didn¡¯t understand what had driven the assassin to enter his bacteriology lab. He only knew one thing: "We can¡¯t use my hospital as bait! The doctors, nurses, and patients could all get hurt!" "We definitely won¡¯t set an ambush at the hospital!" the Archmage rolled his eyes. After the vandalism incident that day, he had personally inspected the hospital, and the defensive facilities were practically useless. Could those things even work?! A Level 4 professional couldn¡¯t even detect it; it was barely a precaution, requiring constant monitoring and manual spellcasting; An Ice Wall spell trap wouldn¡¯t necessarily cover a person unless under special circumstances; A few magic circles might maintain order, but would hardly stop a Level 5 knight... According to the Archmage, the entire hospital¡¯s defenses were less effective than Garrett¡¯s Silver Moon Deer. "How about this. We find a busy event and have you attend for several days in a row? If that expert is targeting you, he will definitely seize the opportunity..." "Wouldn¡¯t a busy event harm innocent bystanders?" Garrett hesitated. The Archmage was prepared for this question and waved it off grandly: "Don¡¯t worry about that. It definitely won¡¯t be a place with many civilians. Going there doesn¡¯t suit your status, and no one with intent will believe it¡ªwe¡¯ll find a place with wealthy people but low density!" The venue Archmage Grom found was the Nevis City Triennial Expo, organized by the Magic Council and co-hosted by various nobles and merchants. Its main purpose was to showcase local specialties and new products from the Magic Council to facilitate trade. "So it¡¯s like the World Expo?" Garrett muttered to himself. He quickly flipped through the brochure handed to him by the Archmage and found that the expo did indeed resemble the World¡¯s Fair. However, the first half-month of the Nevis City Expo wasn¡¯t open to the public. Only exhibitors and people with a certain level of assets received invitations. Naturally, a mage could get an invitation anytime. This meant the expo would not be overly crowded. Even if they lured the malevolent individual out, the security wouldn¡¯t be too overwhelmed. "And it looks like there are quite a few interesting things..." Garrett murmured. Every time, the expo attracted navigators, naturalists, and shipowners returning from the New World, displaying all sorts of curious and exotic items. Animals, plants, minerals, gems, fossils... Browsing around might even uncover some useful items. Plus, he could do some shopping with Seraina. After being dragged to the Mage Tower for several days, he hadn¡¯t seen her; surely the Silver Dragon Miss wouldn¡¯t have run out of patience by now? Five days later, on the day of the opening ceremony, Garrett, Seraina, and Bernard rode the Silver Moon Deer to the event. As they approached the entrance, Seraina exclaimed softly: "It¡¯s huge!" The expo was not held in the city center but was situated at the edge of the city, nearly extending to the Whiton Magic Academy. Conjurers summoned earth elementals to level the ground, transmuters summoned golems to construct frameworks, and devotees of the God of Nature accelerated plant growth, creating lush, green walls for the venue. Seraina cast an Eagle Eye spell, and the magical screen showed an aerial view of the venue, resembling a vibrant green flower: Five independent pavilions spread out like petals in different directions. Industrial, Agricultural, Museum, Arts, and Magic pavilions each occupied a section. A circular pathway connected the center of the petals, dotted with numerous white canopies. Clearly, the dining and banquet areas were centrally located, allowing visitors to stroll and snack after visiting a pavilion. At the opening ceremony site, two flagpoles stood on either side, with the flags of participating nations fluttering high. The Kingdom of Kent, the Dwarf Kingdom, the Barbarian Kingdom¡ªif the tribal alliance of barbarians could be considered a nation, and the distant Orc Kingdom. Of course, Garrett suspected that the Orc Kingdom¡¯s participation was not on a national level but rather a group of merchants who were trading here under the kingdom¡¯s flag. As soon as the opening ceremony concluded, Seraina pulled Garrett, eager to dive in. Almost immediately, the Silver Dragon Miss, unaccustomed to the industrial society, was overwhelmed: "Wow! An organ two stories high! Garrett, can I play it?" "Don¡¯t break it..." The sound of the organ was magnificent! Playing it poorly could embarrass us in the entire hall! "Wow! A mirror this big on the wall! Hahaha, and there are all sorts of curved mirrors next to it! Look, Garrett, I got fat! Then thin! Fat again! Thin again! And so short!" "It¡¯s just a funhouse mirror... Come on, let¡¯s go. If you really want one, I¡¯ll order a bunch when we get back, and you can look at yourself all you want at home..." Well, he couldn¡¯t afford it, but he didn¡¯t need to. If Seraina really wanted one, he¡¯d just need to produce glucose silver mirrors later, probably enough to trade for countless mirrors... "Wow! A three-story high crystal fountain! All made of crystal! So shiny! I really want to take it home!" "That should be crystal glass..." Garrett sighed. Even so, to be so transparent and clear, the craftsmanship of crystal glass was indeed strong. Swarovski? As he recalled, their optical glass was also top-notch; maybe he could place an order later... "Wow! That crystal chandelier has thousands of crystals, doesn¡¯t it... When lit, it¡¯s so beautiful... so beautiful... like countless rainbow-colored stars... I really want to hang one like this at home, it would be absolutely beautiful..." Seraina looked up at the crystal chandelier overhead, unable to move a step further. Silver dragons have no resistance to beautiful, shiny objects, especially when a chandelier is both beautiful and sparkling, hitting all her cute spots. Garrett tried to drag her away, to no avail; tried to persuade her to look at the next exhibit, but the Silver Dragon Miss seemed not to hear at all. As the crowd around the crystal chandelier thinned, and more people began watching the elf lady, he whispered: "I have a smaller one in my villa, if you want, we can take it down..." The industrial pavilion was about two hundred meters long and one hundred meters wide, surrounded by a ten-meter-wide, two-story gallery. The exhibits in the pavilion were divided into machinery, instruments, chemicals, textiles, metals, glass, musical instruments, and many other categories, easily numbering over a thousand. Seraina lingered, spending a full day inside, especially fascinated by the glassware, precious metals, and gems. Garrett, tempered by modern industry, wasn¡¯t easily impressed, but he found the expo quite interesting: Especially those life-sized golden clocks, two-meter-high crystal candlesticks, and intricate tapestries large enough to cover a wall... Fully embodying the aesthetic of "big is beautiful," "expensive is beautiful," "piling up gold and gems is beautiful." Simple and crude, but undeniably, this kind of beauty strikes straight to the soul. After wandering dazedly for a day, they set off on time the next day, riding the Silver Moon Deer through the streets and entering the Agricultural Pavilion. The exhibitors here were mostly the surrounding farms and lords from further afield: The village with particularly excellent cheese, the farm with especially high milk-producing cows, the place with pumpkins over half a person tall... Even a side hall was filled with the scent of wine and bustling with people. Garrett inquired and learned it was a union of hundreds of vineyards from across the kingdom and even from nobles across the sea, currently grading wines. Judging from their tone, they seemed intent on identifying a batch of top-tier vineyards¡ªfirst, second, and third-tier vineyards, with future wine pricing based on these grades. Wine tasting wasn¡¯t Garrett¡¯s forte. As for his companions, Bernard was only good for guzzling, and Seraina¡ªif the Silver Dragon Miss got drunk, who knew what might happen... Garrett dragged them out of the Agricultural Pavilion, talking them into moving to the neighboring Museum Pavilion. After passing two display tables, he spotted a large crowd nearby, clamoring: "Mr. Otto, come see what this is!" "Everyone, calm down, let Mr. Otto identify it! He¡¯s a renowned naturalist!" .bg-container-10448869e4d{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } .bg-ssp-10448{margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;display:flex;justify-content:center;} .bg-container-10448f61e68{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } .bg-container-10448222eb6{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } Something unfamiliar? Garrett¡¯s curiosity piqued, he cautiously approached. Across the display table, the naturalist with slightly graying temples and thin lips looked up, locking eyes with Garrett, his keen gaze shining brightly. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 487: Mr. Viper Strikes Successfully! Across the display table, Garrett looked towards Ares, and Ares looked back at Garrett. Their eyes met for a moment before Mr. Ares first averted his gaze. Pretending as if nothing had happened, he turned towards the display table and picked up a leaf, examining it back and forth: ¡°Ah... this leaf, its shape is somewhat similar to a tea leaf... Look everyone, it is oval-shaped, with a blunt round top and smooth edges, and it feels quite thin.¡± As he spoke, he showed the leaf to the people nearby, fulfilling his duty as a naturalist. After displaying it around, he continued describing: ¡°However, the color of this leaf is different from that of tea leaves. What we see is a dried leaf, dark green on the front and dark gray on the back, which is quite different from tea leaves. Now, let¡¯s taste it...¡± He glanced at the stall owner for permission, then tore off a small piece of the leaf and put it in his mouth. Chewing it repeatedly for a while, he exaggeratedly sighed: ¡°Wow! It was quite bitter at first, or rather very bitter. But now, I feel extremely delighted, full of energy, as if I could do anything~~~ Congratulations, sir, you have discovered a miraculous plant!¡± Garrett¡¯s expression changed. He pulled on Serrala and retreated into the crowd. Mr. Viper was slightly startled, maintaining a smile, pretending as if he noticed nothing. Garrett looked around for a while, then found a duty-bound mage and pointed at the stall, saying something. Soon, someone approached the stall owner and took away all the display items. Garrett watched from a distance until the stall was cleared, then he breathed a sigh of relief and walked away. ¡¾Viper¡¿Ares kept an eye on him with his peripheral vision. Seeing this, he also relaxed slightly: It seemed that the leaf on the stall had alarmed the target, and it had nothing to do with him... Seeing the target leave, Mr. Viper casually chatted for a few moments and then excused himself to go to the restroom, hurrying away. Follow him, follow him! Don¡¯t let him escape! ¡¾Viper¡¿Ares had been tracking Garrett for many days. To no avail. Garrett, that guy, just holed up at the peak and wouldn¡¯t come down... The top of Igor Peak was such a place, surrounded by eight mage towers around the central Tower of Heaven, all shrouded in mystic locks. Even if the Pope wanted to attack, he would have to bring the entire Knights, the Tribunal, and all the powerful forces from the church, or else he might not be able to return. Mr. Ares weighed his options. Even if he disguised himself to infiltrate, he couldn¡¯t manage it¡ªthe mystic lock was too fierce. No choice but to exercise extreme patience, squatting at the doors of the mage towers and the hospital, watching people go in and out daily, hoping for the day Garrett would return. Finally, he was summoned for a hearing, and Garrett was dragged out once, without spending a night at the foot of the mountain, and poof, he was gone again! Mr. Ares was even planning to cause some trouble elsewhere, fake a death to get the authorities to lower their guard. While still planning, he looked up one day, to his great joy: Garrett came out! He came out to browse the exhibition on the first day, and again on the second day. On the third day, Mr. Ares dressed himself up as a naturalist and also went to the exhibition. Luckily, he actually encountered the target! And the target was quite easy to find. After Mr. Ares moved out of the crowd, he didn¡¯t have to work too hard to find the target in another group of people¡ª Not for any other reason but the barbarian¡¯s height, which was simply too conspicuous! Since he had found him, Mr. Viper was neither hurried nor slow. He leisurely looked through the display tables while stealthily observing the target: Alright, he really came to play with a lady. The target was accompanying an elf lady, laughing and looking at the exhibits together. Three parts of his attention were on the exhibits, but seven parts were actually on the elf lady. Assured that they had no intention of leaving, Mr. Viper slowed his pace, wandering far around the target. The distance was always maintained at about 10 meters. Hmm, this distance, if it really came down to having to make a move, a sprint would suffice. Of course, it would still be better not to make a move here, even just outside the venue would be more convenient for escape... Mr. Viper secretly plotted, scanning around with his peripheral vision, looking for an opportunity to act: The venue was not very crowded, as in the 3-meter wide and 20-meter long corridor in front of him, sparsely populated with only about a dozen visitors. The entire exhibition hall combined had no more than two or three hundred people. With such a density of people, approaching the target rashly would definitely arouse suspicion. It would be best to create some chaos somewhere, to facilitate his quick approach, a kill, and then escape with the crowd... Who would be convenient to target? The fat gentleman at the booth to the left? The lady on the right, dragging a bright red skirt? Or the pair of little siblings, bouncing around, playing ball, and frolicking? Ah, the target is nearing the entrance of the exhibition hall, quickly follow him! From the museum entrance leading to the inner circle, on each side, left and right, stood two significant exhibits. Two groups of people surrounded the exhibits, each forming a circle, blocking the entrance to just a crack. On the left was a long green dress. From a distance, it looked moist like jade, but up close, it was made up of extremely tiny sequins, each no larger than half a fingernail. Densely packed, more than millions. Numerous white orbs, large and small, floated around the long dress. With a slight change in angle, the dress immediately flowed with a rainbow-like luster. Unstable, its splendor unmatched. Upon seeing that dress, the elf lady immediately exclaimed and pulled the target over: ¡°Garrett! This dress is so beautiful! What is it made of? Can I try it on?¡± ¡°Uh... I don¡¯t know...¡± Garrett stammered. To Mr. Viper¡¯s ears, even his voice slowed by a beat, clearly racking his brains: ¡°Trying it on might not be possible; this is an exhibit and can¡¯t be taken down... If you like it, I¡¯ll inquire later about who owns it...¡± ¡°I really want to wear it... or at least touch it...¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go... there are still many exhibits we haven¡¯t seen yet!¡± ¡°Woo... let me look a bit longer...¡± Mr. Viper couldn¡¯t help but smile. Sure enough, any beautiful girl couldn¡¯t resist the charm of that dress. Although the elf lady was quite capable, all her attention was on the dress, not giving even a corner of her eye to the target¡ª As for the barbarian bodyguard, he was diligently following behind, but his attention was not on the target. He frequently turned back, looking towards the opposite entrance, at another exhibit: A giant beast¡¯s skeleton. Strictly speaking, it was a giant snake. It¡¯s hard to say what level of magical beast it was in life, with its lower body coiled up, just the upright upper half was at least as tall as two people. The giant snake¡¯s head hung low, its empty eye sockets staring at the exhibition hall, making everyone who saw it shiver. On both sides of its spine hung a pair of ribs, as if it had a pair of magnificent wings in front of it. The barbarian guard¡¯s weapon, a giant bone club, according to the church¡¯s records, probably contained a beast soul. Seeing such a fierce beast, no wonder he couldn¡¯t move his feet... The elf lady and the barbarian guard, one looking at the long dress, the other at the beast bone. Mr. Viper coldly watched, the target bored, glancing here and there, attracted by something, slowly walking away. Good opportunity! Mr. Viper was pleased. As a 12th level assassin, to say he couldn¡¯t beat two 8th level warriors, of course, would be an understatement. But to assassinate in enemy territory, one must kill with one blow, escaping thousands of miles away. Being able to get the job done without anyone noticing, that was the safest method, allowing him to quietly escape before the enemy was alerted. Two 8th level warriors, even just one, blocking and entangling for a moment, would make too much noise and attract the attention of others. The target walking away by himself was perfect! Garrett walked around the snake skeleton for a large half-circle, and Mr. Viper followed at a neither far nor close distance, alternating between moving fast and slow, irregular in his movements, only occasionally using his peripheral vision to ensure the target was still there. And behind Mr. Viper, five or six low-level mages silently spread into a large circle. Either looking down at the exhibits, chatting with friends, or holding a small mirror to meticulously inspect themselves¡ª Every minute or half a minute, they turned their heads towards the giant snake skeleton, quietly casting a ¡¾Detection Magic¡¿. In the mind-link, dense information silently echoed. ¡°Watch that man with black hair and a brown short coat! He doesn¡¯t reflect light!¡± ¡°He moved to the right! Attention! Among all the people here, only he doesn¡¯t reflect light! Conservatively estimated , he¡¯s a master above level 10!¡± ¡°Target moved to 33, 28!¡± ¡°Capture team, be cautious, don¡¯t look at him, don¡¯t alert him!¡± ¡°Protective subject moved to 19, 17! Get ready to act!¡± ¡°3, 2, 1!¡± ¡°Help!¡± Near the side door, suddenly a scream exploded. Mr. Viper looked towards the sound, just to see a bundle of bright red silk falling to the ground, probably a lady suddenly fainting, with chaotic footsteps around, people continuously running over. And the target, without thinking, turned direction and rushed towards the crowd¡ª Previous information showed that the target had a gentle nature, putting all his thoughts on healing and saving people. Wherever someone was injured, fell ill, or was in danger, wherever an epidemic spread, he would rush there without thinking. Mr. Viper had no doubts, quickly stepped forward, squeezing into the crowd. To avoid exposure, he specifically chose a different direction from the target, entering the first layer and then moving sideways. This naturally delayed him quite a bit. By the time he squeezed into the center of the crowd, he saw the lady lying on the ground, her skirt spread out, the smell of blood overpowering. The target was half-kneeling by her side, just retracting his hand¡ª Specks of white light, silent and scattering. From the scale, it seemed to be a Healing Serious Wounds spell, just about the highest level of divine magic the target could cast. Good opportunity! With his back towards him, just after casting a spell, this was when a healer was most off-guard, and his ability to resist was lowest! His two protectors, the elf lady and the barbarian warrior, were not by his side! Mr. Viper pretended to be concerned, also bending down, looking over Garrett¡¯s head towards the fallen woman. While inspecting, he muttered: ¡°What happened? What¡¯s going on? Do you need help? I have smelling salts here, do you want some?¡± As he spoke, his right hand hung down, slightly shaking. A slender, sharp, and non-reflective dark black dagger slid from his sleeve into his palm. As Mr. Viper¡¯s right hand hung down, the dagger silently slid in from the right side of Garrett¡¯s lower back, slantingly piercing in. ¡°Click¡± a soft sound, as if something was pierced, perhaps a mage¡¯s armor. However, for this dagger with anti-magic abilities, mere mage armor couldn¡¯t pose any obstacle. A strike was successful, sinking deep to the hilt. .bg-container-10448869e4d{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } .bg-ssp-10448{margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;display:flex;justify-content:center;} .bg-container-10448f61e68{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } .bg-container-10448222eb6{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } Kidney shot! Perfect! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 488: Mr. Viper: So what did I actually stab? Chapter 488: Mr. Viper: So what did I actually stab? With a successful strike, Mr. Arezzo was a mix of shock and joy. He was happy that he had completed the mission so smoothly and apparently without alerting anyone, ready to make his getaway. But he was shocked too. Could it really have gone this smoothly? Given how the Magic Council prioritized the target, besides the original two bodyguards, was he only protected by his magical shield? If not for the dagger piercing through two layers of magical shields¡ªthe second layer of about third-tier strength, likely activated automatically once the first was breached¡ªhe would have doubted whether the target was someone else in disguise! The target remained rigidly kneeling, silent and unmoving. The person he struck in the back would be in too much pain to scream or fight back for a short time, an ideal spot for an assassin. The dagger was thin, not even enough blood to notice, any blood that was there was masked by the bloody smell from the ground. Mr. Viper looked around carefully, listening intently, seeing no one alerted, he pulled back his dagger¡ª It didn¡¯t budge! Stuck? How? The spot he struck was precisely right, it couldn¡¯t have lodged in the bone! Nor could it be the magical shield, as his dagger had an anti-magic effect, which meant it could be drawn out as easily as it went in. An activated magical shield wouldn¡¯t just change its properties like that... So what was going on? What was trapping his dagger? Mr. Arezzo had no time to examine it closely, he let go of the dagger and swiftly retreated. A weapon was just a tool; losing it was acceptable, delaying escape for a dagger and risking his life would be foolish. Run, quickly run! Even while fleeing through the crowd, he had to be careful not to slip into the throng, to avoid drawing attention. Mr. Arezzo¡¯s body slightly lowered, he sidestepped, stepping lightly, his body slightly angled. Just as he was about to push off, a hard, smooth, yet not too cold chain, silently wrapped around his palm. What was that? Mr. Viper didn¡¯t look down, just glanced with the corner of his eye. In an instant, his heart skipped a beat: The target of his dagger wasn¡¯t the previously locked-on target, but a skeleton! The bones were dense, dark gold in color¡ªclearly high quality and troublesome... Moreover, it was a skeleton that could disassemble into pieces, each part transforming individually. At this moment, the skeleton¡¯s hands clutched the dagger, arms turning into chains, wrapping around his right arm; Front and back, 12 pairs of ribs symmetrically splayed open, rushing towards him, as if to clamp around his upper body and arms; The pelvis fell to the ground, with legs and feet already circling his shins, closing behind... The only idle part was the head, rolling around on the ground, tilting back, its dark hollow eyes looking straight at him. The jawbone moved up and down, the rows of snow-white teeth clacking, as if issuing commands to the body parts, or mockingly laughing at him. ¡¾Viper¡¿Arezzo: !!! I was stabbing the target! Not a skeleton! I had locked onto the target¡¯s mental strength, when they were chewing leaves behind the booth, when the target walked away coiling around the snake bones, and right before I struck, I had checked each time! How could it turn into a skeleton in the blink of an eye! Wait, did the target switch, or am I in an illusion? If it¡¯s an illusion, I can¡¯t just run; I need to mobilize mental strength to dispel the illusion. Otherwise, I¡¯ll be diving right into their trap... ¡¾Viper¡¿Arezzo, having ventured far and wide, carrying out numerous stealth, reconnaissance, and assassination missions, was also very familiar with dispelling illusions. He did not panic but bit his tongue sharply to clear his mind. His left thumb hooked under a ring on the inside of his middle finger, pressing it. The gem on the ring, now facing the palm, suddenly burst forth a clear light, enveloping his entire body¡ª Break the illusion! Reveal the truth! But the extra reality did not materialize. The arm bones wrapped around as they should, the ribs clamped him as they should, the leg bones firmly locked around his knees as they should. To add insult to injury, a swath of red light, with golden threads sparkling, brilliance overflowing, descended. It was from the lady who had fallen to the ground, her bright red skirt suddenly enlarged tenfold, enveloping both Mr. Viper and the dark gold skeleton. And the lady herself shrank down, stepping out of her dress. Dressed in a tight combat suit, wielding dual daggers, she lunged fearlessly. Beneath the red light, Mr. V iper glanced up only to see the lady¡¯s expression blank, her black pupils motionless. Occasionally, a cat-eye-shaped arc of light passed over her rounded pupils, made of gemstones. !!! A puppet! It was a puppet! The rescued was also fake! That blood was deliberately spilled to trick me! So, that ¡¾Healing Serious Wounds¡¿ divine magic, was it cast by someone else to let down my guard? What a luxury, to cast this divine magic at close range, even though the skeleton wasn¡¯t hurt, this skeleton must be high-tier! A skeleton and a puppet, both with combat abilities of level 10 or above, teaming up against me... There must be at least two high-ranking mages behind this! Two high-ranking mages from different schools, hidden somewhere! ¡¾Viper¡¿Arezzo shuddered. Without another thought, he unleashed a burst of darkness, enveloping the entire area¡ªa supernatural shadow of six to seven meters radius instantly fell, causing a sudden burst of terrified screams in the exhibition center. A good opportunity! Time to flee! Arezzo cast another spell, silently merging into the shadows. As a high-ranking assassin, he was very familiar with manipulating shadows, enough to slip through the shadow plane for several hundred meters, leaving the exhibition center. He couldn¡¯t go further; after all, he wasn¡¯t a professional caster. It should... be enough to escape¡ªright... Everything darkened, then brightened, followed by a blast of red light. The deep shadow magic was dispelled, and his shadow jump failed¡ªwho knows how many anti-teleportation spells were set up around, the dark gold skeleton still clinging tightly, the puppet swinging dual daggers charging at him. A bone cage rose from the ground, enclosing him along with the dark gold skeleton and the puppet. Then, a massive onslaught of spells rained down from all directions. A human paralyzing spell made Mr. Viper stiffen slightly. A sticky glob followed, ensnaring his entire body, as if he were trapped in a giant blob of glue. Spells like Feeblemind, Weakening Ray, Shadow Spray... Finally, Mr. Viper saw a huge hoof raised high, coming down towards his face. He knew no more. "Caught him!" "Good job!" "We did beautifully!" The mages high-fived in celebration. Their followers, knights, and warriors close at hand also beamed with joy: A high-ranking assassin! Level 10 or above! If he had slipped through their fingers, they would have had to go in themselves! Who knows how many would have been cut, how many limbs would have been lost at the scene, how many paths would have been cut short! Garrett took the most pats on the shoulder. The mages, especially the necromancers, crowded around him, each one giving him a pat: "Little Garrett, nicely done! Quick response!" "That control over the dark gold skeleton was superb!" "You haven¡¯t disappointed His Excellency the Immortal with this skeleton! Many young necromancers can¡¯t control a skeleton to this extent!" "The last move, breaking the skeleton into pieces to act separately, was really imaginative!" "The front was also very convincing... perfectly deceived the target..." After watching Mr. Viper chew the leaf, and when he withdrew from the crowd, Garrett slipped into the restroom, switching places with his dark gold skeleton. Disguises and all, the seasoned necromancers handled it, instantly completed, indistinguishably. In other words, what Mr. Viper saw later, Garrett walking away with the elf maiden looking at long dresses and coiling around snake bones, was already the dark gold skeleton, not him. It was only because the skeleton bore his master¡¯s mental imprint, and Master Grom had stuffed a magical device that amplified this imprint, that it had fooled Mr. Viper¡¯s senses, not giving away immediately. Using the vision of Arcane Eye, Garrett crouched upstairs, controlling the dark gold skeleton walking, turning its head, viewing exhibitions, being pulled along by the silver dragon maiden. The skeleton given by His Excellency the Immortal was of a high enough rank, controlled smoothly and effortlessly. A two-way communication device was buried in the skeleton¡¯s collar, allowing Garrett to hear the surrounding sounds, responding on-site, with the device transmitting his voice out. The transmission was slightly delayed, so Mr. Viper always felt the voice was a beat slow... Special operations came out to clean up the scene, calming the audience. Another group skillfully approached, packing up the limp, wide-eyed, drooling Mr. Viper, boxing him up, and carting him away¡ª A rare captive! A high-ranking assassin! Caught deep in the heart of Nevis City! This definitely called for a thorough interrogation to extract as much information as possible! Then, if magical means could convert him into their personnel, they would; if not, they would use him for experiments. High-ranking combat professionals were rare experimental material, to be cherished... Master Grom wasn¡¯t in a hurry, watching from the sidelines, letting the operations team transport the man. This operation, he owed quite a few favors, having dragged four great mages to assist: one from the transmutation school, one from the abjuration school, one from the illusion school, one from the divination school. ¡ªThe shaping school¡¯s Archmage Carlisle didn¡¯t count, that was little Garrett¡¯s kin, no favors needed there. Six great mages each with disciples and grandchildren, along with combat followers, had been ambushing in the venue for three days. This rare experimental material, after the interrogation, would first be used to repay debts... Of course, in the end, the experimental material would still end up in his hands. Whether broken or whole, as long as it was dead, it was useless to other schools. Left to the Black Crow Swamp, it could be dissected, used to make skeletons, every inch utilized. The School of Necromancy might become the greatest winner (not really) --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 489: Magic Version of a Sphygmomanometer! Chapter 489: Magic Version of a Sphygmomanometer! Catching a spy was a huge success! Having eliminated a thorn in his side, Garrett could happily continue exploring the booths. He pulled out a large amount of gold coins, purchased what amounted to half a ton of rubber balls (and arranged for a ton more for the following year), and bought a whole cartload of various plants and animals: Small clusters of white flowers, soft-leaved branches, and the gray bark peeled from the trees, which, according to locals, was used to treat swamp fever; Brightly colored frogs, from which extracts could be taken to cause paralysis or numbness; Fist-sized brown fruits, hard as wood, filled with a bunch of bean-shaped seeds; And the so-called "god flowers," capable of revolving around the sun, which had brown flower discs... Of course, in the end, Garrett asked the Archmage to inquire about the owner of a long skirt, wondering if Seraina could try it on¡ªif it fit, buying it would be ideal. When he asked what adorned the skirt, the seller readily answered: "Jewel beetles! Oh, they¡¯re a local type of insect, very beautiful, known as ¡¯the eyes of the rainbow.¡¯ This skirt is embellished with their elytra, said to be a princess¡¯s bridal gown, made by three hundred women over an entire year..." "Ah! Take it away! Take it away!" Miss Silver Dragon instinctively jumped back. Such beautiful decorations, made from insect carapaces! Those small, dirty things! Imagining wearing the skirt felt like having insects crawling all over her body¡ªshe was disgusted! Although she wasn¡¯t afraid of these creatures¡ªthey could hardly harm her, at most they would face her dragon¡¯s breath¡ªshe found it quite repulsive! She moved too quickly, even knocking over a tea tray in front of her, spilling tea all over the table. Seraina didn¡¯t care and turned to run away. Garrett apologized with a smile, his palms open. The seller, understanding, chuckled: "Ah, normal for a young lady¡ª" After shaking hands and exchanging contact details, promising to keep in touch, the exhibition visit ended. Instead of returning to the hospital, Garrett hurried to the Mage Tower: "Mr. Norwood! Mr. Norwood! I need your help!" Mr. Norwood popped his head out from the lab. This transmutation wizard had prospered under Garrett¡¯s guidance, successfully advancing to a fifth-level mage and was now ambitiously working toward the sixth level. Having spent nearly a year in the Mage Tower, his hair had lessened its graying, his back was straighter, his walk was brisker, and his voice louder. He looked at Garrett with bright, enthusiastic eyes: "Mr. Nordmark? What do you need?" His boss had called! A new project! Time to publish another paper! Mr. Nordmark was very generous; the topics he threw out were major, and he usually only listed himself as a corresponding author, sometimes not even that... "Look at these rubbers!" Garrett summoned two enhanced, oversized Mage Hands, clapping them together. He slapped his spatial bag, spilling out a handful of rubber balls: "Please help, treat these with sulfur to make airbags¡ªabout the size one can hold in a hand, connected to a tube, then to a long, thin air pouch..." Garrett described the basic structure of the traditional mercury sphygmomanometer¡¯s inflating part to Mr. Norwood. Mr. Norwood pinched a rubber ball and nodded: "I know, treated with sulfur, there was a paper on it in ¡¯The Philosopher¡¯s Stone.¡¯ Unfortunately, the results are bulky, and the long tubes and thin sheets are troublesome. We need to study more about what you need. When do you need it?" "The sooner, the better...uh..." Garrett¡¯s voice trailed off. Though not a materials scientist, he knew the four great pitfalls of biochemical environmental materials¡ªit wasn¡¯t something that could be achieved so easily. Researchers had to strive, and as the boss, he needed to be patient. Depending on a transmutation wizard with two apprentices to provide results the day after a request was made was expecting too much. "It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll do more tests myself." Mr. Norwood kindly took on the task: "Boss, is sulfur enough? Do we need anything else? How much sulfur should be added? How did you see the Archmages handle it? Does it require heating?" Garrett nearly ran away. When he was in the Dwarf Kingdom, he was the one who suggested ideas, and the transmutation Archmage handled them. He had observed the process¡ªit involved sulfur flying around, rubber balls flying around, being kneaded, fused, stretched by an invisible hand... And that was it. Then, all the spacers, seals, and various items Garrett needed were made. No concerns about temperature control or material proportions. Garrett had to figure it out himself. He counted off on his fingers: "Not just sulfur, all kinds of sulfur compounds are worth trying;" "The amount of sulfur...you can try anything from 1% to 40%, it seems like the rubber comes out different at different amounts;" "Temperature...you can soak it in a solution of sulfide at room temperature, or do hot vulcanization... I¡¯m not sure about the specific temperatures, but try in hot water, steam, hot air;" "You could also try adding something else, like the nitrocellulose I was working on recently..." Got it, the boss has ideas, unsure how to achieve them, and speaking of operational capability, that¡¯s even more out of the question. Mr. Norwood nodded, taking the sack of rubber, and unfolding a large sheet of drafting paper: "Let¡¯s check the papers first!" he called to his apprentices: "Angela, you check the papers! Barry, you go buy every rubber product on the market! Hurry!" The two apprentices responded. One dashed out of the Mage Tower, summoned a magical horse, and charged toward the trade hall of the White Tower; the other hurried to the Mage Tower¡¯s information hub to find Mr. MOSS and flip through the list of papers. Meanwhile, Mr. Norwood himself, his palms rough and calloused but no longer cracking, began to scratch his head: Oh, the combinations of different compounds, amounts, proportions, temperatures... how many could there be? At least a thousand? He wondered if the boss would agree to hiring more apprentices... No, the boss would definitely agree, he doesn¡¯t care about that. The real question is whether Mr. Lynn would agree, and if the Mage Tower¡¯s income could sustain it. You know, training a transmutation mage is purely a matter of piling up materials! Mr. Norwood rolled up his sleeves, started planning experiments, listing materials, organizing equipment, getting ready to work. Seraina, curious, followed him in, looking left and right. After a while, not understanding much, she turned back to ask Garrett: "Garrett, what are you having him do? What is this for?" She shook out the design schematics with a rustle. Garrett was up to something new again! Leaving himself in the hospital, spending so long at the mountain peak, he finally came up with something new! "This... oh, it¡¯s a blood pressure gauge." Garrett, fully engrossed, was dissecting a dog¡¯s chest wall and only glanced back after a while, somewhat absentmindedly throwing out a name before returning his attention to the surgery: All the blood samples were stored in the Tower of the Sleepless. He didn¡¯t want to draw blood one by one in his own Mage Tower, trying to match and test blood types, and then use [Bloodline Identification] to draw signal diagrams. He had no choice but to pick up the half-finished experiments from his time in the hospital: Creating a model of a dog¡¯s patent ductus arteriosus. Thanks to the Rabies Research Institute, the council had captured a bunch of rabid dogs, and naturally, a bunch of normal stray dogs as well. Garrett, as the hospital¡¯s owner and leading the project, easily borrowed two dogs to create animal models, no problem at all. Unfortunately, all the previous experiments had failed. Hopefully, this time would be successful. Garrett¡¯s hands steadily cut through the dog¡¯s skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscles, used a thoracotomy spreader to open the ribs, cut along the vagus nerve to open the upper end of the pericardium, exposing the pulmonary artery... Seraina stood by, hardly daring to breathe, consciously staying further away and donning a mask. After a while, seeing Garrett finish separating the two blood vessels and taking a break, she seized the moment to ask: "What is blood pressure?" "It¡¯s the pressure of the blood." Garrett pointed at the now exposed yellow dog¡¯s jugular vein, considering how long to cut it. At Seraina¡¯s question, he pointed at the cut-open mediastinal pleura already revealing the descending aorta: "When the heart beats, it puts a lot of pressure on the blood, shooting it into the arteries. The arteries then contract in segments to provide pressure to deliver the blood throughout the body. I¡¯m making this device to measure the pressure of the blood." Seraina conjured an Arcane Eye, focusing on the slightly pulsating blood vessel, her curiosity mixed with nervousness. Garrett pointed at that section of the artery: "If you insert a tube inside, connected to a vertical glass tube, you¡¯ll see the blood shooting up¡ªhow high it goes indicates how high the blood pressure is. But then you might need a glass tube two to three meters high..." Garrett¡¯s lips curled into a slight smile. A blood pressure of 130 millimeters of mercury is equivalent to 1767 millimeters of water column, or about 1.7 meters. If unfortunately, this patient¡¯s blood pressure went up to 230 millimeters of mercury, then the glass tube would need to be over 3 meters high. Such a tall glass tube, let alone the hassle¡ªtoo narrow, and just the capillary action might suck the blood up; too wide, like a tube 1 square centimeter in diameter, and a single surge could mean 170 to 300 milliliters of blood. All that blood shooting out, how would you stuff it back into the blood vessels? ...Speaking of which, that doctor who first measured animal blood pressure, he drew blood 270 centimeters high from a horse¡¯s carotid artery, did he ever get it back in? "If you don¡¯t want such a high glass tube, you¡¯d use a U-shaped tube, put mercury on the other end. But mercury is troublesome, highly toxic, it¡¯s best not to use invasive methods..." "Why not use magic then?" Garrett was taken aback. Seraina pointed at the pulsating blood vessel, her pale fingertip gently pressing down as if touching the gushing column of blood, feeling its pressure: "Can¡¯t you just insert a tube directly into the blood vessel, connect the other end to a magic array¡ªdisplaying the pressure directly through the magic array?" Garrett: ??? Well done, girl, you¡¯ve spontaneously come up with invasive blood pressure monitoring? That¡¯s not a bad idea, I¡¯ll ask around later if there¡¯s a magic array that directly displays pressure... --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 490: New Torture Device, Invasive Blood Pressure Monitor! Chapter 490: New Torture Device, Invasive Blood Pressure Monitor! "Magic arrays for measuring pressure? Of course, there are." Mage Norwood and Aurora replied in unison. After exchanging glances, Norwood gestured for Aurora to speak first: "Well, Aurora is the boss¡¯s first mage follower and his schoolmate. It¡¯s better he answers this kind of question¡ªshould there be a need for resources, it¡¯s more convenient to get them from their own." Seeing Norwood step back, Aurora, without hesitation, eagerly raised his hand, and a ¡¾Silent Phantom¡¿unfolded in the air, sketching out lines and curves: "You know, our Energy Shaping branch studies force fields... Since we¡¯re studying force fields, we definitely need to measure ¡¯force¡¯. That¡¯s the configuration for it¡ª" Just a single configuration, with its lines, planes, and three-dimensional structures, was complex enough to dizzy one. Aurora casually pulled up a force field wall at the far end of the dining hall wall. Magic missiles, wind blades, and fiery rays took turns hitting it. The force field wall immediately popped up with readings. "When making magic puppets or similar magical creations, this thing is also used. Etched onto a special magic plane, it displays the magnitude of the force." Mr. Norwood smoothly continued: "The alchemy workshop sells finished components, and I happen to have stockpiled a few here. If sir needs them, I¡¯ll bring them over after dinner." Having ready-made components is best. After dinner, a group gathered in Garrett¡¯s laboratory, watching him dismantle a syringe plunger, fill it with saline, and install the measured force field component on top of the syringe. He raised the dog¡¯s leg and inserted a needle¡ª "It¡¯s moving! It¡¯s moving!" The mages cheered: "There¡¯s really blood pressure!¡ªAh, it¡¯s changing!" Garrett carefully adjusted the dog¡¯s leg height, ensuring the component and the laboratory table dog¡¯s heart were at the same level. The magic array shot out a light screen, with lines and numbers fluctuating non-stop¡ª "Look, the highest number, that¡¯s the systolic pressure, and when it drops to the lowest, that¡¯s the diastolic pressure," Garrett explained to Seraina, pointing at the light screen: "As long as we find out the normal blood pressure values, then when someone is particularly irritated, dizzy, or when the weather suddenly turns cold, or a berserker rages, measuring the blood pressure will let us know by how much it¡¯s exceeded. Or if the measurement shows too low, it could likely be excessive blood loss..." "Fascinating! Let me try!" Seraina pulled out the syringe, cast a healing spell, and grabbed a sheep. Garrett quickly stopped her: "Wait! You can¡¯t mix use the needles! Change it!" "Eh, why not?" "...You inserted it wrong... this is a vein, not an artery..." "The angle of entry is wrong, you¡¯ve pierced through the vein..." "Too high! Lower it!" Garrett guided patiently. Watching Seraina finally succeed in inserting the needle, and happily observing the waveforms, he took the opportunity to explain to Anita Winvey, who followed anxiously: "Invasive blood pressure monitoring is a very useful clinical monitoring method. Since you¡¯ve chosen the path of a healer, you better learn it too. I¡¯ll write up some operating guidelines later¡ªSeraina, what are you doing?!" Miss Silver Dragon pulled out the syringe, changed the needle, and stabbed it into her left wrist! "I¡¯m measuring my blood pressure..." Seraina said innocently. Before she finished speaking, bright red blood surged out of the needle, spraying up to the top of the syringe... With a few sizzling sounds, the stainless steel needle, glass syringe, and the silver-etched magic array on top... All turned to ash, vanishing into thin air. Girl, don¡¯t you know how corrosive dragon blood is? "Uh..." Seraina sheepishly stuck out her tongue. Garrett couldn¡¯t bear to mourn for his invasive blood pressure monitor, rushed over to press down on Seraina¡¯s arm. One hand forcefully pressed to stop the bleeding, while the other hand conjured a healing spell, desperately pressing on the bleeding spot¡ª Anywhere else wouldn¡¯t matter much, but this was an artery! Even a small hole, just by bandaging, cannot stop the bleeding; pressure must be applied! Uh, although whether Silver Dragon, transformed into an elf, maintained dragon blood strength and what exactly the vascular structure was like, Garrett wasn¡¯t quite sure... As soon as the white light fell, it was shrugged off. Seraina¡¯s right thumb pressed against the middle of her left forearm, raised her arm, licked it back and forth twice. When she lowered her hand again, her wrist and arm were smooth and crystal clear, with no trace of blood, wounds, or subcutaneous bleeding. Garrett: "..." Alright, dragonkind, strong regenerative ability, capricious. "Sorry for breaking your stuff..." Seraina squatted on the ground, poking through the ashes to ensure there was nothing worth salvaging, her face full of guilt, she looked left and right, her wrist flicked in the air, and a few gems clinked and fell: "That, I¡¯ll compensate... let¡¯s make another one..." "...Forget it, that thing needed modifying anyway." Garrett rubbed his temples, taking Seraina back to the laboratory, and then called for Aurora: "Any way to change the readings? Convert the readings to millimeters of mercury, uh, that is, equivalent to how many millimeters of mercury column pressure? Add a few functions, like, recording the waveforms and numbers, maybe on a paper strip drawn out in real time?" Looking at these numbers is really annoying... If we don¡¯t change it to millimeters of mercury, or into pascals, it¡¯s completely unusable! The first request wasn¡¯t hard, just required some measurement and tuning of the magic array, which Aurora eagerly took on, claiming he could handle it. As for the engraving components, as long as they contributed some money, naturally, someone could do it. The latter wasn¡¯t so easy: "This real-time recording, I remember high-order tower spirits can do it... like Mr. Gregory, or the Tower of Heaven¡¯s tower spirit. Otherwise, ask MOSS?" "MOSS can." The tower spirit¡¯s monotone electronic voice timely interjected. But tower spirits can¡¯t be carried around everywhere. Garrett sighed, and Mr. Norwood timely asked: "Then... are we still making rubber?" Remember the order you placed for rubber before, it was for making this gadget. Now there¡¯s a new plan, do we still make rubber? After all, thousands of formulas, trying them one by one, is still pretty terrifying... "Make it." Garrett sighed: "Mr. Norwood, what I¡¯m making now is an invasive blood pressure monitor, which needs to be inserted into a person¡¯s artery; the one made with a rubber tube is a non-invasive blood pressure monitor, which doesn¡¯t need to make an incision on the body, and can still measure. If you were the patient, would you prefer an incision on your body, or would you prefer being wrapped with a rubber airbag?" That¡¯s decisively choosing the airbag! Mage Norwood suddenly realized, rolled up his sleeves and went to work. Garrett promised him that the rubber product and patent, nominally, would be his to own, the paper published by him, and half the income shared with him. That¡¯s 50%! Living in the boss¡¯s mage tower, spending the boss¡¯s budget, working on the boss¡¯s projects. Making something and still getting to split half the income! Where else could you find such a good boss? Garrett¡¯s development of the invasive blood pressure monitor went quite smoothly. Aurora spent three days recalibrating the mercury column pressure and comparing it with the readings on the magic array, tweaking the minutiae within the magic array. Adjusting here, adjusting there, Garrett used a water column test, and finally, the readings were accurate. Next was¡ª "Animal experiments are done, who to find for human experiments?" Garrett pondered. He had already tested it on himself: 110/78, quite healthy. But blood pressure is something that needs to be measured over a wide range, to establish a normal value range, one or two samples, even twenty or a couple hundred samples, are basically useless... The hospital? After being vandalized and robbed a while ago, the hospital business had recently become sparse again, back to a deserted state. The almshouse? To test the new instrument, just grab those poor people at the almshouse, poke each person¡¯s artery. Garrett felt, he couldn¡¯t do such a thing, better wait until Mr. Norwood¡¯s rubber was ready. While hesitating, Archmage Grom came to see him, overjoyed at the new type of blood pressure monitor. Without a word, he snatched up the blood pressure monitor along with the components, and even the magic array diagrams, grabbing a bunch to take with him... Three days later, beaming with joy, he came over to boast to Garrett: "Garrett! The thing you made is so useful! Remember the assassin we caught last time? Whether the content of his confession was true, everyone was skeptical, but once your thing was stuck on him, guess what, he wavered!" Garrett: ?? Wait, I didn¡¯t make a torture device! Even so, he was curious and followed Archmage Grom to see what was new. The high-level infiltrator caught by the council was always sent directly to the Tower of Heaven, suppressed by the magic array, and guarded by the tower spirit. The Enchantment and Illusion departments jointly interrogated, while the Prophecy department was responsible for verifying the answers... So, the whole scene was clean and not bloody. What Garrett saw was a thin man sitting on an iron chair, his whole body locked within a metal frame, with only half of his right arm exposed. The right hand spread open, a needle inserted near the wrist, fresh blood entering the syringe, numbers on the light screen fluctuating continuously. Facing him, an unknown mage sat upright, pointing at the light screen, intimidating the other: "Look, your blood pressure is rising... you¡¯re nervous! Being nervous means, the content of your confession just now, definitely isn¡¯t true!" Garrett: !!! Wait, this polygraph is too cruel! And continuously inserting like that, without heparin saline to rinse, the blood will quickly coagulate! What anticoagulant did you use? The Necromancer¡¯s anticoagulant magic? Also, relying solely on blood pressure, it¡¯s not accurate! He quietly retreated outside. Waiting for the interrogation mage to exit, he carefully suggested: "That, actually, using ECGs, blood pressure monitors, and brainwave monitors together, would make lie detection more efficient... only I don¡¯t have the data yet, still have to start from scratch..." --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 491: Scared before the neuroimaging? Chapter 491: Scared before the neuroimaging? The interrogation was conducted by Madam Alva, a thirteenth-level grand mage. She appeared to be middle-aged, slightly plump, with a round, kindly face that creased into fish-tail wrinkles when she smiled. Hearing Garrett¡¯s suggestion, she smiled slightly, her eyes curving up. She turned to face Garrett, looking genuinely interested: "So you are Mage Nordmark? I¡¯ve read your paper on electrocardiography; is it something similar with brainwaves?" She spoke slowly, with a sincere and amiable smile. After finishing her sentence, she gestured for Garrett to sit on a sofa, calling over students to bring cake, gingerbread, and hot milk tea... If it weren¡¯t for the fact that they had just come from an interrogation room, one might mistake the scene for a cozy bakery. Garrett sipped his milk tea and glanced back at the interrogation room, shuddering slightly. The reception room and the interrogation room were separated by just one wall, each visible to the other, yet the atmosphere was worlds apart: The interrogation room was cold and grim, with bare, smooth, hard-colored walls and ceilings like those in a surgery room; The reception room had light-yellow wallpaper and symmetrically hung warm-toned still life paintings. The plush velvet sofa was so soft that one would sink right into it upon sitting down, and the thick carpet was adorned with large, clustered flowers... Just one wall apart, looking back at the interrogation room was like looking from heaven into hell. And the prisoners, always looking towards the outside, were constantly subjected to temptation: Surrender, and with just one step, you could return to the human world... The person who arranged all this was no simple figure. Was it this lady? Enchantment mages really should not be underestimated... ¡ªOf course, according to the informal science (and mischief) from Archmage Carlisle, there are mainly two types of female enchantment mages: One type relies on beauty, the timeless enchantresses, winning everything with their looks (undeniably, appearance adds a significant bonus to enchantment magic); The other type relies on amiability, with a laughter and demeanor that puts others at ease, unknowingly lowering their guard. It must be said, in scenarios that require widespread publicity, communication, and persuasion, this type of mage is more effective than the former; Of course, there¡¯s also the less common but genuinely capable scholarly type. These mages don¡¯t rely on looks to charm, nor do they analyze people¡¯s words and colors to influence hearts. They dive deep into the structures of magic, devoted entirely to understanding the principles of enchantment magic. This type of mage either emerges as a non-entity or shakes the world when they do. The saying goes, "The gifts fate grants her come with a hidden price tag," and those who do not accept these gifts earn much more on their own merits. And Garrett, proposing the brainwave project, truly seeks to collaborate with these research-oriented mages: "Yes, based on my research, the brain produces waves when thinking, during emotional changes, and even in sleep. Recording different waveforms could greatly aid us in deciphering what the brain is thinking. But I..." Garrett spread his hands sincerely. Madam Alva nodded in understanding: "I see, too many good projects, not enough time to handle them all..." Her tone carried a hint of envy. This situation typically only arose with particularly promising mages: Young, low-ranked, and understaffed. Yet, full of inspiration, eager to delve into one research topic after spotting another, and capable of making intuitive leaps to different fields¡ª Regrettably, they¡¯re limited by energy and manpower, wanting to initiate numerous projects far beyond their capacity. "If you don¡¯t mind, we could collaborate and share first authorship¡ª" Madam Alva leaned forward, pushing a sugar bowl towards Garrett as an olive branch: "Or, if the project is sizable, perhaps we could co-author. Mr. Nordmark, would you be interested?" "That would be fantastic!" Garrett¡¯s eyes lit up. He was genuinely interested in brainwaves, though it was not his top priority. Having the chance to pass it off to another school was something he eagerly welcomed: "The considerations for brainwave research are..." "Hold on, hold on." Madam Alva clapped her hands amusedly: "How do we calculate the share of manpower and funding? How is the outcome divided? And, shouldn¡¯t we have a high-ranking mage here as a witness?" She glanced at Archmage Grom. A level-14 necromancer and a review committee member. He had the rank and status, but he wasn¡¯t your direct superior¡ª By the way, Mage Nordmark, this is no small project to just throw out there. Shouldn¡¯t you report this to the lord of Thunder Horn first? Garrett waved his hand unconcernedly . Ah, as long as it¡¯s not an energy-shaping project, the teacher wouldn¡¯t mind, let him fuss¡ª "And I¡¯m not even using the resources of Thunder Tower. I¡¯ll provide the conceptual design, the spell structure for the electrocardiogram, and detailed analysis of different brain regions. Your side provides manpower, test subjects, and records and analyzes the brainwave diagrams. We share the results, and the developed magic, I have the right to learn for free and teach to my disciples and followers. How about that?" Such generous terms! Madam Alva looked at Garrett in astonishment, almost unable to believe it. At her level, manpower, test subjects, and the computational power of tower spirits were easily accessible, but creative and innovative research ideas were always in short supply¡ª Moreover, any magic developed related to thoughts and emotions would undoubtedly fall within the scope of enchantment magic. Garrett¡¯s offer of co-development was essentially just asking for co-authorship rights. Caught by her astonished gaze, Garrett smiled sheepishly: "Of course, during the research process, there might be some auxiliary spells that might need some development on your part¡ª" "Deal!" In less than half an hour, Madam Alva¡¯s male and female disciples were neatly seated in three rows. Watching as Garrett released the ¡¾Silent Phantom¡¿, he outlined a three-dimensional model of a brain, part by part, explaining: "The brain mainly includes the left and right hemispheres, with the cortex on the surface and the medulla deeper within..." "The surface of the brain displays various grooves and fissures, and the hemispheres are divided into five lobes by these grooves and fissures: the frontal, temporal, parietal, occipital lobes, and the insula, each serving different functions..." "During activity, the brain releases various brainwaves that can be monitored by magic... Monitoring points can be placed on the surface of the skull or penetrate deeply into the skull, reaching each part..." As he spoke, he already virtualized magic probes, little specks of light, landing in each section of the brain. Behind each probe, long filaments of light stretched out, densely connected to a thin screen of condensed mist beside him. The fluctuations within the brain were conveyed through these filaments to the mist screen, tracing undulating waveforms. Garrett pointed to the screen, his voice clear and confident: "The human brain, in thought, in memory, in joy, in fear, in sorrow, all cause corresponding changes in electrical waves." This had already been validated by modern technology, and what they needed to do was to repeat these efforts and push them further: "Of course, human thoughts are very complex, and the waves are diverse. What we need is to record, summarize, and discover the patterns within. I believe that one day, by reading these waveforms, we can understand what a person is thinking!" Next door in the interrogation room, another mage was at work. Pointing at the giant brain model outside, he whispered threateningly: "See that? If you don¡¯t tell the truth, we¡¯ll use this magic on you. By then, dozens of probes will be inserted into your brain, and even if you don¡¯t answer, we¡¯ll be able to read your thoughts clearly..." Madam Alva had thoughtfully made the interrogation room¡¯s wall one-way visible, allowing those inside to see the reception room, but not vice versa. Mr. Aleso didn¡¯t need to look up to see the enormous brain model, every part clear and distinct. Though he hadn¡¯t dissected in detail, he had roughly split a few calvaria; the model displayed was exactly like the brain structure he knew¡ª "I don¡¯t believe it." His face pale, he murmured back and forth: "I don¡¯t believe that just with magic, you can see what I¡¯m thinking¡ªyou must be trying to scare me, it must be..." "Mage Nordmark!" The interrogator stepped out. The doors between the interrogation and reception rooms were wide open, allowing Mr. Aleso to clearly hear their conversation: "What exactly does a brainwave diagram look like, could you demonstrate it? Or if not a brainwave diagram, an electrocardiogram would also do, with some explanation¡ª" Garrett nodded and stood up. A crowd of listening students rustled as they followed him into the interrogation room, forming a semi-circle. Garrett quietly released magic, and soon, a screen half his height silently unfolded to his left, Mr. Aleso¡¯s right. Let¡¯s start with something less stressful, a four-lead system. Garrett thought to himself, waving his hand, sending out a globe of light. Soon, on the screen, waveforms began to rise and fall. "Ah, your heartbeat is a bit fast." Garrett glanced at the screen and casually started to explain: "Look everyone, this line here rises and falls regularly, representing the heart contracting and relaxing, then relaxing and contracting again. If anyone is curious, you can press his pulse; it matches the undulations on the wave..." Mr. Aleso¡¯s face instantly paled. He could hold his breath, control himself not to scream, but he couldn¡¯t stop his heart from beating¡ª No need for anyone to check his pulse; he could feel his heart thumping inside his chest, perfectly synchronized with the line on the screen. Garrett casually glanced at him and continued: "The casting requirements for a brainwave diagram are a bit higher than those for an electrocardiogram. An electrocardiogram only requires placing four probes, at most twelve, but for brainwaves, the scalp can be evenly divided into regions, with sixty-four probes placed... Of course, for more accuracy, the detection points should ideally penetrate deep into the brain." "Hey, why has your blood pressure shot up to 200? Quick, can someone help calm him down?" Madam Alva and her students were attentively listening as Garrett lectured, unaware of the drama unfolding just next door in the interrogation room. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 492: Tough Problems are for Legendary Mages to Solve Chapter 492: Tough Problems are for Legendary Mages to Solve The calming spell had no effect. Under the panic, Mr. Viper Alrezo¡¯s mind concentrated intensely, naturally resisting some of the lower-level psychic spells. All sorts of spells like calming and inspiring shot out like flowing water. Mr. Viper¡¯s eyes bulged, and he made throaty noises. On the cloud screen, the heart rate monitor spiked wildly, and his blood pressure soared above 200, stubbornly refusing to drop... In the end, it was Madam Alvar herself who stepped in, casting a simpleton spell on his head. Only then did he sit lopsidedly, drooling and staring blankly ahead, chuckling stupidly. Indeed, the thinking of the mentally ill is broad, and the joy of simpletons is plentiful, Garrett thought to himself. After tormenting him to this point, there was no need for further intimidation. Madam Alvar left an assistant to continue the interrogation after the effect of the simpleton spell wore off, and she moved to another location with the students and Garrett. For academic discussions, it was better to go somewhere normal. Although this reception room looked bright and warm, it was right next to the interrogation room, and one had to be mindful of its emotional impact on researchers... In this regard, Madam Alvar, as a master of enchantment magic, had extensive experience. The group went out and up to the 28th floor of the enchantment subsidiary tower¡ª the Tower of Harmonious Songs. The hallway was eerily quiet, not a sound to be heard. Madam Alvar explained with a smile: "The enchantment division places special importance on meditation and relaxation. Every research room in the Tower of Harmonious Songs has soundproofing..." Upon opening the door, the walls were indeed covered with beige velvet, soundproof and sound-absorbing, which also gave a sense of security and warmth. The sofas had sleek, simple lines, and plump cushions were scattered about. Garrett sank naturally into the sofa as he sat down. Looking around, large landscape paintings hung on the walls, mountains and clouds rolling across them. At the half-desk by the wall and in the corners of the room, unnamed green plants spread their leaves vibrantly. Although there was no modern psychological theory guiding the decoration, the room¡¯s setup bore an uncanny resemblance to the psychological counseling rooms Garrett had seen in his previous life. Invisible servants flitted about serving tea. Garrett leaned forward slightly, picking up a cup of hot red tea from the half-height round table in front of him and gently blew on it. The group of mages sat down in a semicircle, chatting excitedly: "I find this brainwave magic quite interesting!" "Yes, previously, when casting [Detect Thoughts], whether what we read was correct depended solely on the mage¡¯s experience. If we can use this brainwave magic, we can cross-verify!" "Exactly! And [Detect Lies] too! When a person lies, their heartbeat often speeds up, and it seems blood pressure may change as well as brainwaves! If we can master these patterns, we could improve the success rate of [Detect Lies]!" "Do you think the mechanism of our enchantment spells could be to interfere with the opponent¡¯s brainwaves?" "It¡¯s worth a try!" "Master Nordmark, what else should we consider?" "...There¡¯s a lot to consider." Garrett thought for a moment, put down his teacup, and counted off on his fingers: "First, brainwaves are extremely messy. Countless cells in the brain produce different brainwaves for every thought and action. I suggest we first study the waveforms during deep sleep, as there¡¯s less noise and they are easier to compare;" "Second, be aware of external interference. When you cast a spell¡ª say, to charm a human¡ª we need to differentiate whether the detected waveforms are influenced by the brain or are vibrations from the spell itself;" "Third, the mental output of mages might also be a strong form of brainwave. To eliminate interference, perhaps starting with ordinary people might be simpler?" As he spoke, the surrounding mages noted each point. By the end, he laughed sheepishly: "Of course, the initial research and data collection will be a tremendous amount of work. If possible, it¡¯d be best to have two small spells to assist, though I can¡¯t do it myself¡ª" "What spells? Let¡¯s hear them; perhaps we have the appropriate spells here!" Madam Alvar took over with a smile. Garrett had mentioned before needing some "small auxiliary spells" for research, and now he was putting forward his conditions. An equivalent exchange, fair and reasonable. Ah, she herself was a 13th-level high-ranking mage, mere auxiliary spells were certainly within her reach. Madam Alvar was brimming with confidence. After finishing, she picked up a silver spoon and scooped some sugar into her tea cup, then poured in a little cream. Garrett watched nervously, almost blurting out: Don¡¯t eat so much sugar! Excessive intake of free sugars not only leads to obesity but also increases the risk of diabetes, cancer, and more! At the very least, it reacts with the skin¡¯s elastin and collagen, rapidly aging the skin! ...Well, mages have different physiologies from ordinary people. Plus, mages rely on mental power for sustenance, and their highly active brain activity requires a lot of sugar. Let her eat sugar if she likes; perhaps she burns it off during meditation? Garrett focused and returned to his own requests: "First, we need to record the waveforms shown on the cloud screen onto paper, or something else¡ª preferably paper, as it¡¯s cheaper. This way, even if we aren¡¯t constantly watching, we can still observe previous results." "That¡¯s not difficult." Madam Alvar thought for a moment, then smiled: "We already have similar spells in the Mage Tower. The Tower Spirits can scan, record, and analyze. Then, the information can be entered into paper or stored in the Tower Spirits¡¯ memory core. By tomorrow at the latest, I¡¯ll have someone deliver the relevant spell configuration to your Mage Tower." Garrett breathed a sigh of relief. Having something ready-made was good; it saved him the effort of developing it himself or searching through the council¡¯s vast spell library. He shamelessly continued with his requests: "Um... this spell, it¡¯d be great if it could have a small modification. Like, if certain specific waveforms appear, the cloud screen, or whatever recording device, could sound an alarm? It doesn¡¯t need to be complicated; a sharp beeping sound to alert the observer would suffice." Heart rate monitoring with automatic alerts! If that could be achieved, it would be perfect; no need for me to keep my eyes peeled watching! This additional request was a bit tricky, but for a 13th-level grand mage, it wasn¡¯t too difficult. Madam Alvar concentrated for a moment, already forming a plan: "That¡¯s also not difficult, and honestly, studying brainwaves does indeed necessitate it. Give me a week¡ª at most two weeks, I¡¯ve been quite busy lately, two weeks at most, and I¡¯ll have the relevant spell configuration for you. Now, which waveforms should trigger an alert?" There were so many! Atrial fibrillation, ventricular fibrillation, conduction block, ST-elevation myocardial infarction... Garrett could think of seven or eight, maybe a dozen situations that definitely needed immediate alerts. He wasn¡¯t sure how to describe them at the moment and made a couple of gestures, which Madam Alvar understood with a laugh: "Understood. I¡¯ll leave an interface where you can input the necessary waveforms to automatically trigger an alert." Fantastic! Garrett was grateful. He continued, bringing up another issue that had troubled him for a long time: "There¡¯s another auxiliary spell¡ª that is, can the scenes I see in my meditative vision be made visible?" Madam Alvar¡¯s expression suddenly became serious. Manifesting scenes from a meditative vision was certainly feasible. For mages above level 10, the meditative environment had already started to materialize. At this stage, making the scenes from a meditative vision visible was easy and posed no challenge. However, Garrett was only a 5th-level intermediate mage, just starting to advance. Allowing him, or mages even lower than him, to externalize scenes seen in their meditative visions... Strictly speaking, this request touched on some of the very fundamentals of magic. Such a requirement, you dare call it a "small auxiliary spell"? How is it small? Sure, the spell itself might be minor, but the project itself is immense! How did you manage to sneak such a formidable request into the project and claim it so confidently? This is a massive project; go find your teacher for this! Go to the Lord of Thunder! Don¡¯t think about shearing our Enchantment Division¡¯s wool! Garrett looked at Madam Alvar¡¯s accusatory gaze, his face innocent as he spread his hands. I didn¡¯t mean to, it¡¯s just a need I have, and since there¡¯s a chance, why not mention it? "Well, like the [Detect Thoughts] spell, when I break it down and remove the interpretation part, what¡¯s left are some waveforms..." he began trying to rationalize his request: "I just thought, maybe when the elder mages created this spell, they also filtered and integrated this information to identify certain waveform-related information. I have evidence to support this!" An hour later, Garrett sat on the plush sofa, leaning back, his expression serene. Two female mages each contributed a silver hairnet, temporarily joined together, stretching from his head to his chin. Through the fine silver mesh, Garrett blinked his eyes and raised his right thumb: "Let¡¯s go!" "[Detect Thoughts]!" Led by Madam Alvar, more than ten mages, ranging from the highest at level 13 to the lowest at level 7, took turns casting detect thoughts on him. After a round of casting, everyone marveled: "It seems this method really can resist enchantment spells." "Very interesting." "It proves the existence of brainwaves... putting someone in a cage can protect them from [Electric Claw] and [Sphere of Shock], and also resist [Detect Thoughts]. This indicates they¡¯re all related..." "I think we should start a major project! A big one!" Madam Alvar smiled warmly. Very good, everyone brainstorming together, making the project bigger and beyond what their branch could research independently, and then¡ª Go find a teacher! And casually hand off the tough problems to the legendary mages! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 493: Portable Magic Operating Room Chapter 493: Portable Magic Operating Room As soon as Garrett Nordmark proposed his brainwave research program, the enchantment mages were led astray... Well, it wouldn¡¯t exactly be fair to call it astray. By all accounts, what Garrett directed them to was indeed the right path¡ªat least, as far as he knew, scientists who studied brainwaves in his previous life did the same. But rather than a path, it was more like a massive pit. From recording brain activity in rabbits and monkeys in 1857 to capturing human brainwaves in 1924, and onto 2020, when a team from the University of California, San Francisco, translated brainwaves into simple English sentences... Countless scientists threw themselves into this deep pit. The outcome? Other than making the pit deeper and wider, less than 1% of the brain¡¯s mysteries were uncovered. Such was the pit that swallowed all the enchantment mages, stacking them head over heels, barely poking their heads above the surface. Fortunately, this world¡¯s legendary mages truly could do the work of a thousand, even ten thousand. It wasn¡¯t long after Garrett submitted his brainwave research proposal that preliminary results came from the Tower of Song: During sleep, the brain¡¯s activity is regular: deep sleep, light sleep, the drowsy state before falling asleep, and dreaming, cycling repeatedly. During this period, brainwaves show different patterns¡ª And the success rate of the 9th level magic "Memory Weaving" is nearly 100% higher during light sleep than in deep sleep! "It¡¯s incredible!" Garrett sat next to the Lord of Thunder, reading aloud a letter from the legendary enchantress, Miss Almeida of the "Philosopher¡¯s Rose": "My dear Decar, your new disciple has really come up with something very interesting..." The magical world had always believed that the best time to cast "Memory Weaving" was when the subject was in deep sleep¡ªmuscles relaxed, breathing slow, eyes no longer moving. This stage is when the subject is most vulnerable and least resistant. But now it seems that the periods of light sleep, especially the third and fourth times entering light sleep during a night, are actually more suitable. The magical power expenditure doesn¡¯t increase, but the subjects¡¯ acceptance of false memories is significantly higher. After receiving "Memory Weaving," the amount of false memory loss is also smaller. What¡¯s more, Miss Almeida appreciates that "Brainwave Magic," like the "Electrocardiogram Magic" conjured by Lady Silver Dragon, is a 1st level spell. The magical fluctuations are minimal, hardly alerting the spell¡¯s subject, making it extremely cost-effective. "Come up with something very interesting, huh?" The Lord of Thunder stirred his coffee, a smirk not quite a smile, glancing sidelong at his disciple: Since Garrett¡¯s return, he¡¯s been busy with smallpox vaccines, rabies vaccines, opening hospitals, running up and down. First dealing with the Black Crow Swamp, then mingling with those enchantment mages. Apart from the papers on infrared and ultraviolet rays, he¡¯s never really done what he was supposed to! Garrett, thick-skinned, pretended not to catch the hint in his mentor¡¯s words. He turned a page of the letter and continued reading: "Regarding the method of displaying meditation visuals in reality, I have the following thoughts..." This section of magical discussion, written at length by Miss Almeida, took Garrett three pages to get through, dry mouthed and stumbling: Many of the terms used by Miss Almeida, he had never heard of, barely recognized the words. By the time he finished, he saw the Lord of Thunder put down his coffee spoon, throwing a question at him: "Did you come up with this problem?" "Yes, sir..." "Why didn¡¯t you ask me?" Because it¡¯s troublesome... It¡¯s easier to trade ideas with others rather than digging into my own mentor¡¯s resources... Garrett swallowed those words back down. Speaking the truth wouldn¡¯t please the teacher, but fortunately, he had another excuse: "Because this topic isn¡¯t urgent. I don¡¯t need it myself for now; it¡¯s more useful when teaching disciples. Just happened to have the opportunity, so I brought it up." The Lord of Thunder nodded slightly. Indeed, this topic was too challenging for Garrett¡¯s abilities for now. For the time being, he should stick to research within his reach: "So, have you encountered any obstacles or confusion in your research recently?" Garrett¡¯s current projects were all progressing steadily. Rabies vaccine, that was mainly time-consuming for the apprentices; streptomycin development, also a time-consuming and luck-based task; blood testing magic, which couldn¡¯t shift from quantitative to qualitative changes until critical data points were established; and blood transfusions, the clinical effects of which were still accumulating data... After advancing to a fifth-level mage, he had been methodically learning the spells he could. So far, he hadn¡¯t encountered anything he couldn¡¯t learn. No, wait a minute... "Teacher, I have a difficulty with the third-tier plasturgy magic, ¡¯Refuge Hut.¡¯ ¡ª How can I make the hut automatically adjust its temperature and humidity, and sterilize itself to ensure cleanliness meets standards?" "...Why bother with all that complication?" The Lord of Thunder disapproved of such demands. The Refuge Hut was for mages to use overnight during adventures and travels. The demands were not very high¡ª Block wind, rain, snow, resist the cold. Plus a flat surface, so you¡¯re not lying in a wet muddy field, that¡¯s it. Some had tried adding tables and beds, but soon everyone realized that achieving these with magic was not as cost-effective as carrying an extra blanket in a spatial bag and wrapping up inside the Refuge Hut. When you¡¯re out and about, having a place to stay is enough; why set such high standards? "Hehe, teacher, I¡¯m not making the Refuge Hut for myself to stay in, it¡¯s for performing surgeries..." Garrett explained confidently. A portable operating room, I¡¯ve thought about it for a long time! Of course, an operating room has to stay clean! And it needs temperature control! "Teacher, these two requirements can actually be separated," Garrett gestured: "The need for sterilization, I can install a generator and a UV light, let it shine for half an hour. But it¡¯s a waste of time; if it¡¯s clean when deployed, I can save that half hour and save a few more people;" "Temperature control is the same, I can throw in fireballs or ice spells, but it¡¯s harder to control the temperature precisely. Too hot in the operating room, and patients are prone to infection; too cold, and they risk hypothermia. Teacher..." I¡¯m counting on you! Please, modify this spell for me! The Lord of Thunder glared at Garrett. This Garrett, always causing trouble! Although both were plasturgy spells, Refuge Hut was considered a force field branch, incorporating a large amount of curse-based content; Temperature regulation belonged to fire or ice magic; As for the sterilization Garrett wanted, he hadn¡¯t studied it in detail, but broadly speaking, electricity or light should do the trick? To cram so many frameworks into one spell, and keep it within third-tier, within this kid¡¯s ability to successfully cast, this spell modification was not simple... Sigh, if it wasn¡¯t for the praise Garrett just received from Miss Almeida, boosting his own reputation, he really wouldn¡¯t bother! The Lord of Thunder cleared his throat. Without any motion, shadows naturally rose in the void, forming the three-dimensional structure of the "Refuge Hut" spell: "This spell model can be broken down into several parts... This section summons the force field and maintains its strength... This section determines the shape of the force field..." Guided by the structure in the void, the Lord of Thunder explained piece by piece to Garrett. Where to keep unchanged, where could be modified, where was a reserved interface for inserting other configurations... What¡¯s a simple way to adjust indoor temperature, which model is better for maintaining air circulation in the Refuge Hut... Garrett wished he had eight hands to take notes. The Lord of Thunder not only explained the Refuge Hut¡¯s structure but also covered the higher-level "Sanctuary" and even hinted at the "Mage¡¯s Mansion"¡ª "Teacher, are you perhaps misunderstanding my casting ability?" Garrett dared not voice this, but his gaze towards the Lord of Thunder grew more plaintive. The legendary mage glared back: "What¡¯s wrong? These three spells are all related; learn one, and the others are easier. Aren¡¯t you planning to open that¡ªmedical facility? When you can summon a Mage¡¯s Mansion, you can take the whole thing with you!" "Teacher, you know me so well!" My dream of a portable hospital! The fixed version would be a Mage Tower turned into a hospital; the portable version, a Mage Tower converted into a hospital. Then, outpatient department, inpatient department, operating room, medical technical department, an entire hospital¡¯s doctors and nurses, wherever you go, you take them with you¡ª No matter how big the disaster, you won¡¯t be overwhelmed alone! Master Decar truly was a legendary mage. Even without any preparation, when Garrett asked, he spoke freely, touching on related topics. After explaining all the architectural branches, Garrett watched him eagerly: "Teacher, how many branches can this structure be combined with?" "Do it yourself! ¡ªDo it right here, and you¡¯re not allowed to leave the mountain until it¡¯s finished!" Garrett was caught off guard and detained. While the Lord of Thunder read, he assembled spell structures; while the Lord of Thunder brewed coffee, he worked on spell structures; while the Lord of Thunder tossed a spherical lightning in his palm, he pieced together spell structures... "Bang¡ª" Look, it exploded again... Exploding force field walls could kill. Fortunately, the teacher was nearby, doing something unseen, the explosion¡¯s noise silently dissipated. Garrett wiped his sweat, leaning over a small table nearby, recalculating: Which interface was wrong? Or was the "Refuge Hut" itself not strong enough to bear the load? Halfway through calculating, the study door was slammed open. One of Garrett¡¯s fellow disciples rushed in, sweating profusely, breathless: "Teacher... Teacher! Mike... he drank liquid nitrogen!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 494: What it’s like to swallow a mouthful of liquid nitrogen Chapter 494: What it¡¯s like to swallow a mouthful of liquid nitrogen Five minutes ago, under the tutelage of Master Byerbo, also known as the scholar who researched the solar flare explosion, Mr. Mike Wooster had just drunk a cup of liquid nitrogen. After Garrett pointed out the "compressed air refrigeration to liquefy" skill, Master Byerbo¡¯s team initiated a project to study cryogenic-related spells. Over a year or two, the outcome of the spells aside, they indeed produced quite a few interesting by-products. For instance, when Garrett last visited his teacher, he had tasted their contribution of liquid nitrogen ice cream. Indeed, it must be said, the texture was delicate and creamy, with a rich milk flavor, and it melted slower than regular ice cream, allowing it to be held in the hand for a longer duration. While eating, you could even see white smoke billowing out of your nostrils, which was quite amusing. And Mr. Mike Wooster, just five minutes ago, was explaining to the newly initiated younger brothers and sisters about liquid nitrogen: "Don¡¯t think this stuff is very cold, it¡¯s extremely cold, but actually, if it drips on your hand, it won¡¯t cause frostbite! Even without mage armor, it won¡¯t cause frostbite! Look¡ª" He stretched out his palm flat, allowing everyone to verify that there was no protection activated, and truly dripped a drop onto it. Amid the awe-struck gazes of the younger brothers and sisters, the droplet of liquid nitrogen hovered in the center of his palm, surrounded by swirling white mist, dreamlike and fantastic. After a moment, the liquid nitrogen evaporated completely, leaving his palm smooth and rosy, indeed without a single injury. "Wow¡ª" The young mages experiencing liquid nitrogen for the first time stretched their necks, issuing sincere exclamations. Amid the admiring looks of his juniors, Mr. Wooster proudly puffed out his chest, feeling more buoyant: "Do you know why? When the liquid nitrogen drops, it also evaporates from underneath, forming a cushion of gas that isolates my hand from the cold liquid. Not only is dropping a droplet no issue, but drinking a small sip won¡¯t be a problem either!" "Wow!" "Really? Is it like that?" "That¡¯s amazing!" "Of course¡ªnot amazing." Another older mage drifted by, casually dropping a comment: "Drinking a small sip will only make you spout white smoke from your mouth and nose together, looking like a smoking pig head. Stupid to death, not amazing at all." "Who says! I¡¯ll drink it now and show you!" Not convinced, Mr. Wooster poured a cup of liquid nitrogen¡ªfortunately only the smallest size of measuring cup¡ªgulped it down in one go, and swallowed, licking his palate... Two seconds later, he collapsed, knowing nothing. Master Byerbo: "......" Lord of Thunder: "......" Garrett: "......" Truly, ignorance is fearless! Not to mention that evaporating a cup of liquid nitrogen takes away so much heat from the body, do you know how many times the volume of nitrogen gas will expand when it vaporizes? The volume of liquid nitrogen expands 694 times upon vaporization! 1 milliliter becomes 0.7 liters! Brother, how many milliliters did you drink? 10ml? 20ml? 30ml? It can¡¯t be more than 100ml, right? Then I think there¡¯s no need to save you, probably already exploded... "Did you call the medical mage?" the Lord of Thunder asked with a stern face. Master Byerbo¡¯s complexion was grim: "I did, but it takes time for them to arrive... Teacher, can you¡ª?" Take the liquid nitrogen out of him? The Lord of Thunder¡¯s expression was subtle, and he momentarily didn¡¯t know where to begin his reprimand. Is this how you study magic? Huh? Although it¡¯s normal for mages to court death, to drink yourself to death with liquid nitrogen, that¡¯s really, emmm, hard to evaluate. Using my research budget, my lab, a gulp of liquid nitrogen, and you¡¯ve drunk yourself down? Can you not be more outrageous! They were talking while walking quickly, and soon arrived at the scene of the incident. Master Byerbo¡¯s laboratory was right below the Lord of Thunder¡¯s study, in Laboratory No. 8 on the 375th floor of the Tower of Heaven, down the stairs, only a few minutes away. Once the Lord of Thunder arrived, Master Byerbo¡¯s disciples, as well as other mages who had come to see the commotion, parted like the sea. Garrett, wielding borrowed authority, followed behind, and upon seeing the patient, he gasped in shock: Oh no, what a huge abdominal distension! The entire abdomen was bulging upwards! The degree of protrusion was no different from that of a woman in full-term pregnancy! Just the extreme expansion of the stomach wouldn¡¯t have reached this shape... perhaps the stomach has perforated? We must urgently vent the gas and perform surgery! "Teacher, to the refuge hut!" He tugged at the back of the Lord of Thunder¡¯s coat. Master Byerbo turned his head and gave his younger fellow disciple a complicated look through his teacher: Although this little brother of mine is said to be a fine healer and has made some accomplishments, he¡¯s only level 5! A level 5 healer, with such severe injuries, can he keep up with the required healing? The Lord of Thunder didn¡¯t question it. He casually waved his hand, and the surrounding crowd, chairs, and experimental equipment, anything that could be moved, were all pushed to the sides, clearing a large space. He turned back to ask Garrett: "Do you need that sterilization, temperature control?" "Yes, yes, yes!" Garrett nodded vigorously. The Lord of Thunder snorted and with a flick of his hand, a square little house rose from the ground in the center of the laboratory. You don¡¯t use your skills, you learn slowly, you don¡¯t focus on your primary capability in energy shaping... Look, now setting up an operating room, and I, a legendary figure, have to personally intervene! Two invisible servants appeared, carrying Mr. Wooster on a floating disc, directly into the operating room. Garrett followed his teacher inside, while observing the patient, he hurriedly asked his senior brother Byerbo: "What level mage is he?" "Level 7." "Level 7... Senior brother, lend me some magical equipment, anything, 12th level or above! Quick!" "What for?" "I need to check his internal condition!" ??? Master Byerbo was still puzzled, but the Lord of Thunder had already taken off his monocle and handed it over. The great mage exclaimed: "Teacher you¡ª" This monocle was a legendary-level magical item! He couldn¡¯t even touch it if he wanted to borrow it, but it was passed over just because the little brother said he needed it? No! Teacher, let me look at that monocle for a while, I¡¯ll exchange a 13th-level space bracelet for it! A 15th-level magic wand would also work! It¡¯s all negotiable! But alas, the monocle was already in Garrett¡¯s hands. Garrett, without hesitation, flew out several powerful Mage Hands, lifting Mr. Wooster upright. Another Mage Hand, holding the monocle, flew behind the patient, and the¡¾Magic Detection¡¿began¡ª Tsk, just as he thought, a very serious free gas in the abdominal cavity, and subcutaneous emphysema in the neck. Garrett turned around: "We¡¯d better perform surgery immediately, open the abdominal cavity, release the gas, then explore and treat. I estimate, the stomach is very likely perforated, now if we open the abdomen, we can still use healing spells to mend it, without having to remove too much of the stomach¡ªcan you decide, senior brother?" "Cut!" The Lord of Thunder answered without hesitation. emmmm... Alright then. In this world, a mage¡¯s control over his disciples¡¯ bodies is much stronger than that of past university tutors or academic offices. The Lord of Thunder saying to operate, even if the surgery doesn¡¯t go well, even if there really is a medical accident, the patient¡¯s family wouldn¡¯t dare say anything. In a mage¡¯s laboratory, isn¡¯t it normal to have a few disciples injured or killed every year? Not to mention just doing experiments, even if a necromancer¡¯s apprentice, your mentor uses you for an experiment¡ªthen what? Garrett respectfully returned the monocle, then set up the shadowless lamp, erected a magic barrier, changed into surgical clothes, washed his hands. Dispelling the barrier, he approached the operating table, his gaze unwavering, completely focused on the patient: Scrub! Prepare the skin! Disinfect! Drape! "Aren¡¯t you supposed to open the abdominal cavity to release gas... why are you still fussing with all this?" Master Byerbo quietly asked. Garrett ignored him, not explaining a single word: The abdominal cavity was so swollen, any nitrogen that was to evaporate, had already done so, turning into gas. The freeze injury of the digestive tract wouldn¡¯t worsen, and the stomach that was to be perforated had already perforated. Whether the abdomen was opened five minutes earlier or five minutes later, it wasn¡¯t a big issue. However, aseptic operation had to be done well, otherwise, later during the treatment, more healing spells would have to be used to kill bacteria... Fortunately, these preparatory tasks could be done with Mage Hands. Thank God, after the draping was completed, there was no need to wash hands again. Garrett finished the preparatory work, checked the surgical instruments, cast a Calming Spell for anesthesia on the patient, then cast a Cardiogram Spell, connected a newly arrived invasive blood pressure monitor, and directly opened the abdomen: Tsk, a mage¡¯s physique really can¡¯t compare to a warrior¡¯s. A 7th-level mage, using an ordinary scalpel enhanced with¡¾Magic Weapon¡¿, slicing through like a hot knife through butter, without any hindrance... Garrett calmly made a midline incision, opening the abdomen layer by layer. Just about to proceed to the next step, someone already rushed in hastily: "I¡¯m here I¡¯m here! I¡¯ll treat!¡ªEh, you¡¯ve already started?" "Mr. Novak." Garrett greeted without turning his head. The person dragged over was his acquaintance, from the neighboring curse magic school, medical branch, 13th-level Great Mage Galen Novak. The last time Aurora had chlorine poisoning, he was the one who performed the rescue¡ª Seeing that Garrett was already busy, Novak stood back and didn¡¯t rush to take over. He first bowed to the Lord of Thunder, then nodded to Master Byerbo, peeked at the patient¡¯s condition: "Wow! The belly is so swollen!¡ªGarrett, what are you doing?" During these few words, Garrett had already made a small incision on the patient¡¯s peritoneum, inserting a hollow vine. Instantly, a high-speed stream of air burst out, even emitting a sharp whistling sound. "Are you venting him? Why not just cut open the belly and let all the gas out at once?" "Releasing it all at once might cause problems... So much nitrogen has formed an abdominal gas pocket, some of it under high pressure dissolved into the blood..." Garrett stepped back a bit, watching the fluctuations on the cardiogram and the invasive blood monitor, explaining to Novak: "Releasing it all at once, the internal pressure in the abdominal cavity drops too low, some of the nitrogen dissolved in the blood will re-emerge, forming bubbles in the vessels. If that happens, it can be life-threatening..." Sigh, although a stomach perforation is troublesome, it won¡¯t kill; an air embolism, on the other hand, kills in minutes. When weighing the lesser of two evils, one can only slowly vent the gas... --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 495: Don’t Save Me! I’d Rather Die Than Go Bankrupt! Chapter 495: Don¡¯t Save Me! I¡¯d Rather Die Than Go Bankrupt! The process of expelling the gases took quite some time. Garrett carefully controlled the flow rate of the gases, trying his best not to let the internal pressure drop too quickly. With bated breath, he occasionally checked the electrocardiogram and blood pressure monitor, fearing a life-threatening situation¡ª Cerebral air embolism, pulmonary embolism, coronary artery embolism... Master Novak stood behind Garrett, occasionally helping with a healing spell as requested: "It¡¯s likely a gastric perforation, and there could be ischemia in the intestines, and even the heart rate might become abnormal. Although it¡¯s not yet time for surgery, casting a healing spell now would be good for everyone." The Thunder Lord found a spot in the corner of the operating room and sat on a floating disc, silently. His monocle¡¯s display constantly flickered with text, seemingly engrossed in his usual research. Master Baylbo had quietly left at some point. After a while, he returned with a face full of anger: "These kids have done this sort of thing more than once! I just asked them; they said they¡¯ve been drinking liquid nitrogen directly before, several times, but it never caused an issue until now!" "He swallowed it this time, right?" Garrett replied without turning his head: "A small amount of liquid nitrogen entering the mouth can rapidly evaporate and escape through the mouth and nose. But once swallowed, when the epiglottis closes, the evaporating gas has nowhere to escape and can only expand within the stomach..." He made a gesture: "Boom!" "In any case, these kids are just idle. I¡¯ve already doubled their reference materials and assigned each one a paper due next week. Let¡¯s see if they dare to risk their lives again!" It¡¯s indeed risking their lives. Garrett nodded silently. Liquid nitrogen is extremely dangerous; minus 200 degrees Celsius, perhaps? Clinically used to freeze warts and corns, even a slight touch leaves a big black spot, freezing skin and flesh alike. These people, I don¡¯t know what they were thinking, daring to put it in their mouths! "This guy, just treat him casually." Master Baylbo, still furious, glanced at Mike lying unconscious on the bed and snorted: "Even if he recovers, I don¡¯t want him. Just kick him out. Hmm, this kid, if he stays in the Tower of Heaven, who knows what trouble he¡¯ll cause next!" "Ah, senior brother, he¡¯s caused such a big mess, he should learn his lesson," Garrett said playfully, trying to persuade: "Besides, once I heal him, he still has to write a paper, about this case. By then, he¡¯ll at least be the second author. If you kick him out now, it would be awkward for me¡ª" "This also needs a paper?" Master Baylbo¡¯s eyes nearly popped out. Garrett nodded earnestly, as if it were only natural: "Of course! It¡¯s so interesting! Drinking liquid nitrogen! I haven¡¯t treated such a patient before... Mr. Novak, have you?" The development of medicine is supported by one case after another. For common cases, write a summary analysis; for special cases, write a case report. No two people are the same, no two organs, nerve paths, blood vessel angles, vital signs, or recovery abilities are exactly alike... Case reports always have value. The pitfalls encountered by predecessors, the special circumstances they encountered, the special methods they used. The Lancet, The New England Journal of Medicine, and every other high-end or low-end journal always need special case reports. "I haven¡¯t either." Not only had he not treated such cases, but liquid nitrogen itself was only recently created, wasn¡¯t it? Novak was excited: "Include me when you write it?" As their conversation reached this point, even Master Baylbo could not stubbornly hold onto his view to kick this disciple out. Alas, otherwise, sideline him, or perhaps, send him to work for Garrett for a few years? Unfortunately, Carlisle acted too quickly, sending him to Garrett seemed not like a punishment but rather a reward... Garrett patiently waited for the nitrogen gas to be expelled. Watching the patient¡¯s swollen abdomen gradually relax back to its normal size, he sighed with relief and pulled a few seeds out of his pocket: "Alright, now let¡¯s see what the digestive tract looks like..." With one hand pulling out a ring, triggering the Arcane Eye, and the other hand inserting vines. Mr. Novak curiously moved a few steps aside: "Hey, the intestines aren¡¯t frozen solid! I thought this cup of liquid nitrogen would turn all the organs, every internal part, into stone!" "Cough, that¡¯s not likely." Garrett wiped his brow. A few dozen milliliters of liquid nitrogen would vaporize in the stomach; it couldn¡¯t flow into the intestines. As long as it doesn¡¯t directly contact liquid nitrogen, it won¡¯t turn to stone through the stomach wall... The vines in the abdominal cavity kept rotating, carefully probing. Mr. Novak sensed the position of the Arcane Eye, and whenever he saw pale, swollen, or bleeding sections of the intestines, he¡¯d cast a healing spell. Due to the accuracy of the positioning, there was no need for high-level healing spells. Even the most basic Light Healing and Minor Healing were enough to handle the situation. "This method of yours isn¡¯t bad." The Archmage commented admiringly: "Vines combined with the Arcane Eye to inspect internal conditions, followed by low-level healing spells, is much better than blindly casting healing spells. Sometimes you cast several healing spells, and you still don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong internally, which is really annoying..." During the conversation, the intestines had been thoroughly inspected, repaired, and patched up. The Arcane Eye was withdrawn, and Garrett then flew out two Mage Hands, prying open the patient¡¯s mouth, and extended the Arcane Eye down the throat. At that moment, Mr. Novak, who had been intently watching the screen, once again let out a low exclamation. "Huh? There¡¯s no frostbite inside?" "Normal." Garrett, manipulating the Arcane Eye with the vines, carefully observed the esophagus in all directions, and stated plainly: "When liquid nitrogen first enters the esophagus, it is rapidly evaporating, and the evaporating gas insulates the esophagus from the liquid nitrogen." Protected by the vapor, the upper part of the esophagus remained undamaged. But the middle and lower parts might not be so lucky¡ª "No, I must publish a paper on this." Mr. Novak began fumbling around on himself: "Alas, I didn¡¯t bring a recording crystal. ¡ªBaylbo, do you have one? Can I borrow it?" "Let the Tower Spirit record it." The Thunder Lord, seemingly engrossed in reading and indifferent to everything, suddenly spoke softly. He casually pointed, and immediately a section of the operating room¡¯s ceiling disappeared. A gentle breeze blew through, tapping softly at the top of the lab: "Mr. Hermunculus?" "Salutations, Lord of Thunder." The familiar voice of the Tower Spirit immediately floated out: "What do you command?" "Record the images on this screen." The Thunder Lord casually instructed. "As for the fees, let¡¯s charge it to¡ªBaylbo, does this young man have research funding?" "Yes, teacher. He has 23 units of unused funding for this year. Mr. Hermunculus, record the fees, and I¡¯ll settle with you later." From that moment, the gastroscopy images were recorded in their entirety by the Tower Spirit: In the middle section of the esophagus, frostbite began to appear. Healing spells were cast, and the esophagus quickly returned to health; In the lower section of the esophagus, extensive frostbite occurred. Fortunately, Mr. Novak¡¯s healing spells kept up in time, watching this section of the tube wall change from cyan-black to pink, regaining vitality and life, and both men breathed a sigh of relief; The vines passed through the cardiac orifice and entered the stomach. Under the light of an Illumination Spell, Mr. Novak saw clearly, large areas of the stomach wall were cyan-black, and there were more than a few obvious ruptures. Garrett, while inspecting, clicked his tongue: "Sure enough, there¡¯s a perforation here... Oh, and here¡¯s another one¡ªfrostbitten stomach walls are especially fragile, getting blasted like this, is really asking for death..." Indeed asking for death. Mr. Novak silently nodded, while Master Baylbo at the side sneered, calculating the spells they had used: One Light Healing, then another Light Healing, and a Moderate Healing... The hole in the stomach wall was where Garrett used the vines to pull it together, Mr. Novak cast a Moderate Healing, forcibly healing it... Another Moderate Healing, repairing the frostbitten stomach wall... Managing the vines to do so much, how many second-tier divine spells does that count as? Two enough? Or three? Or should it be counted as one third-tier divine spell? The Arcane Eye was triggered using a magical device, which according to the Council¡¯s general rules, could be counted at half-price, but the Arcane Eye itself was a fourth-tier spell... And this Sanctuary, personally released by the teacher, though the teacher didn¡¯t care much about the money, it wouldn¡¯t be proper to act as if it didn¡¯t happen... That¡¯s another third-tier spell¡¯s fee. Garrett meticulously controlled the Arcane Eye, scanning over and under the stomach wall, ensuring no corner was missed. He even checked the duodenum once. Then, withdrawing through the mouth , he checked outside the stomach wall again. Rinsing, suctioning, closing the abdomen layer by layer, and incidentally dealt with a subcutaneous emphysema on the neck, using a hollow needle to release the trapped air, then casting another healing spell. Master Baylbo at the side recorded: one, another, and another... Once the Calming Spell was lifted, Mike Wooster jumped down from the floating disc, completely clean, without a trace of pain or trauma, as if in a dream. "What happened? I remember I seemed to have passed out... Ah, Lord of Thunder!" He hurriedly paid his respects to the big boss. Turning his head, he saw his own teacher with a dark face, slapping a bill in front of him: "Kid, to save your life, so much money was spent in one go... You pay it yourself! Before you¡¯ve paid it off, don¡¯t enter my lab!" Mike held the bill in both hands, lowered his head to look at the string of digits. One zero, two zeros, three zeros... in front of a single-digit, double-digit... He let out a heartfelt scream: "I don¡¯t want this!!!" Rather than letting me go bankrupt, I¡¯d rather be dead! Garrett crouched nearby, laughing non-stop. Just this buddy, if he were to be transported to some country in his past life, he probably would¡¯ve also shouted just before passing out: "Don¡¯t call an ambulance!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 496: When Divine Magic is Powerless, It’s Time for Surgery to Take the Stage Chapter 496: When Divine Magic is Powerless, It¡¯s Time for Surgery to Take the Stage After the treatment, Archmage Novak almost dragged Garrett to co-write a paper with him. The Lord of Thunder, considering that Novak had saved one of his own, couldn¡¯t really refuse. He gestured his approval for Garrett to go along with him. It¡¯s only polite to treat healers well, after all. You, your family, and your apprentices never know when you might need their services. Garrett: ...sigh.jpg. I¡¯m a doctor too, why don¡¯t I get such preferential treatment from my teacher... Garrett held the pen and described topics related to the violent expansion of liquid nitrogen, intestinal perforation, and the hypothesis that nitrogen dissolved in the blood could lead to air embolisms; Archmage Novak supplemented the treatment-related content, cutting, copying, and printing pictures from the materials provided by the Tower Spirits, and handling the publication of the paper; Then, both signed as co-first authors, and the glorious second author was student Michael Worster... "You¡¯re really too good to him." After the paper was completed and it was already evening, Archmage Novak held a small banquet for Garrett, half-joking, half-complaining: "What did that boy do? He just drank a cup of liquid nitrogen, and we saved him, yet we¡¯re giving him the position of second author?" "Well, after all, it¡¯s a particularly rare case. If it wasn¡¯t for his foolhardy act, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to publish this paper..." Garrett grinned. Well, it¡¯s not easy to find a daredevil who goes to such lengths, especially one among the mages of the Lord of Thunder. Giving him a little recognition to "revive him a bit" is still acceptable. Of course, mainly because he¡¯s not my own apprentice. If he were my apprentice, daring to pour liquid nitrogen into his mouth, I¡¯d definitely kick him out! Dinner was extremely enjoyable. Archmage Novak is not a native of the Kent Kingdom but had fled from the core regions of the Radiant Church¡¯s power after becoming a mage. Having lived in Nevis for decades, his tastes still retained the habits of his youth: The pan-fried silver cod was deliciously tender, slightly charred on the outside and pearly white inside, each bite was a delightful memory; The squid ink seafood risotto was rich and creamy, with plump shrimp, and Garrett was moved to tears by the long-missed taste of rice; The clam chowder was light and fragrantly fresh, beyond compare; White asparagus was served on a pitch-black plate, decorated with two mushrooms, like flowers blooming in spring. Pan-fried in butter and sprinkled with sesame seeds, the texture was exceptionally tender with a hint of creamy aroma... Ahh, the Mediterranean diet is indeed closer to Chinese cuisine, and much more to my taste. Garrett was overwhelmed: In contrast, the local dishes of the Kent Kingdom are mere belly fillers... After dinner, Archmage Novak and Garrett leaned by the fireplace, one holding a glass of wine, the other a cup of tea, chatting sporadically. They talked about their travels, magic insights, and unusual patients encountered in their medical practices... Actually, under the influence of Igor¡¯s enchantment, the Tower of Heaven and its surrounding towers are nearly at a constant temperature, making the fireplace more of a ceremonial feature. Nonetheless, the warm glow of the fire was indeed relaxing: "Little Garrett, you should publish more papers. You¡¯re always busy treating and healing people and never publish anything. How would anyone know how good your healing arts are? hic" As they talked, Archmage Novak¡¯s speech became more rapid. His eyes twinkled, his voice fluctuating as if he were about to get drunk: "Like today, you could have handled it alone, right? But Archmage Byer insisted on calling me over¡ª" Garrett kept smiling, neither nodding nor speaking. Archmage Novak waved his hand: "Don¡¯t be modest. If it were me, I¡¯d have to cast at least three or four [Serious Wounds] spells. But you, you just cut open the belly, let the gas out, and looked inside with the Arcane Eye, barely needing one [Serious Wounds] spell, plus a few for moderate and minor wounds..." That¡¯s not really the point. Such severe injuries would involve a whole host of respiratory issues, arrhythmias, and other complications. Having a high-level healer around really eases my mind. Garrett wanted to modestly deflect, but Archmage Novak cut him off: "See, that¡¯s what I mean. You¡¯re just a Level 5 mage. In Nevis City, what does Level 5 count for? There are mages, archbishops over Level 10, even Level 15 and above, everywhere. Who would think of you for a complicated illness?" That is indeed true. Garrett nodded silently: For example , residents of the capital with a slightly troublesome illness all rush to top-tier hospitals, running straight to group leaders and directors. For really tough cases, there¡¯s always the ultimate move¡ªgoing to Union Medical. A resident doctor from a second-tier hospital, who would come to you? "So yeah, write papers, write papers." Archmage Novak, slightly tipsy, stretched out his arm, his large, sturdy palm patting Garrett on the shoulder repeatedly: "Best to find diseases others can¡¯t cure, that you can heal. Treat one, publish one. Over time, for all sorts of bizarre cases, they¡¯ll come looking for you..." "So, your excellency Archmage, what diseases are there that healing arts can¡¯t cure?" Garrett asked earnestly. So far, the diseases he had encountered that could not be cured by healing arts and could be treated with modern medicine were not many. Except for that one case of a ruptured arm tendon and a persistent arterial duct¡ª Or rather, low-level healing arts can¡¯t handle it, needing something like Limited Wish or Wish spells. There might be others, but he hadn¡¯t seen enough patients to gather data. Children from poor families don¡¯t even go for treatment; they give up and may die without even knowing it was an illness; Rich folks, nobility, as Archmage Novak said, why would they come to a Level 5 mage? "Hmm..." Archmage Novak raised his hand to stroke his beard. His pale golden beard instantly seemed dimmer, his gaze lowered, and he suddenly appeared years older. That forlorn expression was all too familiar to Garrett: "There are quite a few. For instance, the Necromancer¡¯s [Decaying Cyst], a rotting cyst placed inside the body, no healing art can treat it. Heal Moderate Wounds, Heal Serious Wounds, Remove Toxin, Cure Disease...none of them work." Garrett had heard about this. The rotting cysts placed by necromancers can only be removed surgically, as no healing art is effective. Perhaps due to a conflict in energy types, either the cyst grows larger with treatment, or it bursts right then and there. As for surgery, no school is more proficient than the necromancers. Perhaps, this is also a warning from the school of necromancy, or a way to mark their territory: My prey, don¡¯t touch! "If it¡¯s surgery, I¡¯m somewhat confident," Garrett nodded lightly. Moreover, with his relationship with the Black Crow Swamp, doing a case or two infected by a rotting cyst probably wouldn¡¯t result in necromancers knocking at his door? Hmm, next time I¡¯ll give it a try... "Are there more?" "There are quite a few," Archmage Novak began to count on his fingers: "When I was traveling in the New World, I once saw two children born conjoined. The locals said it was some demon¡¯s curse, and they threw them into the wilderness to be devoured by wild beasts. I brought them back, hoping to separate them with healing arts..." Conjoined twins, eh. Garrett thought about it: Healing arts can only follow the natural growth process of a person, clearly, no two conjoined twins would naturally separate as they grew. This would require surgical separation, but that¡¯s also very tricky... "So what happened next?" "Later I consulted my teacher, who was also very interested, and used a Limited Wish...they were separated, but still, they died..." That... probably didn¡¯t properly divide the organs, did it? Garrett silently bowed his head, choosing not to comment. Archmage Novak sighed: "Another child, well... anyway, it was some noble¡¯s child, born with a cleft lip. They had some influence, had many healers look at it, I looked too, but healing arts didn¡¯t work, and it wasn¡¯t worth using a Limited Wish..." Cleft lip repair surgery... looks minor, but is actually very delicate, with many challenges. Garrett scratched his head; if he were to perform the surgery... well, he could guarantee stitching up the lip, but whether it would look good, heaven knows... "Afterwards, it couldn¡¯t be cured. An heir to a family, can¡¯t be too ugly." Archmage Novak took another big swig of his drink, his thick eyebrows furrowing tightly: "Later, I heard he was sent to the countryside, and the family switched to another heir... Ah..." That means, this child, likely died. It¡¯s truly unfortunate. Although cleft lip repair surgery is not easy to do well, in modern medicine, it¡¯s just a matter of how well it can be repaired, not whether it can be repaired at all. To lose a life just because of a cleft lip is just too tragic. Archmage Novak kept drinking and sighing, recounting three or five cases where healing arts were powerless. Some Garrett knew how to treat, some, Garrett had no answer for: Like one case, clearly a diabetic emergency, you could already smell the distinct aroma of rotten apples on the breath. A healing art spell cast, and the patient immediately fell unconscious; another spell, and the patient died¡ª Healing arts are meant to accelerate the body¡¯s circulation, promote healing, too much thrown in, metabolism speeds up, ketones accumulate rapidly, ketoacidosis and death within minutes! But what can I do, I don¡¯t have insulin... Garrett could only accompany the Archmage in sighing, while offering some simple advice: such as diabetic patients should control their diet, not eat refined flour, not eat sugar, and so on. Though such measures probably wouldn¡¯t help someone already exhaling the smell of rotten apples. In my past life, encountering such a patient would mean immediate medical intervention! The two men substituted wine with tea, clinking cups over and over, the conversation growing more melancholic. As the night deepened, just as Archmage Novak was about to suggest "stay in the guest room for the night," one of his apprentices suddenly rushed in, flustered: "Master, master, Viscount Calrend¡¯s family requests your consultation! They said... their newborn... was born without the..." "Without what?" "You know... that!" Garrett covered his face on the side. Alright, no need to say more, with such a panicked entrance, the missing part is probably that cursed "your son was born without XX"... --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 497: May I Examine Inside the Child? Chapter 497: May I Examine Inside the Child? "Consultation? This late?" Archmage Novak was not pleased as he stood up. For spellcasters, the night is meant for sleeping and restoring spells. Although one can rely on magical potions, nobody really wants to get up in the middle of the night... He grumbled as he gathered his potions and magical gear, preparing to head out with his students. While packing, he rambled to Garrett: "There¡¯s nothing worth calling about... The child was born without an anus, and healing spells won¡¯t create one... Even if you poke a hole to make it through, the person will still die eventually..." Pfft... Poking through... Garrett nearly couldn¡¯t hold back. This treatment approach, well, wasn¡¯t entirely unreasonable. The child ended up dying... Was it an infection, or anal stenosis, or bowel obstruction? Or besides the anal atresia, were there other complications? He hummed in agreement a couple of times, quickly immersing his mind in books from his past life: "Pediatrics..." Diseases of the digestive system... Physiological anatomy of the digestive system in children... Intussusception, congenital megacolon... Oh no, nothing! It¡¯s not that he was cramming at the last minute; he just hadn¡¯t treated this condition in his previous life. Being born without an anus is medically called congenital anal atresia. Normally, the child is taken from the maternity ward, immediately examined, and found to have the condition, then swiftly sent to the neonatology department to call for a pediatric surgeon to perform surgery. Turning up in the emergency department? That doesn¡¯t happen. Such cases wouldn¡¯t land in their hands, and even if one occasionally did, it wasn¡¯t his responsibility. Pediatric treatment differs significantly from adult treatment in terms of anatomical structure, equipment size, precision of operation, anesthesia, and medication. Even the licenses aren¡¯t the same, and he definitely wouldn¡¯t dare to operate. "No pediatrics," he hurriedly flipped through "Surgery." Hmm, diseases of the rectum and anal canal... Congenital diseases of the rectum and anal canal... Congenital anomalies of the rectum and anal canal... There! Thank heavens, at least surgery mentioned it! Garrett focused his mind, rapidly scanning through the pages. [Classification]... [Associated malformations]... [Clinical manifestations]... [Diagnosis]... [Treatment]... Then, a passage caught his eye: "Depending on the type of rectal and anal malformation, the treatment varies, but all require surgery. Anal atresia should be operated on immediately after birth." Immediate surgery! Immediate surgery! There¡¯s no need to consider the physiological, pathological, biochemical stuff anymore. Once there¡¯s a conclusion in the medical books, just follow it and act. Garrett immediately stood up, and as Archmage Novak turned to leave, he paused: "You go rest, I¡¯ll just check and come back." "Your Excellency, let me accompany you," Garrett cautiously said, not daring to claim "perhaps I can help"¡ªthe books mentioned that anal atresia often comes with other malformations, occurring in 28% to 72% of cases, fearing he couldn¡¯t handle it¡ªjust very cautiously suggesting: "I haven¡¯t seen this disease before, can you show me?" Archmage Novak smiled. Magicians always have a curiosity; transmutation mages seeing unique animals and plants, abjuration mages discovering unheard-of forms of attack, divination mages observing new stars, they would gladly bring their provisions and follow without rest. And healers seeing unique diseases also bear the ire of the patient¡¯s family, poking their heads in to learn something new. He didn¡¯t object, taking Garrett on a flying carpet, flying down the mountain. It was almost night, and the entire City of Nevis was shrouded in darkness, only the Theater Avenue brightly lit up, connected to the speckled garden district. Within the bounds of Igor¡¯s Lock, flying is prohibited for mid-tier mages, but less so for high-tier mages. Archmage Novak had no pressure starting to fly, bearing the cool night breeze, he explained to Garrett: "Viscount Calrend¡¯s family, they were nobles rooted in Nevis before the city was founded, and their ancestors¡¯ names are also listed at the beginning of the mountain path." "Their direct lineage is also unfortunate, previously two sons, one was raised until three years old, drowned in a pond; another, shortly after birth, was scratched by a cat, at the time cured using healing minor wounds, but days later, suddenly convulsed to death; now this is the third one..." Uh, the first drowned, the second had rabies, the third born... that thing. According to the old Chinese saying, your ancestors didn¡¯t accumulate virtue, or the parents didn¡¯t accumulate virtue, right? Garrett silently criticized, beginning to doubt the necessity of his trip. Archmage Novak also seemed reluctant to go, sighing: "They have a fifteenth-level great mage. So, no help for it, one must consider professional courtesy..." The flying carpet rode the wind down, soon stopping in front of a spacious mansion. It was already night, yet the entire mansion was brightly lit, with seven or eight luxurious carriages parked at the door, each bearing a crest. Garrett lay on the flying carpet, casually glancing, and saw the crests of the Temple of the War God and the Temple of the Spring Goddess. As for the Church of the God of Nature, apparently, everyone was carriageless¡ª Of course, Elder Wood wasn¡¯t in town, and this late-night emergency probably only managed to randomly grab someone at the port clinic, whoever was available. The flying carpet directly descended into the courtyard. Garrett followed Archmage Novak briskly inside, soon entering a grand, warm room on the second floor of the mansion. Inside, shadows moved about, a faint smell of blood lingered, with a young female priest quickly walking in and out. Clearly, this was the room of the parturient, moans and sobbing sounds continuously emanating. In the room outside, a shrine to the Spring Goddess was set up against the wall, an aged elder kneeling before the statue, head bowed, murmuring prayers. Beside the shrine, a small round table was set up, covered with a thick mattress, and draped with deep blue silk damask. The child was placed on it, seemingly to bring him closer to the goddess¡¯s blessings. A few older, dignified-looking men stood nearby, whispering among themselves. Archmage Novak walked straight over. Immediately, someone half-turned their body, making way for him. Garrett didn¡¯t rush to follow. He looked around, recognizing many familiar faces. There were priests of the War God, priests of the Spring Goddess, all who had helped during the anthrax epidemic. Besides... "Brother Matthew!" Garrett quietly greeted this priest of the God of Nature: "What¡¯s the situation now? How¡¯s the child?" "I¡¯ve looked already, there¡¯s nothing to be done." Priest Matthew was also here for professional courtesy, of course, plus a night fee of 500 gold coins. He whispered to Garrett: "The child was born over two hours ago. So far, he hasn¡¯t passed any stool, nor dare we feed him water or milk. As you can see, everyone can only stay here, occasionally using divine magic to soothe the child..." His expression gradually darkened. Garrett listened carefully; the child¡¯s voice was already a bit hoarse, clearly having cried non-stop until now. That¡¯s normal, over two hours without feeding, without passing meconium, not even held once, the child was clearly uncomfortable. If he continued crying like this, he might face electrolyte disturbances¡ª Archmage Novak cautiously approached, bent down to observe for a moment, and discussed briefly with several people nearby, also shaking his head. In the end, he could only cast a sleep spell on the child, better than nothing. The baby finally calmed down. A few high-tier healers looked at each other, after a moment, all deeply sighed. "Can I go over and look?" Garrett asked in a low voice to Priest Matthew. Those standing by the child were clearly high-level figures. If he went over... not being allowed to look was impossible, but if the others were somewhat resistant, he would first move closer to Archmage Novak... "Go ahead, it¡¯s fine. We¡¯ve all looked already." Priest Matthew whispered a sigh. Not to mention the high-level ones, even the mid-tier and low-tier healers they brought had each taken a turn. Obviously, the host was desperately seeking help. Garrett reassured himself and walked over. He first slightly bowed, using his eyes to greet the high-level ones in a circle, simultaneously quickly observing the child¡ª Skin rosy, limbs capable of bending and stretching, he had just heard the cries, the voice quite robust. At a glance, he didn¡¯t notice symptoms like jaundice. If not considering congenital anal atresia, in terms of a newborn score, actually quite high. Belly swollen, traces of filth on the mouth and silk damask. A nurse stood by, anxiously watching the child, ready to wipe away any vomit at any moment. Hmm... Anorectal malformation, to explore the position of the rectum, what method should be used? For X-rays, the child needs to be turned upside down, for ultrasound, oil must be applied to the child... Forget it, let¡¯s do it all in one go. Malformations associated with anorectal malformations are most commonly urogenital malformations, followed by spinal malformations, especially sacral anomalies. Then, other parts of the digestive tract, like intestinal atresia. If unlucky, there could also be heart malformations ... Garrett remembered, not long before his transmigration in his previous life, the director of neonatology personally operated on a child with congenital anal atresia with anterior rectal fistula, combined with absent right kidney and tethered spinal cord malformations. Later, the child was discharged smoothly, and before he transmigrated, had already safely grown to ten years old... If the child in front of him was really this severely ill, he could only admit defeat, acting as if he hadn¡¯t come today. Garrett took out the mini oak wand from his chest, showing the little snake on the wand head to the high-level ones: "May I take a look? This is the totem spirit of my contract, an ethereal creature. I¡¯d like it to enter the child¡¯s body to explore the internal condition..." "You? Who are you?" The elder in front of the shrine suddenly spoke. He had just finished this prayer, stood up from before the statue, turning to the people. His eyebrows knitted slightly, looking at Garrett, clearly somewhat skeptical. Before Archmage Novak could speak, a War God¡¯s bishop already took over the conversation: "He¡¯s Garrett Nordmark, disciple of the Lord of Thunder, and has some unique insights in healing arts..." Disciple of the Lord of Thunder? The title of a legendary mage is indeed big enough, but still, being a sculpting mage has nothing to do with healing... The bishop didn¡¯t continue, and on the other side of the shrine, a young man quickly stepped forward, explaining quietly to the elder by his side. Garrett was too far to hear clearly, but caught familiar terms like ¡°penicillin,¡± ¡°infectious disease hospital,¡± ¡°smallpox.¡± The elder¡¯s expression immediately softened. He looked deeply at Garrett, as if imprinting his face in his heart, then, looking at the child by the shrine, sighed: "Go ahead, take a look!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 498: I Only Have a Fifty Percent Chance, Should I Save Him or Not? Chapter 498: I Only Have a Fifty Percent Chance, Should I Save Him or Not? Kneeling in front of the shrine, the elderly man was clearly the authority figure of this family. Once he agreed, no one beside him opposed ¡ª including the child¡¯s father and the relatives of the child¡¯s mother. They all remained silent, maintaining a quiet resolve. Ah, how I love it when a family has someone to make decisions! When someone takes charge and everyone else just shuts up! The thing I fear most is when a patient urgently needs surgery, and the eldest son says to operate, while the eldest daughter prefers conservative treatment, and the second daughter asks the doctor to explain again, and no one has even gone to make the payment... It drags on and on, and by the time they finally argue out a decision, it¡¯s already too late to save the patient... Garrett quietly half-closed his eyes, activating the spirit of the covenant. A small snake with a black pattern on a white background slithered out from the oak staff, rising into the air, nearing the infant. Just as it was about to enter the body, the old man suddenly spoke up: "Wait!" ??? Garrett opened his eyes to look at him. The elder turned his head to glance at the shrine again, then turned back to Garrett, his expression slightly embarrassed: "Could we... move to another room?" Garrett almost laughed out loud. I see. Controlling the spirit of the covenant, being seen as a power of the God of Nature¡ªor just any god¡¯s power by you people¡ªwhile the healer is a mage, you don¡¯t want the Spring Goddess watching, do you? Considering that the gaze of a deity is omnipresent, changing rooms won¡¯t really help... What kind of faith do you have... But alright, this small request, considering the thoughts of the patient¡¯s family, is perfectly fine! The group moved en masse to the next room. This room was much smaller than the adjacent hall, and aside from a few top-tier bigwigs, others felt too embarrassed to crowd in. Only Reverend Matthew was summoned by Garrett: "Big brother Matthew, give me a hand!" He handed the steel-branded oak staff to Matthew and sat down at the edge of the table, spreading out some paper, half-closing his eyes again. The snake silently emerged, entering the infant between the legs. Soon, the oak staff sprouted a root, wrapping around the Endless Ink Pen, beginning to sketch furiously. The scenes viewed by the ethereal eyes, compared to X-rays, ultrasounds, CT scans, MRIs, and even the views seen by surgeons during open surgeries, were quite different. Skin against muscle, fascia wrapped around blood vessels and nerves, intestines wandering under the mesentery... Without a sharp pair of eyes and ample spatial imagination, even if one saw it, they wouldn¡¯t understand what they were seeing. Fortunately, Garrett¡¯s background in his previous life was solid; he knew the anatomical structures by heart. Now, as he observed, he manipulated the Endless Ink Pen to outline the child¡¯s internal condition: Hmm, high anorectal malformation, with the rectal blind end above the levator ani muscle... If surgery were to be performed, the freed rectum would need to be longer to be pulled through the levator ani muscle and directly anastomosed with the anus below... Looking to the side, ah, indeed, there was also a recto-vesical fistula. Garrett guided the Endless Ink Pen to heavily mark a dot at the corresponding point on the fistula: Thankfully, with healing magic, this area isn¡¯t hard to heal. In the past life, with an open wound plus a fistula, that would be too difficult; just look at those patients suffering from anal fistulas. Continuing upward... no abnormalities in the sacrococcygeal area, that¡¯s great, everything from the tailbone to the lumbar spine, including the neural structures, looks normal. The intestines don¡¯t show any obstruction or narrowing, this child is lucky, both kidneys are intact, and there¡¯s nothing wrong with the urinary system... ¡°What exactly is he looking at?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, he¡¯s drawn the entire intestine out, are human intestines that long?¡± ¡°It seems they are... isn¡¯t it just missing the bottom part? Why draw so much?¡± ¡°He¡¯s now drawing the heart!... That¡¯s the heart, right? It¡¯s drawn so vividly, are you sure he¡¯s not a disciple of the Immortal, but actually a disciple of the Thunder Lord?¡± Several top-tier figures whispered among themselves. The child continued to cry, while Garrett sat upright, still and silent. They had nothing else to watch, so they could only look at Garrett¡¯s drawing paper. One, two, and in a short while, four or five people formed a semicircle, completely surrounding the desk. The drawing paper was filled with ink , and as one sheet was filled, another was exchanged¡ªthanks to Reverend Matthew¡¯s diligent efforts, sheet after sheet was replaced for Garrett... From the pelvis to the colon, ileum, cecum, to the five viscera and six bowels, he specifically detailed the heart. Continuing upwards, even the esophagus was drawn out, then turned back, meticulously delineating the anatomical structures near the rectum and anus: Pelvis, muscles, ligaments, fascia; blood vessels, nerves, lymph; kidneys, ureters, bladder, rectum... The infant¡¯s pelvic organs, the size of a fist, he actually drew three large papers, each as wide as a forearm. Several top-tier figures huddled together, holding their breath for a long while, only then did they realize he was drawing the same part from three different perspectives: Frontal section, lateral section, and a horizontal slice... ¡°Is it really necessary to be this complicated...¡± Master Novak murmured softly. The archbishop from the Temple of War, however, watched with sparkling eyes, hands reaching out then drawing back, then extending again. If it weren¡¯t for worrying that Garrett might need these drawings, he would probably have rolled them up and pocketed them by now. ¡°I understand now.¡± Garrett, after sitting nearly an hour with his eyes half-closed, finally opened his eyes and stood up. He turned to the elder who had initially agreed to let Garrett examine, his expression serious: ¡°This child, I might be able to save... but at most, I only have a fifty percent chance.¡± Fifty percent? With such a severe condition that even high-ranking healers felt helpless, he claimed to have a fifty percent chance? Reverend Matthew inhaled sharply. The others present were also high-ranking healers; although they didn¡¯t lose their composure like him, they exchanged serious glances. Master Novak was the first to blurt out an inquiry: ¡°How do you plan to treat him?¡± God bless, this little guy was brought by him, don¡¯t just act tough¡ªor out of a momentary compassion, attempt something! If the treatment fails, even if others might be wary of the Thunder Lord, there would still be some troubles, big and small! The room fell silent. Five or six pairs of eyes focused on Garrett, the elder who had agreed to let Garrett examine hesitated a bit, both hopeful and worried: It would be good to first hear the treatment approach, but mages are mostly proud; if asked to explain, would they feel distrusted and in a fit of pique refuse to treat? Especially this healer, so young yet a disciple of the Thunder Lord, such a person is likely to have a considerable temper... However, Garrett didn¡¯t have any hint of an attitude of "I¡¯m the caster, I¡¯m the boss, what I say goes." As a doctor explaining to a patient¡¯s family, it was perfectly natural, he was used to it. He slightly raised his hand, and a sheet of drawing paper immediately floated up, suspended in front of everyone: "Look, here¡¯s the child¡¯s rectum¡ªunder normal circumstances, the rectum should continue downward, reaching all the way down here, which is the anus." He gestured vaguely on the drawing, his finger tracing along the rectum down to the edge: "But now, the rectum hasn¡¯t grown this last bit, so we need to make an incision in the skin, pull the rectum down, pull it all the way out, then cut it open and sew it to the skin..." The entire room fell silent instantly. Garrett explained very simply, so everyone could understand, but after a moment of thought, even more questions emerged: "Can the rectum be pulled down? Will it tear?" "Oh, that won¡¯t happen. The rectum itself is elastic, it won¡¯t tear. However, the prerequisite is that you must separate the rectum and its surrounding structures¡ªblood vessels, nerves, omentum, lymph¡ªcompletely, otherwise, really, something will go wrong..." "Once it¡¯s pulled down and sewn to the skin, can the child defecate normally? Will it always leak?" "That won¡¯t happen either¡ªI just checked, the child¡¯s anus still has a sphincter¡ª" Garrett slightly bent over and patted the infant. The child suddenly awoke, crying loudly, and he pressed a finger where the anus should be, turning to the elder: "See, there¡¯s a slight bulge here, you can feel the shock sensation, attach the rectum here, the muscles contract, and it can control defecation." People took turns coming up to feel it, nodding in agreement. Then came the next question: "There originally wasn¡¯t an opening here, if you forcefully make one, can it be pulled out?" "That... will need continuous dilation afterward..." The healers¡¯ questions gradually subsided. The elder closely examined the drawings Garrett had made, then seriously asked him: "Why do you say you only have a fifty percent chance? Where¡¯s the risk?" "First, the child is too small." Garrett took a deep breath: "Even if healing magic can stop the bleeding and pain immediately, I¡¯m not sure he can survive the trauma caused by the surgery." The healers all nodded. Healing magic, growth, healing, all consume the body¡¯s own energy. For such a small child, not surviving is normal. "Secondly, the child was just born, and the blood vessels and nerves next to the rectum are only as thick as a hair. The process of cutting, separating, and pulling down¡ªif even a little bit is damaged, it will greatly affect the child¡¯s future recovery and defecation." The elder nodded as if he understood. Although he didn¡¯t know what nerves were, he could understand that the smaller the child, the finer the intestines, the smaller the blood vessels. Thinking about having to separate two things as fine as hair strands without damaging them... Even though he himself was a 12th-level knight, with sharp eyes and steady hands, thinking about this difficulty, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a headache. "Lastly, this is the first time I¡¯m performing this kind of surgery. Unfamiliar hands are especially prone to problems." Garrett¡¯s statement was entirely truthful. Emergency surgeries, only the critical ones are performed¡ªsewing up livers, removing spleens, cutting kidneys, even sewing intestines, he was very skilled at all of these in his past life. But anything beyond that, such as anoplasty... Non-urgent, non-life-threatening procedures, all left for the colorectal department to handle! Speaking of which, the time he was most familiar with the anatomical structures of the rectum-anus area in his previous life was when he himself had mixed hemorrhoids, lying in his own hospital¡¯s colorectal department... Forget it, the past is unbearable to recall. Garrett shook his head, candidly revealing the last influencing factor: "Also, even if he survives, the child will need to undergo prolonged dilation treatment, lasting at least six months to a year. To treat or not to treat, that will depend on your decision." --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 499: Mage Tricks, A Surgeon’s Aid Chapter 499: Mage Tricks, A Surgeon¡¯s Aid To operate or not to operate, that is a question worth considering. Not operating means the child will definitely die; operating gives the child a 50% chance of survival, albeit after enduring significant pain, and even if successful, a lengthy and difficult recovery awaits... To operate? Or not? The elder looked at Garrett, then at the child on the table, frowning in deep thought. The child¡¯s mother, whom he had watched grow up and treated like his own granddaughter, had married into the family. She was virtuous and harmonious, liked by everyone in the family. She had already lost two sons, and having just given birth to a third, now to tell her the child might be abandoned was something she might not withstand; yet to offer her a glimmer of hope, only to potentially face the pain of loss again... Moreover, there wasn¡¯t much time left to decide. Up to now, the child hadn¡¯t had a sip of milk or water, growing weaker by the moment. Clearly, dragging this out would only sever the child¡¯s chance at life. He sighed deeply and looked at Garrett again. His gaze swept over him, then suddenly he paused. Garrett sat upright at the table, his eyes half-open, half-closed. His fingertips lightly touching each other, with an ¡¾Ethereal Creature¡¿ outlining the internal muscles and organs of a human body, constantly changing. Sometimes expanding, sometimes closing, and sometimes dispersing like bubbles, then an infant¡¯s lower body reappeared... ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Simulating the surgery.¡± Garrett, without opening his eyes, replied softly. He could explain the surgery in detail, but wouldn¡¯t be able to perform it: ¡°Surgical texts list three approaches; which should be chosen? Through the abdomen? Through the perineum? Or perhaps a posterior sagittal incision?¡± What position should the infant be placed in, how long should the incision be, which layers of muscle should be pulled? How to locate the sphincter during the surgery, ensuring the rectum passes precisely through the gap in the sphincter? Should electrolyte imbalance be corrected beforehand, is gastrointestinal decompression necessary to prevent vomiting? How should the fistula be handled, the rectum wall is quite thick, how can it be made to pass through the narrow gap of the levator ani and sphincter complex? Should part of it be cut, and if so, how much? Each question required integration of his understanding of anatomy, the development of infants, consulting on-site: ¡°Histology and Embryology¡±, ¡°Pediatrics¡±, ¡°Surgery¡±, ¡°Regional Anatomy¡±, ¡°Systemic Anatomy¡±... The quicker a plan is settled, the sooner the surgery can be done, and the lesser the injury to the child. The elder remained silent. After a moment, he asked gravely: ¡°Isn¡¯t it still undecided whether to perform it?¡± ¡°Whether to decide is your affair. ¡ª Making thorough preparations is my own.¡± Garrett said softly, eyes still closed. The next moment, his fingertips sprouted several thin, green vines. With a sizzling sound, the vines poked a hole in the brocade on the table, swaying gently but resiliently beneath the fabric. The elder¡¯s eyebrows twitched. He gazed deeply at Garrett, observing his calm and focused demeanor, the winding vines at his fingertips, and the ink-filled sketches scattered across the table: r??A?¦­O?¦Â§¦?? There was a time when he himself was a young knight, assigned to scout behind enemy lines, witnessing a small enemy troop slaughtering a village. If he had charged out, he might have destroyed the enemy but also could have jeopardized the mission; if he hadn¡¯t, the scene before him was unbearable... Only the captain had the authority to order an attack. At that time, like Garrett now, he would silently ready his saddle, tighten the horse¡¯s girth, and polish his weapons... Whether to give the order was the captain¡¯s decision. Making preparations was his own affair. He took a deep breath in, then out. Then, pressing on the table, he leaned slightly towards Garrett: ¡°Master Nordmark, this child is in your hands!¡± ¡°Rest assured.¡± Garrett opened his eyes, meeting his gaze directly: ¡°I ¡ª cannot guarantee 100% success, but I will certainly do my best.¡± The group moved to the main hall. Novak the Archmage cast a spell to protect the surgery area, isolating any dust that might fall from above; The High Priest from the Temple of the Spring Goddess cast a soothing spell to ensure the infant felt no pain during the surgery; The zealous bishop from the Temple of the God of War stayed close by, following Garrett¡¯s instructions to position the infant prone, legs bent in a frog-like position, exposing the surgical area. A pillow was placed under the abdomen, readying for surgery; While Novak the Archmage, after casting the surgery room spell, crouched next to Garrett, starting to fiddle with animals... ¡°Uh... could you catch a frog for me?¡± ¡°A frog? In this season?¡± The elder did not intend to refuse, nor did he question what Garrett intended, he simply looked around: ¡°Can I bring a larger animal instead? Like a sheep? Or a pig?¡± ¡°Bring a sheep then...¡± Garrett sighed. Alright, although the principle of animal testing is to use lower animals rather than higher ones, they were wealthy after all... and these sheep were meant to be eaten anyway... The sheep was quickly brought over. Garrett watched as someone sheared the sheep, while instructing others to prepare zinc plates, copper plates, fashion a zinc-copper bow, and soak in saline... ¡°Your Excellency, the Archmage! Please, come over and help!¡± Garrett personally made an incision in the sheep¡¯s leg skin, separated the muscle bundles, and stimulated the muscles with the zinc-copper bow. Hmm, the effect wasn¡¯t quite satisfactory, perhaps the current was too weak? ¡°Your Excellency, the Archmage, please create the smallest possible current on the muscle ¡ª just enough to cause contraction, please don¡¯t injure it!¡± ¡°Alright, step aside, let me!¡± With a crackle, a visible burn mark appeared on the exposed muscle of the sheep¡¯s leg. ¡°Hey, be gentle!¡± ¡°Lighter!¡± The Archmage, true to his title, accurately mastered the necessary electrical intensity after three attempts. Garrett, still not reassured, rolled up his trouser leg, inviting him to try on his own body ¡ª ¡°Are you a fool? You¡¯re already a fifth-level mage, even without actively resisting, your magic resistance is higher than others!¡± It¡¯s as if I don¡¯t get shocked by static electricity in winter... Garrett silently complained. Eventually, the head of the household resolved the issue. Great rewards bring out great heroes; at his command, two maids rolled up their sleeves, allowing the Archmage to experiment. With a crackle, the muscle twitched visibly, yet no substantial harm was caused. After two successful trials, Garrett breathed a sigh of relief, turned to change his clothes, and wash his hands: ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start! ¡ª Brother Matthew, keep an eye on my movements, where the knife cuts, follow with a healing spell, don¡¯t let the wound bleed!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Priest Matthew summoned a vine, inserted it into the infant¡¯s mouth, reaching the stomach, serving as a gastrostomy tube to prevent vomiting and choking; Garrett focused, holding his breath, holding the surgical knife in a pen-like grip ¡ª the infant¡¯s skin was delicate, and the pen-like grip allowed for lighter, more flexible, and precise operations ¡ª made a central sagittal incision; From the tip of the coccyx down to 1 cm behind the anal dimple. He made the incision, using two smallest retractors, one on each side, pulling apart. Garrett maintained the position of the retractors, while Priest Matthew took over with two vines, greatly reducing Garrett¡¯s operational burden; Then... ¡°Novak the Archmage! Please, as before, stimulate the muscle inside the incision with the smallest amount of current!¡± The current crackled again. The infant¡¯s buttock muscles immediately began to twitch, his eyes intently watching the incision, he raised his hand, and mage tricks flew out ¡ª ¡°This circular contraction direction! That¡¯s right! This is the external anal sphincter!¡± In the past, marking special muscles usually involved using an electric stimulator. Here, without an electric stimulator, they had to ask the Archmage to manually stimulate... If the Archmage¡¯s control was still inadequate, they would have to resort to the zinc-copper bow, or set up his hand-cranked generator, adjusting the current bit by bit. However, more conveniently than in the past, there was no need for silk threads, or Merilin threads for marking. Zero-level magic tricks, instant dyeing, rich colors, non-damaging to tissues, easy to remove, truly a doctor¡¯s good assistant! Ah, when performing laparoscopic surgery, or similar surgeries, could also consider dyeing relevant tissues... Garrett silently congratulated himself, sending out a few vines, beginning blunt dissection. To outsiders, they only saw his eyes slightly closed, thin vines like hair drilling into the muscle, barely moving for a long time. Only Garrett knew what he was doing: Such a small area, the anal sphincter system, composed of four groups of muscles. Subcutaneous external sphincter, proximal levator ani, deep external sphincter, and a muscle complex composed of part of the puborectalis and deep fibers of the external anal sphincter. In a normal infant, the rectum should pass through these systems straight to the anus; however, in infants with imperforate anus, the rectum is not fully developed, and the rectal-anal opening is relatively small, requiring slow blunt dissection to expose the surgical field, leaving a gap for the rectum to pass through... The tip of the vine emitted a faint light. The fine as hair vine, soft like a spider¡¯s thread, yet capable of bursting with the force to flip stone slabs. Drilling, pushing, pulling, cutting... Just separating a 1 cm diameter gap had Garrett sweating profusely. He closed his eyes, gasping for a while before carefully maneuvering the vine inside, starting to separate the rectum. In the past, this incision wouldn¡¯t have been enough: The blind end of the rectum was about 2 cm from the anus, and the rectum needed about 3~5 cm of separation for enough surgical field for operations. But Garrett didn¡¯t need to cut as much: With the Spirit of the Pact providing vision, and vines for operation, he didn¡¯t need to cut more skin, muscle, or even bone, able to stably perform the separation through the dark narrow incision. This vision, much more detailed and convenient than operating under X-ray guidance. And moreover, no need to eat threads, no need to wear a heavy lead suit! Perfect! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 500: Treatment completed, what’s the charge? Chapter 500: Treatment completed, what¡¯s the charge? Garrett lightly closed his eyes, with five tendrils of vine floating out from each palm, clinging close to his fingers and wriggling forward. Since advancing to a fifth-level priest, especially after a period of intense treatments recently, Garrett had become increasingly proficient with his vines. The ten tendrils moved as extensions of his fingers, gently shifting with the movements of his fingertips¡ªdrilling, stabbing, hooking, slicing... Garrett¡¯s lips curled into a slight smile. It¡¯s easy to get used to luxury, but hard to revert to simplicity. Compared to the mosquito clamps he was accustomed to in his previous life, the vines were lighter and more agile, and the feedback was more accurate. Once accustomed to the vines, there was no going back. Except for the lack of temperature¡ªof course, the clamps didn¡¯t have temperature either¡ªthose vines seemed as if they were growing directly from his fingertips! Around Garrett, a crowd stood packed around the table, daring not even to breathe heavily. Watching as his left thumb and index finger slightly bent inward before slightly spreading apart. His right index finger suddenly lifted, pulled back, and then straightened, thrusting forward¡ª The vine at the fingertip also stretched tight, stabbing forward like a sharp sword. "What is he doing?" An old man asked in a low voice. Several high-level casters shook their heads, only Priest Matthew¡¯s eyes gleamed: as a fellow servant of the God of Nature, he had never imagined that the vines he was used to could perform such delicate maneuvers. The two tendrils on the left fingertip grabbed two bundles of muscles and gently pulled them apart to each side. The right index finger¡¯s vine, following the fingertip¡¯s movement, slightly retracted and then, like a cobra raising its head, plunged into the gap between the pulled-apart muscle bundles. In Garrett¡¯s view, or rather, in the ethereal snake¡¯s view, the tip of the vine glowed slightly, a sign of the magic-enhanced weapon transformation. The vine swayed left and right, tearing the fascia like tearing silk, drilling toward the blind end of the rectum. Ascending... Ascending... Is it there yet? The ethereal snake¡¯s view followed the rise, level with the vine tip, continuing to rise, passing what looked like a membrane, and drilling in. Dark green, sticky... Spit, meconium! Right, it had reached the blind end of the rectum! Garrett¡¯s right index finger slightly bent, the vine tip stopped, coiled around, and made a small mark. Then the second tendril, the third, the fourth... The smooth, hair-thin green vines raced in. Ten tendrils spread out like a delicate spider web, gently enveloping the slightly pulsating blind end of the rectum. Garrett exhaled and opened his eyes. "Is it done?" "Has it been completed?" Several voices asked eagerly. Garrett silently shook his head and lowered his gaze. In his breast pocket, an oak staff extended a root, retrieving a small bottle from his space bag and bringing it to his lips. Garrett sipped it sparingly. A cool sensation surged to his forehead, invigorating him instantly, making his control over the vines even more sensitive: He had already performed surgery during the day, and now another one in the middle of the night without a mental power supplement, he really couldn¡¯t hold up. Nearby, Master Novak glanced sideways at the old man. The elder raised an eyebrow slightly, nodding lightly: Can¡¯t my family even afford a mental power supplement? Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll definitely return it to him! Garrett had no energy to pay attention to their subtle exchanges. He lowered his eyelids again, entering a state of peaceful semi-meditation: ¡ªThe battle had just begun. The blood vessels around the rectum were plentiful. The superior rectal artery, the middle rectal artery, the inferior rectal artery, like a fine spider web, wrapped gently yet tightly around the rectum. Not to mention the internal hemorrhoidal plexus and external hemorrhoidal plexus. Named ¡°plexus,¡± one could imagine how troublesome it would be if bleeding occurred here. And the nerves, the lymph nodes¡ªother organs too, any larger movement could bump into them! His expression unconsciously became more serious; his fingertip movements were so gentle they were nearly invisible. In his previous life, when he was suturing blood vessels under a microscope, the movement was just as minute. Freeing, freeing, blunt separation. The vine clung tightly to the outer wall of the rectum, leaving not even a millimeter of space. The closer it adhered, the more it could avoid damaging other organs¡ª The little snake first swam around to check that there were no blood vessels or nerves here, then, with the tip augmented by the ¡¾Magic-Enh anced Weapon¡¿ trait, slightly dipped down, separating the rectal fascia from the bladder fascia. Then, observing again, separating slowly, moving upward. A fistula here! Another vine rose from his fingertip. Winding around a glass fiber less than 1 millimeter in diameter, it squeezed through the gap to the location of the fistula. Garrett lightly touched the end of the glass fiber, a clean white light winding along with the fiber flowing into it. In his previous world, revealing, freeing, and then ligating a fistula, and even cutting out part of the rectal wall in troublesome cases, were necessary. In this world, a minor healing treatment was enough. Under the ethereal snake¡¯s gaze, the fistula on the bladder wall grew, closed, and disappeared. The vine retracted, carefully freeing up the outer wall of the rectum¡ªthere had to be adhesions where fistulas occurred¡ªcontinuing to free up the outer rectum wall. One millimeter, two millimeters, three millimeters. One centimeter, two centimeters. Three centimeters. Was the length enough? Should we try? The vine at the right index fingertip once again raised its head. The sharp tip wandered to the blind end of the rectum, like a small snake threading through the muscle layer at the bottom. Then another vine, two vines, replaced two thick threads, clasped the muscle layer, pulling downward. Hmm, it seems the length is sufficient, still maintaining slack when pulled to the anal opening... That¡¯s good, it won¡¯t cause scar stenosis, no need to free it further. The other eight vines quickly retreated, evenly arrayed around the puborectal muscle and the anal sphincter orifice, expanding outward. Expand! Expand! Widen the opening, making a pathway for the rectum! Don¡¯t worry about exerting too much force; the stretchability of the sphincter exceeds what one might imagine, just pull as long as it doesn¡¯t cause muscle tearing! After pulling through the segment of the striated muscle complex, the healing spell once again flickered, fixing the rectum tension-free within the muscle ring. In the previous world, this step would require suturing with absorbable thread, letting it slowly fuse together, but now, the healing spell clearly did a better job. The blind end of the rectum continued to be pulled down. Instantly, a silent commotion arose around the table. In the sparsely woven green vine tunnel, a pink intestine was actually dragged out! "Is it okay now?" "Is it cured?" Garrett shook his head slightly. He closed his eyes to recover from the dizziness of the high-intensity operation, his voice hoarse: "Brother Matthew, the attractor." "Right away!" Priest Matthew took out another seed. Holding it in his palm, he compared it to the diameter of the intestine dragged out. A thin, hollow vine grew against the wind, and Garrett made a cross-shaped incision at the blind end of the rectum, the vine inserting flawlessly. On the other end of the vine, a fine whirlwind replaced the attractor, cleanly sucking out the meconium. "Whew..." "Finally dragged it out..." "Thank God..." A relieved sigh sounded around. Garrett watched intently as the flow of meconium finished, washed it once with saline, then again with holy water to prevent infection. Then, he started suturing the perianal skin. Even at this stage, relaxation wasn¡¯t allowed. The internal hemorrhoidal plexus and external hemorrhoidal plexus were terribly annoying, a slight misstep could cause bleeding. In his previous life, when performing surgeries together, he often heard proctologists complain... The scalpel glinted coldly, ten green vines fluttering back and forth like butterflies threading flowers. Cutting the skin flap, carefully controlling the depth of the cut, not damaging the underlying veins. Good, the depth and curvature of this cut were just right, and the small snake¡¯s indicated position was very precise. Blood hadn¡¯t even started to flow, and the mage¡¯s hand transformed into tissue forceps, already aligning the cut edges of the rectal wall. The healing spell descended, good, successfully fused, then cut the next piece! Another piece! And another... Completed! A perfect ring! Garrett¡¯s face broke into a smile. He extended his fingertip, a vine thoughtfully raising its tip, gently poking at the child¡¯s anus. Under the watchful eyes of all, the recently sutured skin inwardly contracted, forming a ring-shaped wrinkle. "It¡¯s done..." Garrett softly uttered two words. He quickly stowed the scalpel and glass fiber into his space bag¡ªthese needed to be returned for high-temperature sterilization, to be used again later¡ªas for the vines, simply dispersed. The seed? No need for it! After all, if there¡¯s not enough, more can be grown, after all, with a bit of divine magic, from planting to harvest it only takes a day, after all, as long as the seeds are soaked in disinfectant, sterile operation can be ensured... "Really done?" "Really done!" The temple of the Goddess of Springs¡¯ high-ranking protagonist uncast the calming spell; the War God¡¯s bishop couldn¡¯t wait to pick up the child, flipping him over in his hands; the baby cried loudly, but the elder was all smiles, reaching to take the child, turning him over and over to look... The newborn was passed from one person to another. This group of high-ranking casters, high-ranking warriors, each with amazement in their eyes: Really cured? Just like that? Just with these few vines, probing into the body for half an hour, seemingly doing not much, and it¡¯s cured? Extraordinary power was generously released, flowing from their fingertips, streaming over the child¡¯s skin, roaming around his body and returning to their fingertips. Soon, the healers joyfully discovered: Really cured! The flow of extraordinary power was smooth, without any obstruction! Amidst the room filled with joy and celebration, Garrett, exhausted, collapsed onto the table. After some time, he felt someone shaking him forcefully, in the dim room, only Master Novak¡¯s hook-nosed face shone brightly in front of him: "Hey, Garrett, wake up! The master is asking what you want... Directly giving money seems too trivial for you..." "Whatever..." Garrett¡¯s head buzzed, unable to think clearly. Shaken by Master Novak a couple of times, he became even more dazed, blurting out in the habit of his previous life: "If not, just send a banner... Just write a few words, hang it at the hospital..." --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 501: Wait, this isn’t the banner I wanted! Chapter 501: Wait, this isn¡¯t the banner I wanted! Garrett¡¯s successful treatment this time could be described as a rise to fame overnight. As the clergy and guests from the evening returned home, his renown quickly spread among the nobility of Nevis City: "Did you hear? Mage Nordmark healed the Cadelen family¡¯s young son!" "Did you hear? The newly born heir of the Cadelen family, born without the ¡¯whatnot,¡¯ was cured by the healer who developed the cowpox remedy!" "Did you hear? Several high bishops from the great temples were there, all said there was no hope, just waiting for death. But Mage Nordmark stepped in and miraculously saved him!¡ªTruly a disciple of the Lord of Thunder!" "...Wait, what does the Lord of Thunder have to do with this? I thought the school of energy sculpting wasn¡¯t known for healing spells?" "Hey, even legendary mages in fields they¡¯re not good at are still better than you!" Regardless, Garrett¡¯s surge in reputation was meteoric. Not only did his reputation skyrocket, but he also ventured into domains he had never touched before: Previously, Garrett¡¯s reputation in healing was mostly as "a magician who fiddles with odd things." These things could achieve the effects of healing spells and did so swiftly, efficiently, and painlessly. Things like penicillin, cowpox, public toilets, biogas for hot water supply, all meant only for the poor. Noblemen wouldn¡¯t bother using them! But this time, the high bishops were helpless, deeming the child¡¯s case hopeless, yet Garrett managed to save him! And reportedly, the entire treatment process was quiet from start to finish. The highest level of divine magic used was a third-tier peace spell... Historically, for such severe diseases, aside from limited wish spells or even more powerful major wish spells, who could save such a life! Overall, the situation fermented and the spread of his fame far exceeded Garrett¡¯s expectations. Moreover, after two days of word-of-mouth, his reputation as a "miracle healer" exploded suddenly: When Garrett was brought back to the Mage Tower by Archmage Novak, after a good sleep in the tower to restore his energy and adjust to the time difference, he was stunned to see, upon arriving at the hospital the next day, a Red Cross banner approaching from afar... The banner was brilliantly radiant. Under the sun, it shimmered from a distance, as if woven with gold and silver threads¡ªor perhaps enchanted with a permanent glitter spell? The banners grew closer. Soon, Garrett saw two knights, side by side on horseback. One held high the Red Cross banner, the other bore a complexly patterned banner, seemingly of some noble family¡¯s war flag? Garrett, whose grades in heraldry were not just average but terrible¡ªsince the Magic Council didn¡¯t test on it and mages relied on their casting abilities to make their mark, not caring much about noble lineages¡ªthus stared at the family war flag, feeling it somewhat familiar: Is that ring made of wheat sheaves, pine branches, or thorns? Is that a flower, a daffodil or an iris? And that animal, distinguishing whether it¡¯s a tiger or a lion was too difficult for him... Following the two knights was a squadron of cavalry, and behind them, a group of nobles¡¯ servants, escorting a line of supply wagons. Arriving at the hospital entrance, the flag-bearing knights split to each side, and Viscount Cadelen stepped forward, taking the Red Cross banner from the knight, and held it high: "Respected Mage Nordmark, thank you for treating my child two days ago. On behalf of my family, I present this banner to you!" "A banner?" Garrett slowly opened his mouth wide. What, a banner? This white satin banner, with a big red cross affixed from a great distance, visible by its reflection, you call this a banner? This isn¡¯t what I wanted! I wanted that kind¡ªdeep red velvet with golden yellow borders, with words like "High Moral Standing, Exquisite Medical Skill," "Benevolent Heart, Miraculous Rejuvenation," words that the medical department can photograph, that can hang on the clinic wall! Seeing his astonishment, Viscount Cadelen¡¯s smile also stiffened. What are you doing? Weren¡¯t you the one who wanted a banner? ¡ªGiven your status, asking for a satin banner is already strange! If you hadn¡¯t specified, we wouldn¡¯t have sent it! Nobles¡¯ castles and armies are accustomed to using banners, but the materials are usually common. The poor use burlap banners, the wealthy use silk. As for satin banners... Apart from the royal family, families wealthy enough to afford such are few and far between. And mages, mages prefer arcane seals. After all, mages don ¡¯t lead armies; at most, they have a few followers who carry banners wherever they go, which they see as quite foolish... You ask for a satin banner¡ªare you some fugitive prince of a country, or as a mage, do you simply not care about money? But the banner, Viscount Cadelen couldn¡¯t just not deliver it. After all, it was his family who asked first, and after they asked, Garrett immediately requested this... If he had known this would happen, it would have been better to just give money directly! But really, you can¡¯t just give money directly. They asked Archmage Novak about the payment issue, precisely because calculating the compensation was tricky. Among nobles and spellcasters, there¡¯s a customary way to calculate healing costs: For example, a potion for treating severe injuries might be priced at 750 gold coins, so a standard spellcasting session would cost the same. If you hire a high-level healer, the fee increases according to the recipient¡¯s rank. Like if a viscount asks someone to make a house call late at night, even if the healer didn¡¯t cure or even attempt to heal, they would at least get a travel fee... But Garrett, how much should be given this time? In terms of spellcasting, besides accelerating the growth of vines, he hadn¡¯t made any obvious spellcasting gestures, at most a few minor healing spells; In terms of not spellcasting, obviously, everyone saw Garrett¡¯s consumption during the treatment and the results... That¡¯s hard to price. And directly giving money also looks bad. Inviting clergy for treatment is done in the name of devotion to the gods, directly delivered to the temple. Inviting a mage, it¡¯s more likely to gift magical materials than money. Directly handing over money for goods? It makes it seem like others are desperately short of money! Garrett, after all, is a disciple of the Lord of Thunder, you can¡¯t disrespect him like that! No choice, you have to do your best to deliver what was specifically requested. Not only do it well but also deliver it as quickly as possible. Delaying for ten days, half a month, a month¡ªare you really sending it, or not? To make this banner, Viscount Cadelen¡¯s steward and staff racked their brains, scratched their heads: How big should the banner be? What is the Nordmark family crest? Should the crest be embroidered, or woven directly during fabrication? The banner also needed a phrase; what should it say? Finally, balancing aesthetics, sophistication, and production speed, Viscount Cadelen¡¯s family could only come up with a rushed solution: Use plain white satin as the base, snip, snip, cut out the center piece. Cut a cross from bright red satin, sew it directly on top... As for embroidering a phrase, forget it, wait a bit. Get the banner made, send it over to show sincerity, and once communication is clear, find an embroiderer to add it. After all, silk is already expensive, and damask even more so. A banner three feet long and two feet wide already costs thousands of gold coins; better not to waste it. Garrett was confused for a second, then quickly put on a smile. He hurried down the steps and took the banner with both hands. Viscount Cadelen and he stepped up the stairs side by side, turning around, both displaying brilliant smiles¡ª Just short of someone coming up to take a photograph. Ah, this world doesn¡¯t have medical offices or cameras... Well, no matter how off this banner was, its promotional effect was still quite good. Garrett looked over the heads of the knights and servants, gazing into the distance: Across the street, a huge crowd gathered, a dense mass of people. There were those in tattered clothes and those in splendid attire. It seems the viscount¡¯s banner delivery was noisy enough to attract quite a crowd of onlookers. Today, hang the banner in the main hall! Assign someone, every time a patient comes in, to retell the recent cases! The viscount¡¯s family is really on point. Not only did they parade the family banner through the streets to deliver Garrett¡¯s banner, but they also dragged along several wagons of gifts. Viscount Cadelen, joyful for his newborn son, was all smiles: ¡°These items are donated to the medical facility for research into healing techniques and for providing food and daily necessities to poor patients. Please do not refuse, let our family also contribute a bit to the city¡¯s charitable causes.¡± So this is the consultation fee? Hmm, paying the consultation fee in the form of charitable donations is also a common practice among nobles and the wealthy... Garrett, receiving an unexpected windfall, was in high spirits, smilingly inviting Viscount Cadelen inside. A patron after all, he deserves good treatment, even if not expecting donations, but hoping he¡¯d spread the word and attract more donations! Garrett pointed things out along the way, showing the viscount various aspects of the hospital. There were deer antlers embedded in the walls (eighth-level magical beast materials!); There were consultation rooms lined up next to the main hall (each staffed by an official priest); There was the heavily guarded backyard, where about ten mages and mage apprentices busily went in and out, developing a rabies vaccine... Whether Viscount His Excellency was sincerely impressed or just overly enthusiastic, he exclaimed continuously. After a complete tour, he found a secluded spot and mysteriously pulled Garrett aside: ¡°Mage Nordmark, are there diseases that healing spells can¡¯t cure, or where the healing effect is poor, that you can treat here?¡± ¡°This... it depends on the situation, I¡¯m just a level 5 priest...¡± ¡°Then, a friend of mine, someone with injuries or diseases that haven¡¯t responded well to treatment, can I refer them to you?¡± Garrett¡¯s eyes lit up. New patients being referred! New nobles, wealthy people to shear for wool, to raise funds for the treatment of poor patients! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 502: Life Should Be Sweet, Sweet, Sweet Chapter 502: Life Should Be Sweet, Sweet, Sweet Garrett eagerly awaited Viscount Carden, or other nobles, or any wealthy folks to come for medical treatment. You know, the typical "I have a friend" scenario that everyone understands. Unfortunately, the wait was in vain. The first day passed, then the second, and the third... No one came. The hospital remained eerily quiet, serving no more than three to five patients a day, and those were the cases that could be cured with a simple treatment. It wasn¡¯t clear whether people still needed to inquire and verify more or if the "I have a friend" with "that kind of illness" were too embarrassed to come unless it was very quiet. In the end, it was their own family who repeatedly asked about the initial treatment. "So at that time, did everyone really say it was incurable?" Seraina asked with eager interest. Garrett answered for the third time: "Well, it wasn¡¯t necessarily incurable... I suppose a limited wish spell might work, um, I¡¯m not sure about a healing spell..." While searching his knowledge, he explained to Seraina. Thanks to the daily teachings of the Thunder Lord, Garrett had gathered a fragmented understanding of high-level magic, which still made for good gossip with Lady Silver Dragon. "Priestly sixth-level spells, healing spells, involve channeling positive energy to heal diseases and injuries, ending any adverse conditions affecting the target. Sorcerer and wizard seventh-level spells, like the limited wish spell, can achieve various magical effects. However, working backwards from the principles of the spells, Garrett felt that a healing spell likely wouldn¡¯t cure congenital deformities¡ª "After all, no matter how much positive energy you introduce, the body has already grown this way, and even if it grows again, it will still be the same..." "What about the limited wish spell?" "The limited wish spell might be able to do it..." Garrett thought aloud slowly. "As long as the caster¡¯s target is clear and not something vague like ¡¯let the body grow on its own, in the condition it should be without disease, poison, or negative energy interference¡¯, wanting to grow an anus should indeed be possible." Of course, if there were other deformities involved, like intestinal atresia, congenital heart disease, esophageal atresia, or missing organs, then... If these weren¡¯t diagnosed beforehand, it might take more than one limited wish spell... "But both of those spells are of such high levels!" Seraina thought hard and then cheerfully concluded: "Garrett, with second and third-level spells, you could do it! So you¡¯re the best after all!" "This..." Garrett was sweating. Medicine isn¡¯t that easy; some things divine magic can¡¯t do, and neither can modern medicine. Not to mention rare diseases, like Alzheimer¡¯s... He really couldn¡¯t handle that. "So when will we have a new patient?" Seraina, having affirmed Garrett¡¯s abilities, joined him in squatting at the hospital entrance, eagerly waiting: "It¡¯s always just bruises, cuts, colds, and coughs¡ªillnesses that can be cured with a single treatment spell..." "I, I don¡¯t know..." Alas, the hospital¡¯s reputation was still not enough. Unlike in his past life in a renowned tertiary hospital in a provincial capital, where sitting idle would bring a continuous stream of challenging cases. Patients came because of the hospital¡¯s reputation, transferred from lower-level hospitals that couldn¡¯t treat their conditions, bringing their families from far away. What need was there for advertisements or promotions? Miss Silver Dragon, having waited and turned around so much that she almost wore down the ground at the hospital entrance (though not literally revealing her true form), still saw no patients come. Bored, she pulled on Garrett: "By the way, all those odd things you bought back from the expo, how are you supposed to use them? They¡¯ve just been sitting there, gathering dust! That fruit, you said it could be made into something delicious, but I tried it, and it¡¯s so bitter and astringent!" Garrett was sweating buckets. This and that... He had indeed dived into research after returning from the expo, putting the exotic purchases aside. But that wasn¡¯t really his fault! Some of the items, like rubber, he had handed over to Mr. Norwood, and there were still no results; For quinine bark, without malaria, it¡¯s no different from ordinary bark, just needed to be well-preserved; As for sunflowers, he had already shelled half of them and had Miss Anita Winvey find a place to plant them, hoping to harvest lots of seeds by autumn to continuously snack on sunflower seeds; As for cocoa fruits... "Did you just grind the cocoa beans and eat them?" "Yes!" Seraina said matter-of-factly: "I had the cook add sugar, milk, and all sorts of things, but I couldn¡¯t suppress that bitter taste! It was horribly unpalatable !" "Sweat... Seraina, cocoa fruit isn¡¯t supposed to be eaten like that! It needs to be roasted!" Garrett groggily lifted his head from the lab bench, swaying left and right. Seeing no patients would come today, he rolled up his sleeves, deciding to take a half-day off to clear his mind: "Seraina, let¡¯s go! Back to the Mage Tower!" Back at the Mage Tower, the cocoa fruits Seraina had not yet finished off were cracked open, already showing signs of splitting under the tower¡¯s consistent temperature and humidity, turning the cocoa beans coffee-colored. Seraina covered her nose and jumped back: "Ew! What¡¯s that smell~~~" A stench, strictly speaking, reminiscent of the stinky feet smell from a medical student¡¯s dormitory. Garrett recalled a video he had watched during a night shift in his previous life, satisfied that the fermentation level was about right... Next, it was time to dry! No need for an oven, being a magician, he had his own ways. Garrett opened four cocoa fruits at once, dividing the beans into four portions. Three portions were set aside, waiting to be roasted slowly at different temperatures; the fourth portion, he directly cast a weakened version of "Desiccating Touch" on it: With a single touch, it could cause minor drying damage and make living creatures lose moisture. Garrett had been practicing this spell recently to counteract edema, dealing with conditions like laryngeal edema. Though his success rate wasn¡¯t high and his mana output often too strong, for these cocoa beans, he felt quite confident¡ª Success! The cocoa beans were thoroughly dried! The outer skin dried to a crisp, cracking easily at the touch! Garrett was thrilled, summoning two invisible servants to peel off all the bean husks. Then, he had the invisible servants smash, bake, smash finer, bake again, grind, and bake a third time... Until it was ground into a muddy mess, looking just like the video, he then added powdered sugar, thoroughly mixing it. To make chocolate, he even used a grinding machine intended for magic potions. "Is it ready yet? Is it ready yet?" Seraina spun around him, occasionally offering suggestions or trying to help: "Should we use a wind blade spell to cut it?" "Should we heat it?" "Should we add some water?¡ªOr milk?" The grinding machine worked hard for a long time, and Garrett stopped the machine, pouring out the chocolate mixture. Before he could pour it into molds, Seraina jumped up and scraped some off the edge of the machine: "Ah, this batch is much sweeter..." She eagerly licked a taste: "But it¡¯s still bitter! And astringent! And a bit sour! Garrett, can you make it taste better?" Uh... It seems that mastering the temperature and time of baking and roasting, which involve reactions like the Maillard reaction to remove the sour and astringent taste of cocoa beans, can¡¯t just be substituted with "Desiccating Touch"... Garrett hesitated, handing over the grinding machine to the young Silver Dragon lady, letting her either eat up the chocolate or cast a cleaning spell to clean it up directly. He took another batch of cocoa beans and followed the method from the video, not daring to make a single mistake: Heat to 60 degrees, slowly roast for 4 hours (entrusted to the tower spirits, while Garrett read); Take out, let cool, then adjust to 150 degrees, roast for 20 minutes, flipping the beans every 5 minutes; Cool for a minute, adjust to 135 degrees, roast for 5 minutes; Cool for a minute, roast for 5 minutes, completely cool down... "Hey! It doesn¡¯t smell sour at all!" Seraina jumped over. Not waiting for the beans to cool down, she rubbed them vigorously in her delicate palms. Garrett hadn¡¯t even started to exclaim when the hot beans cracked in her palm, shedding their skins to reveal the dark coffee-colored beans inside. The speed and efficiency were much faster than the invisible servants. The scariest part was, Seraina was smiling the whole time! Well, the hands of a Silver Dragon... are simply incomparable to humans... And Seraina didn¡¯t need to smash or grind or use a grinding machine. With her palms pressed together, the sound of sand, the coffee beans were already powdered, falling in a shower. The efficiency was at least a hundred times higher than what Garrett achieved with his invisible servants pounding and pounding, then pounding some more. The only problem was, once the cocoa beans were ground fine enough, the cocoa butter would stick the powder together. Now, it clung thickly to the hands of Miss Silver Dragon... "Garrett? Can I eat it now?" Seraina licked her fingers, barely tasting any bitterness, and instead, a unique fragrance urged Garrett on. Garrett stared at her fingers in a daze: Aren¡¯t you supposed to pour all the cocoa powder into the pot first? Asking me now, how am I supposed to answer? Should I just taste it from your hands? "It should be about right..." He recalled the color and texture of fully ground cocoa beans from the video, unsurely instructing: "Add powdered sugar..." Adding a lot of powdered sugar, a few grains of salt to prevent it from being too cloying when drunk later. Garrett set up a large pot, pouring milk into it, simmering it on low heat. Then, instructing Seraina to add a bit of hot milk, dissolve the chocolate, then pour in half a cup of milk... "It tastes so good! There¡¯s a special sweet fragrance!" Seraina held the cup in both hands, by the pot, her eyes gleaming as she smiled: "Garrett, this cocoa powder will be especially comforting to drink in the winter!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 503: All Food Is Nostalgia Chapter 503: All Food Is Nostalgia After Garrett and Seraina, Aurora, Andrew Lynn, Mage Norwood, and several apprentices each poured themselves a cup. From full-fledged mages to apprentices, everyone had nothing but praise for the sweet smell. Even the usually stern Andrew Lynn leaned against the fireplace, cup in hand, and crossed his legs in relaxation. Only Bernard did not speak a word of praise. The barbarian held a giant wooden mug full of cocoa milk and tilted his head back, gulping it down... "Meow~~~" A faint cat meow sounded from the crowd. Bernard stopped, looked down, and saw Mr. Troka, shrunken to the size of a kitten, sitting at his feet, looking up at him with shining golden eyes. Bernard decisively put down his mug, took out a large shallow dish, poured a dish of cocoa milk on the ground, and Mr. Troka meowed softly, wagged his tail at the barbarian, and bent down to lick it. Andrew Lynn: "......" Really?! I¡¯ve never been short of food or drink for you! Every time I have a sip of milk, you have a sip; every time I have a piece of bread, you have one too! Do you really need to beg food from others?! "Mr. Troka! Put it down!" After Garrett finished a cup of cocoa milk, he turned his head and saw the black cat crouching there licking cocoa milk, and all his hairs stood on end. He casually put down his glass, not caring that the glass was spinning on the table, and leaped over: "Cats can¡¯t eat chocolate! Put it down! Put it down!" Garrett¡¯s voice was urgent, but Mr. Troka ignored him, head buried, continuing to lick the milk, his whiskers all frothy. Not until Garrett rushed up close, crouched down, and extended his hand, his fingertip just 0.1 cm away from the cat¡¯s neck, did Mr. Troka crouch lower and darted out¡ª In an instant, the whole cat, no, turned into a black lightning bolt, darting out from between Garrett¡¯s legs, quickly getting behind him. Garrett turned his head, spun around, and ran. The man and cat ran around the large dining table twice, and Garrett finally cornered the black cat in a corner. He crouched down, stretched out both hands, and tried to grab the black cat¡¯s neck: "Spit it out! Spit it out! Cats can¡¯t eat chocolate!" "Meow-ow¡ª¡ª" A loud, deep, almost roaring meow. Garrett blacked out for a moment, already knocked down by the black cat, which had grown much larger, now the size of a black panther, standing on him, sticking out its tongue, and licking his face messily: "I am the great Mr. Troka! A magical beast! Not a black cat! Not a black cat!" Don¡¯t restrict me with a black cat¡¯s dietary restrictions! Garrett was pinned down, his face wet and sweetly fragrant. After a while, the black cat jumped off, and he wiped his face with his hand, his back smeared in a mess: "Ow! Mr. Troka! You¡¯ve licked my face all over with milk!" Cocoa, and cocoa-related foods, received unanimous praise. However, as to how exactly they should be made... Garrett spread his hands: "Why don¡¯t I write down the methods for processing cocoa beans, and Aurora, you let your cook try? I really can¡¯t do it..." Ah, it¡¯s said that different types of cocoa beans, combined with different baking times and temperatures, present different flavors. Some are slightly sour, some have a stronger bitter taste, some have a noticeable burnt aroma, and some, it¡¯s said, have a nutty or special floral aroma... Forgive Garrett, who had never tasted these in his past life; in his recipe book, there were only dark chocolate, regular chocolate, white chocolate, milk chocolate. But since a gourmet advertised it, there must be something to it? However, these types, processing methods, and recipes, if you ask Garrett to try them one by one, he would only shake his head rapidly. Kill him, he would rather do 12 hours of dissection experiments every day! Cocoa milk tea, cocoa cake, cocoa bread, cocoa cookies, handmade chocolate, milk chocolate... including the methods for processing cocoa beans, Garrett wrote seven or eight pages in one go, sorted them out, and handed them to Aurora: It¡¯s up to you now! No, it¡¯s up to your auntie, the cook! Please make sure to try it out; the entire Mage Tower relies on her. If she makes something good, I can even take it to give to my teacher... Seraina followed closely by his side. Her gaze moved from Garrett¡¯s pen tip, to the thick stack of recipes, to Aurora¡¯s hands. Blinking, she gave a pleasing smile to this blonde young mage. Ah, Garrett here, always has the freshest ideas, the most interesting, never tiresome. But to taste something delicious, aside from going out and checking every restaurant in the street, pleasing Aurora¡¯s cook was the right way! "By the way, Aurora¡ªafter auntie makes the dishes, remember to copy down the list and give it to MOSS! Then we¡¯ll have it daily!" Alas, although MOSS can control invisible servants and make a bunch of common dishes and desserts, it lacks research capability, and the things it makes are too standardized. To eat something delicious, fresh, and varied, you still need a human touch. However, it¡¯s rare for Garrett to be in the mood, or more importantly, rare for Garrett, this experiment fanatic, medical maniac, to have crawled out of his hospital. The group of people happily organized a small gathering: Without MOSS controlling invisible servants for meals, and not going out to eat outside. Each of the magicians and apprentices rolled up their sleeves, each contributing a dish: Seraina caught a giant fish, almost half the height of a person, and with a breath, froze it on the spot. She drew her elven curved knife, chopped off the head, cut the tail, peeled off the fish skin, and sliced out the fattest chunks of fish meat. Then, with flying knife skills¡ª Slices of deep red fish meat with even fat lines, neatly aligned, arranged in a row. Miss Silver Dragon casually wiped, moving the fish meat into a porcelain plate, thought for a moment, casually grabbed a lemon, cut it in half, and placed it on the edge of the porcelain plate. What? The fish meat is still frozen like ice cubes? Let it be, by the time everyone else¡¯s dishes are ready, it should be thawed enough to eat! Andrew Lynn casually sat on the side, not moving. In the kitchen, a golden skeleton kneaded dough, added butter, added cheese, added ham, added various seafood like large shrimp and squid, stuffed it into the oven, and was busy non-stop. Hey, as long as one person contributes one food, it¡¯s fine when it¡¯s served, whose contribution it is, does that matter? Aurora squatting pitifully by his side watching him. Unlike Lynn, who was always adventuring, fighting north and south, Aurora had always lived in comfort, never having to feed himself. Lynn watched him for a long time, couldn¡¯t help but laugh, and kindly directed him: "You go and cut some meat chunks... any meat, chicken is okay, pork or lamb is okay. Cut into the size of knuckles, marinate with sauce, skewer and grill. Hmm, if you¡¯re worried about it being too greasy, or want to change it up a bit, just skewer some vegetables in between the meat..." Aurora, at the command, at the action, hurried to work. Soon, he let out a scream: "Where are the mushrooms! Why are there no mushrooms! My favorite mushrooms¡ª¡ª" "The mushrooms are here~~~" Miss Anita Winvey smiled and called back. She had rummaged through the kitchen, found a bunch of various mushrooms and leafy greens. Stalked white mushrooms, round and round grass mushrooms, somewhat deep-colored umbrella mushrooms... As a caretaker of the God of Nature, the young female priest was very confident in her ability to recognize mushrooms. She hummed a song softly, happily slicing the mushrooms, cutting them into pieces, strips, and stir-frying them with olive oil. Add salt, add black pepper, add butter~~~ Leafy greens were washed, blanched; peas were boiled; cheese was sliced into strips. Bread was cut into uniform, one-centimeter cubes, baked in the oven until hard and crisp, and then mixed with mushrooms, leafy greens, peas, and cheese in a large bowl, stirred evenly: Forest Mushroom Salad, ready to serve! Of course, expecting these dishes to fill everyone up was impossible. To feed everyone, that depended on Bernard¡¯s skills: The barbarian wielded two cleavers, "clang clang" chopped two chickens, a lot of beef, a lot of pork, and poured them all into the pot; Then added a small pot of potatoes, radishes, onions, sauerkraut, and whatever basil leaves, bay leaves he could grab, just sprinkled a handful down; Then opened a bottle of wine, regardless of the vineyard or flavor, "ton ton ton" poured half a bottle down; Covered the pot, simmered on low heat. Hunter¡¯s stew, here we go! The strange aroma soon "burbled" out. Everyone chatted and laughed, cooking while watching others¡¯ skills, looking for opportunities to sneak a taste. Of course, most eyes were still on Garrett: What would he cook? This guy, full of bizarre ideas in research, careless in life, grabbing whatever he could stuff into his mouth, what kind of surprise would he bring to this gathering? Garrett stared blankly at the vegetable basket. To say he¡¯d make a specialty dish, the first thing he thought of was lotus root pork rib soup, every winter, every household would steam a big pot: The whole lotus root split in half, then cut into several sections, each piece as large as a palm, when bitten into, lotus fibers could smear across a face, powdery and melt-in-the-mouth; Half a finger-length rib, sparing no expense to add, the meaty aroma could fill the entire house; A family eating with lotus soup, without other dishes, could eat two large bowls of rice in one meal! But, this place, there are no lotus roots... Three delicacies bean skin? Forgive him for not knowing how to make bean skin, even if he knew how, there are no soybeans here; Hot dry noodles? Sorry, he doesn¡¯t know how to knead dough, roll dough, can¡¯t make suitable noodles; Soup dumplings? Same reason, he also can¡¯t make dough, and if the dough isn¡¯t good, steaming soup dumplings would probably end up looking very ugly. So, what to do? It¡¯s not that he couldn¡¯t just slap something together, but that soul-stirring flavor, once evoked, would always linger on the tip of the tongue... "Garrett, what¡¯s wrong?" At some point, Seraina had already crouched down worriedly next to him. The Silver Dragon lady peeked out her head, carefully observing his complexion, restraining her strength, and gently shaking his arm: "Can¡¯t cook? If you can¡¯t cook, it¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll share a fish with you, your knife skills are so good, just chop it up¡ª" "Yes, fish!" Garrett¡¯s eyes lit up, and he suddenly jumped up: "Come on, watch me make a fish for you to eat!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 504: I, Garrett, Am Skilled in Hemorrhoid Surgery? Chapter 504: I, Garrett, Am Skilled in Hemorrhoid Surgery? "Mine, mine, mine!" "I scooped it up!" "Oro, don¡¯t steal!" "Sss... Ah... it¡¯s so hot!" A group of mages surrounded a basin-sized copper pot, each using unique tricks to fish for food: Mage¡¯s Hand scooped up white fish slices, which danced back to its master¡¯s plate while the red soup dripped all over the floor; Miss Anita Winvey conjured vines to gather a huge pile of radish slices, asparagus, spinach, kale, cabbage, freshly conjured mung bean sprouts, and pea shoots. Of course, there were endless fish slices too; Bernard, although not a mage, had a colander in his hand that was bigger than any Mage¡¯s Hand! Garrett smiled as he watched them scramble. This noisy, bustling scene was so similar to his college days. Back then, when classmates were hungry and craving, they¡¯d slip to the street behind the medical school for a meal to satisfy their hunger. Back then, boiled fish was popular. One dormitory would order a huge pot, scooping it clean of fish and vegetables. The soup from the fish and vegetables would soak into the rice, and a simple stir would make it delicious enough to devour a large bowl. It was a cost-effective meal. After eating, everyone¡¯s faces glowed, and they would return to school patting their full bellies... Speaking of which, Mage Tower was also a place of learning and research, wasn¡¯t it? This meal was extremely satisfying. By the end, even the well-sliced fish by Seraina was forced by everyone for Garrett to reprocess into boiled fish slices. Hmm, eating raw fish slices without mustard or soy sauce always felt a bit odd, didn¡¯t it? However, joy often leads to sorrow. Garrett¡¯s boiled fish slices, laden with lots of chili, pepper, and various spices, were exhilaratingly spicy and refreshing to eat, but after eating... The next day, Master Norwood sneaked into Garrett¡¯s room, wincing and twisting his body. "What¡¯s wrong?" Garrett laughed the moment he saw his walking posture. He was familiar with this pose from the proctology department, where a bunch of big men in skirts each walked like this! "Uh... Mr. Nordmark... I heard... you cured that child... Do you know about... this as well..." Garrett held back his laughter, carefully asking about his symptoms. The problem wasn¡¯t serious: constipation and hemorrhoid bleeding due to excessive spicy food. Garrett quickly cast a healing spell to temporarily stop the bleeding, and then for the constipation... "Maybe you could try this?" He rummaged and pulled out a bottle of glycerin. Inserting a hollow vine into the rectum, he used a syringe to inject it, instructing Master Norwood: "Hold on! Wait until you can¡¯t hold it anymore before you go!" After a while, Master Norwood came out of the bathroom sweating profusely, feeling much lighter, and thanked Garrett. Seizing the opportunity, Garrett grabbed him: "Since you¡¯re here, do you want to check your hemorrhoids too? Whether internal, external, or mixed, I can perform surgery with minimal bleeding and high efficacy. It¡¯s simple with a healing spell..." "You really can do it? ¡ª I heard from those guys in Black Crow Swamp that they¡¯ve tried to do it themselves and ended up with heavy bleeding the moment they cut!" "Hehe, that¡¯s because they don¡¯t understand the anatomical structure..." Garrett personally performed the surgery, smoothly removing two hemorrhoids for Master Norwood. While chatting during the procedure, Garrett learned that many mages suffered from constipation and hemorrhoids. "Ah, constipation isn¡¯t a disease, but not being able to defecate can really be deadly! Day by day, drinking castor oil, using soap water enemas, and washing with healing potions if there¡¯s bleeding¡ªit¡¯s quite troublesome..." Garrett nodded silently. Although he didn¡¯t suffer as much himself, many mages did due to reading, meditating, and sitting all day. They lacked physical activity, ate unhealthily, consumed too much meat, and lacked dietary fiber¡ª If you¡¯re not constipated, who is? As for how to handle constipation... "Do you want to take a bottle of this back with you?" Garrett placed the glycerin-filled glass bottle in front of Master Norwood. The middle-aged mage looked at the bottle, thought for a moment, and then shook his head: "Never mind, it¡¯s too troublesome. I don¡¯t know the divine spells of the God of Nature, and those enema devices are also very awkward to operate..." "So..." Garrett naturally thought of a device from his previous life. He casually cast a [Silent Phantom] spell, squeezing and shaping it into the form of an enema bottle: "How about this?" Master Norwood examined it intently. The palm-sized gadget had a flexible base that was easy to squeeze; The top was a thin tube, smooth and rigid, which wouldn¡¯t bend when entering the body and its rounded tip wouldn¡¯t damage the delicate mucous membrane; The content was small, only about 20 milliliters in the sac, but based on Master Norwood¡¯s experience with treatments, it should be... sufficient? "It looks like it could be easily used by one person..." he assessed as a transmutation mage, pondering: "The difficulty lies in the connection between the tube and the sac. If it¡¯s not tight enough, squeezing it would cause it to leak from the seam; if it¡¯s too tight, refilling it later could be troublesome... Wait, why is yours all in one piece?" Garrett spread his hands. Enema, of course, it¡¯s made in one piece¡ªwho would bother with a small sac and then tie a tube to it? As far as he remembered, enemas were made of transparent plastic, not rubber... So, the support Garrett could offer Master Norwood was to take charge grandly: "Take more glycerin and just try, it¡¯s not hard to make¡ªnor expensive. If successful, you handle the sales, and Mage Tower gets a share of the profits..." Master Norwood took the glycerin and went on his way. Even if not for profit, for his own convenience, he was determined to develop this useful item. He felt that, given his physical condition, he could use up at least three bottles a month... "Bring the rubber! Bring the rubber you guys made!" Master Norwood shouted at two apprentices: "Shape it with your mental powers, make it into the design I specify, and then fill the tube with the liquid!" The two apprentices hurriedly got to work. Rubber blocks, rubber sheets, rubber cylinders, rubber skins... one by one, they In Master Norwood¡¯s lab, several different types of rubber were already made, but they were still a bit off from Garrett¡¯s requirements. He drew a pattern, listed the dimensions and detailed requirements, and led the apprentices to try one type after another, and they actually managed to produce a finished product. Master Norwood didn¡¯t rush to sell. He first sent small batches to Aurora and Linde, then took the finished products to visit his friends one by one. Each visit required retelling Garrett¡¯s story: "Did you know? That baby was born without an anus, and Master Nordmark actually managed to create one for him!" "I knew he could treat it... that time I had bleeding constipation, it hurt so bad I went to him for treatment, and he fixed it quickly. Hearing about my constipation, he gave me this thing... Hey, don¡¯t say it, it¡¯s much more convenient to use!" "This little thing, you feel uncomfortable, you can use it with one hand, isn¡¯t it more convenient than finding someone to help with an enema?" "Master Nordmark said, hot water doesn¡¯t work well, soap water, castor oil is too harsh, easy to make the intestines sick. This kind of medicinal agent is mild and effective..." "You don¡¯t believe me, nor do you believe Master Nordmark? The man can create an anus that doesn¡¯t exist, wouldn¡¯t he understand this little thing?" Thus, he distributed a large batch of samples. As the reputation of the enema spread, three to five mages would contact him daily to inquire, and Master Norwood calmly placed the product in the exchange area. Not expensive, half a gold coin each. Included a small pamphlet, printed with Master Nordmark¡¯s constipation management advice: 1. Drink plenty of water, 1500 to 2000 milliliters per day; 2. Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits, get moderate exercise; 3. Develop a habit of regular bowel movements, and take a warm water sitz bath after defecating; 4. If bleeding persists, or if there are hemorrhoids prolapsing, or if something else seems off, make sure to seek treatment... The pamphlet¡¯s end also featured the name and address of the Oak Grove Medical Research Institute. At the corner of the paper, the institute¡¯s Red Cross symbol shone brightly, very eye-catching. The first day it went up, 200 units were hung out, and within three days, they were all swept up. The mages were overjoyed. In the future, when facing awkward situations, they no longer had to take off their trousers and squat, asking apprentices or servants to help with enemas! Even if the bleeding was severe, there was now a place to treat it! Garrett didn¡¯t concern himself with this matter from start to finish. He gave Master Norwood a great deal of trust, always ready to help, covering many responsibilities. The enema was made, good; The method for making glycerin, take it; Need general constipation advice, no problem, writing a public health article is also what a doctor should do; Glycerin listed, got it, remind me to settle accounts regularly... Until at the medical institute, when mages gradually came seeking treatment, he belatedly realized: What¡¯s going on? What happened? Why, in your minds, have I become a proctologist skilled in hemorrhoid surgery? I¡¯m proficient in emergency surgery! I don¡¯t want to be a poop scooper! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 505: Intestines Hanging Outside the Groin Chapter 505: Intestines Hanging Outside the Groin Being skilled at hemorrhoid surgery or even as a dung scooper, the Oakwood Hospital had certainly made its name. No longer were the visitors limited to wealthy businessmen Garrett originally knew, or the desperately poor, or those from the poorhouse who were so sick they were brought directly for experimental treatments. The magicians were also generous with their money. A potion for minor injuries cost 50 gold coins, one for moderate injuries 300 gold coins, and for severe injuries 750 gold coins¡ª Would you dare offer only 300 gold coins for the services of a level five dual-class priest and mage, a disciple of a legendary mage, when seeking his unique treatment? You should at least offer 100 contribution points, or, if money is an issue, any strange magical materials or equipment could also be considered as payment. Garrett didn¡¯t haggle over the money, but the patients¡¯ dignity was important¡ª After all, if a mage had treated your backside and he had a promising future, you might meet him again in other circumstances. For your own honor, you¡¯d better pay more for the consultation. Thus, Garrett¡¯s Oakwood Medical Research Institute somehow managed to break even. And now, patients with conditions untreatable by conventional healing spells were also showing up¡ª That noon, Garrett looked up from a bloody behind just as he was about to cast a cleansing spell, only to be hurried out of the room. In the lobby, a middle-aged man paced anxiously, while a frail old woman trembled as she sat. She muttered, "Maybe we shouldn¡¯t treat it... They say this place cuts people open, all bloody, it¡¯s scary¡ª" "Mother!" the man interrupted anxiously. He was tall, well-built with broad shoulders, and his hands bore thick calluses¡ªa clear sign of a warrior¡¯s life. Garrett couldn¡¯t tell his exact level, but Bernard quickly approached, standing protectively close to Garrett. The old woman shrank further. Garrett waved dismissively at the barbarian and approached with a smile, bowing slightly to the old woman: "Madam, what seems to be the discomfort?" "My mother¡¯s stomach hurts a lot! It¡¯s painful and bloated¡ª" The man¡¯s voice dropped, seemingly reluctant to let others hear: "The caregiver said she hasn¡¯t had a bowel movement in two days... It¡¯s been like this several times before. Drinking healing potions doesn¡¯t help, and even temple treatments only provide temporary relief. It¡¯s been particularly bad recently, Mage, sir..." Mm, constipation, abdominal pain, bloating. First consideration would be bowel obstruction. As for the severity and cause, and whether there are other structural abnormalities, further examination would be needed. Constipation is heavily influenced by lifestyle habits and isn¡¯t something that can be fixed permanently with a simple spell... Garrett thought this as he smiled warmly and reached to help the old woman: "Madam, let¡¯s do a check-up first... Stand here, yes, stand straight, don¡¯t move... Tsk, it¡¯s hard to see clearly here..." And it was the key area that was hard to see. The waist was covered in layers of shadows that at first glance appeared to contain keys or something similar¡ªperhaps a sewing needle? Scissors? An awl? Flint? Unable to succeed in peeling the old woman¡¯s skin, Garrett had to help her into his office and called in two female nurses to assist her in changing clothes. Any metallic items under the clothes, whether buckles, belts, keys, or other oddities, were all taken off and handed to her son. Seizing the opportunity, Garrett took some time to chat with the patient¡¯s family. He learned that the old lady was 62 years old, had four children, two boys and two girls (though their genders weren¡¯t relevant). The person accompanying her was her eldest son, a level six knight. Of course, the old woman herself was not a professional. She was generally healthy, had never suffered serious illnesses, and had never undergone surgery (the patient¡¯s relative: What¡¯s surgery?). She loved meat as much as vegetables and could eat a pound of vegetables a day as long as she wasn¡¯t constipated... As they talked, the nurse assisting the old woman to change came out, clearly exhausted from the effort. Garrett managed to escape the knight¡¯s presence, pulled out his Endless Ink Pen, and conducted an X-ray on the old woman¡ª Having a portable light source was beneficial. Garrett mentally applauded the [Detect Magic] spell: In another life, a doctor would write an order, push the patient to queue for payment, queue at radiology, get an X-ray, and then push back to wait for radiology to develop the images. If it wasn¡¯t marked as urgent, it could take hours... He concentrated and looked closely. The upright plain film showed multiple step-like air-fluid levels in the abdomen with the obstructed proximal small intestine and the air-fluid levels fixed above the pelvic symphysis; the supine film showed the same signs. And in the groin area, outside the ligament, he could see a loop of intestine filled with air, its blind end pointing towards the obturator¡ª After examining both positions, Garrett had a general idea. He asked the old lady to lie down, ready for a physical examination: "Madam, curl up your legs, good, just like that. Now, the right leg as well¡ª" Garrett stood by the bed, speaking softly as he leaned forward, his left hand resting on the old woman¡¯s right calf, gently pushing to guide her. Before he even applied much force, the man exclaimed, "Ouch!" "Don¡¯t, don¡¯t! Mother says whenever she curls up her right leg, her thigh hurts!" Garrett nodded silently, as expected. His smile remained gentle as he quietly asked: "How long has the thigh been hurting?" "Not... not long... just a bit..." The old woman¡¯s eyes darted away, uttering a few words and glancing at her son. Garrett had seen this behavior often enough; usually, it meant something serious was being kept from her son. Hmm, likely quite severe, she didn¡¯t want to bother her son, hadn¡¯t told him... Garrett thought for a moment, persuaded the knight to leave the room, then returned to continue questioning. He learned that the old lady had been suffering from constipation for over two years, with intermittent relief and relapse. Regarding the thigh pain, it had persisted for more than half a year and had worsened in recent days. The leg could not be curled at all; bending it only increased the pain... "Madam, can you feel a lump here at your right groin, where your body and right leg meet?" "What?" The old woman¡¯s voice rose sharply, then fell again, tinged with panic and embarrassment: "You young man, how can you ask... ask about that area..." Garrett was bemused. By this stage of the consultation, he was considering an obturator hernia causing the bowel obstruction¡ª An elderly woman, multiple childbirths, pelvic floor muscles and ligaments would degrade significantly; long-term constipation put a lot of pressure on the pelvic floor muscles and ligaments. At this point, if the peritoneum is sparse and presents a defect, and the pelvic floor muscles and ligaments fail to support it, part of the intestine can herniate, causing incomplete bowel obstruction. And because the obturator canal is narrow and the surrounding tissue is tough, it¡¯s difficult for the herniated contents to return on their own. If the cause isn¡¯t identified clearly, temple treatments focusing only on constipation and pain indeed wouldn¡¯t be effective... I¡¯m not trying to take advantage of you, madam! "In the name of the God of Nature..." He sighed, pulling an oak staff from his pocket and transforming it into a staff of eyebrow length, the leaves at the staff¡¯s tip gently swaying. Garrett raised a hand, his palm open beside his ear, a faint light flickering from palm to fingertip: "Madam, I¡¯m asking these questions purely for diagnostic purposes. If you¡¯re uncomfortable, shall I call your son back in, or perhaps a female priest?" The credibility of the God of Nature seemed to hold some weight. The old woman watched the light for a while, then looked at the leaves on the oak staff, and her expression finally relaxed somewhat. Garrett seized the moment: "Madam, how about this: I¡¯ll turn my back to you, and you check yourself... Carefully, please! It¡¯s very important!" Rustling sounds came from behind him. After a while, the old woman breathed a sigh of relief, her voice weak as she replied: "No... nothing..." But the X-ray clearly showed something. Garrett rubbed his forehead: Troublesome. To confirm the intestinal obstruction, and more importantly, to check for arterial and venous compression and the blood supply to the lower limbs, an ultrasound would be best. But it remained to be seen if she would allow it... Ah, Seraina and Miss Anita Winvey, although they had learned ultrasound spellcasting from him, weren¡¯t yet proficient in interpreting the images. He¡¯d have to do it himself! Garrett communicated with the old lady, who, as expected, refused; he then opened the door to speak with her son, who also refused. Left with no choice, he had to propose a surgical option: "First, we¡¯d make a small incision here at the groin, insert a few tendrils to push the displaced section of intestine back into place. Then we¡¯d need to examine the intestines, as the obstruction has lasted a long time, we must ensure there¡¯s no ischemia or necrosis. Finally, we¡¯d repair the peritoneal defect..." He explained each step, and the old lady¡¯s face grew paler with each word. By the end, she was nearly faint ing, leaning on her son and shaking her head vehemently: "We¡¯d better not treat it... Albert, let¡¯s not do it, not treat it..." Garrett exhausted all his persuasive skills, including explaining that "the whole procedure would be under the control of a tranquility spell, you won¡¯t feel pain," "without surgery, the intestine might decay," but to no avail. The old lady was too fearful, too non-compliant... In the end, Sir Albert simply bought two tubes of enema and hurriedly left with his mother. Garrett escorted them from the office to the front door of the lobby and down the steps, repeatedly reminding Sir Albert: "If your mother¡¯s stomach pain intensifies, remember to seek treatment! You must seek treatment!¡ªYou can come here, or to any temple, any mage¡¯s medical research institute! In the worst case, the intestines can decay! I¡¯ll be here tonight!" He did as he said, not returning to the mage tower that night, instead staying at the hospital. Around midnight, one or two in the morning, Sir Albert came knocking on Oakwood Hospital¡¯s door with his mother: "Magician Nordmark! Magician Nordmark, are you there?¡ªHelp us!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 506: How Can Divine Magic Dissolve Blood Clots? Chapter 506: How Can Divine Magic Dissolve Blood Clots? "Master Mage! Nordmark Mage!¡ªHelp!" "I¡¯m coming!" With a thunderous sound, the door burst open. Garrett, wearing bizarre short-sleeved clothes under a white robe, dashed out. After a quick glance, he spun around and rushed back inside. "Bernard! Lift the person! Take them straight to the operating room!¡ªI¡¯ll go scrub in!" Clattering sounds echoed as the silver rods, enhanced with "Unyielding Silver Flame," one by one illuminated the area. From a distance, the hospital in the dark night shone brightly, like a beacon of hope amidst despair. Bernard, accompanied by a barbarian security guard, rushed out. They lifted the semi-conscious elderly man onto a stretcher, one at each end, and hurriedly carried him inside. With long strides, Sir Albert followed closely, desperately trying to keep up. He sprinted all the way to the operating room door. From afar, he could hear a crisp female voice complaining inside: "Dragging, dragging, and dragging. Originally, it could have been done laparoscopically, but now it has to be an open surgery; originally, we didn¡¯t need to cut the intestines, but now we have to cut them~~~ Why wait here for him at midnight if he doesn¡¯t return to the Mage Tower?" "Don¡¯t be like that, Cirilla," replied the soft, gentle voice of Nordmark Mage, whom he had seen earlier in the day, smiling warmly, "Patients are scared, and their families have doubts. It¡¯s normal. As healers, we just need to do our best to save the patient¡¯s life." "You¡¯re too kind-hearted¡ª" What? They have to cut the intestines?! Sir Albert felt a chill, both frightened and ashamed. He rushed after the stretcher, hoping to find the mage to apologize, thank him, and ask him to treat his mother. Before he could enter the operating room, the heavy wooden door slammed shut in his face, nearly crushing his nose. A barbarian security guard, taller than him by a head, stood at the door and blocked him with a thick arm, speaking in a deep voice: "No entry!" This... Sir Albert hesitated, looking up at the red light above the door, torn between rushing in and fearing that angering the mage might stop the treatment for his mother. Fortunately, after a moment, the door opened, and Garrett quickly walked out: "You¡¯re too late." Sir Albert¡¯s legs went weak at the first words, almost causing him to collapse. Garrett ignored him and continued speaking: "Preliminary estimates suggest your mother¡¯s condition has progressed to intestinal perforation, with toxins entering the bloodstream, and part of the intestine may be necrotic. The most suitable treatment is exploratory laparotomy to clean the intestinal contents, possibly removing part of the intestine." Is surgery really necessary? Hearing it through the wall was one thing, but being told directly was different. Sir Albert trembled, not yet able to speak, when he heard something even more terrifying: "Even with surgery and intestine removal, given the toxins in her blood and her advanced age with poor recovery, she might not survive." "What?" Sir Albert nearly jumped. Cutting open the belly and removing the intestines might still not save her? Why perform surgery then? If she¡¯s going to die, why open her up? Garrett had seen such reactions countless times in his previous life. Time was tight; he couldn¡¯t afford to persuade more. He leaned in, speaking faster: "Whether to proceed with surgery is your decision. If you understand these risks and still agree, sign here. Be quick; the later the decision, the less the chance of survival." He produced a risk consent form, placed it on a small table, and urged. Sir Albert, in a panic, looked into Garrett¡¯s eyes for a moment, then hurriedly signed: "I¡¯ll sign, I¡¯ll sign! Where do I sign?" Luckily, this one made decisions quickly. As soon as Sir Albert signed, Garrett grabbed the form and rushed back to the operating room, already shouting: "Cirilla, Peace Spell! Leon! Open her up!" "Okay!" "Okay!" Leon Carlos, after months of training under Garrett, was now capable of performing laparotomies independently¡ªat least the basic midline incision. He cut through the skin, the superficial fascia, and the linea alba. By the time Garrett finished scrubbing in and returned, he saw the layers of the abdominal wall opened, revealing the chaotic abdominal cavity of the elderly woman. "What¡¯s next?" "Suction?" "At this moment, you need to adapt!¡ªCleanse Spell! Cleanse Spell! Cleanse Spell!" One of the applications of mage tricks, Cleanse Spell, could clean a cubic foot of material. It was perfect for clearing feces from the abdominal cavity. Garrett spoke while manipulating the Mage Hand to bring over a bucket. For a dirty piece of clothing, leather, or a wall, the removed dirt seemed to disappear into another dimension. But in reality, it was just moved to a corner, small enough to go unnoticed. However, with a belly full of feces, the mage had better be aware. Use a bucket to catch it, or the Cleanse Spell would show you the power of determination... Several Cleanse Spells later, all the feces from the perforated intestine were cleared into the bucket. The stench was overwhelming, but thanks to the Bubble Spell around their heads, everyone, including the barbarian guard in the corner, remained unbothered. Magic was so convenient! Garrett mentally gave himself a thumbs up. After cleaning all the feces and blood, he observed the abdominal cavity again, immediately noticing a 30-40 cm section of the intestine that looked different. Under the shadowless lamp, that segment was a dark purple, much deeper and thicker than the surrounding areas, at least twice the diameter of the nearby intestines. "Look," Garrett said, using Mage Hand to point to the segment, teaching his students, "This is due to too much feces inside. Plus, strangulation or something below has blocked it, causing extreme expansion and thinning of the intestinal wall. This color means the intestine is necrotic¡ªor starting to necrotize." With over a decade of emergency department experience, he knew that merely covering with warm saline gauze wouldn¡¯t save it. Even using Healing Spells might not work. The safest approach now was to remove the intestine. However, the elderly woman¡¯s frailty meant removing such a long segment would affect nutrient absorption, impacting her quality of life and potentially her lifespan. Is there a way to save it? Is there a way to restore vitality without removing the intestine? Garrett touched the intestine. Despite the expansion and discoloration, it still had some elasticity. When he pressed gently, the color lightened slightly, darkening again when released. There was still blood supply, albeit minimal. Try it, he told himself, try it... At worst, he¡¯d have to remove the intestine. With Cirilla and Healing Spells at hand, the old woman¡¯s life was in good hands. Using Mage Hand, he clamped the healthy ends of the intestine, leaving about 5 cm. He clamped the mesenteric artery and vein, then took a scalpel and made an incision. With an enchanted, razor-sharp scalpel, a light touch cut through the thin intestinal wall, revealing a small opening. Before the feces could spill out, Garrett pointed the scalpel at the incision and cast a series of spells: "Cleanse Spell! Cleanse Spell! Cleanse Spell!" Perfect! The feces were cleared from the intestine, falling into the bucket. Though the intestine deflated, it didn¡¯t rupture. Great, great. It seemed the Cleanse Spell removed perceived dirt. Since he believed the necrotic intestine could be saved, it wasn¡¯t removed or further damaged. Now for the blood supply... If it could recover, the intestine might survive without needing removal. But things didn¡¯t go as planned. After suturing the intestine, covering with warm saline gauze, and treating nearby sections¡ªcutting, cleansing, healing¡ªthe dark purple color persisted, worsening after ten minutes. Do they really have to remove it? Despite all efforts, it seemed the intestine couldn¡¯t be saved and had to be removed. Garrett stared intently at the dark purple intestine, his face serious. Under the shadowless lamp, his brows furrowed deeply. Cirilla, across the table, wanted to smooth his brow but stopped halfway, cautiously asking: "Garrett, should I try a few more Healing Spells?" Without blood supply, Healing Spells only provided temporary relief, not revival. Garrett shook his head slightly, saying: "Wait a moment... Let me think..." How to restore blood supply? The intestine wasn¡¯t extremely expanded anymore, but without blood supply, likely due to a clot... Use a dissolving spell? Like a necromancy spell that prevents blood coagulation? Garrett tried casting a spell. However, it only affected fresh blood, not clots. Thinking again, he tried Remove Disease. The spell¡¯s light passed without effect. Remove Disease didn¡¯t recognize the clot in the intestinal blood vessels as a disease. In modern times, they might try thrombolysis. Garrett had seen a brilliant doctor insert a catheter through the portal vein into the splenic vein, selecting the mesenteric vein to inject urokinase, successfully dissolving the clot. Navigating the mesentery required remarkable skill with the guidewire! But now, without a guidewire, even if he used vines, he lacked urokinase! Wait... Garrett¡¯s face turned serious. Though lacking urokinase, he had various divine and magical spells. Maybe he could try again? --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 507: Can’t use divine magic for thrombolysis, how about thrombectomy then? Chapter 507: Can¡¯t use divine magic for thrombolysis, how about thrombectomy then? Garrett closely monitored the patient¡¯s intestinal blood vessels, his mind racing. No thrombolytic medication available. Divine anti-coagulation cannot be used for thrombolysis. Attempt to remove the disease failed. He tried a cleansing spell to extract the blood clot from the blood vessels, but it failed. In his mind, the known spells, divine powers, and medications passed one by one. There was a viable spell within magic: necromancy, "Oceanic Anemia." With this spell, the target¡¯s blood could be turned into seawater, causing harm. The spell required a drop of seawater; if replaced with saline, it could turn the blood in that section of the vessel into saline... However, the problem was, this was a fifth-level spell, which Garrett did not know. Emmm... What else could be done? "Garrett, what¡¯s troubling you?" The Silver Dragon girl leaned over to look. From the direction of the patient¡¯s head, Leon Carlos, though hesitant to lean forward, was also curious. He looked at Garrett and then at the segment of the intestine¡ªthough he could not make sense of it. Garrett, with a troubled expression, pointed it out to them: "There¡¯s a blood clot blocking inside... I¡¯m thinking, what can be used to make these blood clots disappear... There¡¯s no medication for thrombolysis, about thrombectomy..." "What about thrombectomy?" Seraina asked eagerly. While asking, she spread her fingers, ready to try: "Your... vine... can it extend into the blood vessel to remove the blood clot?" Extending into the blood vessel? Easier said than done. Garrett smiled bitterly: "It¡¯s not that easy... Look at this blood vessel, it¡¯s so fine... My vine can¡¯t extend into it..." The suspected thrombosed mesenteric artery had a length of 30~40cm and an internal diameter of only 0.6+-0.09cm! If it was a lower-level blood vessel supplying blood to this section of the intestine, those were even finer... To control vines entering from the femoral artery, winding their way in, then dividing into four, six, eight segments to "tie up" and "drag out" the clot, his control of the vines was just not that precise! "So, what about cutting it open? Cut it open, take it out¡ª¡± she squinted her eyes, made a chopping gesture with her palm as a blade, and made a "cutting" gesture: "And then heal it?" Garrett quickly shook his head. This length and thickness, completely cut open, removing the clot, and then healing the blood vessel, it was doable, but the prognosis would be poor: Blood vessels should be cut as little as possible, and incisions should be as short as possible. Blood vessels, even slightly irregular, could cause changes in hemodynamics. Then, you¡¯d have issues like obstructions and clots coming to find you... Even if it was an arterial thrombectomy, it only involved making a small incision, using the arterial blood flow itself to wash the clot downstream. This segment of the vessel, if it was connecting to the branches of the intestine, those tiny blood vessels simply couldn¡¯t flush it out. Then... then... "I have a way! Seraina, I have a way!" He suddenly jumped up. Right hand forming a circle, he raised it to his eye level, comparing: "Seraina, that magnifying glass, make one for me! Quick! The one we used before when reattaching limbs!" "Okay!" Magical light flickered, shining on Garrett¡¯s face. Garrett held his breath, lowered his head. At this moment, the less than one centimeter thick blood vessel, in his vision, magnified five or six times. The scalpel gently made a cut on the dark red vessel wall, opening a small incision less than 1 centimeter. Garrett lifted the scalpel tip towards the opening of the vessel: "¡¾Cleansing Spell¡¿!" The faint glow of magical trickery silently enveloped it. The coverage of the Cleansing Spell was in three dimensions: length, width, and height, each a cubic foot. Of course, a proficient spellcaster could stretch this cube, elongate, widen, or flatten it. For instance, controlling it to one inch high and three feet square could conveniently clean walls. Cough, nearly all academy-trained magicians have experiences of climbing on scaffolds, cleaning the exterior walls of buildings inch by inch. If the spell control is good, the cleaning area per spell is large, allowing the work to be finished more quickly. Garrett had not undergone such intense training. Even if he had, it wouldn¡¯t be useful now: His current operation required controlling the Cleansing Spell¡¯s impact range to match the internal diameter of the blood vessel to avoid damaging anything that shouldn¡¯t be touched. Fortunately, the magnifying glass was there. With the help of the magical magnifying glass, Garrett carefully controlled the area of the spell, advancing bit by bit: Cleansing Spell! Cleansing Spell! Hey, it seemed effective, it really cleared a bit! So, continue advancing¡ª Each casting could clear a length of only one or two centimeters. Moreover, the deeper he went, the greater the consumption. After advancing seven or eight centimeters, Garrett¡¯s mental energy was at its limit. Thinking about continuing with precise control made him dizzy, with a buzzing in his ears¡ª But this was already very good! Garrett breathed a sigh of relief, clamped the cleaned end of the blood vessel, healed the front end, and let go. The bright red blood flow immediately gushed forth cheerfully. Workable! So, continue! Clean a section, heal a section, release a section. Clean another section, heal another section, release another section. For the thirty to forty centimeters of blood vessel, plus the branching vessels, Garrett threw nearly a hundred healing spells. The arterial thrombectomy was complete, and he continued treating the veins¡ª When all was finally treated, Garrett was dizzy, almost collapsing onto the operating table. He lowered his head, closed his eyes, and only saw stars flashing before his eyes. However, now was not the time to rest. Garrett could only pinch the tiger¡¯s mouth of his left hand hard, instructing with a weak voice: "Warm saline... cover with warm saline-soaked gauze, the water temperature should be above 37 degrees... approximately, between 40 degrees to 45 degrees..." Carlos immediately ran to do it. Heating saline, casting freeze rays for cooling, soaking the gauze, using a Mage¡¯s Hand to lift it slightly and wring it to a wet yet non-dripping state, quickly covering the intestines with it. The sequence of actions flowed smoothly, no need for Garrett to instruct further, clearly well-practiced. They also needed to constantly monitor the temperature of the gauze, changing it every few minutes¡ª Seraina was responsible for watching on the side. Changing a piece of gauze, she reported joyfully: "It¡¯s reddened! It¡¯s reddened!" "Garrett, it¡¯s reddened!" "That section of the intestine has colored up! It¡¯s no longer bluish-purple, it¡¯s turned rosy!" It¡¯s reddened... That means it¡¯s alive. Garrett, unknowingly, curled into a relaxed smile. It¡¯s good that this old lady¡¯s intestines don¡¯t need to be cut. It¡¯s good to have found a method for thrombectomy. Next, to try out a method for remote thrombectomy. Another new research topic, that¡¯s good. Now that the intestines were confirmed to have revived, the subsequent hernia surgery posed no problem for Garrett. Such minor surgery, he had already mastered during his supervising period; now, repeating it was like doing it with his eyes closed¡ª And it didn¡¯t even require suturing! Just cutting, dissecting bluntly, and restoring the intestines! Most of the work could be done with healing spells, even if there were slight mishaps, healing spells could promptly patch things up¡ª A surgery that required an hour in his past life, with Seraina¡¯s assistance, Garrett completed in just 20 minutes. Then, he clapped his hands, calling over Carlos: "Rinse, close the abdomen, I leave it to you¡ªcan you handle it?" "I can!" "And me?" Seraina pouted unhappily. Underneath the mask, a small bulge formed: "I can do it too! Why won¡¯t you let me?" Staying in the hospital with him, not returning to the comfortable mage tower, getting up in the middle of the night to save people, busy until now, and not even letting her assist? This... was just like an intern who hadn¡¯t managed to get a chance to suture. Garrett, confident, smiled at her: "This patient is relying on you now! It¡¯s Leon¡¯s first time finishing up, wherever there are problems, it¡¯s up to your healing spells to save the day!¡ªLeon, do you remember the steps for finishing up?" "Saline rinse, suction, check for no active bleeding, holy¡ªsaline rinse," Carlos answered smoothly: "Then first heal the previously torn mesentery, then close the abdomen layer by layer, reversing the steps of the initial opening. Use the Mage¡¯s Hand to pull each layer of the abdominal cavity, ensuring perfect alignment, then heal it together." "Go ahead, I¡¯m watching." Garrett yawned slightly. Training apprentices for so long, finally, they were proving useful. To think, completing the main part and stepping down, leaving the closure to someone else, he finally felt a bit like a chief director¡ª But Carlos couldn¡¯t grasp his sentiments. This young necromancer, like every intern entrusted with the important task of suturing by their teaching seniors or brothers, blushed, saying loudly: "Alright, sir! Please rest assured and leave it to me!" Not to say he wasn¡¯t worried, but it was really possible to be worried... A newbie on the road, any part could go wrong. Otherwise, why would I still be here watching, not going to wash my hands... "Hey, pay attention to the temperature of the saline! 37 degrees! Was it above 40 degrees just now? Has it come down yet?" "Lift the intestines gently! Gently!¡ªWho let you directly lift the intestines?!" "Ah ah ah! Sir, the patient, the patient she¡ª" "Heart stop suddenly, I saw it. Don¡¯t freeze! Cardiac massage! That¡¯s why I told you to be gentle, now you understand?" Garrett unsurprisingly ordered. Although it was a low probability event, pulling on the intestines, stimulating the vagus nerve, indeed had a probability of causing cardiac arrhythmia. Otherwise, why would he keep the electrocardiogram hanging, and why would he stand by watching... Stumbling, with various dangers, they finally successfully closed the abdomen. When the patient was pushed out of the surgery room, Sir Albert saw his mother open her eyes, grateful to the point of nearly collapsing to his knees. "Hey... don¡¯t, don¡¯t. It¡¯s good that the old lady is all well." Garrett quickly stopped him: "If you trust us, when you have the chance, could you refer a few patients over? Those not healed by healing spells, let me try to see if I can help..." "Rest assured! It¡¯s on me!" Sir Albert, patting his chest, repeatedly agreed. Garrett gave him a smile, returned to the inner room, and immediately energetically pumped his fist: "Yay!" Finally, fresh patients! Finally, no longer just a muckraker! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 508: The Assassin Confesses, Can You Help, Garrett? Chapter 508: The Assassin Confesses, Can You Help, Garrett? Sir Albert was a man of his word. He was also a squadron leader in the city guard, deeply connected after many years of service. After bringing his mother home, he quickly introduced Garrett to several patients: Some had poorly healed fractures, limping; Some had tendon injuries from fights, rendering their hands weak; Some had choked on dirty water during naval battles and had since suffered from chest tightness and breathlessness... Although most referred were level 3 and 4 warriors with limited ability to pay, Garrett was still pleased. A treatment could net him ten or twenty gold coins, or even forty or fifty. However, for those who couldn¡¯t pay much... "Come, sign here," Garrett said with a smile. "Let¡¯s collect your information. Don¡¯t worry, just a few drops of blood, no more than five milliliters~~~" If they couldn¡¯t pay, they¡¯d sign an agreement and participate in research. Regardless of need, X-rays, ultrasounds, ECGs, blood tests, all were performed! In any case, he couldn¡¯t let these patients think that the Oakwood Hospital was only taking a small amount of money and treating them for everything. That was not to be taken for granted! Especially blood tests. These warriors, whether training, competing, or battling, inevitably spilled blood. Having their blood type on file at the hospital made it easier to find a match for transfusions if needed. Over time, Garrett had accumulated hundreds of blood samples. Unfortunately, the images produced by the "Bloodline Identification" spell were still too complex to find matching points. The new blood testing magic remained elusive, a source of frustration. ¡ªBy the way, how was the research going on the "Philosopher¡¯s Rose" lady¡¯s meditation vision projection magic? Garrett decided to find an opportunity to ask. Indeed, the best excuse would be some new information from that viper gentleman... The following Monday, after attending a meeting with his teacher, Garrett casually found an excuse to sneak to the Enchantment Department¡¯s "Song of Travel Tower." Before he could speak, Madam Alvaf threw him two pieces of good news: "First, the ECG auto-alert spell you wanted is ready. If you hadn¡¯t come today, I would have sent someone to deliver it¡ª" "That¡¯s great! Thank you so much, Madam Alvaf!" Garrett jumped up in excitement. An ECG with an automatic alert meant no more constant monitoring! "Don¡¯t get too excited yet," Madam Alvaf said, smiling as she gestured with her hand. Garrett felt his mind drift, calming down as he sat back down on the couch. After a moment, he realized something was off: "Madam Alvaf, what is this?" "It¡¯s based on your brainwave research, a new improved ¡¯Mechanized Mind¡¯ magic. Its effects are much weaker, mostly just calming, but it also greatly reduces mana consumption." "The difficulty and consumption have been reduced to a first-level, and it¡¯s one of the simpler spells in that tier. Remember to take the spell scroll with you when you leave¡ªah, but that¡¯s not what I wanted to say. The other good news is, the assassin confessed!" Garrett¡¯s mind raced to sort through the mountain of cases, magic, and research to recall the figure of the assassin. He blinked curiously: "What did he confess to?" "He confessed he¡¯s from the Kingdom of Rhine, a level 12 assassin, sent personally by the grand judge of the Radiant Church to assassinate you. ¡ªThis isn¡¯t important, what¡¯s important is, do you know what else he confessed?" ??? This isn¡¯t important? Is it me who¡¯s not important, or is my assassination not important?... Well, the assassin has been captured, and I¡¯m safe now, so it really doesn¡¯t matter. Garrett shook his head, following Madam Alvaf¡¯s words: "What else did he confess?" "He confessed a whole lot of different intelligence, like where he has performed missions, who he has killed, harmed, threatened, or tried to win over. ¡ªHey, did you know that the lord of Ostand, across the Holsea Strait, had his eldest son harmed by him?" ...So what? Garrett wanted to ask. He knew the Holsea Strait, the narrowest strait between the Kingdom of Kent and the western continent. The Kingdom of Carolingian and the Radiant Church frequently patrolled the strait with warships. For the council, the Holsea Strait was also a critical area for supporting mages fleeing from the other side. Gaining a lord¡¯s favor there, even if just to make him more council-friendly, was obviously beneficial. "How was he harmed? Is there evidence? ¡ªHow can the council use this?" Garrett asked in quick succession. Madam Alvaf smiled and gave a thumbs-up: "Not bad at all, I just mentioned it and you already thought of these things, not like someone who¡¯s always cooped up in a medical facility. Well, let me start from the beginning..." Ostand City, located across the Holsea Strait, was the northernmost of seven fortified cities. The lord¡¯s wife was a mage¡¯s daughter, and they were a loving couple with two sons. "Unfortunately!" Madam Alvaf tsked: "The eldest son was born under a curse, according to some. They consulted many healers who said that only a great wish spell could cure him. According to the laws of the Radiant Church, such a child could not inherit the lordship, so he was sent to the countryside." It was some congenital disease, Garrett mused silently. That younger son, treasured by the lord and his wife, was harmed by someone sent by the church..." A smallpox-infected silk scarf used by a patient infected the child¡¯s nanny. By the time the lady of the house noticed, the child¡¯s smallpox had manifested, erupting across his body with a relentless fever. The church¡¯s priest made it clear: The child was young and weak. Even using the "Remove Disease" spell, there was less than a fifty percent chance of success. And that fifty percent... The child didn¡¯t win the gamble. "The lord of Ostand was injured a few years ago, and that child was their last son. With his death, they could only let a nephew inherit. These past few years, their lordship has been very troubled..." With that, she suddenly brightened up, looking Garrett up and down, making him a bit uneasy, and leaned in: "By the way, that child who¡¯s supposedly cursed, can you treat him? If you could cure him, he could inherit the lordship, and then for at least a few decades, we could have a lord sympathetic to our cause¡ª" Garrett was speechless. He didn¡¯t mind treating one more person, but what exactly was the condition of that child? You¡¯re asking if I can cure him, but how would I know? "So what exactly is wrong with the child? Is there a medical history? Previous diagnoses? ¡ªIf possible, can he be brought here for me to examine?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 509: Packaging Garrett as the Healing New Star? Chapter 509: Packaging Garrett as the Healing New Star? Mrs. Alva was asked to describe what Lord Ostend looked like, his personality, what he liked to eat and drink, his unique hobbies, and who his best friend was¡ªno problem. As a master of the Control School, she was best at manipulating the human heart. Based on the scattered intelligence in the council, combined with everything Mr. Viper had learned while undercover for half a month, she could piece together a vivid portrayal of a person and devise an action plan¡ªthis was her specialty. But what illness did that child, abandoned by Lord Ostend in the countryside, actually have? She looked at Garrett. Garrett looked at her. Through the wafting tea smoke, across the round tea table with a gold-rimmed, white porcelain three-tiered dessert tray filled with small, exquisite assorted sweets¡ªGod have mercy, these afternoon tea pastries were the only things done right in the Kingdom of Kent¡ªboth stared at each other, the same phrase rising in their minds: Talking to a brick wall. After a while, Mrs. Alva chuckled and took a sip of her tea: "Taking this city, or at least swaying its lord to our side, is crucial for the council. ¡ªMage Nordmark, do you know how many people die in the Holsea Strait every year?" "How many?" "Mages, more than ten. Last year, twenty-eight mages who tried to flee here and failed to smuggle across the strait, died at the hands of the Radiant Church." Garrett was solemn. The training of mages was exceedingly difficult, and even those who awakened naturally under the Radiant Church¡¯s rule without formal training were not to be underestimated in battle power. If the local lord could be swayed to support the council, even if only half of those people could set foot on the kingdom¡¯s soil... "But this requires military assurance." Garrett pondered for a moment, then looked up from his teacup, fixing his gaze on her: "Can the council actually take over that city? Even if we do, can we hold it? Can we station several level 15 and above archmages there? Or even a legendary mage?" That was unthinkable. Capturing a city across the strait¡ªthat would be the start of a full-blown war. The Radiant Church would likely mobilize all its forces, even if it meant negotiating with the Orc Kingdom, to fiercely uproot that thorn. "How could that be possible." Mrs. Alva gave him a reproachful glance: "Just making the lord lean towards us is enough. Some things, some people, you turn a blind eye to, don¡¯t investigate too deeply, just that can save many lives. ¡ªWhat do you think, Mage Nordmark, would you like to lend a hand?" "But without seeing the person, I really can¡¯t say." Garrett grimaced and spread his hands: "Otherwise, I could write up a list, and you could send someone to follow it and get a rough idea first?" Even that rough idea wasn¡¯t reliable. Garrett fretted: A medical student who hadn¡¯t interned, even if they scored high in "Diagnostics," would still need close supervision when they actually began clinical practice. Moreover, the likelihood of the council¡¯s operatives having received medical education was virtually zero. The medical histories they brought back would probably be wildly inaccurate, and if even thirty percent of that information was usable, that would be a miracle... But as for him crossing the strait to the territory ruled by the Radiant Church, that was absolutely out of the question. What a joke, not until his combat power exceeded that of a legendary mage would he ever consider entering enemy territory! Seeing his guarded expression, almost ready to jump off the couch and sprint back to the Thunder Tower at any moment, Mrs. Alva couldn¡¯t help but smile. She reassuringly raised her hand and pressed down: "Alright. ¡ªPulling this off will take back and forth, at least six months to a year. First, we need to prove that his youngest son was harmed, and someone is already working on that; next, we need to ensure his eldest son doesn¡¯t fall into the same trap." Don¡¯t look so eager to flee! You have the Lord of Thunder backing you, and if you really were to land in danger, your teacher would dismantle the "Tower of Roaming Song"! Garrett turned this over in his mind and accepted the explanation. Then, regarding "not falling into the same trap," he expressed confusion: "Do you plan to use ¡¯Remove Disease¡¯ on him?" "No, we plan to convince him¡ªto use a vaccine." Mrs. Alva narrowed her eyes and smiled slightly. Once bitten by a snake, one fears a well rope for ten years. Although Remove Disease potions were standard for healers, the lord probably wouldn¡¯t dare use them. Especially since his youngest son died from this divine magic . Even if he dared, Mrs. Alva was confident that the people she sent could dissuade him. Could you still trust the Radiant Church? Instead, vaccines could be shipped in bulk, sampled randomly, and gain trust. There were so many male and female servants in the lord¡¯s mansion, so many paupers on the streets, just grab a few to try. Listening to her well-considered plan, Garrett had to admire her. The only problem was¡ª "This takes time! My cowpox preservation experiment isn¡¯t finished yet! I need at least three months to ensure it won¡¯t degrade before I can confidently ship it across!" Mrs. Alva looked at him speechlessly. Up, down, left, right, horizontally, vertically. She kept looking until Garrett felt restless, then she picked up her teacup and stirred the milk tea inside with a small silver spoon, softly saying: "We can wait that long. Respected Mage Nordmark, perhaps you should consider how to make Lord Ostend believe in you, willing to let you treat his son." A level five mage, and a level five priest. Even if he had published a few articles in "Arcana" and "Magic," for a lord under the Radiant Church, he was still an unknown. Why would they seek him out instead of those well-known high-level healers? Because he¡¯s young? Or because his fees are low? Garrett simply spread his hands. "Shouldn¡¯t that be something for you to consider?" I¡¯m just a doctor, a doctor! I don¡¯t lack patients! If I really wanted to perform surgeries, I could walk through a charity hospital and work from dawn till dusk every day of the year! Mrs. Alva laughed again. The crow¡¯s feet at the corners of her eyes gently curved, her voice gentle, her demeanor serene: "Yes, we¡¯ve considered that. So we wanted to ask you¡ªMage Nordmark, would you be willing to cooperate with our plan?" "What plan?" Of course, a publicity plan. Garrett was now a level five priest, and immediate advancement to level ten was impossible; they had to find another way. Fortunately, Garrett had recently demonstrated a "cure for the incurable," and Mrs. Alva¡¯s idea was to boost his reputation as much as possible: "First, write a few substantial articles, better yet, create a few powerful spells. Secure a place among high-level healers, so that when they encounter complex diseases, you¡¯re not the first they think of, but at least they think of you." This was already his goal, always accumulating material. Of course, having someone willing to help publish his articles, even sponsor his research, was ideal. Garrett smiled: "And then?" "Then, of course, we get you some patients, really boost your reputation!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 510: Garrett, why are you stealing my patient! Chapter 510: Garrett, why are you stealing my patient! "Let¡¯s get one thing straight, I don¡¯t want to be treating hemorrhoids every day!" Garrett sprang up like a cat that had been startled. From his hair to his cervical spine, from his shoulders to his coccyx, every inch of him was filled with reluctance: Treating hemorrhoids is too annoying! Especially annoying! Day in and day out, it¡¯s all about dilating, tying off, cutting, and then performing a healing spell. Doing it too much becomes a mechanical operation, especially boring. Even dealing with a rectal foreign body would be a change of pace! According to the proctology department, they¡¯ve collected various rectal foreign objects, big and small, whole and partial, dead and alive. If they wanted to have an exhibition, they could easily gather one or two hundred items without any repeats. Uh, this isn¡¯t to say that he wants to have a rivalry with the proctology department... He is in emergency surgery, emergency surgery, and if possible, he still wants to do some significant work... Mrs. Alvah raised her glass to her lips, trembling with laughter. After laughing for a good while, she put down her teacup on the white porcelain cup saucer with a golden rim and tapped out a crisp sound. She then straightened her lips and said seriously: "Alright, alright, I certainly won¡¯t recommend those. Hemorrhoids, you know, it¡¯s not something nice to mention in public. If you want to build a reputation, of course, you have to look for something dignified!" ¡ªTsk, that child born without an anus, if she had caught the opportunity, she could have made a big publicity stunt. But not anymore, times have changed, and reheating old news is too likely to offend people. So which one should she choose? One must admit, Mrs. Alvah¡¯s initiative is quite commendable. ¡ªA mage of the illusion school, who interacts with people daily, knows the latest gossip and troubles better than anyone. This task, if left to the majority of reclusive mages, would hardly gather a hundred cases in a year. But with Mrs. Alvah¡¯s approach, sending a few disciples out for a quick tour easily brought back a transmutation mage. 44 years old, level 7 mage, transmutation alchemy branch. Half a year ago, he began experiencing numbness in his right pinky and ring finger, and in the past half month, his wrist started to swell, affecting precision tasks. He had seen several mages at the medical branch with no effect. "Have you tried other temples? Especially the Temple of the War God?" "Are you joking? We are mages, why would we go to a temple!" Mrs. Alvah gave Garrett a meaningful look from the side. Some mages really don¡¯t like to visit temples for treatment, preferring to queue up at the medical branch. If they can¡¯t get a spot, there¡¯s always healing potions to buy¡ª "I¡¯ve drunk several bottles of healing potions! I¡¯ve also tried disease removal spells!" The mage with the messy brown beard stretched out his hand covered in white ash for Garrett to see: "It¡¯s of no use! I can¡¯t even grip tightly now! I can¡¯t work at all!" ...Indeed, a mage¡¯s hand, in terms of precision tasks, still can¡¯t compare to a mage¡¯s own hands. Garrett sympathized, nodding gently: "What movements can¡¯t you do? Show me?" Tsk, numbness in fingers, wrist swelling, this could be a big or small issue. Muscles, blood vessels, nerves, if you¡¯re unlucky, it could be a spinal neck issue... Garrett pondered, he wasn¡¯t sure he could guarantee a solution. The transmutation mage extended his right hand to Garrett, thumb and index finger circling, trying to touch each other. However, the shape of his fingers was odd, always a bit off, unable to form a perfect circle. Garrett had an idea and handed him a piece of paper: "Here, pinch this piece of paper with the tips of your thumb and index finger. ¡ªPinch hard! Use all your strength!" The transmutation mage did as instructed. Garrett, standing beside him, saw him purse his lips, straining to pinch. The tips of his thumb turned pale, clearly exerting a lot of effort. However, Garrett gently pulled the paper out without much force, and it fluttered down between them. The transmutation mage¡¯s shoulders drooped dejectedly: "That¡¯s the problem, I can¡¯t hold things properly. ¡ªI¡¯ve used healing spells several times, from my fingers to my wrist, and they did nothing..." ...Positive Froment¡¯s test. Ulnar nerve damage. Garrett narrowed his eyes slightly, flipping through an anatomical diagram in his mind. The ulnar nerve, continuing from the medial cord of the brach ial plexus, winds down from the upper arm to the palm. So, just casting healing spells on your fingers and wrist might not be effective¡ª "Try bending your ring and little fingers? Can you?" "Not really... not much strength..." Garrett quietly flipped through a book, silently reciting to himself. Ulnar nerve injury is common at the wrist and elbow... If the injury is above the elbow, besides the symptoms mentioned, there are also ring and little finger terminal joint flexion dysfunctions, generally only manifesting as weakness in flexion... Above the elbow injury. He repeated these words, smiled at Mrs. Alvah, and asked her to lend an empty room so he could examine the patient. The patient removed his shirt, and Garrett immediately saw that the patient¡¯s right shoulder down to just above his elbow was noticeably thicker than the left arm. "What¡¯s this condition?" Garrett reached out to touch: "How long has it been?" "...Twenty-something years, I guess?" The transmutation mage looked down at his right upper arm, unconcerned: "Anyway, I¡¯ve had it for over twenty years. It doesn¡¯t hurt, doesn¡¯t itch, so I just let it be." "Does it grow?" "It seems to have grown... Yeah, I remember it wasn¡¯t this big when I was younger... But anyway, I don¡¯t feel it..." Garrett nodded slightly. Not painful, not itchy, no sensation, it¡¯s common to leave it untreated. He carefully examined the lump: Smooth surface, no redness, no ulceration. Encircling the anterior, medial, and posteromedial sides of the right upper arm, ranging from 3 cm below the shoulder joint to about 10 cm above the elbow joint. The lump was firm to the touch, not particularly tender, and could be moved slightly... It looked like a lipoma or a fibroma. "Is this lump the cause?" Seeing his serious expression, the patient clearly became uneasy, repeatedly asking: "But it¡¯s been so many years... It doesn¡¯t hurt or itch... It¡¯s so far from my fingers... How do you treat it? Do you cut it out?" Garrett shook his head slightly. He was just suspecting now; whether the tumor was benign or malignant, and whether it was related to the difficulty in using his right hand, further examinations and differential diagnoses were necessary. "That... wait a moment, I¡¯ll borrow a magical item of level 12 or higher, for an examination..." The first step in the examination, take an X-ray! Garrett was about to push the door to go out. Just as he touched the doorknob, the door was "banged" open from the outside. Garrett jumped back, narrowly avoiding being hit by the door, only to see a white-robed mage storming in: "Ramos, weren¡¯t you coming to me for treatment? Why the change of heart? ¡ªAnd you, I haven¡¯t offended you, why are you stealing my patient?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 511: How did the tumor grow into the bone! Chapter 511: How did the tumor grow into the bone! Ah, stealing patients... Garrett remained calm, unruffled, and unangry. Under the astonished gaze of the patient, he slightly curled the corner of his eye, revealing a somewhat nostalgic smile. Stealing patients, well, it wasn¡¯t unheard of in hospitals before. Between Internal Medicine and Cardiothoracic Surgery, between Urology and Urological Surgery, between Orthopedics and Neurosurgery... Overtly and covertly, all tactics were employed. From applying for projects, research grants, and publishing influential papers in journals; To organizing academic conferences, touring lectures, performing demonstrative surgeries; And even department heads arm-wrestling each other, openly and secretly, engaging in subtle and indirect confrontations... Of course, maintaining a good relationship with the emergency department to ensure they refer patients was also a common strategy. In his past life, from being a resident doctor to head resident, to attending physician, to associate chief physician, he had seen it all through decades of ups and downs. However, directly confronting a patient to question why they switched doctors, such crass methods... It had been a long time since he last saw that. Garrett just smiled, saying nothing. After all, during his time practicing medicine in this strange, otherworldly place, he had never had someone poach a patient directly from him. The reason being, mostly, he treated the hard cases nobody else wanted: Either they were penniless or could barely scrape together a few coins; Or during a major plague, when the number of patients skyrocketed, and even all the healers in the city combined couldn¡¯t keep up; Or in emergency resuscitations, when no other healers were around; Or, it was a situation where many doctors were at a loss, and he just gave it a try, not making others lose face... Slowly, to his surprise, someone had actually come right up to him to steal a patient. Garrett looked up. Standing before him was a white-robed mage, whose mage rank was higher than his, but arcane level the same¡ª Three silver stars on the mage¡¯s badge indicated an eighth-level magician; the four white circles around the stars marked a fourth-level arcanist. Hmm, speaking of which, after publishing so many papers, why hadn¡¯t his arcane level risen? Could his mentor be holding back his arcane points? If there was anyone with less backing than him, it was rare. Having a legendary mage as a mentor wasn¡¯t something everyone could boast. He slowly shifted his gaze from the confrontational white-robed mage to the increasingly embarrassed patient standing beside, then back to the mage, smiling: "May I ask your name? How long have you been treating him? What do you think his condition is? How have you been treating it?" The white-robed mage¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. He had arrived in a rush, full of anger. Only now did he notice that the person opposite him was also a fourth-ring arcanist. And also younger than him, three mage ranks below. What did that imply? It meant the other had more potential! It meant, in any minor conflict, the big shots would likely side with the other party! "Jason Tarn, fourth-ring arcanist, eighth-level magician, affiliated with the Weavers." He steadied himself, nodding at Garrett: "I¡¯ve been treating Ramos for half a month. In my view, he¡¯s been overworking, resulting in wrist injuries." He glanced at the patient who was gradually relaxing, pointing to his wrist: "For the past half month, I¡¯ve cast spells three times from his wrist to his fingers, and advised him to rest and apply heat regularly. I estimate that he should fully recover in two or three months." ...So, your diagnosis is tendinitis? Not entirely unreasonable, after all, most causes of ulnar nerve damage are due to compression in the wrist area. Garrett nodded with a smile: "Garrett Nordmark, fourth-ring arcanist, fifth-level magician. Thunder Horn." !!! Jason Tarn was taken aback, his look at Garrett suddenly changed. Garrett Nordmark? The one who published papers on both "Arcane" and "Magic"? The mage who invented penicillin and the use of cowpox? His own teacher had lamented more than once: "Why is he in the field of potential manipulation... Why isn¡¯t he in the medical branch..." Why did he have to steal his patient? ¡ªAh, if he had known it was him, what harm would there have been in letting him steal the patient, why bother confronting him? At that moment, he thought to retreat. However, after glancing at his patient, he paused, leaning closer to Ramos: "I¡¯ve treated him and his fingers have improved, but the results are not satisfactory. ¡ªWhat do you think could be the issue?" From the corner of his eye, Garrett¡¯s newly acquired patient also moved slightly toward the white-robed mage. Glancing at her, then at Garrett, there was a hint of guilt in her eyes, seemingly embarrassed. ¡ªWas she brought here on someone¡¯s behalf? Brought to him perhaps out of politeness? In his past life, those big shots who snatched patients in every conceivable way weren¡¯t just doing it for their own fame and fortune. He had often seen two department heads clashing, eventually slamming the table: "My treatment method shows quicker improvement!" "My approach has better outcomes!" Garrett¡¯s heart softened slightly. He took a deep breath, speaking earnestly: "I can¡¯t be sure yet. I need to run some additional tests. Wait a moment, I need to borrow something¡ªMadame Alva? Madame Alva, are you there?" Madame Alva walked slowly from the next room. Since the two mages weren¡¯t causing trouble, she didn¡¯t need to interfere. Only when Garrett knocked and called did she come out to respond: "What do you need to borrow?" "An item of magic level 12 or above. ¡ªAnything will do, I¡¯ll use it right here and return it once done." Borrowed on the spot, used on the spot. Garrett had the transmutation mage take off his coat and raise his arms. Then, he skillfully activated ¡¾Detect Magic¡¿, peering ahead¡ª His eyes narrowed slightly, then abruptly widened. As he suspected. The culprit causing the transmutation mage¡¯s right hand to remain unchanged was indeed the tumor on the right upper arm. Stuck next to the humerus. Under the X-ray, or rather, under the shadow cast by ¡¾Detect Magic¡¿, a low-density mass was visible, with smooth, clear edges. And the part attached to the bone¡ª The bone surface showed protrusions, with a broad base connected to the humerus. As for the inside of the bone... Garrett circled around for a closer observation, nodding slightly. It was indeed this. It looked harmless and painless on the outside, but inside, it had grown large enough to press on the nearby ulnar nerve. To be safe, Garrett scanned from the patient¡¯s right wrist up, from wrist to elbow, from elbow to shoulder, from shoulder to neck, checking it all. He confirmed there were no apparent abnormalities¡ªat least, no obvious straightening of cervical curvature, calcification spots, or bone hyperplasia that might compress nerves. Only then did he confidently point to Ramos¡¯s right upper arm: "It¡¯s here. It¡¯s this tumor¡ªyou can see with ¡¾Detect Magic¡¿ that something¡¯s off, there¡¯s something strange on the bone..." Jason Tarn looked at him skeptically. He too released the spell, gazing intently. Then, the white-robed mage let out a genuine exclamation: "By the mysteries above! How did that tumor grow into the bone!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 512: Change-based Handcrafted 3D Printing Model Chapter 512: Change-based Handcrafted 3D Printing Model A cry of alarm sounded, and Ramos¡¯s face instantly turned as pale as paper. He twisted his head forcefully, bumping his chin into his shoulder pit to look at the swelling on his upper right arm. Unfortunately, the "light source" was directly behind him, at the wrong angle, making it difficult to see clearly. Ramos could only bend over further and further, nearly falling to the ground in his haste. Garrett rushed over to support him. Just two steps behind him, a pair of mage hands flew up, one on each side, steadily righting the body of the transformation mage. Garrett: "..." His way of thinking, compared to that of a conventional mage, was quite different. For instance, at this moment, he wouldn¡¯t think to use Mage Hand... whereas conventional mages used Mage Hand more skillfully than their own hands, perhaps to the point of de-evolution. And, alas, this was the sorrow of an X-ray that couldn¡¯t be developed. In his previous life, a doctor would decisively pick up an X-ray and show it to the patient: Look, this is the spot that¡¯s troubling... But now, detection magic relied on the mage¡¯s mental vision. It couldn¡¯t be duplicated, recorded, or explained to patients, nor could it be taught to students how to read images. ¡ªTo achieve this, the scenes in the mental vision must be manifested in reality. And this was something Garrett could not do¡ªby the way, how was Ms. Almeida¡¯s research progress? When could they expect results? Garrett¡¯s mind was buzzing with various thoughts. He helped Ramos sit down on the side, pointing at his right arm and explaining to the onlookers: "Yes, I believe there is indeed a problem with this tumor. You see, beside the humerus there¡¯s a homogeneous fat-density shadow, and you can see tree-like bony protrusions extending into the fat-density shadow. So, I diagnose it as a parosteal lipoma." Turning back around, he faced three bewildered faces. Ramos could not see the X-ray image of his own upper right arm, and Mrs. Alvar was just a controller of confusion, there for the spectacle. Jason, however, pointed at the swollen arm, full of questions: "How can you tell this is fat?" "Why do you say these are bony protrusions, not vessels or something else?" "Why say the tumor is the problem when it¡¯s so far from the fingers?" Garrett: "..." How to recognize it as fat, why it¡¯s a bony protrusion, radiology is a specialized field. Why it¡¯s the tumor¡¯s problem needs to be explained from physiological, neurological, anatomical perspectives. As for why it¡¯s a parosteal lipoma and not a giant cell tumor, not an enchondroma, not a sarcoma... Garrett had a lot of differential diagnoses he could discuss. For instance, if it were a liposarcoma, it should show uneven fat density, visible calcification, and sometimes adjacent bone destruction; If it were an osteochondroma, it would be regularly shaped, with no fat-density soft tissue mass; If it were a hemangioma, calcification should be coarse to fine, accompanied by bone destruction, periosteal reaction, and soft tissue mass... But looking at the people present, they probably wouldn¡¯t understand. And radiology can only speculate; to really determine the type of tumor, a preoperative needle biopsy is recommended, to be sent for pathology, or an intraoperative frozen section. However, this world had no pathology to offer. Garrett could only suggest a one-size-fits-all approach¡ª "Suggest cutting it off." "What? Cut it off?" Ramos¡¯s face turned even paler. To Garrett, it seemed like the blood in his facial vessels was first folded in half, then folded again, and then, all the blood was replaced with Ringer¡¯s solution. He trembled as he asked: "Do I need to cut off the whole arm?" "Will the bone be cut off?" "Will the blood vessels be cut too?" This wasn¡¯t actually going to happen. Garrett closed his eyes and focused, raising an Ethereal Phantom in his hand, sketching out the internal situation of the arm. He carefully explained: "What needs to be cut off is just this tumor..." "An Alleviate Pain spell will be used for pain relief, you won¡¯t feel pain..." "Blood vessels, nerves, before we start cutting, they will be moved aside to protect them..." "This tumor has grown large and invaded the bone. If not removed, your arm will gradually become numb. If unlucky, it might develop into something worse..." Question after question was asked, generating more and more queries. Garrett was asked to the point of dry mouth and sweaty back. Just as he started to consider using a "Charm Human" or "Calm" spell to dispel the patient ¡¯s fears, Mrs. Alvar suddenly looked stern: "Are you going to treat it or not? Give a definite answer! Now, immediately!" The declaration from a Level 13 Archmage had an excellent effect. Although she only spoke that much, both healers and the patient present could read the ultimatum on her face: This is the Tower of Song! Not your alchemy workshop! Decide if you want treatment, if not, get out! "Don¡¯t waste my time here!" "I¡¯ll treat it! I¡¯ll do it now!" Ramos jumped up like a shot rabbit. He lovingly looked at his right arm, made up his mind, and raised his arm to Garrett: "Let¡¯s do it!¡ªWhere shall we start the incision?" Garrett remained silent. His patience and detailed explanations didn¡¯t match up to the archmage¡¯s rebuke. Okay, in this world, patients have no dignity... no, lower-ranked professionals have no dignity before higher-ranked ones... And Mrs. Alvar even took over his job. She naturally commanded: "Right here is fine. I¡¯ll call the students to watch too; they¡¯re currently studying brain waves.¡ªIs that okay with you, Master Nordmark?" ...No, it wasn¡¯t. The room was surrounded by wallpaper, carpeted on the floor, lacking sterile conditions; the privacy of the patient needed to be protected during surgery, spectators not welcome; observers not adhering to sterile operation norms could cause significant trouble... These thoughts made a round on Garrett¡¯s tongue but were ultimately swallowed. Patients had no dignity before the archmage, and he didn¡¯t have much room to bargain either. He quickly thought it over and smiled: "This room isn¡¯t quite suitable, madam. Could we find a larger one that can accommodate the ¡¯Sanctuary Hut¡¯?" Fortunately, Garrett had enough face with Mrs. Alvar to borrow a conference room, pushing all the sofas, round tables, and potted plants aside. The cleared area was sufficient to set up his operation room. But of course, the surgery couldn¡¯t start immediately; further checks were needed: "I¡¯ll draw the internal image of the arm I see with ¡¯Ethereal Phantom¡¯," Garrett consulted with the medical mage Jason Tarn: "Can you follow the phantom to make a physical model? It would be best if it could last a while, support for several hours at least, ¡¯Mage Tricks¡¯ are too crude and can only last an hour..." "I¡¯ll do it!" Ramos immediately volunteered. As a transformation mage, making something based on a phantom was his specialty: "Soft or hard? What material? Do you need it transparent? Or semi-transparent?" "...Best if it¡¯s semi-transparent, the colors the same as what I mark with the phantom. By the way, you¡¯d better not move your right arm during the process, to facilitate my examination." "This..." Ramos thought for a moment, slapped his space bag, and a rope flew out, tying his right upper arm to his torso: "I¡¯ll try my best!" Garrett gripped his oak staff, closed his eyes, and regulated his breathing. Black and white serpents rose into the air. "First the bones... bones are white, opaque..." Garrett explained bit by bit. Ramos concentrated, his fingers constantly flicking, materials known and unknown to Garrett rose into the air. Soon, the 3D printed model vividly appeared before everyone: The long bone¡¯s shaft on the outside was encumbered with many growths, resembling a coral; Outside the bones, wrapped a light yellow lipoma. It wasn¡¯t the simple mass they had imagined, but a lobulated soft tissue mass growing on each proliferated bone spur; Blood vessels, which should have flowed straight, were forcibly arched out by the tumor; The light yellow lipoma aggressively squeezed in the middle of the arm, light red muscles, vivid red and deep red vessels, and silver-white nerves, all displaced by it. At the top of the tumor, nerves outlined in silver-white were clearly swollen... Garrett breathed a sigh of relief. This kind of model, which could be held in hand, disassembled, spun around, and even cut into with a knife, was only available for the most complex surgeries and most critical studies in his previous life. Other doctors, having a 3D reconstruction image on a computer to look at, was already quite fortunate. ¡ªExpensive, right? As for the emergency department, haha. The poor and busy emergency department, with a little budget, all went to those who dodged bills, where was the money for this? And their chief doctor had said it well: "By the time you scan, rebuild, print, and study, the patient is dead, okay? Patients who can wait, have already been transferred..." Fortunately, someone helped handcraft it now. The twice-enlarged 3D model, bones, muscles, vessels, nerves, where deformations were, what to watch out for, clearly visible. Checking it before making an incision, confident, no fear of sudden surprises. ...Otherwise, why not hire a few transformation mages to handcraft 3D models for apprentices to practice surgery? Hard to say for the more complex ones, but skilled surgeons for hemorrhoid surgery, could train a few... Garrett couldn¡¯t help but brainstorm. Well, starting with Mr. Ramos here, wondering if waiving his medical fee in exchange for half a month¡¯s work at the hospital, could this condition be negotiated? --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 513: Divine Magic or Surgical Removal of a Lipoma? Chapter 513: Divine Magic or Surgical Removal of a Lipoma? "This... this... is what the inside of an arm looks like?" Jason Tarn stammered, his eyes bulging. If Garrett didn¡¯t know the context, he would have given him a diagnosis right away: "Suspected hyperthyroidism, go check your thyroid function test¡ªif you¡¯re being cautious, consider doing the five-function thyroid test in one go." But it was clear Mr. Jason didn¡¯t need that. He greedily touched the freshly made model, running his hands from top to bottom, bottom to top, then prying it open for a closer look: "Bone! Rough and bumpy bone covered with many protrusions!" "Blood vessels! Twisting and turning, branching off endlessly!" "Muscle! Layer upon layer, pressing against each other, attached to the bone! With blood vessels running through them!" "And those silvery white strands, what Master Nordmark called ¡¯nerves,¡¯ which apparently caused Ramos¡¯s fingers to become unable to bend, grip, and suffer various discomforts when pressed." "So, just cut out that tumor?" He tugged at that pale yellow mass, pulling and releasing, pulling and releasing. The tumor was wedged between two muscles, seemingly easy to extract with a simple pull¡ª "What if we don¡¯t use a knife? Can we just shrink the tumor?" "Emmmmm..." Garrett stroked his chin, contemplating. This was the classic difference between internal medicine and surgery: Upon seeing a lesion, internal medicine doctors think of medication first; surgeons think of the knife. For example, with a liver tumor, internal medicine doctors consider radiotherapy, chemotherapy, embolizing blood supply, or cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen to freeze the tumor; Surgeons think, "Let¡¯s cut it off once and for all." As long as the cut is clean, there are no further complications. Of course, radiotherapy and chemotherapy harm the body, and embolization and cryotherapy are not thorough. Surgery also harms the body and might accidentally remove 35 pieces of liver; the debate over which method is better for the patient continues every year. As for this lipoma, whatever method could relieve the patient¡¯s pain¡ªwhether it¡¯s internal medicine or surgery, divine magic or surgery¡ª That didn¡¯t matter. What mattered was what was best for the patient. Garrett lowered his eyes. A lipoma, a lipoma... the size of fat cells could increase or decrease, but the absolute number of cells would neither increase nor decrease. Unless cut out, if you want to shrink it... "What do you have in mind?" He raised his eyes, brimming with excitement. Modern medicine offers surgical methods for removing fat. You can either cut it off cleanly, with a snip, or perform liposuction¡ª Using ultrasound or high-frequency electric fields to break down the fat, then sucking it out with negative pressure. Garrett understood the principle but knew that if he were to control it, he¡¯d likely mash up the whole arm. Both he and the patient looked expectantly at Jason. The wizard scratched his head: "I can try... I know a spell that can make people thin for a short time, maybe..." Huh? There¡¯s really such a spell? A magical version of liposuction? Ah, that would be something to learn, if mastered, it could make a fortune... Even if used medically, some patients are indeed too obese, affecting their health... While thinking, Jason raised his fingers, white light flickering. Garrett quickly pressed down: "Wait, try it on something else first!" Are you kidding?! Haven¡¯t you tried this before? And now you remember it, and want to test it right away?! Even without clinical trials, at least do some animal testing first! After much persuasion and a few smiles to Mrs. Alva, Garrett managed to drag them out of the Tower of Songs and down to the hospital. This was his turf, everything could be discussed. With a single command from Garrett, a barbarian security guard pulled out a half-grown black pig from the lab¡¯s breeding room: "Here. Try it." Jason Tarn: "???" Garrett smiled, pointing at the black pig: "That spell of yours¡ªthe one that makes people thin¡ªtry it on the pig first." The pig, just halfway through its meal, was suddenly yanked out, struggling helplessly in the barbarian¡¯s grip. Jason, still bewildered, waved his hand: "Hey, hey, wait a minute!" Too late. The 100-pound pig, all bone and no fat yet, shrunk to skin and bones under the spell. "This... we need targeted fat reduction..." Garrett wiped his sweat, the patient beside him doing the same. Garrett sighed, motioned for the barbarian to bring another pig, and with a wave, [Mage Hand] drew two circles the size of teacup mouths on the pig¡¯s body. "If you can precisely target these areas, making the fat smaller or disappear, then it would be safe to use on humans, right?" And the spell¡¯s effect could be observed on the spot. Even if the pig wasn¡¯t yet fat, cutting it open and eating it wouldn¡¯t be a waste. The only problem was... Where on the pig had the most fat again? Garrett was completely clueless, having never looked at pigs this way, only knowing about hocks, ribs, leg meat, and belly... No matter, if the spell didn¡¯t hit the fat, just try another spot. Jason pondered for a moment and accepted the explanation. He chanted, light flickering at his fingertips, and pressed down. Touching the pig¡¯s leg, he wrinkled his nose in disgust. Garrett watched in amusement. Alright, alright, it was his fault for not cleaning the experimental animals thoroughly beforehand. Next time, remember to clean them properly. Most experimental animals would be dissected anyway, so pre-cleaning was necessary... Jason¡¯s fingertip light faintly touched the pig¡¯s leg. He was clearly trying hard to control the spell¡¯s range, the light flickering in and out, a thin layer of sweat forming on his forehead. Eight eyes stared unblinkingly as the pig¡¯s leg silently dented, creating a visible pit. The size of an orange. "This... seems a bit large..." Ramos, sweating, muttered in a low voice, his doubt drowned in the noise: the black pig let out a long wail and struggled desperately. The barbarian, distracted, loosened his grip. The black pig broke free, limping frantically towards the lab. For a moment, there was chaos: screams, people dodging, test tubes and flasks shattering on the ground, chaos, humans and pigs overturned. Amid the barbarian¡¯s roars, Garrett shrugged and spread his hands at Jason. "It seems the muscle was damaged too. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have run like that." "How do you know?" "Ah, once a bishop spent a night with me plucking lamb legs..." That sheep limped and bleated as if cursing. The black pig was recaptured, and its second leg, third leg, were tested in turn. The pig¡¯s leg dented smoothly, but whether it burned fat, muscle, or damaged nerves... Ramos looked at Garrett gratefully. Thank heavens he didn¡¯t let Jason operate directly. This spell, if used on his arm, might have crippled it! After testing all four legs, the poor black pig lay there, unable to move. Jason, sweating, muttered: "Let me try again... Let me try again, there¡¯s fat on its belly too..." Garrett patiently allowed him to try. Jason took a deep breath, the light at his fingertip flickering, shrinking, flickering, shrinking... Several times, before carefully pressing onto the pig¡¯s belly. Another sharp wail. The black pig collapsed, legs twitching, evidently hit hard. Garrett: "Bernard¡ª" "Got it, boss! I¡¯ll handle the slaughter!" The barbarian eagerly approached. Dissection was the boss¡¯s hobby and had to be done personally; but slaughtering, bleeding, and dehairing... By the Father, his little boss might have the skill but certainly not the strength. A knife cut through the pig¡¯s leg, revealing collapsed fat and atrophied muscle; another knife cut through the belly, releasing the stench of blood and intestines. Clearly, Jason¡¯s spell had burst the pig¡¯s intestines¡ª Busted. Busted. Busted. The metamorphosis mage glared at the white-robed wizard with resentment. Thankfully he wasn¡¯t allowed to operate, or else, would his arm still be intact? Bloodied contrast showed Ramos had no other choice. Half an hour later, he lay obediently on the operating table, facing upward. "Hey, don¡¯t shave my armpit hair!" "That¡¯s called pre-surgery disinfection, disinfection!" Garrett scolded: "Haven¡¯t you read my paper? Disinfection is essential. For arm surgery, the hair from shoulder to elbow must be shaved!" "By the mysteries, I already regret asking you to perform this... surgery..." Regret came too late. Garrett cast a Peace Spell, and Ramos lay still as a log, completely silent. Garrett began the surgery. After performing limb reattachment at the barbarian gathering, this level of surgery was no longer difficult for him¡ª Incisions were made at the anterior and posterior sides. Four Mage Hands transformed into small retractors, pulling the skin apart. "Can I try now?" Jason eagerly asked. Garrett had modeled the phantom model throughout, disassembling and touching it. Removing the tumor, he felt, should be doable. Garrett glanced at him, carefully separating the first blood vessel from the muscle bundle, protecting the delicate vessel with a small Mage Hand fist. "Which vessel is this?" "Ah, uh... the weather is pretty nice today, hahaha..." --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 514: Spatial Spells, Cutting Through Bone for Tumor Removal? Chapter 514: Spatial Spells, Cutting Through Bone for Tumor Removal? A question silenced the opponent. Garrett triumphantly glanced at Mage Jason, then bowed his head and continued working. Ready to start cutting out the tumor? Humph! Though lipoma excision is just a level 1 minor surgery, excising a periosteal lipoma, which has infiltrated into the muscles and adheres to the bone, is at least a level 3 surgery. Only senior attending physicians can perform it independently, and junior ones need supervision! You? Have you memorized the fifth edition of "Surgery"? ¡ª Oh, don¡¯t even mention the fifth edition; I haven¡¯t even written the first edition yet; Have you achieved a thousand cuts on mice? ¡ª Sorry, there¡¯s no professional mouse breeding in this world; Have the senior instructors manipulated cadavers? ¡ª Probably something a Necromancer has done, but most medical branch magicians haven¡¯t; Have you hung hooks in hundreds of surgeries? Have you felt every type of appendicitis? Have you completed your specialty training? Got your medical license? Completed a year of residency? Your supervising physician hasn¡¯t nodded yet, and you want to start cutting tumors? You must be dreaming of peaches! Like you, an intern with no experience, who can¡¯t even hold a needle holder properly or perform aseptic operations, isn¡¯t qualified to stitch skin, let alone approach the surgical table! He refocused his mind, his movements were light, even, and swift. Biceps, pull apart; Triceps, pull apart; Arm muscles, pull apart... Brachial artery, freed and protected; Brachial vein, freed and protected; Cephalic vein, median nerve, ulnar nerve, radial nerve... and various other branches and collateral branches, all carefully isolated and protected as much as possible. Protect as much as you can. For a transformational mage, one right hand is worth half a career and half a life. Anyway, the Silver Dragon magnifying glasses are already worn, just take your time. After making the incision, it became clear that the tumor extended from below the large tuberosity of the humerus to about 7cm above the right elbow, growing between the biceps and triceps. Garrett, while freeing tissues, hissed and muttered: ¡°See, if you had removed it earlier, there would be no issues... Now it¡¯s grown so big, all the nerves and blood vessels on the inner side of the upper arm are pressed against, displaced, bent, swollen... There¡¯s no way that isn¡¯t causing problems...¡± Poor Mr. Ramos lay on the surgical table, his whole body immobilized by a Peace Spell, unable even to roll his eyes at Garrett. Nor could he complain to Garrett: ¡°It¡¯s as if I could have removed it myself... A few years earlier, and you weren¡¯t even in Nevis! Who would I have gone to remove it? That group of Necromancers?¡± Garrett freed all the muscles, protected every blood vessel and nerve he could, and finally the large yellow lipoma was fully exposed: It was not a single mass but lobulated, clearly separated into lobes. A yellow-white nerve ran perfectly through the middle. ¡°The capsule is quite intact...¡± Garrett, using Mage Hand, carefully picked up a lobe to look underneath. The base of the lipoma, forming coral-like bone growth, was tightly connected to the humerus: ¡°Tsk, troublesome, these bone growths need to be scraped off¡ªLeon, hand me a scalpel, add an [Enchanted Weapon]!¡± ¡°Right away, sir!¡± Allowed to stand opposite the surgical table, helping with hooks and passing instruments, Leon Carlos crisply responded. Mage Hand flew up, delivering the surgical instruments Garrett requested. Dwarf-forged, these tools were sharp, lightweight, durable, and convenient for casting spells, allowing one to scrape and guide healing spells to protect the incision. Garrett continued muttering as he worked: ¡°Leon, remember, with tumors like this, if the capsule is intact, be very careful not to break it... Better to go slowly, bluntly dissecting from the outside, to remove it whole... If it breaks, who knows what bad stuff inside could spread to the whole body...¡± ¡°I understand, sir. Just like a necrotic cyst from the Necromancy branch, it must be completely removed without breaking, right?¡± That¡¯s correct, although what I was actually referring to was a cancerous cyst, I haven¡¯t seen a necrotic cyst yet. Tsk, perhaps later, I could ask for a senior instructor from the Sleepless Tower? Whether it¡¯s Archmage Edgar or Archmage Grom, they¡¯d probably be willing to help me... At most, I¡¯d agree to let them observe during the surgery! Garrett secretly added a note to his journal and continued working. ¡°Eh, sir, why did you cut the tumor apart¡ª¡± ¡°What else? It was too big to pull out!¡± That was when Garrett¡¯s foresight in surgical approach became apparent: The tumor was too large, and removing it from one direction would be inconvenient, mainly because too much muscle and nerve would need to be pulled apart to make room for the tumor. The damage to the normal body would be too great. But by making anterior and posterior incisions, dividing the tumor into two parts for removal seemed much easier. Hmm, just make a small incision at the lobulated part¡ª Done! Got it out! Bingo! Garrett removed the tumor mass, eliminated the bony base, and repositioned the muscles, blood vessels, and nerves. He then threw a Mage Hand toward Mage Jason, waving it slightly. Jason immediately scampered over: ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Well, the healing~~~¡± Mage Hand disappeared. Another Silent Phantom flew up, forming an arrow in the air, pointing to the area needing healing. Throwing healing spells, throwing more healing spells, furiously throwing healing spells! Especially for the compressed and swollen ulnar nerve! The contact surface of the nerve with Mage Hand! The outer wall of the blood vessels in contact with Mage Hand! Garrett happily crossed his arms over his chest, manipulating the [Silent Phantom] to guide Jason. Well, the hardest part was done, now the laborious work could be handed over to someone else. He could save his energy to closely watch how the swollen nerve slowly returned to normal under the healing spells¡ª ¡°Hey! Keep your hands away! Don¡¯t put them over the incision! Just throw the spells remotely!¡± With healing spells involved, the latter half of the surgery went smoothly. There was no need for suturing; just keep throwing healing spells. When it came time to suture the skin, or rather, heal the skin, the operation concluded, Mr. Ramos¡¯ right arm looked thinner, completely intact, clean, as if nothing had ever happened. ...Except it was really too clean. The sweat and underarm hair were all gone, shaved as smooth as a peeled egg. Mr. Ramos was lifted from the surgical table, moving his right arm, then his right hand. Quickly, he exclaimed joyfully: ¡°I can move it! ¡ª It¡¯s not numb anymore! I can even make a tight fist!¡± Right hand thumb and index finger formed a perfect ¡°O¡± shape, thrust right in front of Garrett¡¯s eyes. Garrett was also surprised. In his previous clinical practice, surgery to remove a tumor was relatively quick, but nerve recovery was much slower. Slowly allowing the body to absorb the swelling, gradually exercising, slowly regaining function. From the end of the surgery to full recovery, it usually took several months. Nothing like now, where a barrage of healing spells were thrown without sparing any expense, and it was instantly restored. Really nice, this needs to be noted down... Inside the pocket of his surgical gown, an oak wand poked out a root, wrapping around the [Endless Ink Pen] and scribbling away. As he was writing, he suddenly turned around: ¡°Mr. Tarn, what are you doing!¡± Jason Tarn stretched out his right pinkie, hooking fingers with Mr. Ramos, playing ¡°Pinkie promise, hang yourself, a hundred years, no lies...¡± However, testing finger strength, that method isn¡¯t standard at all! Obviously, though Mage Jason had not undertaken the main task of healing, he was much more excited than Garrett. After checking finger by finger, he pinched Mr. Ramos¡¯ right arm here and there, from left to right, from top to bottom. After a long while, he called out to Garrett: ¡°Mr. Nordmark, do you have¡ªany magical items above level 12 here?¡± ...That kind of thing, I really don¡¯t have... The highest-level magical item I have on hand is the level 9 [Endless Ink Pen]... Higher would be the energy core of the Mage Tower, which is said to exceed level 15, but obviously, I can¡¯t carry that around. Tsk, in the future, the Mage Tower should be made a part of the hospital, at least integrating large equipment like CT and MRI directly with the Mage Tower... Luckily, Seraina has it. Garrett Nordmark, without blushing at his flashy approach, went out for a trip and snagged some wool from Miss Silver Dragon, again activating [Detect Magic] to inspect the situation: ¡°Wow! This bone is completely clean now!¡± Mage Jason couldn¡¯t wait to exclaim: ¡°Not a strange thing left!¡± ¡°Right, what about the stuff that grew into the bone? When did you get rid of it? I didn¡¯t see you cutting open the bone...¡± In front of Mr. Ramos¡¯ overly smooth right arm, Garrett¡¯s face paled: ¡°Grew into the bone? ¡ª Right, Jason, you said, the tumor had grown into the bone ¡ª isn¡¯t it clean now ? Will it recur later?¡± Garrett breathed in, out, in, out again. Looking left, Mage Jason¡¯s face showed surprise; looking right, Leon Carlos was slightly frowning, obviously also straining his brains, yet unable to figure out where the problem lay. And Seraina, her eyes bright, her face excited. Obviously, she wasn¡¯t going to think hard, just waiting for Garrett to unveil the mystery, feeding the answer directly to her. Letting amateurs read the images indeed easily causes problems, even unnecessary panic. Oh well, educating the patient or giving a lecture, he was used to it, just another one to go. He returned the headpiece to Miss Silver Dragon, swung his hand vigorously between the two magicians, and again unfolded the [Silent Phantom], simultaneously displaying the pre-operative and post-operative lateral X-ray films of the humerus: The left side spotty and scaly, shadows of branches visible inside and outside the bone; The right side neat and clean, pleasing to the eye, indeed a standard good bone. ¡°Was what you saw before like this?¡± ¡°Exactly, exactly! ¡ª Look, it really did grow into the bone! It¡¯s gone after the surgery, but I didn¡¯t see you... cut... inside... the bone...¡± Mage Jason¡¯s voice grew fainter. In front of the patient, Garrett had already summoned another phantom. The humerus, the lipoma outside the bone, the bone growth within the tumor... ¡°This tumor was encircling the bone, see? Using [Detect Magic], what you saw was a plane, so it looked like it grew into the bone. Now that the tumor is removed...¡± He pointed to the right side of the post-operative image: ¡°These bone growths are gone, and the bone you see is clean. There was never anything growing into the bone!¡± --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 515: Arrival of the Blood Clan, Exchanging Blood Magic Techniques? Chapter 515: Arrival of the Blood Clan, Exchanging Blood Magic Techniques? Jason Cohen was pacing around two images, looking intensely. His fists clenched tightly by his sides, as if trying to control himself from not reaching out and dispersing these illusions. His neck stretched forward, eyes wide open, as if he wanted to dive into the images with his eyes, forehead, and the entire upper body. Ramos was standing nearby, stretching his arms, clenching his fists, flexing his fingers, and twisting his wrists, touching his arms up and down. Each time he touched his armpit, feeling that smooth, hairless patch, he couldn¡¯t help but grimace. Seraina was curiously looking at one, then the other; Leon Carlos, among these people, seemed the most normal, humbly fulfilling his role as an intern and assistant, constantly cleaning around the operating table¡ªabove, below, and around. Garrett? Garrett was lying on the side, his pen flying across the paper. Sketching a few strokes, glancing over, sketching a few more, then looking again. Drawing X-rays, creating 3D models, writing surgical records, he was incredibly busy... Writing records! Writing papers! Preparing to publish! Lady Alvar was on the other side, just having started pushing the first patient towards publication. If possible, it would be best to write a paper quickly and hand it to her! Well... although this patient wasn¡¯t quite typical... To be honest, most issues with finger movements are due to tenosynovitis, only a few are due to shoulder or neck issues, parosteal lipoma¡ªtruly one in a million... No, not even one in a million; parosteal lipomas are rare even among lipomas, apparently constituting about 0.3% of all lipomas. As for its proportion among reasons for finger movement difficulties, it¡¯s probably not even one in a hundred thousand. "Are there any journals that would publish a rare case like this?" he suddenly turned to ask. Mage Jason came over to take a look: "Are you writing a paper? ¡ª Just on this case? Let me think..." This medical magician¡¯s experience with publishing, or rather, ¡¯watering down¡¯ papers, could certainly be considered extensive. He leaned over to look at Garrett¡¯s records, rubbing his chin, and began to mutter: "¡®Common Magicians¡¯ might not work, as it doesn¡¯t involve magic..." He bent one finger: "¡®Weavers¡¯ is run by our spellcraft school, and they can include about two medical papers per issue, but as far as I know, they¡¯ve been booked for the next six months..." He bent another finger; "¡®Medical Research¡¯ is a journal run by the medical division itself, but they prefer discussing treatment magic. As far as I remember, they haven¡¯t featured a single case study in over a decade..." He bent another finger; "Then there¡¯s just a few journals run by the temples themselves, but mostly no one reads those, they just use them to prop up boxes..." Snap, snap, his ring and little fingers bent together into a fist. Heaven help us, apart from ¡®Common Magicians Monthly¡¯ and ¡®Medical Research,¡¯ Garrett was really not familiar with the other journals. Listening to Mage Jason enumerate them like household names, he could only respond with a blank stare. After all, he had never worried about where to publish his previous papers. Several of them were taken by legendary magicians who decided whether to submit to ¡®Arcane¡¯ or ¡®Magic¡¯... His blank expression, in Mage Jason¡¯s eyes, naturally interpreted as "no idea" / "not sure where to publish." The white-robed magician thought for a moment and kindly offered a hand: "How about I help? I¡¯ll talk to the teacher, pull some strings, and ¡®Medical Research¡¯ might just take it. Otherwise, how about splitting it with me as second author? I can handle the writing..." As he spoke, his hand sneakily curved towards the 3D model on the desk: "Of course, if I could borrow this for a half-month, that would be even better..." Garrett chuckled. He generously pushed the model towards him: "You can borrow it, but as for helping with writing, why don¡¯t you write up the diagnostic process first? As for finding a journal to publish, let¡¯s not rush. Lady Alvar said she¡¯ll arrange it..." The paper, with Garrett as the first author, Mage Jason as the second, and Mr. Ramos as the third, was sent off to the summit that day. Within a week, Lady Alvar replied: ¡®Medical Research¡¯ rejected it. "They still don¡¯t like individual cases..." Lady Alvar stirred her milk tea with a little silver spoon, apologetically smiling at Garrett: "Moreover, the current editor-in-chief of ¡®Medical Research¡¯ insists that magic is the foundation of medicine. He even considers pharmaceutical research heretical, and as for surgery, he¡¯s always thought it was necromancers¡¯ work..." That was it then. Ah, modern medical journals, there are those that favor basic research, those that prefer case reports, some lean towards internal medicine, others towards surgery, differing widely. Garrett smiled without concern: "It¡¯s just one paper. If it can¡¯t be published, then it can¡¯t be. When I have significant results later, I¡¯ll publish those¡ªso, I should take this paper back?" Might as well show it to Archmage Edgar, or Archmage Grom. The necromancy school always liked things involving cutting and stitching. Perhaps, it could even sneak into their journals? "But things from Black Crow Swamp, they inherently lack the renown of ¡®Medical Research¡¯... Oh..." Lady Alvar reluctantly watched the paper drift away from her hand. Every day the paper was delayed in publication, her "Medical New Star Project" was set back a day. Helplessly, she could only give a rueful smile: "Alright then, I¡¯ll keep looking for a case with greater influence, easier to get published..." Garrett was startled. Please don¡¯t find cases based on that criterion! Any especially unique cases, ones that can¡¯t be cured by healing magic, or ones where the cure is too costly, I¡¯m interested in handling them! After much persuasion, he convinced Lady Alvar to maintain the standard for recommending patients. Garrett pocketed the manuscript and headed towards the Tower of the Sleepless. Black Crow Swamp indeed showed great interest in his paper. Archmage Grom immediately approved, allowing the paper to jump the queue and be published next month¡ª Of course, on the condition that they could make a copy of that 3D model... "By the way, how¡¯s your blood typing magic coming along?" "Not smoothly at all..." Garrett held his head. The data needed for research was too extensive, the comparison points were difficult to match, and Garrett strongly suspected that his hand-drawn feedback diagrams were either inaccurate or missing details. In the end, it was his own fault. His drawing skills were miles away from professional sketching. Taking class notes, drawing diagrams to explain situations to patients or their families, he could manage. But to expect photo-like accuracy for research materials... Wishful thinking. Ah, the old saying goes, when will Lady Almeida¡¯s magic be developed? If that could be done, he could scan a bunch of blood samples and then let the Tower Spirits do the data analysis... Then he could just sit back and wait for the results, then deduce the method of casting from there. Blissful. Archmage Grom was not at all surprised. Developing a magic spell, how could that be easy? Three to five years is smooth sailing, ten to eighteen years is normal, like Garrett, who had not been in Nevis City long but had already come up with a few unique little spells, that¡¯s called extraordinary talent¡ª Even with extraordinary talent, his EKG magic was said to have been helped by the dragon race. Moreover, since Garrett proved blood typing, more than one great magician from Black Crow Swamp, along with their teams, had been developing blood testing magic. One of them even enlisted the help of a friend from the divination school, still to no avail. He comforted Garrett with a smile: "No rush, no rush, it¡¯s not that easy. ¡ª Hey, if you¡¯re eager to advance your research, there¡¯s actually a good opportunity next month¡ª" "What?" "A delegation from the Blood Clan is coming over. You know, the Blood Clan, they have especially profound research on fresh blood. If you could mix into the reception team, or make friends with one of them, maybe you could exchange some ideas?" "This¡ª" Garrett hesitated, conflicted. Socially anxious Garrett expressed that he was genuinely interested in meeting the Blood Clan, but joining the reception team was out of the question. As for becoming friends with someone in a short time, he wasn¡¯t capable of that. Of course, if a member of the Blood Clan fell ill or injured, and needed a quick surgery... Never mind, better just focus on his own research. When the time comes, find an opportunity to see if there¡¯s any interest in his results. Hope the research discussion at that time won¡¯t be like talking to a brick wall. Garrett silently returned to the hospital, burying himself in research. The paper on blood typing had already been sent out, currently waiting for scheduling in ¡®Common Magicians Monthly¡¯; the blood transfusion experiments, he had also conducted two cases recently, both for severely hemorrhaging mothers in the poorhouse. One was successful, one failed¡ª The failure was because the mother arrived too late, and cross-matching the blood took too long. If there was a reliable blood testing magic, results could be obtained instantly... After all, in his previous life, not considering Rh typing, just A, B, O types, emergency resuscitations could yield results in a minute or two. Garrett wanted to find more cases, to further verify. But contrary to his wishes, two weeks later, his teacher directly pulled him out of the hospital and threw him into the reception team: "This conference, the Blood Clan, dwarves, barbarians, orcs, will all have important figures attending. You¡¯re young, take this opportunity to broaden your experiences, it¡¯ll be good for you." Garrett had no choice but to comply. Only when he arrived at the reception team did he realize that the logistical work had other people in charge¡ªsetting up the venue, arranging accommodations, meal plans, sightseeing, he didn¡¯t have to handle any of it¡ª Like him, with teachers and backing, suddenly inserted into the mix, he just had to cram a bunch of information, figure out exactly who was coming, and be ready to chat with the guests. And for Garrett, he didn¡¯t even need to initiate anything, as a crowd of people came up to him: "Garrett! Garrett, long time no see!" Two companions from the Dwarven Kingdom¡¯s king-selecting team, Gavin and Gina, were on their toes, waving eagerly; "Respected healer, hello." A barbarian, nearly twice the height of a dwarf, respectfully bent down towards Garrett; "Godly doctor!" This blond orc looked somewhat familiar... Right, where¡¯s the Blood Clan who could discuss blood magic with me? --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 1527: What Regulation? Shift the Blame to the Dragons! Chapter 1527: What Regulation? Shift the Blame to the Dragons! 1 Share Locked Chapter 398: The Right to Lead the Operation, No One Else Should Compete! Chapter 398: The Right to Lead the Operation, No One Else Should Compete! New Apr 3, 2024 Garrett''s hands paused during the ultrasound. What? What''s a ghost infant? Cultivated to grow? What does that even mean? He had almost completed the examination, and the conclusions were about to be drawn. Now he''s being told it''s a ghost infant cultivated by a necromancer? Garrett wanted to turn around and ask, but he paused, deciding it was better to finish the ultrasound. Getting distracted halfway could affect the accuracy of the examination. Hmm, the liver is slightly displaced, intrahepatic bile duct dilatation, the gallbladder, spleen, and pancreas are all fine, appendix swollen, no intestinal obstruction... As for the necromancer, there''s always time to ask¡ªAh, Bernard has already brought in the patient''s family, now calm... "You''re the reason my daughter is suffering?¡ªDie!" A middle-aged man, drenched, lunged forward. If not for Bernard''s timely intervention, they would have likely come to blows... The necromancer stood defiant. Struggling in the grasp of a silver dragon maiden, he proudly raised his chin, adopting an arrogant stance: "Who harmed her?¡ªThree years ago, when her mother was ill, you begged me to treat her, promising me anything in return. Wasn''t it you who agreed to let her assist me in any task?" "But you never said it was about cultivating a ghost infant!" "Nonsense. If not for the ghost infant, why would I help you? Besides, it''s not like I put it there; she was already pregnant with it!" Garrett finally finished the examination and joined the conversation: "Excuse me for interrupting. Sorry, I''ve been busy and didn''t get a chance to introduce myself. My name is Garrett Nordmark. May I know your name?" "Nordmark, the mage?" The necromancer''s eyes lit up. He eagerly responded: "The treatise on the quarantine and treatment of dysentery outbreaks? The study on the pathogens of several epidemics?" Someone here has read my papers? Garrett was pleasantly surprised, quickly nodding. Indeed, it''s easier to communicate within the same field of research. In just a few words, he learned what the other had done: Using special methods, he cultivated the ghost infant within the woman to grow, using it as a vessel for his dead souls. The reason for using a ghost infant was that a living infant has its own soul, which would repel the dead souls... "Finding a woman pregnant with a ghost infant is hard! It took me ten years to find three, and the first two attempts at possession failed. The cultivated ghost infants were just lumps of flesh without bones, completely unusable..." "So, you''re saying she was already pregnant with the ghost infant?" "Of course! I can''t create something from nothing!" Garrett silently sympathized with him. So it was already there, and he just used magic to accelerate its growth. It matched up; it''s a teratoma! Indeed, the incidence rate is not high. Considering the population density of the Black Gate Peninsula, it''s quite fortunate for him to find three in ten years... But, how did you manage to grow the teratoma to such a size? Usually, a diameter of 4-5 cm is already considered large. Clinically, 10 cm is rare! "You''re lying!" The middle-aged man roared from the other side: "You must have harmed my daughter!" "Why would I seek her out if she wasn''t carrying this thing?" "Couldn''t you have used magic to implant it?" Garrett sighed. Turning to face the girl''s father: "Regardless of the circumstances, we need to address the issue. Your daughter is in pain; may I treat her first?" "What do you propose?" The middle-aged man looked at him warily. Garrett tried to offer a reassuring smile: "We mean no harm; we just want to help your daughter. Look, I''m a follower of the God of Nature, and this lady here is an elf. How could we possibly harm your daughter?" The reputation of a priest of the God of Nature and an elf was evidently much better than that of a necromancer. The man''s wariness slightly diminished: "What do you plan to do?" Garrett thought for a moment, then formed a healing spell, infusing it into the girl. Lately, he''s been preferring to use healing spells over surgery whenever possible. Ah, minimally invasive is the trend, so healing spells are even more so, right? Guided by the ultrasound, the healing spell smoothly reached the appendix. As the swelling appendix began to shrink, and the girl''s pale face color slightly improved, Garrett clapped his hands: "If it''s just the abdominal pain, that has been resolved. But this ghost infant¡ª" He turned to the necromancer: "How do you plan to remove it once it''s fully cultivated?" The necromancer made a gesture indicating a cesarean section. "I''ll kill you!" Bernard discreetly let go. The middle-aged man lunged forward, bypassing Seraila, who deliberately stepped aside too late, and pummeled the necromancer. After taking several heavy blows, the necromancer finally raised his mage armor, crouching and covering his head: "Stop, stop!¡ªI brought holy water! More than one bottle! I swear she won''t die!" Garrett stood aside, arms crossed, watching. Not telling the truth upfront and deceiving people, causing the girl to carry such a thing, certainly deserved a beating. If this were his previous life, it would be more than just a beating, reminiscent of the surgeon who carved "SB" on a patient''s liver... With the armor up, letting him take a beating was beneficial for the subsequent conversation. Seeing the man''s punches slow and the back of his hands turning red, Garrett intervened perfunctorily: "Sir, please calm down... We need to resolve this. Your daughter is a beautiful girl; she shouldn''t have to endure this. As healers, we hope to help her safely resolve her troubles..." Seraila hid behind him, blinking and quietly casting a soothing spell. The man finally calmed down. He stared at his daughter, from her still pale face to her swollen abdomen, then back to her face. Suddenly, he crouched down, cradling his head, and began to sob. Half an hour later, the man personally carried his daughter onto a floating disc released by Garrett. He stood reluctantly at the doorway, watching as two invisible servants, one leading and the other following, escorted his daughter into a "Refuge Cabin" created by the silver dragon lady. The magical dome shimmered slightly, and then they were no longer visible. Garrett, Seraila, Bernard, and the necromancer followed in. "This ghost infant that I''ve cultivated, should I be the one to deal with it?" "I''m afraid not." Garrett sighed deeply. If it were an ordinary ovarian teratoma, he might have trusted the necromancer''s surgical skills. But this... "This thing has grown on the liver. I''ve examined it, and the liver has already been deformed by the pressure, posing a very high surgical risk, with a high possibility of severe bleeding. This time, I''ll lead the operation." --------------- Chapter 399: Nurse Silver Dragon Miss Joins Chapter 399: Nurse Silver Dragon Miss Joins New Apr 3, 2024 "Seraina, help that girl undress." "Got it!" "Seraina, clean her up¡ªcleanse spell, iodine, alcohol, in that order. Remember the method I taught you?" "So troublesome..." "Please, please! After you''re done, cover her with cloths in order, and then call us in!" Garrett clasped his hands in front of his chest, bowing rapidly. The Silver Dragon girl pouted: "Alright, I''ll do this favor for you!¡ªRemember to explain the surgery to me as you go!" "Of course!" Humming a tune, the Silver Dragon girl entered the center of the shelter, where a surgery room was partitioned off with opaque walls. With a flick of her slender fingers, cotton balls, drapes, and towels flew up one by one, wiping and covering... "Garrett said to use towel forceps to clamp the cross section... What is that? He didn''t give me any! Ah, got it, adhesive spell!" Magical glow twinkled. A level 0 transmutation trick specifically for bonding light objects silently bound the drapes together. Garrett, upon entering and seeing Galina quietly lying on the operating table, covered by dark green drapes except for her prominently swollen abdomen, felt a surge of comfort. The patient''s foot side shimmered with cold light, displaying neatly arranged surgical instruments like scalpels, hooks, and clamps. The shadowless lamp poured down white light, recreating a scene identical to the operating rooms of his former life. Ah... how comforting. Some carried the patient, some disinfected, some prepared drapes, and some arranged instruments. Walking in to see everything ready for surgery was the prestige of a chief surgeon! He raised his hands chest high, approaching the operating table. Extending his hand, Seraina''s fingers twitched, and a Mage Hand brought the scalpel smoothly to his side. Though not perfectly landing in his palm, Garrett, receiving the scalpel handle, slightly tilted his head, genuinely smiling at her. Miss Silver Dragon was amazing, acting both as a circulating and scrub nurse! Happiness index +10086... Pleased, his tone lightened while operating and explaining: "We''ve completed the hypnosis and Alleviate Pain spells, focusing on the abdomen so the patient won''t wake up during incision. Using the scalpel to guide healing power reduces bleeding by healing skin damage¡ªthis new scalpel is incredibly useful!" Dwarf-made, a guarantee of quality, mixed with mithril for smooth magical conductivity, far surpassing his former life''s use of a silver-threaded glass rod for guiding divine growth spells, doubling its effectiveness! Most importantly, it was clean, pollution-free, and odorless. In his previous life, electrocautery was used for hemostasis, leaving a barbecue smell only those who used it would know, along with smoke that not even suction devices could fully remove. Long-term exposure to such an environment was more damaging to surgeons'' lungs than second-hand smoke! If only such a tool could be brought back to his previous life. Introducing it to colleagues would benefit countless doctors and patients! "Alright, the incision is complete, take the scalpel away¡ªSeraina, please help with the hook. Good, Mage Hand is so timely! Outward! Outward! Outward!¡ªStop!" He raised his left thumb. To avoid contaminating the operating table, Seraina stood three steps behind the patient''s feet, performing all operations with Mage Hand. The Necromancer, standing even further away, watched the surgery through Arcane Eye, muttering: "Why all the hassle... It''s just a phantom pregnancy, I''ve dealt with two before, and the adults didn''t die, why not let me try¡ªHoly moly!" A huge lump appeared. Its surface was smooth, encapsulated, with the top already pushing against the liver! The Necromancer immediately fell silent. He knew how fragile and prone to bleeding the liver was; a careless cut during animal dissections, or a slight tug, could lead to a blood spray. Garrett''s expression turned serious. He quickly surveyed the situation; the huge tumor stretched from under the diaphragm to the navel level. The pelvis was a mess of adhesions, with the liver pushed upwards, indicating potential adhesion to the liver. "Garrett, how is it? Do you need my help?" Miss Silver Dragon softly called, her fingertips sparkling with healing magic. Garrett gently shook his head: "Not for now. Just be ready.¡ªGive me the hemostat, second from the right in the first row! Good, Seraina, thank you! Well done!" Though Mage Hand could be used, for complex surgeries, he trusted his hands more¡ªrefined by years of practice. The liver, for instance, could easily cause trouble if handled too forcefully during dissection. Hemostats and tissue forceps gently navigated in Garrett''s hands. Using blunt dissection, he gently opened a small tear in the tangled omentum, then continued separating. The delicate omentum, as tender as tofu and gentle as a bubble, was silently torn into two, revealing hidden blood vessels. "Seraina, absorb with gauze!" "Right away!" A Mage Hand flew in with sterile gauze, dabbing at the spot Garrett pointed to before flying away with the gauze. "Seraina, this blood vessel supplies the tumor. I''ve isolated it now. We need to ligate it, then cut it, and finally heal the cut end to prevent bleeding. I''ll cut, you heal!" "No problem!" A small healing spell followed Garrett''s blade, sealing the cut blood vessel. "Seraina, light, please!" "Immediately!" A light orb rose, illuminating the space below the tumor and above the left lobe of the liver. "Seraina, see this tube on the surface of the lump? This is the fallopian tube. It''s intact, and we need to keep it aside without damaging or breaking it, otherwise, the girl won''t be able to conceive in the future. Alright, I''ve isolated a small section, now slightly support it from below!" "A piece of cake!" A tiny Mage Hand flew in, flattened and tucked underneath, carefully closing up. The all-capable Miss Silver Dragon, the all-capable Mage Hand. The more Garrett operated, the more confident he felt. In just an hour, from the liver to the pelvis, all was isolated, and two Mage Hands lifted the removed tumor high out of the abdomen. "Seraina, get a basin!" "Coming! Right away!" "The cysts on the ovaries are also removed! We''re about to close up! Seraina, please check if the numbers of surgical instruments and gauze are correct. If everything''s in order, we''re done!" Chapter 400: Why do I feel like having a silver dragon as a nurse is reliable! Chapter 400: Why do I feel like having a silver dragon as a nurse is reliable! New Apr 3, 2024 "One, two, three, four, five... twelve. Twelve of them. Garrett, no surgical instruments are missing." "Alright, twelve." Garrett simultaneously summoned a bright light, scanning from the first scalpel, one by one. One, two, three... On the floating disc, the reflection shone twelve times in total, confirming Miss Silver Dragon''s count was accurate without error. There''s no choice, according to the surgical instrument counting system, the surgical items should be counted by both the scrub nurse and the circulating nurse. Count twice before the surgery begins, before closing the body cavities or deep incisions, before suturing the skin, and before leaving the operating room at the end of the surgery. What? No circulating nurse? Garrett looked behind him, contemplating whether to have Bernard step in or the necromancer. Better to do it himself... Thank heavens for healing magic, negating the need for counting surgical needles, sutures, and the like. Recalling the time half a needle was missing at the end of surgery, leading the chief surgeon and the circulating nurse to search for two hours, he shivered, praising himself: Thank goodness, only need to count the gauze and then it can end! "One, two, three, four... nine. Garrett, the gauze count is also correct!" "Okay, we can prepare to close the abdomen! ¡ª Give me the holy water!" The necromancer, with a pained expression, produced the holy water. No choice, he had to pay for his own actions. In fact, many of Garrett''s operations made him extremely nervous, fearing a gush of blood at any moment... Unexpectedly, Garrett didn''t pour all the holy water out but carefully added a bit into the saline. While dripping, he explained to the girl next to him: "Holy water mixed with saline, 1:1000, best for preventing infections. Rinse the abdominal cavity to kill all sorts of bacteria, just in case the healing spell missed some areas, preventing them from breeding in the abdomen and causing serious illness... Suck out the saline!" "Okay!" The girl cheerfully raised her hand. A crystal-clear column of water rose into the air and splashed into the sink without a drop spilled. The necromancer squatted down mournfully. Ah, everyone''s a mage, some have a beautiful elf sister who listens to everything; he only had himself, a skeleton soldier, a soul... Forget it, now that the flesh ball has been removed, let''s see if the soul can successfully attach! He solemnly took off a necklace. Holding the pendant in his palm, paused, adjusted its position, and gripped it again... Three years of hard search, three years of careful nurturing, and countless fortunes earned from tasks, killing monsters, and gathering herbs, all invested in it, success or failure, in this one moment! Magic activated, the soul silently flew out of the pendant. Circling half a round, it dived down into the flesh ball. Wriggle, wriggle, wriggle. Shake, bounce, convulse... No reaction! "Ah~~~" The necromancer squatted down, clutching his head, involuntarily letting out a scream of despair. Why no reaction again, why no reaction... He had patiently waited for over half a year, ensuring it grew big enough, and the flesh ball was completely removed without even touching the capsule... Right, the capsule! Could it be because the capsule wasn''t broken, the ghost baby couldn''t struggle out? The necromancer scrambled towards the operating table. The teratoma in the steel basin¡ª for Garrett, it was a pathology basin, was casually thrown a levitation spell by Seraina, letting it float by the table. Disgusted by it, she even pushed it a bit further away. The necromancer grabbed the edge of the steel basin with his left hand, his right hand flipped. A dagger with a chilling gleam slashed towards the flesh ball¡ª "Hey, what are you doing!" Garrett yelled urgently. Miss Silver Dragon lifted her eyes, casually grabbed a hemostatic forceps, and threw it over. The necromancer dove down, narrowly avoiding it. A silver light grazed his cheek, booming into the operating room wall. "My hemostatic forceps¡ª!" Garrett cried out. That was brand new! The dwarves just made it for him recently, alloyed with mithril and fine gold, sturdy, rust-resistant, and convenient for channeling magical power! Hemostatic forceps are more commonly used by surgeons than scalpels! Much higher usage frequency! Miss Silver Dragon stuck out her tongue. With a casual flick, the magical operating room wall disappeared like smoke, the hemostatic forceps fell freely, and she casually summoned it back. Looking left and right, it seemed undamaged, shrugged and handed it to Garrett with a giggle. "Fix the wall! Sterile environment! ¡ª Ah, I better close the abdomen quickly!" Garrett, drenched in sweat, felt like trying to suppress problems only to have others arise. Why did he think Miss Silver Dragon was a reliable nurse again... Without several years of medical education, clearly, it''s not possible to be reliable! "Wuu wuu... failed again... wuu wuu wuu wuu wuu wuu wuu..." The necromancer squatted, completely drained. Garrett looked at his pitiful state, sighed, quickly finished closing the abdomen, and went to help him: "Let''s go out, let Seraina dress the girl. ¡ª By the way, if you''re hoping it would move and jump like a baby with a soul attached, I''m afraid that''s not possible, it didn''t grow a torso and limbs..." "How do you know?" Because teratomas don''t grow a full set of bones, and because on the X-rays and ultrasounds, I didn''t see normal spinal and limb bones. Garrett silently sighed, grabbing the pathology basin with one hand, and pulling the necromancer out with the other: "Show it to the patient''s father, if you want confirmation, we can find a reason to cut it open for you later." The walls of the ¡¾Refuge¡¿ rippled again. As the two mages stepped out of the wall, Garrett faced an anxious middle-aged man, casting a volume-enhancing spell on himself, speaking first: "Your daughter is safe. Seraina is taking care of her, and she can come out to meet you once she''s recovered. ¡ª This is the flesh ball cut from her abdomen, you can cut it open to see, it has no complete skeleton or organs, it''s not a baby, but a magical creation." His voice, steady and calm, spread throughout the entire mountain village with the help of magic. The middle-aged man''s face lit up: "Not a baby? ¡ª Really not a baby?" "Really not. ... You can cut it open yourself, or if you need, I can do it for you." The middle-aged man glanced at the pathology basin, shivered, and turned away. Glanced again, shivered, and took two steps back. Garrett patiently waited, unfazed: Seeing the thing cut out, family members shivering, covering their faces and walking away, or screaming "take it away," he had seen too many in his previous life. In fact, those who dared to come close, dared to touch, let alone dare to cut it open themselves, were rare... The man hesitated, the surroundings rustling, the villagers who had dispersed were gathering around again. The man looked around, then loudly said: "Please cut it open, show everyone present! Thank you!" He bowed deeply, his head nearly below his knees. Garrett smiled slightly: A healer, not only cures diseases or saves lives but also often comforts. Helping patients elsewhere when possible is better. Otherwise, how would a young girl, burdened with the reputation of adultery, live on... He flew out two mage hands, supporting the middle-aged man''s body, helping him stand upright. Flicking his fingers, a dance of lights ascended into the sky, illuminating the scene: "Alright, then I''ll prove to everyone here, what''s in your daughter''s belly is definitely not a baby!" "Wait!" A scream came from the ¡¾Refuge¡¿: "I want to see too! Wait for me to come out before cutting!" --------------- Chapter 401: Lets Look at the Electricity in the Heart! Chapter 401: Let''s Look at the Electricity in the Heart! New Apr 4, 2024 "Please, let me go with you! I beg you!" "I can hire a carriage for us! ¡ª I''ll drive it!" "I''ll cover all the expenses along the way!" "I can be a guide! I''ve spent ten years on the Black Gate Peninsula! I know every road there!" Ever since Garrett, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, sliced open the teratoma to reveal the tangled mass of hair, a few pieces of bone, and teeth, the necromancer, Leon Clayton, shamelessly clung to them. Bringing his own provisions and taking responsibility for all expenses, he was willing to help with driving, booking inns, ordering meals, guiding, and managing all tasks on the road... All he asked was for Garrett to occasionally, when in a good mood, share a word or two with him. ...Garrett couldn''t actually throw him out. The Silver Dragon Maiden, however, was somewhat displeased by him, but after all, one does not strike the smiling face: He immediately purchased a large covered wagon, made the carriage comfortable, and respectfully invited you to sit; even when rejected, he still followed with a smile; at crossroads, he actively came to give directions; upon arrival at accommodations, you didn¡¯t have to look for the innkeeper, for he had already ordered dinner... If they didn¡¯t send him away on the first day, it became even less likely on the second day. Not to mention, it started to drizzle on the morning of the second day. "Master Nordmark, Miss Elf, please come sit in the carriage!" Leon jumped down from the carriage pole, lifting the curtain with a smile on his face: "Even though you both have spells to keep off the rain, it''s more comfortable in the carriage, isn''t it?" Riding in the carriage might not be more comfortable, but it allowed for more free time. The carriage bought by Leon was a barbarian¡¯s large covered wagon, with ample interior space where three or four people could stretch their legs without feeling cramped. Moreover, without needing to control a mount, one could focus on research. Garrett and the Silver Dragon Maiden boarded the carriage, and the first thing they did was to ask Bernard to bring up the rabbit: "Seraina, didn''t you say you wanted to know why there''s electricity in the heart? I''ve thought of a new method, take a look!" What? Proving the heart has electricity? Leon quietly leaned back, sticking half an ear through the gap in the door curtain. A round bulge appeared on the curtain at the front of the wagon, looking quite comical. Seraina spotted it with one glance, pulled on Garrett, and pointed at the half ear. "......" Garrett shook his head at her. Why bother? The man was trying hard to learn something, and had come this far, why drive him away now? The Silver Dragon Maiden shrugged, her eyes darting around, then suddenly grabbed the rabbit, folding its ear and extending it outside. The fine, fluffy rabbit ear grazed Leon''s ear, causing the necromancer to exclaim softly and instantly retract. Inside the carriage, Seraina covered her mouth, shaking with laughter. Garrett sighed helplessly. He had no choice but to take out the assembled ammeter¡ªessentially just two magnets, a coil, and a spring-loaded pointer¡ªand redirected the Silver Dragon Maiden''s attention to the matter at hand: "Look, here''s a pointer connected to a rotating shaft. As long as there''s a current passing through, the needle will move. Let''s insert the needle into the rabbit''s heart and see¡ª" With a snap, the Silver Dragon Maiden''s fingertips sparked a cluster of electric sparks, falling directly onto the wire. The spring-loaded pointer turned sharply, smashing into the nearby magnet, and a wisp of blue smoke rose from the coil... "......" "......" In physics class, the student breaks the experimental equipment on the first try, what to do? Oh, and you can''t beat her. Nor can you scold her. Teaching is indeed a difficult task. Garrett, who had gone from a resident doctor to an attending physician, and then from an attending physician to a deputy director in his past life, had mentored hundreds of interns, residents, and attending physicians, never finding teaching so challenging. "Cough, Seraina, the electrical current of the heart, or rather the electrical current of the human body cells, is very small. If you release such a large electricity, the ammeter will burn out... Let''s start with a simpler proof. Take this silk, and rub the glass rod vigorously..." Letting Seraina mess around with static electricity, Garrett took out a new wire, silently starting to rewind the coil. This wire, made from silver mixed with mithril and crafted by the royal jeweler, had to be specially insulated. He wasn''t skilled enough to make it himself, and using a bit meant having less of it... "Done rubbing? Now try, place the glass rod in your hand, see if your fingers will twitch?" "It didn''t!" ...Miscalculation. The Silver Dragon''s magic resistance is high, mere static electricity is nothing to her... "Well... why don''t you try it with the rabbit? But first, you need to shave its fur off, otherwise, it might not work..." "What, shave its fur? That''s annoying!" "I''ll do it! I''ll try!" Outside the carriage, the necromancer Leon''s head popped in. By volunteering for electric shock, Leon finally found a spot inside the carriage. After trying friction to generate electricity and getting shocked to the satisfaction of the Silver Dragon Maiden, he was able to summon several skeletal hands to fix the rabbit on the carriage. Following Garrett''s instructions, he performed a sequence of actions: "Start with a hypnotism spell! ¡¾Alleviate Pain¡¿! Shave the fur! Make an incision in the skin..." Anesthesia, fixation, fur trimming, skin incision. Soon, Garrett extended his hand to the necromancer: "Knife, please!" "I, I can do it! You don''t have to bother!" "...No, if you open the chest, there will be too much bleeding." Surgical knives and hemostats moved adeptly in Garrett''s hands. Leon watched as Garrett cut through the muscles, isolated and ligated vessels, cut open the sternum, separated tissues, and exposed the rabbit''s heart without causing any bleeding or damaging other organs, soaking not even two pieces of gauze... "Your Excellency, I forgot to ask yesterday, which master from the Black Crow Swamp do you hail from?" "...I''m from the School of Transmutation..." ...You don''t have to answer if you don''t want to, really... Garrett, facing Leon''s disbelief and the snickering glances of the Silver Dragon Maiden, explained for the thousand and first time. He coughed pretentiously, turned to Seraina, and pointed to the two silver needles on either end of the ammeter: "Okay, now insert these two needles into the heart and see if the ammeter''s needle will move¡ªDon''t!" Obviously, Garrett''s warning was not as quick as the Silver Dragon Maiden''s actions. Seraina moved her hands, and the two electrode needles were deeply inserted into the rabbit''s heart, all the way to the base. ...With that insertion, the septum between the atria and ventricles was directly pierced, right? Then, hearing Garrett''s warning, the Silver Dragon Maiden casually pulled out the electrode needles... "Eh? Why isn''t it bleeding?" Of course, it might not bleed. The heart muscle is incredibly strong; even if pierced, it could still tightly contract. Moreover, there''s the pericardium outside the heart, which could also potentially keep the blood inside, right? Before these words could be explained, the Silver Dragon Maiden flicked her fingers, and the two electrode needles were inserted into the rabbit''s heart in another direction... --------------- Chapter 402: Insert the Vine into the Heart! Chapter 402: Insert the Vine into the Heart! New Apr 4, 2024 One, two, three. Extremely subtle, almost imperceptible tremors. If it weren''t for the ammeter placed on the floating disc, it wouldn''t have been shaken by the carriage at all, and Garrett could almost be sure, the needle was jostled into moving erratically. However, this kind of shaking was a rare occurrence. Soon, the ammeter needle¡ª Stopped moving. ¡°Uh, why did it stop moving?¡± ¡°It''s not dead, right? It still had breath, didn''t it?¡± Two pairs of inquisitive eyes looked towards Garrett. Garrett shook his head helplessly: ¡°I don''t know...¡± There were many reasons for it to stop moving. Either the needle wasn''t sensitive enough, or the friction between the coil and the base had increased, or there was too much interference, and the needle didn''t know which way to swing... More precise instruments were needed. But he didn''t know how to make them. In modern society, with increasingly specialized divisions of labor, those who make instruments only make instruments, those who treat patients only treat patients. Any doctor from a cardiology department, if asked to manually craft an instrument, would think it a dream! Although the principle behind it was actually simple. Garrett had heard from a teacher in his past life gossiping, that the most primitive electrocardiogram was basically a string galvanometer¡ªa quartz fiber plated with silver, sandwiched between two strong magnets. But the precision required was astronomical. The diameter of the quartz fiber had to be 0.0025mm, and then plated with a layer of silver, can you believe it?! Precision, oh precision... Without precision, everything is false... Garrett stared at the painstakingly crafted ammeter, his gaze vacant, almost sighing in despair. Right, even if he managed to craft a string galvanometer, it would be useless; the earliest ones made weighed 300 kilograms and took up two rooms. Rather than waste time on such broken gadgets, it would be better to take his thesis to Thunder Horn and see if any of the greats could help improve it. Serrano sat opposite him, shaking her hand once, then again. Seeing him unresponsive, she reached out and touched the ammeter''s wires... ¡°Eh?¡± Her eyes lit up. Sneaking a glance at Garrett, seeing him still in a daze, she quickly untied the wires, twisted them together, and wrapped them around her fingertip. ¡°Hey, there really is electricity!¡± ¡°Yes, there really is electricity.¡± Garrett snapped back to reality, lifted his eyelids, and answered listlessly. Ah, the silver dragon, this talent is truly remarkable, holding the wires in her hand, able to feel the current with her body... But how to transform the current she felt into an electrocardiogram waveform that anyone could see and record with their eyes? Garrett shook his head. Serrano shook her head. The necromancer on the side: ...Although I don''t understand what you''re talking about, since I can''t even understand it, I might as well shake my head along... The coachman outside, Bernard: Do all three of you need me to shake my head too? ¡°If we can''t figure it out, then we can''t figure it out.¡± The silver dragon girl suddenly clapped her hands, her eyes sparkling: ¡°Don''t worry, once we get to my aunt''s place, she will definitely have a way! Her magic is the most powerful!¡± ¡°This¡ª¡± Garrett hesitated. Serrano had dragged him on this journey precisely because he couldn''t explain the principle of the electrocardiogram, and Serrano wanted to ask her aunt for help. But Garrett''s thought was to figure out the device before then¡ª No knowledge comes without a price. Asking a silver dragon, especially an adult silver dragon, to help me study electrocardiography, wouldn''t the reward be more than I could ever repay?! ¡°Ah, don''t worry about it!¡± The silver dragon girl waved her hand confidently, taking on a big responsibility: ¡°My aunt is pregnant, she''s being kept from going out and is bored to death! If we go to her now, no matter what it is, she will definitely welcome it!¡± ...How long does a silver dragon''s pregnancy last?? If it''s more than a year, and they are strong and healthy, without nausea, vomiting, preeclampsia, or gestational diabetes, being confined would indeed be boring... Where there''s a will, there''s a way. At worst, he could go back, clutching his thesis, and apply for project funding from the Magic Council. Garrett, temporarily hitting a bottleneck in his research on electrocardiography, propped his chin and pondered for a moment, then cast aside the thought, beckoning to the necromancer: ¡°Do me a favor, move the rabbit over a bit.¡± Leon placed his hand behind the cart, wriggling, wriggling, moving the rabbit over along with it. Serrano moved forward a bit, glanced at the rabbit she had just saved, then back at Garrett: ¡°...What are you going to do? You''re not going to dissect it again, are you?¡± ¡°This time, no dissection.¡± Garrett''s face was smiling, but his eyes were extremely solemn. He held the rabbit''s right hind leg with his left hand, and with his right hand, he deftly prepared the skin. His right index and middle fingers joined together, feeling for the femoral artery''s robust pulsation in the rabbit''s groin. Here it is! Lifting his hand, a ¡¾Magic Trick¡¿ precisely colored the location on the femoral artery. Cleanse, iodine, alcohol, three times cleaned, ¡¾Alleviate Pain¡¿ descended. ¡°Serrano, don''t move!¡± He instructed while wiping his spatial bag, a sealed syringe along with a glass box fell into his palm. Before anyone could react, Garrett unwrapped the packaging, took the syringe, aimed the needle at the marked spot, and inserted it at a 45-degree angle downwards. The silver dragon girl took a small breath. She quickly glanced at Garrett, then hurriedly covered her lips: Now is not the time to disturb! If she made a loud noise and Garrett''s hand trembled, that rabbit would bleed again! Fortunately, the needle only advanced a little before stopping. Garrett slightly withdrew the syringe, seeing blood drawn from the needle''s tail, he trembled, magic surged, and immediately dismantled the syringe''s barrel. Serrano breathed a sigh of relief, lifted her fingertip, a gentle white light flickering, she looked inquiringly at Garrett: Is it done? Do you need healing help? Garrett kept his head down, not looking at her. He put down the syringe barrel, and with another pat on his spatial bag, a seed fell into his hand. Soon, a green vine swayed in the wind, with a silver thread thinner than a hair strand silently drilling into the needle tube. Garrett pursed his lips tightly, his gaze focused. His left hand produced an ¡¾Endless Ink Pen¡¿, placed under the rabbit, and his right hand drove the vine forward incessantly. It''s in, it''s in, the shadow on the ¡¾Arcane Eye¡¿ clearly showed, the vine had already passed through the needle tube, entering the femoral artery! Now, without needing to insert a catheter, there was no need to withdraw the puncture needle¡ªperfectly, no need to bother finding a catheter sheath. Next, the vine, carrying the silver thread, pushed upward with all its might! Against the direction of blood flow, entering the external iliac artery, into the common iliac artery, into the abdominal aorta, into the thoracic aorta¡ªaround the aortic arch, straight into the heart! ¡°It''s inserted into the heart!¡± Serrano tightly covered her mouth, her fingertips turning white above her lips. She breathed rapidly, her eyes wide, as if the vine wasn''t inserted into the rabbit''s body, but her own heart: ¡°Garrett, what are you doing? Are you going to kill it?¡± ¡°Shh! It won''t die!¡± Just a mere catheter inserted into the heart! The pioneers who created interventional surgery, inserted a catheter through the median cubital vein into the heart from the left elbow and even took an X-ray, and they were perfectly fine! --------------- Chapter 403: The Vine Retreats from the Heart—Ah, It Didnt Retreat Chapter 403: The Vine Retreats from the Heart¡ªAh, It Didn''t Retreat! New Apr 4, 2024 "What? Something inserted into the heart?" The Necromancer leaned in hastily, trying to see with widened eyes, but to no avail. The Silver Dragon lady whispered a "Shh": "Arcane Eye! See for yourself!" "Ah...!" Leon let out a low gasp of astonishment. In the meditative vision, amidst the thick and thin shadows, a long line twisted like a snake, ascending from the rabbit''s right leg and torso junction all the way to the heart. Garrett squinted, looking at the vine inserted into the rabbit''s heart in the meditative vision, filled with emotions. Having left Hartland City for two years, he hadn''t forgotten the cabin for a single day, Uncle Karen who raised him, Aunt Eileen who stayed up late to alter his clothes, and certainly not his younger sister Avril, who suffered from patent ductus arteriosus, congenital weakness, and cyanotic nails. Boarding Archmage Carlisle''s airship flying to the council''s headquarters, he had silently told himself¡ª Give me eight years. Avril has at most ten years, so within five years, I need to find a safe way to perform interventional surgery! To achieve this goal, staying in Hartland City, burying himself in a small clinic won''t do. Staying in Nevis City, buried in experiments in the Mage Tower won''t do either. He needs to raise his mage level, study both magic and divine arts, develop medical magic and pharmaceuticals simultaneously, and have enough patients... Two years of effort, two years of research. From a Level 1 junior mage to a Level 4 mage, Garrett has already completed half of the journey in interventional treatment: Ultrasound magic, completed! Penicillin development, completed! Development of various antibiotics like Chloramphenicol, Streptomycin, Tetracycline, underway! Vine Growth Spell, completed, used to gain proficiency on dwarves! Syringe manufacture, completed! Using silver thread for precise directional control of healing power, completed! Local anesthesia magic, completed! Next, as long as he could successfully insert the vine into the heart and guide the treatment under X-ray and ultrasound, embolization surgery could be performed... Of course, a lot, a lot, a lot of experiments are still needed... Garrett instinctively squinted. Though the vine was guided by mental force and its position (and the silver thread used for marking) was revealed by Arcane Eye in the meditative vision, both processes did not require the use of eyes. But it seemed only through this action, he could see more clearly: The sinoatrial node above the right atrium ignited the fire of life. The atrium contracted, the mitral and tricuspid valves opened, and blood was squeezed into the ventricle; On the ventricular wall, the heart''s most powerful muscle was stimulated by the electrical signal from the sinoatrial node to contract, producing a powerful contraction. Simultaneously, the aortic valve opened, and arterial blood rich in oxygen was pumped into the aorta under strong pressure. The vine, which had been exploring the aortic arch, raised its head and directly inserted into the left ventricle; The ventricular wall relaxed, the aortic valve closed, and the vine and silver thread were trapped in the middle of the aortic valve, unable to advance or retreat; After another cycle of relaxation¡ªdiastole¡ªatrial contraction¡ªventricular contraction, the vine contracted, hastily retreated! Ah, it didn''t retreat! The normal heart rate of a rabbit is 180 to 250 beats per minute. During this period, the ventricular contraction phase¡ªwhen the heart pumps blood into the aorta, following the operation of a human heart, is about 3/8 of the cardiac cycle. That means, he had to complete the retraction of the vine within 0.125 seconds... Don''t panic. Even if it momentarily gets stuck in the middle of the aortic valve, without being pulled out in time, the rabbit won''t just die. The great pioneer of cardiac catheterization technology, Dr. Forssmann, even took an X-ray after inserting a catheter into the right atrium. There''s plenty of time. No wonder the great chose the median vein of the left elbow, inserting into the right atrium... The catheter from the superior vena cava into the right atrium, without any valve to obstruct, flows smoothly! Try again! Try again! Alright, successful! Garrett exhaled deeply. It must be said, manipulating the vine was simpler than controlling a guidewire, requiring only mental effort. While a guidewire, with a diameter of 1mm, navigating through the blood vessels, going in 30cm, 40cm, 1 meter, turning, passing bifurcations, all depended on the doctor''s skill. Imagine, from a distance of one meter, in the rapid blood flow, flicking a 1mm thick guidewire. Making it turn 30 degrees, 60 degrees, moving the tip left/right/up/down by 1.5mm, entering a certain bifurcation, advancing into a lower level blood vessel... In any case, Garrett had always had immense respect for those greats in the vascular department in his previous life. His right hand''s thumb, index, and middle fingers held the vine seed, manipulating the vine to retreat, pulling the silver thread backward. The trouble with a silver thread is that it needs to be pulled out bit by bit; with just the vine, simply cancel the spell, and the vine would disappear... Tsk, how to develop a vine that could be visualized inside the body? He''d have to ask his mentor, or perhaps Elder Wood? Garrett pondered, considering, yet his hands didn''t slow down. The vine, entwined with the silver thread, reached near the entrance of the femoral artery but didn''t immediately retreat. Instead, it turned around, descending to the popliteal artery. Suddenly, the vine raised its head and "bit" on the wall of the popliteal artery. Garrett''s fingers were already covered with glycerin. Under the ultrasound magic, the image near the blood vessel wall became entirely blurred, like a mosaic. Hmm, the blood vessel wall ruptured, blood flowed out, the desired effect was achieved, treatment could begin! He immediately activated a healing spell, moving up along the silver thread, gathering a small orb of light at the wound. Stopping the bleeding, healing the blood vessel wall... Visually, seeing that the wound no longer bulged, and the blurred area under the ultrasound magic no longer expanded. Good, successful internal treatment from within the blood vessel, next to see if there would be any complications! Garrett held his breath, cautiously continuing to manipulate the vine to retreat. Until the tip of the silver thread left the rabbit''s femoral artery, Garrett casually cast a healing spell, eager to take out the microscope and directly place the silver thread on the stage. Blood clots! Blood clots! How many blood clots would form after the silver thread had been inside the body for so long? In his previous life, during interventional surgery, whether it was diagnostic or therapeutic, anticoagulation with heparin was necessary! Not to mention, initiating a treatment spell inside the blood vessel, how many blood clots would stick to it? Would they form thrombi, affecting the patient''s life safety? Alas, interventional surgery without sodium heparin always feels so anxious... Fortunately, it''s just one silver thread. Unlike the guidewires of his previous life, which appeared to have a diameter of 1mm but were double-layered, with a steel core inside and tightly wound with a spring coil outside. The surface area of the silver thread being so much smaller, the induced coagulation should also be much less... right? "Garrett, why are you inserting a vine into its heart?" --------------- Chapter 404: Target: Dragons Nest! Chapter 404: Target: Dragon''s Nest! New Apr 4, 2024 "I have a little sister back home..." Garrett stroked the rabbit fur, his voice soft, starting from the beginning. The young silver dragon girl, hugging her knees, listened intently, her fingertips moving silently, creating illusions of blood vessels, hearts, lungs, and a punctured blood vessel... "So, you want to insert a vine to guide the healing power and block this hole? Can it be cured now?" "Not yet." "What''s missing?" "For example, the magic that can directly see the electrical currents of the heart, to ensure the heartbeat is normal; or a magic that lets me accurately see where the vine is; or knowing if inserting a silver thread will coagulate the blood and block the vessels..." Garrett stretched out a hand, folding down his fingers one by one as he explained. With each requirement, Seraila''s posture slumped a bit more. By the time Garrett made a fist, she buried her head in her knees, rocking back and forth: "Wuu... I can''t help with any of that..." "It''s okay, it''s very difficult anyway..." Garrett tried to comfort her. Each technical challenge he mentioned would mean a Nobel Prize or the pinnacle of human medical industry, the culmination of millions, even tens of millions of people''s work over generations. It wasn''t strange to be unable to achieve these; for natives to bypass these issues with magic was what truly defined the mighty! "It''s alright! If I can''t do it, my aunt surely can! Garrett, once we get up the mountain, I''ll ask my aunt for help! Let''s speed up¡ª" "Wait, wait! Just walk slowly on the ground!" Garrett hurriedly stopped her: "Let me do more experiments, get the vine insertion right, then deal with the rest!" "How long will that take?" "Ah, walking the path steadily, helping the sick along the way, isn''t that good too?" This reasoning easily convinced Seraila. Being a silver dragon, helping the weak, the sick, and those in need naturally brought her joy. Anyway, being half a month or a month late wouldn''t make it impossible to find her aunt¡ª From conception to hatching, a silver dragon''s pregnancy lasts at least a few years, right? With Leon guiding, Bernard driving, and caring for the animals, the journey went very smoothly. Seraila, following them, witnessed a variety of new methods every night: Appendectomy via laparoscopy... Removing fish bones with a vine (laryngoscope)... Craniotomy to drain hematoma... Rebreaking and setting improperly healed fractures... Tendon repair... Removing gallstones, kidney stones, bladder stones, and tophi... Naturally, if a dwarf with indications for lung washing insisted, Garrett would dust off his old skills and perform the procedure. Such treatments weren''t without rewards. Whether dwarfs or barbarians, their lexicon didn''t include ingratitude or medical fee arrears. Thus, not only were their accommodations and meals free, villagers along the way eagerly offered valuables for the caravan¡ª "No, really, no need!" Each time after treatment, Miss Silver Dragon''s greatest entertainment was watching Garrett stretch out his hands, refusing gifts: "Put the gold coins back! Silver necklaces, silver pots, take them back! If you really want to give something, a live rabbit would do!¡ªAt most two!" Though silver dragons love treasure, she didn''t covet rewards not meant for her. Compared to earning some gold coins and treasures by treating villagers herself, she found it more fun to watch Garrett''s peculiar treatments and his attempts to refuse rewards~~~ Even with rabbits, Garrett didn''t ask for much. One a day, at most two. These live rabbits¡ªor sometimes small pigs, lambs¡ªwere used by Garrett for practicing heart interventions. Puncture! Inserting the vine! Delving into the heart, initiating the healing spell! After practicing, the animals were kept in the rear part of the large caravan for a few days for close observation. Eventually, those that died unexpectedly or survived were dissected by Garrett. He examined for thrombosis, myocardial or cerebral infarction, or other complications... Finally, of course, add oil, salt, chili pepper¡ª Roasted rabbit legs! Spicy rabbit cubes! Braised rabbit! Rabbit stew with radishes! "Garrett! You even eat rabbit heads!" On the rattling carriage, Miss Silver Dragon grumbled, reaching out to snatch rabbit meat. Chewing, she hissed and teared up from the spiciness. Still, her movements were no slower than a human''s. "Ha... ha..." Oops, too much chili pepper added while cooking. Garrett passed her a can of milk. Flicking his fingers, a ray of freezing magic hit the milk can: "Drink this, it''s the quickest way to relieve the spiciness..." After all, silver dragons aren''t afraid of getting fat! The two shared a rabbit, while Bernard enjoyed another by himself on the coach-box. As for the Necromancer Leon, unfortunately, he couldn''t eat spicy food... Walking, healing, eating. The carriage wound its way northward, becoming more desolate and sparsely populated. From encountering roadside stalls at noon every day to only finding villages at night, to days without seeing anyone. After two days without seeing any people, on the evening of the third day, Seraila finally halted the horses at the village entrance: "Leon, stop here." The silver dragon looked towards the snow-capped mountains in the north, her clear eyes shimmering in the sunset, almost flashing gold: "This is the last village. We don''t know how long we''ll stay at my aunt''s place. You can wait here or return, but it''s best not to follow us further." "Yes, I will follow your command." The Necromancer bowed respectfully. Having guessed something about Seraila''s identity along the way, he dared not to elaborate. After responding, he turned to Garrett, giving a mage''s salute: "Thank you for your guidance along the way, Mage Nordmark. I will wait here until early next summer, hoping to reunite with you before then." They stayed in the village for one last night. The next morning, abandoning the horses and caravan, Garrett rode, while Seraila and Bernard walked, side by side, into the wilderness. Once the village disappeared from view, Seraila couldn''t wait to transform back into a dragon, grabbing Garrett with one claw and Bernard with the other: "I''ve been suffocating! Garrett, let''s go!" With wings spread, she soared into the sky. Cold wind in their faces. Wastelands, rocks, and meadows passed beneath them. Garrett, under the dragon''s claw, looked up, the northern mountains getting closer and closer¡ª Crossing rivers, cliffs, and canyons. Just as they reached the foot of the mountains, the young silver dragon suddenly landed, gasping for breath. "I''ll rest a bit before taking you up... so tired..." She almost lay on the ground, her silver wings gently flapping, nostrils exhaling hot air. Garrett was about to approach when a soft female voice drifted from the sky: "No, you come up alone. As for these two little ones¡ªlet them climb." "Aunt!" Seraila suddenly looked up. --------------- Chapter 405: Climbing! Challenge Yourself! Breakthrough Limits! Chapter 405: Climbing! Challenge Yourself! Breakthrough Limits! New Apr 4, 2024 "What?" Seraina flapped her wings and suddenly looked up. The faint smell of rainwater and pine forest drifted down with the wind. She looked around, but the thin mist swirling around the middle of the mountain obscured her view, making it impossible to see her aunt and her husband. Seraina shouted: "Auntie, they are my friends!" "I know... come up..." The voice was faint and ethereal. Seraina, frustrated, grabbed a handful of rocks, causing boulder-sized stones at her feet to crumble and roll down. Damn it, she couldn''t disobey her aunt''s words, especially when carrying two people and facing her aunt''s formidable presence made it impossible to fly to the top... She didn''t revert to human form, her long neck bending down to face Garrett: "Garrett, wait here for a bit, I''ll go find my aunt! ¡ªHmph, my friends, I can''t even bring them up myself!" With a flap of her wings, she stirred up a gust of wind and soared high into the clouds, disappearing from sight. On the platform outside the dragon''s nest, a much larger silver dragon lay quietly waiting. Seraina folded her wings and dove down, nearly crashing into her, only stopping at the last moment: "Auntie, Auntie! They are my friends, why make them climb the mountain by themselves! You don''t have to pick them up, I can bring them up myself~~~ If you don''t agree, I''ll be angry! I''ll just leave with them now! Right now!" She rubbed her long neck against the older silver dragon''s shoulder, making a fuss. The elder lay quietly on the platform, allowing her to be coquettish. After a while, the dragon lifted a claw and tossed a shimmering magic crystal: "Auntie is doing this for his own good. Besides, this is also a request from his elder, I''m just following it. Here, take a look~~~" Seraina muttered as she received the magic crystal. Upon infusing magic, an image floated up and began to speak: "Respected Lady Ophelia..." Had it not been for the request, Silver Dragon Ophelia would not have made it difficult for Garrett. Even before the young mage stepped into the wilderness, even before he and Seraina left the royal court to head north, he had already come under the surveillance of the silver dragons. Unlike the chromatic dragons, silver dragons have a stronger sense of kinship and take better care of their young. Newborn dragons are not driven out of the nest during their youth but stay with their parents until adolescence before leaving to explore the world. Young dragons traveling abroad are not left unsupported; they often receive aid and assistance from their parents and elders. Naturally, the human mage who saved Princess Moonlight and stayed by her side, without knowing it, had already been observed by more than one adult dragon in various ways. A low-ranking mage, who is also a priest of the God of Nature. In the Dwarf Kingdom, on the journey north, healing and saving people... Devoting himself fully, turning no one away. To say the least, this was very much to the taste of the silver dragons. Even without Seraina''s introduction, a direct visit to the dragon''s nest would have been welcomed by the silver dragons. But. But... Silver Dragon Ophelia glanced at the magic crystal. It was from a legendary mage of the Magic Council, sent a month ago, asking her to look after the young man. To put some pressure on him to advance quickly, instead of lingering at the fourth level! And as is well known, braving the dragon''s might to climb the dragon''s nest is a good way to face pressure and challenge oneself. The advantage is gradual progress with controlled risks. Young eagles from the nearby intelligent species often climb it for no reason. The downside, though, is that this method is not widely applicable. Finding a dragon''s nest is hard enough, let alone finding a dragon willing to watch you climb instead of blasting you off with magic. The chance of this happening, unless familiar with dragons, is practically zero... After viewing the information in the magic crystal again and again, Seraina threw the crystal back and flapped her wings: "So... Auntie, should I now go down and climb with them in human form?" "What do you think?" "Ugh..." At the foot of the mountain, Garrett was rummaging through his space bag, taking out equipment. Food, water bags, gaiters, climbing sticks connected to wristbands... the gear prepared for climbing the sacred Dwarf Mountain, not all of which was used at that time, was all put to use here! Considering the combat power comparison between adult and young dragons, Garrett had no hope that Seraina would be able to bring them up. Sure enough, a while later, a gust of wind brought the familiar voice of the silver dragon maiden: "Garrett, my aunt locked me up... You have to climb up by yourself then, cheer up, it''s not hard! Auntie said, even a determined ordinary person could reach the top in at most three days! I''ll be waiting for you on the mountain!" Three days seemed reasonable. In his previous life, climbing Mount Everest from the north base camp took four days to reach the summit. Garrett figured that climbing to the dragon''s nest from here shouldn''t require ascending more than three thousand meters. Besides, climbing three thousand meters on flat ground and climbing three thousand meters on a five-thousand-meter plateau are completely different pressures! Standing here, he didn''t feel any altitude sickness at all! He began to climb! Garrett wrapped his legs with gaiters, carried water and food bags, and prepared to lead the way. Holding the climbing stick in one hand and the oak staff of the Nature God''s church in the other, he stepped onto the slope. The bottom of the oak staff discreetly extended a few roots, ready to anchor into rock crevices to assist its owner. But which way was the path to climb? "Garrett, look over there!" The barbarian raised his arm high. Garrett tiptoed and laughed. Not far away on the slope, there was a cone-shaped pile of stones. A tree branch was inserted at the top of the pile, and below the branch, a triangular stone was painted ochre, with its sharpest angle pointing directly towards the path up the mountain. Well, isn''t that a marker! "Bernard, let''s go!" "Wait, boss, I''ll lead the way in front of you!" "That... better you stay behind me, in case I miss a step, you can catch me..." After the training on the sacred Dwarf Mountain, such a climb was nothing to Garrett. Despite back and waist pains due to lack of exercise, he rested overnight and was strong enough to climb vigorously the next day. However, by noon on the second day, he was panting heavily, his heart pounding like thunder, and he couldn''t lift his feet anymore. "Damn... is this altitude sickness... Bernard, let me rest a bit, I need to breathe some oxygen..." Inside the summit''s great hall, Ophelia lay curiously watching the screen in front of her. Garrett took out an arm-length iron can from his space bag, unscrewed the lid, and buried his face in the mask in front of the can. He breathed heavily, and within a few breaths, his flushed face eased. "Interesting little guy... To bring out your potential, it seems, I need to push you harder..." --------------- Chapter 406: The Last Oxygen Bottle I Leave for You Chapter 406: The Last Oxygen Bottle I Leave for You New Apr 6, 2024 Garrett pulled out an oxygen bottle, which he had prepared with the help of Archmage Serrano for climbing the Dwarf Holy Mountain. The design concept was roughly copied from the oxygen bottles provided to tourists at the foot of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The oxygen content, internal pressure, and bottle strength were all unknown... Moreover, Garrett dared not fill the bottle with too much oxygen. Oxygen bottles are pressure vessels, requiring high-quality materials for the bottle body. In case they did not meet the standard, an explosion would not be surprising. He certainly did not want to start inhaling a few breaths of oxygen from a bottle, only to have it explode and send shrapnel flying... He estimated that even mage armor might not withstand it, let alone adding a shield spell. So, with all these concerns, Garrett had no choice but to ask Archmage Serrano to reduce the amount of oxygen filled, just to be safe. This resulted in the effectiveness of breathing from the oxygen bottle being, well, slightly better than a placebo, at least. After inhaling a few breaths of oxygen, Garrett''s face turned from red to pale, showing he had somewhat recovered. He made a mark on the oxygen bottle, put it back in his space bag, and with one hand holding a climbing stick and the other an oak wand, he continued to climb up the mountain, bending his body forward, step by step. "Carrying that heavy shell, step by step, climbing up~~~" "Boss, if you can''t make it, should I carry you?" "No...huff huff..." Garrett lifted his left hand holding the climbing stick a bit higher, placing it on a higher rock, exerted force with both arms, pushed off with his left leg. His body rose up, shifting his weight onto his right leg, then dragged his left foot up past his right: "You''re tired too...huff...ah..." Damn, why would Bernard be this exhausted? Garrett suddenly realized. Bernard was a Level 7 warrior, much stronger than him. Logically, when he would collapse from exhaustion, Bernard should still be able to carry him with ease, walking as if flying. Why then, when he was panting and sweating like rain, was Bernard also too tired to lift his legs? Altitude sickness? That shouldn''t be the case. The last time they climbed the Dwarf Holy Mountain, he had experienced headaches, heart palpitations, chest tightness, and shortness of breath, while Bernard was just fine. Now, although he was tired, he hadn''t experienced altitude sickness yet. Why would Bernard? "Bernard, what''s wrong? Do you have a headache?" "No, boss... I''m just feeling panicky. There''s something terrifying up there... just like, just like the first time I saw Miss Serrano..." Well, that explains it. Bernard was gasping for air, unable to lift his feet, due to being oppressed by the dragon''s might, while he, protected by the Endless Ink Pen, felt nothing of the dragon''s might. His exhaustion was purely physical. "This... Bernard, do you want to take a breath of oxygen and rest a bit?" "No need!" The barbarian shook his head vigorously. He caught up a few steps, his right hand''s large bone club striking the rock, emitting a dull thud: "I''m about to break through! Boss, I have a feeling that once we reach the summit this time, I will definitely break through!" Well... pressure training, if you think it''s suitable, then fine. Garrett looked up at the mountain peak shrouded in clouds and sighed deeply: We still have a day and a half''s journey to the summit! Such a long distance can oppress Bernard; how strong must that silver dragon above be? In the dragon''s nest, Ophelia was teaching her niece: "When you choose to build a nest, don''t be lazy. Make sure you mark the entire mountain with your scent... That way, you can unleash your dragon''s might from a great distance, and those little ones without sufficient strength won''t even get close to you..." Tsk, we can''t add any more dragon''s might. Otherwise, if the little mage doesn''t feel it and it forces his followers to roll down the slope, it wouldn''t be good. Alas, the mental strength of barbarians is really too poor... Garrett had no direct feeling of how strong the silver dragon at the summit was. But he soon felt what it was like to climb a mountain under the pressure of dragon''s might. Early on the third day, Garrett changed into ice claws in front of the campsite and crossed the snow line ahead. With the first step, his forehead "boomed": What the heck! This rhythm! He reflexively leaned back, raising his hand to rub his forehead. That step made him dizzy, his ears ringing as if he had been hit directly with a blunt object. His hair stood on end, and his heart raced, knowing without checking that his heart rate had exceeded 120. Such a distance could bring him a sense of oppression; silver dragons are unreasonably strong... Garrett gritted his teeth and continued to climb. After just a few steps, he found it difficult to breathe, his heart pounding fiercely. His whole body felt weak, and lifting his legs seemed to require all his strength. But he had to climb! Without reaching the top, how could he meet the silver dragon and learn the Electrocardiogram Magic! Garrett bit his lip and cast ¡¾Inspire Spell¡¿on himself. This magic, like an adrenaline shot, made his breathing lighter. Then, vines grew from both his hands, wrapping around his climbing stick and oak wand. "Bernard, let''s go!" "Okay, boss!" The ice claws crunched on the snow. Ophelia, lying in the dragon''s nest above, curiously watched Garrett''s equipment through the light screen: Ice claws, gloves, two long staves, a hood, black glasses. Fur wraps around the boots to just below the knees, keeping snow out of the boots. A hard tube poked out from the back of the collar, connected to a water bladder, allowing the owner to sip water at any time. This equipment had minimized the owner''s physical exertion to the utmost. "Interesting... But little guy, no matter how much you conserve your energy, it''s useless against the strength of my dragon''s might!" Climb! Climb! Climb higher! With ¡¾Cold and Heat Resistance¡¿, there''s no need to worry about the chilling wind; with ¡¾Bull''s Strength¡¿and ¡¾Cat''s Grace¡¿, even the most difficult terrain can be crossed safely; with a space bag and oxygen bottle, there''s no need to carry heavy luggage, and even an occasional rest is possible... Still, Garrett climbed until he was dizzy and blurry. The higher he went, the stronger the oppressive feeling, making it difficult to breathe. Initially, he had the energy to observe ahead and warn Bernard to be careful. After climbing for half an hour, all his energy was only enough to look down at the path and take one step at a time: Raise the hand, plant the climbing stick, lift the foot, set the foot down... His chest was burning, and his vision darkened intermittently. Every step he took, his entire foot sank deep into the snow, up to his calf. When he straightened the leg behind him, pushing his entire body up one step, it felt like lifting a giant rock off himself. "So tired... I''ll take another breath of oxygen..." Garrett reached for his space bag again. His fingertips touched the bag''s opening, then suddenly stiffened: Only one bottle left! The last oxygen bottle, unused and unmarked, was the only one left... He instinctively looked back. Behind him on the snowy slope, Bernard was climbing step by step, leaning on his bone club. The barbarian''s face was red, veins bulging, and his eyes were hollow, focus lost. It seemed his spirit was nearly scattered, barely hanging on by instinct. Garrett''s fingers clenched on the space bag, then released, clenched again, and released. Finally, he turned his head away, clenched his climbing stick and oak wand tightly, and gritted his teeth to continue climbing. The last oxygen bottle, I''ll leave it for Bernard, just in case. The road ahead, without relying on external aids, will depend on me! ¡¾Inspire Spell¡¿! ¡¾Inspire Spell¡¿! No, I can''t cast any more spells... My heart is already beating too fast, and another shot of adrenaline would spike my blood pressure, leading to ischemia, arrhythmia, and all sorts of symptoms... Must find another way to resist the dragon''s might! Mage armor? Mental strength? Garrett instinctively raised a magical shield. Not mage armor, not a shield spell, but all the magical power a mage can muster, flowing, surging, forming the most primitive shield. Hmm, that''s a bit better, the oppressive feeling isn''t as strong¡ª But the consumption is too high! This shape won''t do, a perfectly round shield wastes too much surface area! It needs to be narrower, streamlined, with a bullet shape at the front... As Garrett''s thoughts directed, the magical shield gradually deformed, tightened, and thickened. Soon, more mental power seeped into the shield, pushing back the external dragon''s might. Above, in the dragon''s nest, silver dragon Ophelia rested her chin in her hands, nodding with a smile: "Not bad, little guy, finally reacting and starting to temper your mental strength. But, with just this ability, you can''t reach me... Huh?" On Garrett''s oak wand, four green leaves moved without wind. The entire wand seemed to come alive, rooting , sprouting, with a vibrant green, desperately growing upwards. Unnoticed, it had grown more than half a foot taller. At the tip of Garrett''s shield, a vigorous life force appeared. Weak, tender, but unyieldingly pushing through her oppressive dragon''s might, forging a path! --------------- Chapter 407: Summiting, Advancing! Chapter 407: Summiting, Advancing! New Apr 6, 2024 Garrett was unaware that his oak staff had quietly grown a bit taller. In fact, he didn''t even glance at the tip of his staff. Head down, waist bowed, he climbed upwards with difficulty. A mental shield interwove outside his body, protecting him, striving upwards: One step! Another step! And another! His chest felt tight, his head dizzy, and darkness crept into his vision. Garrett dared not stop, grabbing the water hose and taking two big gulps. The strange taste rolled over his tongue, and he unconsciously furrowed his brow: Ah, the taste of glucose and salt water, no matter how many times I drink it, I never get used to it. But, to replenish energy quickly, this is the only way... He continued to climb! His mental power was suppressed, pushed upwards, suppressed again, and then pushed upwards... Standing in the snow and looking up, one could see the dragon''s nest above the steep slope, seemingly within reach. The vast square rock face was open and flat, with not even snowflakes able to remain on it. If it weren''t for the zigzagging staircase carved out of it, Garrett would not have had the courage to continue climbing: Climbing with bare hands was beyond his abilities! Even with the convenience of the staircase, looking up at the giant rock from the snow slope, there was still an instinctual shiver, as if the giant rock could topple over at any moment. Garrett only took one look before lowering his head again: Before reaching the rock base, there was no need, nor the ability, to worry about the path above. Even if it required using hands and feet, even if it required climbing, that was a matter for later. First, he had to make his way through the path at hand: Lift the left leg for a step, plant both staffs on the ground, push off with the right leg, shift the weight; Lean forward, swing the right leg forward; The left hand with the climbing staff, and the right hand with the oak staff, driven into the snow, ensuring the base below was safe and reliable; Push off with the left leg again, shifting the weight... This cycle repeated, turning into almost a mechanical process. Not only that, but the magic shield outside his body, along with mental and magical powers, intertwined and gradually solidified. Not knowing how long he had climbed, suddenly, the pure white snow in front of him turned into a mix of gray and dark black rocks. The dragon''s nest''s giant rock, reached! Garrett stood below the giant rock and looked up. The sky was clear, with a saturation of pure blue that was almost dizzying. The intense sunlight shone on the rock wall, reflecting into his eyes, making him squint from time to time, even with sunglasses for protection. A silver-white line was embedded at the top of the cliff, probably snow accumulated at the top of the giant rock, never melting. Garrett straightened his clothes, put the climbing staff back into the space bag, took off the snowshoes. Pulling over the water pouch''s straw, he drank a few more sips of the glucose and salt supplement. He touched the ¡¾Endless Ink Pen¡¿ in his chest pocket to ensure he could release the Featherfall spell at any moment, adjusted his breathing, and took a step forward¡ª The staircase, narrow enough for only one person to climb, was narrow and steep, hanging alone on the rock wall. The mountain wind howled, covering even Bernard''s breathing sounds. Between heaven and earth, it seemed as if he was the only one continuing this lonely climb. With his face against the rock wall, using hands and feet together, he dug into each step with effort. The heavy pressure covered his whole body, and unknowingly, his mental power had already merged with his magical power, forged by the dragon''s aura to become more solid. Breathing, heartbeat, every muscle, every drop of rushing blood, all tangible and intangible powers in his body twisted into one under the heavy pressure. The oak staff hanging under his right wrist glowed green, spontaneously growing roots, desperately drawing power from the surrounding nature: Help me! Help me! We are one! Air, water, earth, sunlight, everything, help me! "Nice little guy." Ophelia smiled slightly. She tilted her head, asking her niece in a soft voice: "Did you say before, he''s a priest of the God of Nature?" "He said so himself." Seraina stared at the screen without blinking. Several times, when Garrett''s foot slipped and he narrowly grasped the step to stop his body, she even held her breath: "I think he looks like it. Not caring about food or clothing, focusing solely on healing people, only a priest of the God of Nature would be like that, right?" "...Heh." Ophelia chuckled lightly. As an adult dragon, having received more of the dragon''s heritage, she knew more: "A priest of the gods? Heh. This child''s faith is clearly in nature¡ªyou see, he''s starting to draw power from nature. Though he still needs the oak staff as a medium, how smooth¡ªit''s such a smooth resonance with nature, ordinary dragon''s aura can''t suppress him anymore..." Broadly speaking, dragons are also a part of nature, and the dragon''s aura is also a part of nature. When facing a powerful beast, when standing on a high mountain overlooking a cliff, when a sword stops at your throat, you naturally feel fear and stiffness. The source of the dragon''s aura is this magnified fear. But now, Garrett has entered a state similar to meditation, his mind clear and serene, resonating harmonically with nature. The dragon''s aura, forcibly spread by the silver dragon''s presence around the residence, no longer had any effect on him. "Then... What should we do? Auntie, this part of the climb is very difficult, don''t increase the pressure yet, wait for him to come up?" "Of course. There''s another little guy behind him¡ª" Thanks to Bernard, the silver dragon Ophelia did not increase the pressure, allowing Garrett to successfully climb to the platform at the entrance of the dragon''s nest. Once on the platform, he lay face down on the ground, drenched in sweat: So tired! Too tired! Not to mention standing, sitting, kneeling, he couldn''t lift a single finger, feeling like after a night of emergency surgeries¡ªcar accident injuries, stab wounds, fall injuries, operating all night long... Just spread a surgical gown on the ground, and he could sleep right there... Behind him, the scraping of leather armor, boot soles, and rock, step by step, each one higher than the last. Bernard had also climbed up... He had worked hard, insisting on climbing behind me, preventing me from falling down. I wonder how his pressure training went, did he advance successfully? Garrett struggled to roll to the side, making room for him. Turning his face backwards, a rough hand quickly climbed onto the platform''s surface, followed by messy hair, then Bernard''s red-swollen face. Shoulders, chest, the upper body, one leg stepped onto the platform, then, his gaze sharpened¡ª "Garrett!!!" The barbarian roared angrily. Unsheathing the bone club from his shoulder, he swung it vigorously and charged into the cave. Garrett: ??? What does that mean? I''m here! Bernard, what did you see? Don''t rush in! Whoever lured you definitely means no good! Come back! Come back! He shouted twice, but the barbarian ignored him, not looking back. Garrett gritted his teeth, leaning on the oak staff to kneel and rise, struggling to walk inside¡ª Passing the platform, entering the cave. The first step from light to dark felt a sudden increase in pressure, like swimming upstream in turbulent waters. He exerted all his strength to inflate his chest and lungs to take a breath, and his heartbeat became even more frantic: It''s okay! Just the dragon''s aura! The silver dragon won''t hurt me, just walking in front of her under the dragon''s aura, no problem! Keep going! Garrett silently chanted to himself, leaning on the oak staff, silently moving forward. With every step, sweat dripped down his forehead, leaving wet footprints along the way. The darker it got, the brighter it became, and then the light shone brightly in front of him, a dragon seemingly made of silver lying in the distance, looking up at him¡ª The pressure in front of him suddenly eased. Before Garrett had a chance to catch his breath, he felt something compressed to the extreme suddenly expand. --------------- Chapter 408: Garrett: I dont want to uproot the willows! Chapter 408: Garrett: I don''t want to uproot the willows! New Apr 6, 2024 Garrett had a very long dream. In the dream, he became an acorn, falling from the branch to land on the thick layer of fallen leaves. It was turned over by a wild boar, buried deep in the soil, and after sleeping through the winter, it sprouted roots, grew leaves, and branched out... It grew into a tender sapling, with a straight trunk and smooth bark, its new leaves brimming with vitality. Then, a slender hand grasped the trunk, and a young voice rang out: "Become my companion, and together, let''s protect nature!" The oak tree rose from the ground. Its roots retracted, its leaves condensed, turning into a wooden staff that fell into the young man''s hands. From then on, through spring, summer, autumn, and winter, through wind, frost, rain, and snow, it accompanied the young man around the world. Healing, planting, taming, fighting... The number of leaves on the staff grew from one, to two, to three, until there were 15. Finally, when the oak staff was planted back into the ground, the immense energy stored within was released by its master, growing taller and thicker, branching out into a massive tree. Its now not-so-young master lay forever closed-eyed under the dense shade of the tree. Time passed, and as seasons changed and years went by, a young man came to the old oak and received a deep brown seed. Garrett slowly opened his eyes. Inside the vast cave, a lush and towering oak spread its branches above him. The cold wind outside rustled the leaves, as if greeting him. So familiar, so dear. Even though it was several times thicker and at least twice as tall, with branches stretching out and lush leaves, a sense of familiarity immediately let Garrett know: It was his oak staff. The very one he had carried since it was a seed, nurturing it from level one to level four. Garrett screamed. "...I don''t want to uproot the weeping willows!" A staff reaching up to his eyebrows, carrying it around was one thing, but such a massive tree, with roots and branches and leaves... Even if I could carry it, am I supposed to dig it up on the spot? "Puhahaha... hee hee hee hee..." A series of crisp laughter floated through the cave. Garrett, with a face full of black lines, followed the sound and saw Seraina leaning against the stone wall, laughing so hard she couldn''t straighten her waist. Facing Garrett''s gaze, she wiped the tears from her eyes and happily ran over: "Garrett, you''ve advanced!¡ªBy the way, why uproot the willows? This is an oak, not a willow! And why uproot it? Is there something special about uprooting it?" Garrett: "..." Advanced? He instinctively touched himself. Then he raised his hand to his face. There was nothing unusual on his hands or body, the hole in the center of his glove, as big as a pinky finger before he fainted, was still the same size, and the broken threads hadn''t been mended. As for new powers... Each time he advanced, he was conscious and guiding the energy, knowing immediately which part had grown. Especially when advancing as a priest, even if he was confused, there would be hints. But this time? Garrett looked at the oak tree beside him with a pained expression. From top to bottom, then from bottom to top, as if looking at an adult version of the actor who played Harry Potter: This must be a flaw! The sturdy branches spreading in all directions, the shade of green leaves, definitely more than 100 pieces. According to the rule of the oak staff growing a leaf for each level, he now must be over level 100¡ª It''s impossible to advance that fast, so, surely, it''s flawed! "This time, your accumulation was very substantial, so the energy was too abundant during advancement, spilling outward, promoting the growth of the Staff of Nature." A gentle female voice sounded. Another older woman with silver hair walked out of the cave, smiling at Garrett: "Young caster, you can communicate with it, ask it to condense its power according to your request, and change its form." "Thank you for your guidance and help, respected lady." Garrett bowed slightly, paying his respects. So, this lady is Seraina''s aunt? It''s good to have connections in high places, the right amount of dragon might along the way, and the advancement that naturally followed after lifting the suppression. This Silver Dragon Lady helped him so much... Garrett was grateful in his heart. After the bow, he immediately asked: "Respected lady, may I ask, how is my companion?" "He has also advanced and is adapting to his new power." Ophelia laughed lightly : These two are really interesting, the barbarian''s sudden advancement breaking through the dragon''s aura, and immediately after waking up, asking "how''s the boss?" If it weren''t for her activating the Arcane Eye screen, that barbarian might have turned around and rushed back right there. Having a loyal companion is very good... Sadly, during her travels, most of the human companions she had made had already completed their lives... The Silver Dragon reminisced lightly, casually raising her hand: "Young one, what you should be concerned about now, is yourself¡ª" Following her advice, Garrett placed his palm on the oak''s trunk. Communicate, communicate, communicate... This tree can''t talk, how am I supposed to communicate with it? Should I do it like the Great Sage, calling out "Small small small small" or "Big big big big"? !!! Don''t actually grow bigger! Garrett was in a fluster. After a while, he found its presence in the meditation world, following the unspoken connection he had felt upon waking. Then, focusing his mind, he conveyed his thoughts: Shrink! Shrink! Leaves retract, branches retract, roots retract! Return to the original staff form, then continue to shrink, become shorter, become thinner! A verdant glow, the leaves and branches swaying. When Garrett opened his eyes, the staff, now the size of a ballpoint pen, was in his hand. Pearl-sized green leaves clung to the top, translucent and full of life. Arranged two by two, with an extra leaf on the left tip, the symbol of a level five priest. "Perfect!" Garrett exclaimed joyously: "This thing can finally shrink!" Honestly, the oak staff''s ability to amplify healing spells was quite impressive. But the original long and unwieldy thing, where would he find a sterile bag to carry it into the operating room? It was inconvenient to sterilize! Now, at last, he could bring it to work! Garrett grasped the oak staff again, tucked it into his chest pocket next to the ¡¾Endless Ink Pen¡¿. With a thought, two roots extended from the end of the staff, firmly binding the two together. Though the feather pen''s upper half was wider, making it a bit awkward, it had plenty of roots. To ensure it wouldn''t get lost, he could simply tie it with more... Garrett closed his eyes in satisfaction. This time, as his spirit resonated with the staff, he made a new discovery: The entire world looked different. At the cave''s entrance, tiny grasses stretched out of the cracks, greedily reaching for the sunlight. In the depths of the cave, moss quietly clung to the corners, absorbing the moisture condensed on the stone walls. Birds sang joyously, insects fluttered in the gentle breeze... After being affiliated with the Church of the Nature God for over two years and advancing to level five, Garrett finally gained the ability to communicate with nature for the first time. Great, now when conducting animal experiments, I no longer have to guess whether they''re sick or not! --------------- Chapter 409: Just Find Somewhere to Stay—Come on, Lets Walk Until Our Legs Fall Off! Chapter 409: Just Find Somewhere to Stay¡ªCome on, Let''s Walk Until Our Legs Fall Off! New Apr 6, 2024 "Thank you for saving Seraina that day." After Garrett stabilized, the conversation finally entered a normal phase of pleasantries. Before Garrett could express his gratitude, Ophelia, with a slight smile, had already broached the subject: "That day, when the people from the Radiant Church attacked, my spouse and I happened to be out, making Seraina their target. Fortunately, you saved her, allowing her to fly back and inform us, so we could capture the attackers all at once. From this perspective, you not only saved her but us as well." "This..." Garrett chuckled awkwardly. So, a whole group from the Radiant Church was wiped out? No wonder there were no disturbances during the selection competition; they lacked manpower. However, he felt somewhat guilty discussing this topic and repeatedly shook his hands: "I can''t really take the credit... I wasn''t even sure..." "You''ve been a great help already." Ophelia laughed lightly. "Seraina mentioned that to improve your healing magic, you need to visualize the electrical currents in the heart? That won''t be a problem. Just find somewhere to stay first, settle down, and we can study it together." She gestured towards the interior of the dragon''s lair, waving her hand casually. Following her direction, Garrett saw a vast open space in front of him, wide and flat, with a high dome above. At a glance, it was at least the size of a football field... To just find somewhere here to stay? Without partitions, no caves, no small rooms carved into the rock walls, do you mean to suggest I pitch a tent against the wall? Just the thought felt bizarrely out of place! "Ah, no, not to stay here!" Fortunately, Seraina came over to pull him. "This is the living room, where everyone wanders and chats. The guest accommodations are further inside! Come on, follow me!" The living room... Garrett suddenly felt weak at the knees. A living room the size of a football field; just how far would it be from the living room to the guest bedrooms? Would my legs give out? Or, should I summon a magical horse for transportation? Doing such a thing in someone else''s living room seems a bit improper... He glanced at Ophelia quickly. The elder silver dragon also looked at him, her lips curled in a light laugh, as if she had seen through his thoughts: "Getting something for transportation is fine by me. But, this is a dragon''s lair, pervaded with our essence. Lower-level summons might not withstand it. ¡ªYou understand what I''m saying, right?" Garrett nodded silently. Mistake. Had he known what the dragon''s lair was like, he would have asked the dwarves to make him a bicycle. At worst, a skateboard would do. Better than walking on two legs... But now, with nothing prepared, Garrett had no choice but to walk earnestly. As they walked, Seraina began to introduce him to the place: "My aunt''s living room is huge! Last time we fought those bad guys, my aunt, uncle, my uncle''s brother, and several friends had a meeting here, and it wasn''t crowded at all!" Good grief, you invited several dragons over... The people from the Radiant Church didn''t stand a chance. A total annihilation, probably? "This way is the storage room, nothing interesting, just food. Hey, Garrett, the mutton you made last time was so delicious, could you make another pot?" ...Are you sure one pot is enough? Garrett glanced at the storage room door. One step, two steps, three steps, already five steps and still not halfway through the door. Seraina had never shown her full appetite in front of him, but judging by the size of this storage room, a pot of mutton might only be enough for a silver dragon to rinse its mouth? "Ahead is the library. If you want to read, I''ll take you there later. Some of the stone tablets are bigger than me!" Garrett was touched and very tempted. But, Seraina, you''re offering to take me in, not because you''re worried I''ll wander in alone and get crushed by a stone tablet, right? "This side..." Seraina suddenly hesitated, sneaking a glance at Garrett, then, as if she hadn''t said anything, walked forward proudly with her chest puffed out. Garrett pretended not to hear her: whether it was a vault or a treasure room, it was a place not open to outsiders. Dragons, after all... Even their own children wouldn''t have free access to the vault. The two walked in silence, only the sound of their footsteps echoing through the cavern. Even the corridors inside the dragon''s lair were wide enough for eight lanes of traffic and dozens of meters high. Walking side by side, they seemed as insignificant as if they didn''t exist. Finally, after passing through, Seraina perked up again: "So, this is the medical room! When my aunt and uncle''s friends are injured or sick, they come here for help! The rooms vary in size, suitable for visitors of different shapes, so you can pick any!" So, the silver dragons run their own hospital? Garrett was invigorated. If real patients came, he could observe the silver dragons'' healing techniques. Not bad at all! Following Seraina around a corner, they walked down a branching tunnel into a side cavern. Upon entering, they found themselves in a large hall, just slightly smaller than a hospital''s emergency room in his previous life. Rooms were arranged all around, and as Garrett scanned them, he mentally noted: Triage, consultation rooms, treatment rooms, procedure rooms... emergency rooms, infusion rooms, observation rooms... emergency surgery area, registration desk, billing department, pharmacy... Fortunately, there was no triage desk, no pungent smell of disinfectant, no sound of gurney wheels rolling on the floor. So, Garrett wasn''t reflexively nervous and took the time to look around: The excavated rooms around the hall varied in size, with door heights ranging from 2 to 5 meters. Among those suitable for his height, Garrett chose the nearest one and pushed the door open to a bright interior: The space was about the size of a two-bedroom, two-living-room apartment, with a living room and dining room outside and two bedrooms side by side inside, complete with kitchen and bathroom. The ceilings were over four meters high, and the dining table and beds were broad and sturdy, comfortable even for a barbarian. Though the bed lacked bedding and the bookshelves were empty, and windows were nonexistent, the air was dry and warm. A perpetual flame hung from the living room ceiling, illuminating the entire room. "This is it!" He took off his coat, hanging it on a rack by the door. Sitting down to catch his breath, he massaged his calves and suddenly paused: "Huh, my legs aren''t sore?" The fatigue from climbing disappeared, which was to be expected since he had advanced a level previously, probably metabolizing the lactic acid. But to have walked so far within the dragon''s lair and not feel tired? "You''re just noticing!" Seraina laughed happily. "You''ve advanced! From level four to five, even as a magic user, your body has significantly strengthened! Come on, let''s arm wrestle, see how much stronger you''ve gotten?" Garrett collapsed on the spot, rolling his eyes up, silently showing her the whites of his eyes. I''ve only advanced, not lost my mind... Arm wrestling with a dragon, wouldn''t my bones break before we could tell the result? "Not arm wrestling? Really not?" "Not arm wrestling... I''m dead tired... I don''t want to move..." "Alright then, let''s go find my aunt and ask about the heart''s electrical currents!" This time, Garrett sprang up faster than a shot rabbit. --------------- Chapter 517: Can’t identify the blood type? Summon the big shot Chapter 517: Can¡¯t identify the blood type? Summon the big shot Identify the blood type. According to human classification standards, identify the blood type. Identify a brand new type of blood. Viscount Seibesh and his friends exchanged glances, their faces unconsciously becoming serious. A new blood type? A new blood classification method discovered by humans? It was impossible! In theory, no race should know blood better than the great blood race! "How are you sure it¡¯s a different type?" Viscount Seibesh was the first to ask. Garrett shrugged, and the skeleton nurse turned and left the room, quickly returning with the latest issue of "Ordinary Magicians Monthly," distributing a copy to each person. Experimental ideas, process, results, how to calculate, and naming the four blood types based on those results. The text flowed smoothly, the ideas were clear, and the logic was impeccably rigorous. The blood race young nobles exchanged looks again. Then, Garrett saw Viscount Seibesh take a deep breath, his smile a bit forced, even somewhat tragic. "Let¡¯s give it a try!" Focus all your attention! Bring out your greatest strength! Tasting blood, we absolutely cannot lose to humans! Garrett revealed a victorious smile. With a wave of his hand, the skeleton nurse lifted a velvet-padded tray, presenting four standard blood samples to the blood race: "This is Original Type I. This is Original Type II. This is Type III. This is Type IV. Please taste and memorize them carefully, and then we¡¯ll try to identify them..." After half a night, the faces of the blood race young nobles were pale, their lips white. Even the sight of fresh blood brought before them no longer stimulated their appetite, and they even began to gag. "We can¡¯t differentiate..." "What exactly is this blood type about..." "The tastes are all different... The smoothness of the texture, the aroma, they¡¯re all unique, we can¡¯t find any common points!" "Maybe... we should go back and ask the Marquis?" The group of young blood race members hastily took their leave. Just before dawn, when the eastern sky had not yet lightened, the leader of the blood race delegation, Marquis Tergu, was just about to go to bed when he was dragged out: "Marquis, take a look at these blood samples... What do they have in common? Why can¡¯t we taste them?" Marquis Tergu yawned tiredly but could not simply send them away¡ªafter all, though Viscount Seibesh was merely a viscount, he was a direct descendant of a duke, with a powerful background... The blood race¡¯s titles were directly linked to their power levels. According to the council¡¯s records, they had a demi-god who was in perpetual slumber; Five or six dukes, roughly equivalent to legendary status; Marquises¡¯ power, roughly fluctuating around the human levels of 15 to 18; Earls approximately corresponding to levels 10 to 14, while viscounts like Seibesh were typically equivalent to human levels 5 to 9. Thus, Garrett, a Level 5 mage with a legendary mage as a mentor, was dispatched to host Viscount Seibesh, fitting all aspects perfectly. And for descendants of high-ranking blood race, just staying disciplined in their training, as years went by, they usually reached a rank just below that of their parents. Thus, Viscount Seibesh¡¯s future as a marquis was nearly secured. "So what exactly are these blood samples? Let me taste..." Half an hour later, Marquis Tergu, sipping diluted blood from a crystal cup¡ª5 milliliters of saline with two drops of hemoglobin¡ªfell into silent contemplation. "My lord, what do you think?" "Any results?" "Or at least a direction?" "Umm... let me think... By the way, what¡¯s that mage¡¯s name? Arrange for me to meet him." The delegation leader¡¯s request was quickly communicated. By ten o¡¯clock that morning, because he had stayed up all night receiving the blood race and was still wrapped in his blanket sleeping, Garrett was somewhat bewilderedly dragged over. "So what did you do again?" Archmage Grom, who was coordinating with him, hung a pair of dark circles under his eyes. As part of the council¡¯s triennial routine diplomatic meeting, the review committee naturally took on the duty of these trade negotiations. And interfacing with the blood race in the Black Crow Swamp was naturally part of it. Thus, Archmage Grom was busy as could be. This multilateral negotiation had a Level 16 grand mage in charge of sitting in, handling the ceremonial duties; Level 13-14 reviewers controlled the direction of the talks; a group of about Level 10 mages handled the specific negotiations; and those at Levels 7 and 8 ran around delivering documents, writing papers... Whatever Marquis Tergu needed, whom he wanted to meet, it was naturally reported here. Then, Archmage His Excellency tragically discovered that Garrett knew no more than he did. "Alright, rest here for a bit, then think about what you need to bring. We¡¯ll go over together tonight!" Garrett: "..." So you called me here just to let me catch up on sleep? Is this what you mean by "wrong posture, get up and sleep again"? Luckily, since he was at the archmage¡¯s, he could gather the necessary blood samples, coagulation materials, and boxes for engraving coagulation spells, essentially shearing wool from the Black Crow Swamp. Holding his blanket, Garrett sleepily smiled. For safety, Archmage Grom personally accompanied Garrett to the delegation¡¯s quarters. From a distance, they could hear a commotion inside: "Star Spirit Grass for 30 gold coins a pound is impossible! Last year it was only 15 gold coins!" "No way! There¡¯s a severe drought this year! Around Mount Mordor, it hasn¡¯t rained at all yet! We can¡¯t sell it for less than 30 gold coins, no one would climb the mountain to gather herbs!" "A pound of mithril for 5 ounces of unicorn blood? Are you joking? Everyone knows your mithril production has doubled!" "Doubled, but still not enough! If it weren¡¯t for your strong demands, the mages would have snapped up this little mithril production in minutes!" "Five blood slaves for a clutch of Shadow Lizard eggs? That¡¯s too much!" "What¡¯s too much about that! At last year¡¯s auction, a clutch of Shadow Lizard eggs was traded for three Radiant nuns!" Dwarves, barbarians, orcs, blood race, all shouting and arguing, occasionally punctuated by a "bang" or "crash," a fist pounding down, a table breaking apart. Archmage Grom shrugged indifferently: "That¡¯s how negotiations go..." Garrett looked at him in admiration. Wait, I just realized, you¡¯ve put several delegations¡¯ quarters together? That¡¯s way too convenient for the council to press prices! The attendants reported inside, and almost immediately, they were invited to meet Marquis Tergu. The marquis, dressed in gold-embroidered, jewel-studded finery, with two dark circles under his eyes, looked at Garrett playfully: "I hear you¡¯ve discovered a new way to identify blood? You want us to help perfect it?¡ªSo, what do you think, how significant is this blood type for the blood race?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 518: First, a Taste for the Vampires Chapter 518: First, a Taste for the Vampires What significance does blood type have for vampires? Garrett was momentarily puzzled. Let¡¯s get this straight, you¡¯re here to taste and research blood typing¡ªwhat you call "blood tasting"¡ªit¡¯s a fair exchange, right? I help with the sunscreen magic, you help with the blood testing magic... Now, the way you ask makes it seem like I¡¯m taking advantage of you! Before he could respond, the Archmage coughed and blinked. A thought struck Garrett: The ones helping him now are just a few young vampires, none higher than viscount¡ªin terms of mage levels, that¡¯s no more than level 9. If this magic proves useful for vampires, perhaps, he could coax the big shots into helping? Isn¡¯t it just bluffing to secure research funding! Watch me! Garrett organized his thoughts, confident, and looked up directly. Marquis Terlgu was a handsome man with deep-set features, his brown hair slightly curled at the forehead, his complexion dark, his expression somber. In Garrett¡¯s words, he always looked like he was owed a hundred thousand gold coins¡ª Now, the Marquis stared back with a "negative hundred thousand gold coins" face. Garrett, undeterred, flashed a smile: "Marquis, yesterday I witnessed several vampires distinguishing blood during their feeding and was greatly impressed by their ability. ¡ªI¡¯m also curious, what does blood mean to vampires?" It wasn¡¯t a difficult question, especially for a legendary mage¡¯s disciple. If one couldn¡¯t answer, it would be a disgrace. So, without waiting for a response, Garrett continued: "As I understand it, lower-ranked vampires primarily feed on blood; higher-ranked vampires can sustain themselves just by absorbing energy from moonlight, and blood drinking is more about enhancing their lifestyle..." This was common knowledge. So Marquis Terlgu¡¯s expression remained unchanged, his face saying, "I¡¯m listening to what else you can come up with." Garrett kept smiling: "So, as a healer, I have a question¡ª" Healer. Marquis Terlgu muttered something under his breath, seemingly having had an unpleasant past with this profession. Garrett pretended to notice nothing and asked cheerfully: "Why do you choose to drink blood directly rather than through transfusion? That is, transfusion is¡ª" "I know what a transfusion is." Marquis Terlgu suddenly interjected. His brows furrowed, revealing a deep vertical line: "Do you think we haven¡¯t tried that? Direct transfusion indeed has a much higher absorption efficiency, but it¡¯s also more prone to problems. Sometimes, just to suppress the discomfort can consume nearly as much energy as a regular feeding¡ªor even all of it!" "Then it¡¯s probably because of the wrong blood type!" Garrett quickly raised his voice: "It¡¯s the same with humans; if the blood types match, it benefits, if they don¡¯t, it leads to various adverse reactions, even death!" "Hmm..." Marquis Terlgu pondered briefly. He neither agreed nor raised objections, nor did he counter. But Viscount Sebesh scoffed lightly: "So how do you prove it? By drawing our blood for experiments?¡ªThe true blood of vampires is very precious!" Garrett turned to look him in the eyes. After a moment of silence, he suddenly smiled: "Blood transfusion technology might be hard to verify. So, let¡¯s start with something simpler. I¡¯m curious¡ªwhy do vampires prefer arterial blood over venous blood?" ¡ªSurely arterial is deeper and harder to reach, isn¡¯t it? With this question, the Marquis did not reply but simply smiled. However, Viscount Sebesh and another vampire simultaneously exclaimed: "It tastes better! Fresher!" "Full of life!" Full of life? Garrett¡¯s eyes lit up. The main difference between arterial and venous blood lies in the hemoglobin¡¯s oxygen-carrying capacity¡ªignoring carbon dioxide and various other wastes for the moment. So... "If there was a technology that could turn venous blood into arterial blood, or something close, would you be willing to try it?" This suggestion clearly struck a chord with the vampires. Viscount Sebesh bowed slightly to the Marquis, grabbed Garrett, and started running. While running, he muttered: "If it can be solved, that would be best!" "Biting into arteries is troublesome; it¡¯s easy to puncture a vein by accident!" "And the newly turned often can¡¯t recognize the blood vessels..." "I have a few blood slaves I¡¯m fond of; it pains me to see them suffer!" Garrett listened with one ear and rolled his eyes with the other. Until Viscount Sebesh rushed into a room, raised his voice, and called: "Theresa!" A young girl responded from next door. Dressed in a neat black robe, her head covered with a black veil, her hair tightly wrapped underneath, not a strand visible. A spotless white collar, she was the epitome of a Radiant Church nun. And around her pale neck, clasped a heavy black iron collar. She curtsied. Viscount Sebesh pulled her wrist towards Garrett: "Come, draw blood!" "No live subjects!" Garrett, as if awakening from a dream, instinctively stepped back: "Don¡¯t use live subjects!¡ªDo you have stored blood?" "Why use stored when we have live..." Viscount Sebesh¡¯s grumbling sounded much like Garrett¡¯s own complaints about "having fresh vegetables, why eat compressed biscuits." Garrett shook his head firmly, looking at the girl he had pulled forward: The nun¡¯s robe had wide sleeves that naturally fell back when her arm was raised, exposing half of her smooth forearm. Even though Viscount Sebesh had let go, she still kept her eyes downcast, her arm extended, palm up, motionless. The blood slave girl¡¯s expression was numb, neither sad nor happy, nor showing any fear. That look, as if her own wrist, her own blood, even her whole body, had nothing to do with her. But Garrett could not treat it as irrelevant. Even if she was a nun from the Radiant Church, even if their stances were potentially hostile, even if she was a vampire¡¯s slave, he was a diplomat and could not simply rescue her¡ª But she was still a person. A person, not an animal, not something to be used for blood drawing so casually. Garrett even stepped aside to shield Theresa from Viscount Sebesh: "Use stored blood, or else, come with me to the Sleepless Tower!" Well, getting experimental materials from the Black Crow Swamp is always possible... Viscount Sebesh was helpless. He couldn¡¯t simply overpower Garrett, nor could he use mind control to make him work¡ªdoing so with so many great mages coming and going wasn¡¯t exactly the place for misdeeds! The two stood silently confronting each other. Garrett stood tall, his arms shielding the blood slave girl, unyielding. After a long while, Viscount Sebesh shrugged and waved to his blood slave: "Theresa, you may go!" The blood slave girl curtsied silently and retreated. At the door, she raised her gaze to Garrett for a moment: Her eyes shimmered with fear mixed with gratitude, and within that gratitude, mingled with fear and loathing. The next moment, she lowered her eyelids again, calm and impassive, walking out like a puppet. Garrett watched until her figure disappeared. Across from him, Viscount Sebesh raised an eyebrow, slapped his space bag, and tossed out a bag of fresh blood: "Are you satisfied now?¡ªCan you show me the test now?" Let¡¯s see the test then. Garrett set up a test tube and a spirit lamp, bubbling away, starting to heat potassium permanganate. He introduced the heated oxygen into the beaker containing the blood, bubbling at the bottom of the beaker... Visibly, the dark red stored blood gradually turned bright red. Well, artificial lungs for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, though the materials are a hassle, involving things like semi-permeable membranes and synthetic cell membrane polymers to protect the blood components. But since it¡¯s being processed for vampires to drink, it¡¯s good enough... "Take a sip?" "Me drink?" "Who else, you think I¡¯m going to drink it?" Viscount Sebesh grumbled, reluctantly lifting the beaker. After a slight sip, his eyes lit up, giving Garrett a thumbs up: "Not bad! Useful! Much tastier!" Ah, for vampires like them, when traveling abroad, unable to carry blood slaves easily and needing to stay discreet, drinking stored blood was hard... Now, at least they could process it a bit, enjoying blood full of vitality! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 519: We’re No Longer the Most Knowledgeable About Blood, Woo Woo Chapter 519: We¡¯re No Longer the Most Knowledgeable About Blood, Woo Woo "Is oxygenated arterial blood tasty?" "That¡¯s good to hear." In the midst of Viscount Seibesh¡¯s continuous exclamations of surprise, Garrett neatly packed up the test tubes and smiled slightly: "So, does this little trick convince your esteemed Marquess to join the research?" "Definitely not enough!" Viscount Seibesh held up a half-burned cup of blood to his nose, sniffed it carefully, and then carefully rolled it on his tongue: "The treated blood does taste a bit better, but it can¡¯t compare to fresh arterial blood! It¡¯s sour and has a bad odor." Oh, that¡¯s definitely different. Venous blood carries metabolic waste from the body, carbon dioxide, excess electrolytes, and various other substances. Arterial blood carries oxygen and nutrients. That¡¯s why an extracorporeal circulation device uses semipermeable membranes and such, to let oxygen in and carbon dioxide out, and to filter out things like uric acid. If you ask me to make one now, I can¡¯t do it either. Garrett remained calm. Uric acid, carbon dioxide, electrolytes, various ions, all dissolved in the plasma. If we can¡¯t make a semi-permeable membrane, we¡¯ll just separate it out! "If you don¡¯t like the taste, I have other methods. Want to try?" "Yes!" "Good, go to the hospital!" There¡¯s a centrifuge in the hospital. Blood treated with an anti-coagulation spell spun in the centrifuge, humming away, perfectly separating the blood cells from the plasma. Garrett didn¡¯t bother distinguishing stem cells, lymphocytes, white blood cells, or platelets. He just released all the blood cells, adjusted the hematocrit, and added saline¡ªpotassium chloride and calcium chloride mixed in¡ªpouring it in. Stirred evenly, centrifuged again to wash off the remaining plasma. Then, adjusted the standard blood cell hematocrit ratio and added more saline. Clinically, blood transfusions also mix blood cells with saline. He grunted and bubbled oxygen through it, turning the color to bright red. "Here, try this¡ª" Viscount Seibesh took it skeptically. He held it, gently swayed it to observe the depth of color and clarity, checking for any residue or bubbles. "Drinking blood from a beaker feels odd. Can we use a goblet next time?" No way. Garrett rolled his eyes at him. Seeing you taste blood with the pose of a wine connoisseur does seem odd to me! Viscount Seibesh had enough of swaying the blood. He brought it to his nose, flaring his nostrils, trying to draw in the molecules above the beaker: "No taste?" He frowned incredulously, sniffed again and again, and finally took a big gulp. Then, turned to Garrett, deeply upset: "Master Nordmark, you¡¯ve wasted it! How can it have no taste at all, it¡¯s bland¡ªjust like¡ª" "Alcohol?" Garrett supplied the word for him. Viscount Seibesh looked at him blankly, as Garrett handed him a few milliliters of alcohol to taste. The Viscount downed it and nodded vigorously: "Exactly! It¡¯s still the same stuff, just tasteless! How did you manage that! Such good flavor, all ruined by you!" Of course. Garrett shrugged. Just like extracting alcohol from wine. Those complex aromatic compounds¡ªthe components that make up the flavor, such as esters and fusel oils¡ªare all left behind. Swallowing it feels like drinking a burning liquid. Taste? What is that? And those components that the blood races think are flavorful, Garrett guessed, are probably things like thyroxine, adrenaline, androgens, estrogens, all dissolved in the plasma. The blood cells were separated, washed, and plasma removed. Then, mixed with saline... Sorry, that definitely tastes bland. It¡¯s even worse than high-purity vodka, at least that still has a kick. But it¡¯s still drinkable. Viscount Seibesh sipped slowly, cherishing a cup of blood, frowning: "It¡¯s still drinkable, yeah, can¡¯t compare to fresh human blood, but it¡¯s not bad. You don¡¯t know, sometimes when I¡¯m out, without a blood slave, and can¡¯t find a good hunting target, the blood I suck smells so bad..." Garrett: ...Thank you, I really don¡¯t want to hear it. Can you not tell me your one hundred and eighty thoughts about hunting and bloodsucking? Obviously not. Viscount Seibesh muttered, rambled, took a sip of blood, and said a few words. Finally, after he had gulped it down, he suddenly sighed heavily and squatted on the ground like a potato. Garrett: "What¡¯s the matter now?" "I never thought of these methods... I don¡¯t understand why it turned out this way..." Viscount Seibesh held his head and sobbed: "We are no longer the most knowledgeable about blood..." ...What¡¯s there to be proud of about this hollow reputation? Garrett didn¡¯t understand. But that didn¡¯t stop him from taking advantage of the situation: "So, do you want to join my research?¡ªIf you join, and we succeed, you¡¯ll still be the most knowledgeable about blood! I¡¯ll add you as the first author!" "Okay!" The potato sprouted, grew a stalk, and rose. Viscount Seibesh jumped up, rubbing his hands together: "Where do we start?" Start by verifying blood types. Or rather, start by verifying that the blood races also have blood types. Garrett was somewhat confident about this: the blood races, though undead, were once humans. Since they were humans, then, probably, maybe, they might have blood types? They also have rejection reactions. That¡¯s a kind of verification, isn¡¯t it? Viscount Seibesh frowned, extending his right hand. Mumbling continuously: "I¡¯m at a loss, why did you have to draw my blood... If I knew we were doing this today, I would have brought a descendant over, and you could have drawn his instead... Ouch! Be gentle!" "I¡¯m already being gentle..." Garrett, expressionless, pressed here and there on the inside of his right elbow. It¡¯s not that I want to press hard, but your brachial vein is so deflated, I can barely get to it! Fortunately, his skills hadn¡¯t declined. Emergency medical procedures, establishing venous access, he always had to step in when things were urgent, couldn¡¯t always wait for the nurses. After pressing for a while, he finally found the spot and poked the needle into the vein. Then. Then. Garrett looked at the syringe, then at the fluid gushing out in the tube, then at Viscount Seibesh. This blood isn¡¯t right! The liquid drawn from the blood vessels, why is it so pale! I¡¯ve treated patients whose hemoglobin dropped to 30g/l, and even they weren¡¯t this pale! Are you trying to pass off a drop of blood diluted with 5ml of saline as real? Under his questioning and accusing gaze, Viscount Seibesh turned pale and looked away: "What are you looking at me for?¡ªThe true blood of the blood race isn¡¯t so easily obtained! Give me some time!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 520: When a Bloodline Meets a Silver Dragon Young Girl Chapter 520: When a Bloodline Meets a Silver Dragon Young Girl "Give it some time? Draw true blood?" As Viscount Seibesh began to close his eyes, regulate his breathing, gather his energy, and a faint glow started to emerge around him, Garrett quickly interrupted: "No! Just like this, let me try first!" Why need so much true blood? You squeeze the blood out, and I still have to centrifuge and dilute it. During the experiment, only a little is used, and most of it is wasted. Rather than that, why not try with this bit of blood right now! Drawing blood, injecting into a test tube, onto the centrifuge. Clamp it, adjust, balance, start¡ª After the buzzing sound for a while, at the bottom of the test tube, a thin layer of dark red. Less than half a centimeter. This thickness, it looks hard to draw even with a pipette. "Ah, my friend¡ªdo you need my help?" Viscount Seibesh asked in an exaggerated, lyrical tone. Garrett shrugged at him and summoned a vine that touched the bottom of the test tube. Then, the top of the vine opened up, revealing a small flower-shaped fine serration, and bit down hard. Immediately, a small hole opened at the bottom of the glass. The vine, thin as a hair, cleverly drilled in, swept around, sucked lightly, and visibly thinned the layer of dark red. The vine withdrew in reverse. Garrett casually threw a mage trick and repaired the test tube as if nothing had happened. On the other side, the blood cells drawn by the vine had already fallen into saline and dispersed. One end blood cells, the other serum. Garrett lined up four standard blood samples, separating cells and serum, cross-matching blood: Hmm, primary agglutination, secondary agglutination... primary agglutination, secondary non-agglutination... "Your blood type is this! It matches!" Garrett, holding two test tubes, exclaimed joyfully to the young bloodline across: "Look, primary non-agglutination, secondary also non-agglutination! You can really test blood types!¡ªSpeaking of which, do you want to try a blood transfusion?" Half an hour later, Viscount Seibesh lay on the treatment table, resting his cheek on one hand, the other arm stretched out to Garrett, sighing. "I must be under your spell... definitely... dear friend, your ¡¯Charm Human¡¯ is too skilled, it can even affect me..." "¡¯Charm Human¡¯ doesn¡¯t work on bloodlines." Garrett coldly refuted. At the same time, he poked a needle into his brachial vein, connected to a blood bottle. The blood bottle, made from a temporarily modified glass test tube, had a vine connected to it, dangling leisurely, meeting the needle. Inside the test tube, fresh red blood swayed slightly, less than a finger¡¯s volume¡ª 5 milliliters. No more. Injecting heterotypic blood, 10 to 15 milliliters, could cause hemolysis. Over the years, these basic facts, Garrett remembered clearly. Although the physiology of bloodlines differs from humans, powerful bloodlines, it is said, can suppress hemolysis with strength. Still, it¡¯s better not to take risks the first time. Blood droplets fell one by one, infuriatingly slow. For the first time giving a blood transfusion to a bloodline, Garrett strictly adhered to the procedures, 15 drops per minute. Better more than less. Even as Viscount Seibesh complained incessantly, almost jumping up and down, Garrett kept a straight face and denied him repeatedly. Not allowed, not allowed, still not allowed¡ª "Either follow my pace! Or pull out the needle and leave, this project ends here! Two options, no third way!" Viscount Seibesh reluctantly agreed. Garrett then comforted him: "Remember this procedure. Every detail has its reason, every detail is to ensure no major issues occur, or if issues arise, there is room for emergency intervention..." "Wait!" Suddenly, His Excellency the Viscount leaped up. He excitedly waved his hands, spittle flying: "This way of transfusion really works! Extremely effective!¡ªDear friend, direct blood infusion into the veins works much better than drinking it! At least five times better! Five times!" He trembled with excitement. A five-fold difference meant less blood needed, quicker recovery; It meant with the same amount of blood slaves, he could sustain five times the descendants; It meant stronger combat power, higher status, more favor from family elders; It meant, his speed of becoming an Earl, even a Marquis, might be advanced by two hundred years, a hundred years, or even fifty years! Garrett also jumped up. Lunging forward, he grabbed His Excellency¡¯s wildly waving arms: "Don¡¯t move! The needle shifted! Blood! Blood!" This damn place doesn¡¯t have an indwelling needle!¡ªEven if there was one, it couldn¡¯t withstand such jumping! Garrett angrily threw a glare at Viscount Seibesh, picking up needles from the ground. With all this flailing, the needle had already slipped from his arm, flew out, and hit the wall, rolling on the ground several times. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 521: The Silver Dragon Girl: Touch My People, Want to Die?! Chapter 521: The Silver Dragon Girl: Touch My People, Want to Die?! Seraina took a deep breath. Seraina ascended into the sky. Seraina let out a terrifying roar. In Garrett¡¯s heart, these three sentences were swirling back and forth. ¡ªSeraina stepped forward, her face expressionless, intently staring at the young vampire. First step, second step, by the time she took the third step, her usually smiling silver-blue eyes had suddenly turned into pure silver vertical pupils! Seraina was very unhappy. Very unhappy. Ever since these odious-smelling folks arrived, Garrett had been keeping them company, his days and nights turned upside down. Neglecting patients, not performing surgeries, not practicing magic. Holed up in the laboratory, day and night, his body always reeking of blood. But all these were tolerable, for Garrett was indeed engaged in very important work. This research could save many lives. But she just heard that the odious-smelling guest wanted to drink Jenny¡¯s blood! Jenny was her chief nurse! She was her person! To lay hands on her people, did he want to die?! Not even think about it! With every step she took forward, Viscount Seibesh retreated a step; two steps forward, and the viscount retreated two steps. By the third step, he tripped over a chair, ¡°thump¡± falling to the ground, and then panickedly bounced up: ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything! I was just thinking! ¡ªI won¡¯t think about it anymore! I¡¯m leaving!¡± No sooner had he spoken than he leapt backward. Facing Seraina and with his back to the hospital¡¯s small building courtyard, he jumped through the wide-open window into the night. Seraina¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, just about to pursue, when Garrett quickly reached out to stop her: ¡°Seraina! He¡¯s a diplomatic envoy!¡± The Silver Dragon Girl reluctantly stopped. She glared at the vampire¡¯s figure until he disappeared into the night, then turned towards Garrett, her face displeased. Although she said nothing, the accumulating clouds on her delicate face could summon flashes of lightning and thunder. Garrett hurriedly soothed: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this won¡¯t happen again. ¡ªIt was already agreed upon when the delegation arrived, that vampires within the Kingdom of Kent are not allowed to hunt, not allowed to drink the blood of the kingdom¡¯s citizens, not allowed to purchase the kingdom¡¯s people. I have already refused him, he will not harm Jenny.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± ¡°And besides, the vampires are allies of the council, providing pressure in another direction to restrain the Radiant Church¡ªdon¡¯t you also dislike those guys?¡± Seraina grunted angrily. She turned towards the end of the hallway: ¡°Jenny, Jenny! ¡ªWho told you to bring snacks? It¡¯s so late, you should be in bed!¡± From the other end of the corridor, two heads peeked out. Jenny and her mother, the maid Laura, cautiously stepped out. Laura, formerly a laundress, now a villa maid, rubbed the edges of her apron nervously and replied: ¡°I told her to go... Miss, Master Mage, Jenny is so young and can¡¯t do much work, she wants to be the head nurse, so she should be diligent... At least there should be someone to serve tea and water when the master entertains guests...¡± ¡°Just for this?¡± ¡°Really, just for this!¡± Laura nodded repeatedly. Garrett sighed and said solemnly: ¡°Among these nurses, Jenny is the only one who can read and write. Since she has this job, she should do it well. As long as she is competent, I will not let her down.¡± Laura obediently agreed, pulling her daughter and quickly retreating. But suddenly, Jenny shook off her mother¡¯s hand and said loudly: ¡°Master!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°In our previous place as laundresses, there was a female worker and her son, a very handsome young brother, said to have been taken back by a wealthy family. Mother says, I am also the daughter of a noble family...¡± The maid and illegitimate daughter of a noble family. Garrett nodded unsurprisingly. So, in this world where literacy among commoners is extremely low, Laura can read and even teach her daughter to read. He said seriously: ¡°So?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be taken back! Even if someone comes to take me and I really become a noble young lady, I don¡¯t want it!¡± The little girl¡¯s chin was raised, her expression resolute: ¡°Master, I want to work well here, earn money through work to support myself and my mother!¡± Garrett couldn¡¯t help but smile. He walked up to the girl, crouched down to look her in the eyes: ¡°Then you do your best. When you grow a bit more and have the qualifications to become a warrior, I will find a teacher for you; if you have the qualifications to learn magic, you can study at my mage tower.¡± Jenny nodded vigorously. Garrett smiled and ruffled her blonde hair, stood up, and turned seriously to Laura: ¡°There are no pies falling from the sky. Those taken away aren¡¯t necessarily in a good situation. If you can support yourself through your work, then don¡¯t rely on others.¡± Laura stiffly nodded carefully. Garrett yawned and walked away. He wondered how many resources Viscount Seibesh could gather to help research after revealing the blood transfusion technique? How long would it take to see results? Viscount Seibesh hastily retreated, flying back to the diplomatic residence. Just as he arrived, he saw a young woman with pale golden curly hair leaning in the corridor, flirting with a handsome young man: ¡°Seib, how do you like my new blood slave?¡± ¡°Yulia!¡± Viscount Seibesh stopped, frowning: ¡°Where did this little guy come from? ¡ªIsn¡¯t there an agreement with the council that we are not allowed to hunt or purchase blood slaves in the Kingdom of Kent?¡± ¡°Oh, my~~ I didn¡¯t buy, someone gave it to me~~~ Stupid short-lived species, always hoping for some unrealistic things, to extend their lifespan a bit, they are willing to give us their children...¡± ¡°...don¡¯t cause trouble!¡± Viscount Seibesh stomped his foot and quickly entered the room. The door creaked as his blood slave of half a year, the Radiant Nun Theresa, woodenly walked over, taking his coat and then extending her wrist towards him. Viscount Seibesh pushed her hand away irritably. With a snap, Theresa¡¯s smooth back of the hand knocked against the wall, leaving a small red mark. He was originally very enamored with the taste of the Radiant Nun: the thin holy power flowing in her blood, just like the chili flavor he had tasted when he was still alive, which could provide a different stimulation to the taste buds. Once tasted, it was unforgettable. For this reason, even during long journeys, he carried this blood slave with him, unwilling to let her leave for a moment. But tonight, at Garrett¡¯s place, the sight of the elven lady captured all his attention. ¡ªNo, I can¡¯t drink her blood! Viscount Seibesh shook his head vigorously, trying to shake the infatuation out of his mind: The energy intensity in that blood, I can¡¯t handle it! Just one sip, even just one drop, would burn through my throat like high-concentration holy water, and directly reduce me to ashes! Moreover, I get along quite well with that Nordmark Mage... I can¡¯t harm his friend... Viscount Seibesh plunged into his coffin, rolling from side to side. Suddenly, he jumped up: ¡°I still need to quickly increase my strength! I must learn the blood transfusion magic! ¡ªI should go to the Marquis and ask him to help research the blood testing magic!¡± --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 522: Viewing the Scenery with Miss Silver Dragon from the Masthead? Chapter 522: Viewing the Scenery with Miss Silver Dragon from the Masthead? From that day on, Viscount Seibesh dived into the embassy and stubbornly refused to come out. As for the Oakwood Hospital? Jointly developing blood type identification magic? NEVER! The silver-eyed elf miss was simply too terrifying! Another encounter with her would be fatal! Definitely fatal! Unfortunately, Viscount Seibesh, who was desperately avoiding the elf miss, still encountered this calamity three days later. The reason? An inspection activity organized by the council, aimed at various trade delegations. "Please look, this is the council¡¯s newly launched ¡¯Sperm Whale¡¯ battleship, which is also my new flagship." Commander of the Magic Council¡¯s Third Fleet, Knight Sir James Delock, beaming, led the way. Dwarves, barbarians, orcs, several trade delegation members, and accompanying council staff, filed onto the deck, looking around: This new flagship was a colossal vessel. The ship was 70 meters long and 15.8 meters wide, with three tall masts. The tallest central main mast, Garrett looked up, and up, and up... "Um, seems like some mathematical formula is needed to calculate this... Let me estimate..." He raised his right index finger, while his left thumb and index finger framed his other index at both ends, forming a right angle triangle. Just as he began to mentally calculate, Knight Delock glanced over from afar, already smiling with the numbers: "The main mast is 62 meters high, which means, it¡¯s nearly as tall as a 20-story building. Standing on top of the mast in clear weather, one can see up to 20 li (about 10 kilometers) away¡ªoh no, miss, don¡¯t go up there!" Too late. A figure from the delegation sprang up, using hands and feet, quickly climbing upwards. Whoosh whoosh whoosh, in the blink of an eye, she had climbed past three horizontal spars, heading straight for the crow¡¯s nest. Judging by the agility of the climb and the tail swaying behind her, she was likely a cat person, or possibly a leopard person... Garrett covered his face. The orc lady¡¯s initiative was just too strong. Climbing was fine, but there was scheduled free visiting time later! Just as this thought crossed his mind, he felt a nudge at his elbow. Miss Silver Dragon¡¯s delicate voice reached his ears: "I¡¯m so envious... I want to climb up too..." Garrett, without changing his expression, looked forward and pretended not to hear. He just slightly leaned his body to the left, his lips barely moving as he replied to Seraina: "Go ahead and climb if you want... I really don¡¯t want to climb to such a high place!" "But I want to watch the scenery from the lookout at the top of the mast with Garrett!" Garrett silently turned his head. A lookout 60 meters high, the size of a palm, where the fierce wind never stopped blowing, to watch the scenery? Sister, could you be a bit more realistic? This would be less risky than shouting "I¡¯m the king of the world" at the bow of Cameron¡¯s big ship! "Can¡¯t climb up? Hahaha, Garrett, your athletic abilities are really poor... But no worries, you can fly up! Even if you fall, I can definitely catch you!" Garrett sternly dismissed Miss Silver Dragon¡¯s suggestion. Even if he knew how to fly, he wouldn¡¯t choose to fly at this time and place! They followed the group, circled the deck, and slowly toured around. By the time they finished, the cat¡ªor perhaps leopard¡ªlady had already climbed down and rejoined the group. The sailors on the ship were also bustling about, quickly hoisting sails¡ª Eventually, on the three masts, over 5,000 square meters of massive sails swelled up. This latest vessel built by the Magic Council, having just completed a voyage to the New World, carried the distinguished guests, cutting through the waves, heading towards the ocean. After spending most of the day sailing, the ¡¯Sperm Whale¡¯ had left the land far behind. The guests of various races who had enjoyed a day¡¯s view of the sea also returned to their cabins, chatting and waiting for dinner. And in the banquet hall, Garrett was undoubtedly the busiest: "Gavin! Jenna! Long time no see! How have you been lately? Is Master Talbert¡¯s lung disease getting better?¡ªBy the way, let me introduce you to something great, something I¡¯ve just come up with¡ªcowpox! Once vaccinated with cowpox, you¡¯ll no longer fear contracting smallpox!" "Are you joking? We dwarves, tough as rocks, how could we get smallpox? The diseases that bring you humans down just make us sneeze a few times!" Gar rett: ... Alright, dwarves have either +2 Constitution or +2 Tenacity. Anyway, their resistance to disease is indeed a notch above humans¡¯. If their constitution was similar to humans¡¯, they¡¯d have all died of pneumoconiosis from years in the mines! "Elder Brock! How about trying the cowpox I¡¯ve developed?¡ªTake a batch back, vaccinate all the newborns in your tribe, and they¡¯ll never fear smallpox again!" "Are you kidding? In our vast wastelands, only the strongest infants deserve to live, wasting tribal food on the others!" Garrett: ... Alright, the wastelands couldn¡¯t support so many people, and the barbarians¡¯ constitution was also the result of natural selection... "Your Highness, would you like to try my cowpox?" "For whom? The minotaurs?" Garrett beat a hasty retreat... Even so, Garrett¡¯s latest medical achievement still received considerable acclaim. The dwarf delegation, the barbarian delegation, all booked times to visit Oakwood Hospital to have their blood tested and learn how to transfuse blood: After all, one shortcoming of healing magic is that it can¡¯t solve the weakness caused by blood loss. "So, can we and humans transfuse blood with each other? If so, my dear friend, if you lose too much blood, I can support you..." "Ahahaha..." Garrett looked into the feather-crowned old priest¡¯s eyes and forced a dry laugh. Fortunately, he had many barbarians under his command, and after learning anticoagulant magic, he had already done some research: "It probably won¡¯t work, the cross-matching would cause clots..." "That definitely won¡¯t work." Viscount Seibesh suddenly popped up. As a member of the blood race, they were carried into the cabin in coffins by fleet soldiers and had just gotten up and dressed to attend the banquet. He picked up where Garrett left off, in a weird tone: "After all, we don¡¯t drink the blood of barbarians unless absolutely necessary. It¡¯s rough!" "Proud of not drinking their blood?" Seraina held a glass of wine and suddenly turned around. Viscount Seibesh, upon seeing her, turned pale and bolted: Who could tell me why this elf miss was on the ship? Wasn¡¯t it said that this trip only hosted representatives from various races? Wasn¡¯t it said that those on the ship this time were the same representatives from previous negotiations? "Hey! Hey, don¡¯t run! Where are you going!" Viscount Seibesh darted out of the banquet hall, fleeing at full speed. Corridors, stairs, deck¡ªthe footsteps behind him grew closer, the girl relentlessly pursuing. In desperation, Viscount Seibesh vaulted over the ship¡¯s side, plunging into the sea with a splash¡ª "Man overboard¡ª" "Hehe, the little ones are really having fun." In the guest hall next to the captain¡¯s room, a sixteenth-level great mage, who was responsible for presiding over the trade negotiations, Master Lebron, smiled and raised his glass. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 523: Military Magic Maneuvers... Why Is It Always My Fault? Chapter 523: Military Magic Maneuvers... Why Is It Always My Fault? In the VIP lounge, everyone remained motionless. Even as he watched one of his own people jump into the sea, Marquis Tergu merely laughed a few times and then turned his attention to the sea chart in front of him: "You mean to say that the Council¡¯s fleet has now been able to sail continuously for over 90 days at sea without being troubled by the ¡¯marine plague¡¯?" "That¡¯s right. The Council has developed a secret medicine that allows sailors to maintain their stamina during long voyages without being affected by the ¡¯marine plague,¡¯" Grand Mage LeBron handed over a stack of booklets: "Here is the sea log of the Third Fleet for this voyage, you can have a look." Several heads leaned in together. The vampires in the middle, the barbarian elder on the left, the orc elder on the right. As for the dwarves... Dwarves are not good at, and even dislike, sea travel. Even though they agreed to join forces this time, they would definitely stay ashore, responsible for building weapons and other logistical work, and would not go to sea. Grand Mage LeBron leaned back, smiled, and crossed his arms, letting the guests flip through the sea log, comparing it with the sea chart page by page, estimating. It was important to dispel the allies¡¯ concerns, or the deal would never happen. As for himself... The Arcane Eye shifted direction, floating toward the stern of the ship. Indeed, the young vampire plunged into the sea and then transformed into a bat to fly back onto the ship. He was furiously flapping his wings, splashing water droplets along the way, thankfully unharmed. As for the girl who chased him into the sea, she leaned on the ship¡¯s rail, waving her fists and shouted a few words¡ªGrand Mage LeBron guessed it was something like "next time you¡¯ll see what happens," before a young mage smilingly pulled her back. Well, as long as you¡¯re happy. He turned his attention back to the VIP lounge. The orc prince raised another question: "Can this secret medicine be provided to us?" "Of course. The necessary supplies for the combat fleet can be provided free of charge for three months; regular purchases get a 20% discount." "Only a 20% discount?" the orc prince immediately cried out. The barbarian high priest also protested: "Who knows how you usually price it! You say it¡¯s a 20% discount, but you could just increase the price¡ª" Marquis Tergu of the vampires, and the dwarven elder opposite him did not speak. Dwarves do not go to sea, and as for vampires¡ªthey sleep in coffins and feed on human blood. They have no need for any ¡¯marine plague¡¯ medicine. Rather, anticoagulant blood storage vials could be negotiated for a cheap purchase with the Council. Four parties protesting together wouldn¡¯t even make Grand Mage LeBron blink, let alone just two. He confidently replied: "The trading zone in the White Tower has daily real-time prices, as well as transaction records from the past three months. If you are worried about us raising prices suddenly, we can gift you corresponding access tokens, allowing your people to buy at the trading area with the token." "Alright, tomorrow at noon, let¡¯s take a look at the combat strength of the ¡¯Humpback Whale¡¯ and continue discussing our plans! Now, cheers!" The ship continued to sail through the night. Early the next morning, the passengers were surprised to find that they had already left the long fjord outside Nevis City and entered the real, deep blue waters of the ocean. Elder Brock touched the ship¡¯s rail and exclaimed: "That¡¯s fast!" "As you see, the speed of the ¡¯Humpback Whale,¡¯ even without the use of magic enhancement, reaches up to 9 knots," Commander Delock replied with a smile behind him: "With such high speed, she can easily keep up with an enemy in a chase, preventing them from escaping. As for her combat power, please look¡ª" Following the direction he pointed, amid the sea breeze and the sound of waves, a majestic and symphonic sonata began to play. Elder Brock gripped the rail of the ship: "Sirens?" "No, not sirens. This area is home to a poison dragon, which patrols and hunts in the surrounding seas twice a month, affecting the local fishermen and merchant ships," Commander Delock explained with a smile: "Today we have come here to challenge this poison dragon with the cannons of the ¡¯Humpback Whale,¡¯ to restore tranquility to the surrounding seas." They chatted while looking far into the distance. The guests also walked up on deck, looking towards the imposing island that continued to emit the sonata: At the edge of the island, countless densely packed hexagonal black stone pillars rose from the ground, standing straight up, making the entire island devoid of any gentle slopes. Around the edge of the island, at approximately 13 points along its length, one could see a deep cave. The neatly shaped, tightly packed hexagonal stone pillars, high and low, stretched into the depths of the cave, like the keys on a piano. The sea continuously struck these keys, playing heart-stirring music. The seawater flowed in and out, while the briny sea breeze constantly howled through the cave, never stopping. The waves, the sea breeze, and the cave¡¯s harmonics added a chorus to this piano piece. Lonely, vast, desolate, and majestic. "Is this the cave?" Elder Brock pointed distantly at the cave: "In ancient legends, it was mentioned that on the other side of the sea, on a solitary island, there was a cave that sang songs, where the hero Levo once slew a poison dragon. So, this is the place? The burial site of Levo, is it here?" His face flushed, fingers trembling, he almost wished to bow in worship. According to legend, hero Levo once led his men into the dragon¡¯s cave, striking the dragon thrice with his divine sword, beheading it. However, he was also bitten by the dragon during the fight, and the deadly venom flowed into his body, leading to his death. Levo¡¯s story has been passed down among the barbarians from generation to generation, admired by every warrior, and today, he could actually see the place where the hero fought? "It should be, right?" Knight Delock shrugged indifferently: "We also hope that the hero¡¯s battle would put an end to it once and for all, but unfortunately, this desolate island is uninhabitable, and its water flow and surrounding environment are just too suitable for a poison dragon to live. Here we go again." After finishing this speech, he turned to a sailor and quickly issued several orders. Soon, on the bridge, the urgent sound of tapping a triangle rang out: "Reef sails! Reef sails! Hey, that boy, don¡¯t daydream, pull hard!" "Open the gunports! Open the gunports!" "Turn the wheel! Turn the wheel! Don¡¯t stand behind his backside! Little guy, do you want this cannon to kiss your nuts?" Commands, shouts, and the sound of running echoed across the deck. Soon, the ship shuddered, and the giant cannon on the second deck roared majestically, the cannonball tracing a long parabola, accurately landing inside the cave. Boom! Boom! Boom! The cannonballs stirred up huge splashes on the sea surface. The second one hit the water, the third demolished a section of stone pillars, the fourth again accurately landed in the cave. Then, across several miles, everyone heard a furious roar from deep within the cave. "He¡¯s coming out," Knight Delock explained relaxedly. Then, he immediately raised his voice: "Gun captain! Ready!" "Yes!" came a loud response from below. Then, the audience on deck, including Garrett, heard someone shout from the second deck below: "Load the 18-pounders on the starboard side! 24-pounders ready! Boys, run, run! Damn it, if you don¡¯t want the poison dragon¡¯s saliva to spray your face, then kiss it good with a cannonball!" The poison dragon charged at full speed. The ¡¯Humpback Whale¡¯ maneuvered effortlessly on the sea, with 18-pound, 24-pound, and 32-pound cannons firing in succession, playing a fierce and grand symphony, far surpassing the sonata played inside the cave. Garrett clenched the test tube in his hand, his heart pounding: The most powerful spell he currently mastered, Fireball, had a range of only 200 meters. But these cannonballs, although their accuracy might be questionable, had a maximum range that was eight times greater! To advance beyond the range and reach a position to attack the battleship, he probably would be annihilated by the barrage, right? Unless he used a flying spell... "Your battleship¡¯s range is that far?" While idly pondering, Garrett heard nearby, Marquis Tergu questioning the Grand Mage. Garrett perked up: That far? How much should the range of a battleship be, I¡¯m not quite sure... The marquis was enveloped in a thin mist, making his entire presence somewhat hazy, also allowing him to stand safely in the sunlight. Grand Mage LeBron smiled: "Yes, in recent years, we¡¯ve improved our steel casting technology and also improved the formula for gunpowder. The range of these new cannons has increased by more than 50% compared to the original." Garrett winced. The improvement in steel casting technology, if it included oxygen blowing and steam hammer forging, seemed to be his fault. The gunpowder formula was also related to him, who had developed glycerol nitrate and nitrocellulose ... Speaking of which, if the gunpowder on the battleship was all from the nitrocellulose series, was it reliable? I don¡¯t want to be blown up by an explosion! Garrett quietly cast another Mage Armor on himself. He whispered to Seraina: "Shouldn¡¯t you go back to the cabin?" "I don¡¯t want to! That thing isn¡¯t even of our kind!" Miss Silver Dragon stiffened her face: "I¡¯ll stay here, if something really happens, I can still carry you away!" Before her words finished, the waves surged dramatically, and the poison dragon, covered in scaly wounds, roared towards them. From several decks up, someone loudly shouted: "Fire in unison!" "Boom!!!" In the midst of an unusually huge roar, the ship listed, and the passengers collectively tilted towards the direction from which the poison dragon was spraying. Blood splattered, several large holes blasted open in the dragon¡¯s chest, and with a pitiful wail, it plunged into the sea. Grand Mage LeBron pointed at the blood spreading across the sea surface, leisurely explaining: "This is the newly developed 68-pound cannon. Its destructive power can compare to a light magical cannon, yet it costs only one-tenth as much." Gasps followed. Equivalent destructive power, one-tenth the cost, everyone understood what that meant. In other words, if the Council had no shame and massively sold these cannons, creating a bunch of powerful, light, and fast pirate ships... The thin-shelled and meaty Carolingian kingdom fleet, especially the transport ships, might not really stand a chance. ¡ªOf course, the premise was to first wipe out their main fleet. "Hmm..." The orc prince rubbed the golden ring on his braid, staring fixedly at the sea, unwilling to overlook any detail: "Let¡¯s watch some more... let¡¯s look more closely..." --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 524: Sexy Vampires, Blood Testing Online Chapter 524: Sexy Vampires, Blood Testing Online The deafening sound of cannon fire finally ceased. Aboard the "Sperm Whale," the sailors lowered the boats, rowing furiously to retrieve the poisoned dragon that had been bombed to death. As they rowed, they belted out songs loudly: "Pull the cable¡ªpull it!" "Row the oar¡ªrow it!" "The long cable¡ªpull it!" "The newly changed shirt¡ªtorn!" Amidst rough and wild laughter, loud enough to make the fish sink and the birds scatter, they threw grappling hooks and spread fishing nets. Then, they began scooping up bucket after bucket of water: The seawater mixed with the dragon¡¯s blood was a precious magical ingredient. The mages had instructed to bring it back, not to waste it! Songs and laughter soared one wave after another. On deck, Garrett clapped his hands over his ears, first the left, then the right... The damned cannon fire was just too loud! His ears were nearly deafened! It was a good thing it wasn¡¯t over a hundred cannons firing at once... Of course, that would be impossible. On the "Sperm Whale," there were 30 twelve-pound cannons, 28 twenty-four-pounders, and 30 thirty-two-pounders, arrayed on both sides of the deck. At the same time, the maximum number of cannons that could "speak" at once was barely a dozen. It was strange that he was too close to the foredeck... Just now, that sixty-eight-pound cannon on the deck had waited until the last moment to fire at close range, hitting the poison dragon in the chest. It was powerful, but Garrett felt his eardrums might have been hit as well... "Garrett, how are you?" Seraina gently nudged his elbow. The girl¡¯s pointed elf ears silently unfolded, and the thin membrane that covered the outer ear vanished without a trace. "I should be fine..." Garrett gave a bitter smile. To protect himself, he had cast a couple of healing spells on his ears, merely as a placebo: "The eardrums should not be perforated..." "Master Nordmark!" Before he could finish, someone was already yelling at the top of their lungs. Garrett looked in the direction of the voice and saw a somewhat familiar War God Bishop emerging from the cabin, vigorously waving at him: "Master Nordmark! Come down and give us a hand!" Ah, that was Priest Ampton, the healer stationed on the flagship of the Third Fleet. Garrett suddenly remembered the other¡¯s name, slapped his forehead, and ran towards the cabin: They had been at war just now! Even though the enemy hadn¡¯t boarded or exchanged cannon fire, they had still fired their guns! With the level of cannon quality and training these days... It couldn¡¯t be a burst chamber, could it? He followed Bishop Ampton in a mad dash. Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud¡ªthe sound of shoes echoed loudly on the narrow, steep stairs, nearly missing a step and tumbling down. Just as he was about to lose balance, an arm stretched out from behind and grabbed the collar of his clothing: "Be careful!¡ªAh, I¡¯ll just carry you down!" Garrett broke into a sweat. Had he just forgotten to apply a "Cat¡¯s Grace" on himself? To be carried all the way down! Entering the cabin, down to the gun deck. The light was dim, filled with gunsmoke. Ropes everywhere tripped people, barrels rolled about, and cannonballs littered the floor¡ªutter chaos. Visibility was less than ten meters. Everyone was shouting, everyone was running, everyone was trying their hardest to manage the situation¡ª Amidst this turmoil, Garrett sniffed sharply and ran straight toward the source of the blood scent: "What happened? Did it burst?" Indeed, it had. The thick cast iron cannon burst open into three or four petal-like fragments, twisted like pretzels. The heavy cannon had been flung by the blast, brutally landing on a sailor¡ªconcerning the sailor... Uh... Garrett glanced only once before turning his head away, focusing his attention on the other injured. Half of the cannon¡¯s rear, along with the heavy cascabel, had completely smashed into the chest cavity, with half of the cannon body pressing on him¡ªthere was no saving him now! He had heard earlier that the overall weight of such a thirty-two-pound cannon was about three tons... Bishop Ampton didn¡¯t expect Garrett to save that man either. He stopped at the explosion site, turned back hurriedly, and waved his hand in a circle: "Quick! I¡¯ll save Knight Entree, these people are up to you!" Then, he rushed towards the man whose chest had been crushed by the cannon¡¯s rear without looking back. Garrett was astonished: Can he even be saved?¡ªIs the knight¡¯s vitality strong enough to wait for your help? The glow of healing spells began to flicker. Garrett, with no time to inquire, glanced around and shouted: "People! Help me carry them first!" This explosion was quite powerful, sending shards flying and sweeping through half the cabin. Fifty to sixty sailors were bleeding from head injuries, with broken bones and fractures, lying on the ground moaning... "Move! Move! You! Find a spot to sit over there, then press here and here!" Garrett inspected them one by one: "Carry this one to the side first, where I¡¯ve marked with a yellow line. Tie him up with ropes! Tie it tightly! If it¡¯s not tight, insert a wooden stick into the rope and then twist the stick!" Using mage tricks to mark the binding spots made it incredibly convenient to apply tourniquets... "This one has passed out... Seraina, help clear the airway, perform CPR!" "Roger that! Watch me! Powerful Mage¡¯s Hand! Powerful Mage¡¯s Hand! Gust of Wind!¡ªGarrett, anyone else need it?" Uh, well, Miss Silver Dragon performing CPR truly was like having four hands... "This guy... damn, a pneumothorax! You, come over, watch him, don¡¯t let him move. Call me when this bottle is full!" Thank goodness for syringes now... Inserting a needle, connecting vines, and performing a closed chest drainage, Garrett was swift with his hands, swiftly finishing the job. Stepping back, he turned his head¡ª "Don¡¯t lift that bottle up! The bottle must be lower than the chest!" Ah, it¡¯s exhausting without a reliable emergency team. Garrett and Bishop Ampton were busy moving about; Seraina followed behind Garrett, obeying his orders to perform CPR on the patients while secretly casting healing spells; As they were busy, the sound of thumping footsteps echoed down the stairs, and a crowd came down. Led by Grand Mage LeBron, a group of dwarves, barbarians, vampires, and orcs, the distinguished guests on the deck, all came to inspect the situation in the gun deck: "Oh, it seems someone got hurt? Need any help?" Elder Brock¡¯s white cloak already shone with a faint light. Ah, since the council¡¯s warship¡¯s combat prowess had been confirmed, it was only right to show goodwill! With him leading, the dwarf elder immediately rolled up his sleeves to help. Several high-ranking healers started working together, and even the magicians were busy¡ªGarrett, in the midst of his rush, raised his head and shouted: "Mage tricks! Clean the wounds of the injured!" Dust, iron filings, wood chips, gunpowder¡ªthe abrasions they caused, embedded in superficial muscles, were most conveniently cleaned with Cleansing Spells! White light flickered. The dozens of injured, either sitting or lying on the ground, were first cleaned with Cleansing Spells, then spells for treating minor wounds, moderate wounds, and severe wounds cascaded down: Bleeding was stopped, broken bones were set, and torn flesh was healed. After processing, not to mention reviving the dead or assembling bones, at least their lives were saved, and the injuries could be considered somewhat managed. "Now, only the last one is left..." Garrett wiped his sweat and rushed to the most severely injured knight. The knight still had cannon debris stuck in his chest, with four sailors in two rows, two on the left and two on the right, holding the cannon to prevent it from moving. Bishop Ampton stood beside him, sweating profusely, with the glow of healing spells continuously flickering. He looked pleadingly at Garrett, but was too embarrassed to speak: He was a seventh-level priest, and Garrett was a fifth-level priest. He had been busy until now, and so had Garrett. Garrett directly squatted in front of the knight, checking the vital signs. Pupils, light reflex present, not yet dilated; breathing, still there, though very weak; carotid artery, a faint pulse; blood pressure... He quickly pulled out an invasive blood pressure monitor, inserting it into the patient¡¯s radial artery. As the readings appeared, Garrett¡¯s brow furrowed tightly: Diastolic 10, systolic 40! Only because it was an invasive monitor, if it were non-invasive, it would basically not be detectable anymore! "We need to transfuse blood immediately!" he murmured quietly. The problem was, starting now to grab people one by one to test blood types, or to cross-match blood, would take too much time... Garrett gritted his teeth, pulled out a sterilized needle set, a sealed bottle of Ringer¡¯s solution, connected it with vines, and inserted it into the injured¡¯s brachial vein. As soon as the bottle was hung up, the fluid slid smoothly into the patient¡¯s bloodstream. "His breath is getting stronger!" Bishop Ampton exclaimed happily on the other side. Colloids could buy a bit of time, but not much. Blood transfusion, adrenaline, dopamine, surgery¡ªall these needed to be done simultaneously to save the patient¡¯s life. Garrett looked around, and suddenly, a dark figure stood before him¡ªthe vampire marquis spoke solemnly: "You just said, need a blood transfusion?" "Yes!" "Need to determine the blood type?" "Yes, can you do that?" Garrett¡¯s eyes shone brightly, causing the fleet commander, Sir Delock, and several high-ranking healers, to involuntarily step forward. "I... might be able to." Marquis Tergu¡¯s expression was grave as he extended his hand to Garrett: "Give it to me." A single drop of blood. Just one drop. Marquis Tergu closed his eyes to taste it, pondering for a long time. Then, Sir Delock was the first to offer a drop of fresh blood, followed by the gunner, the sailor chief, and the uninjured gun deck sailors... "This one is different." "This one is too." "And this one." "This one... ah, give me another drop of the knight¡¯s fresh blood, I¡¯ll compare it..." In ten minutes, Marquis Tergu, at a rate of one drop every ten seconds, identified 60 individuals, finding 14 whose blood type matched the injured¡¯s. Garrett assigned Seraina to stay by his side; he picked one, and Seraina matched a portion of blood. At the end of ten minutes, the results of the cross-matching came in: Among the ten blood samples that had results, eight were normal on the main side and normal on the secondary side. An 80% accuracy rate. This was the accuracy rate of a high-ranking vampire tasting blood when not yet fully proficient. Vampiric talent, terrifying as it was. Garrett had no time to marvel; he rushed to draw blood. The first one, the second one¡ªhe personally extracted 200 milliliters of fresh blood, poured it into a sterile glass bottle, hung it up, connected it with vines. The hot, freshly drawn, anti-coagulation-spelled blood gurgled into the patient¡¯s veins. "Seraina! The rest is up to you! When I say draw blood, you get to work!" "Roger that!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 525: Blood Transfusion Technology, To Sell or Not? Chapter 525: Blood Transfusion Technology, To Sell or Not? Vines pushed aside the flesh at the wound. Clamped the severed blood vessels. Ordered people to carry out the cannon. Debridement, vascular anastomosis, organ repair, setting and fixing bones... Around Garrett, the ¡¾Shelter Hut¡¿ was packed with influential figures watching as the hands of the mage next to him fluttered, casting healing spells with a gentle flicker of white light. A cloud screen was opened on the side, with four lines continuously fluctuating, accompanied by a sharp, incessant alarm sound: ¡°Beep-beep-beep-beep¡ª¡ªbeep-beep-beep-beep¡ª¡ªbeep-beep-beep-beep¡ª¡ª¡± The noise was irritating enough to make one wish they could smash the screen. Unfortunately, that was not possible. Garrett valued that cloud screen greatly, setting up a separate barrier beside it, nearly hanging a sign that read ¡°No Entry¡±. After operating it briefly and looking up, he commanded based on those odd fluctuating lines: ¡°Cast an Inspire Spell!¡± The heartbeat is weak, and an Inspire Spell seems to boost the heartbeat, similar to adrenaline or dopamine... ¡°Oxygen tank! Increase the flow!¡± Meanwhile, an elven girl stood by the barrier, slightly bent over in a vigilant pose, as if ready to punch anyone who dared touch the barrier. Occasionally, she glanced at a mercury column on the patient¡¯s wrist, continually calling out: ¡°Blood pressure 20, 45!¡± ¡°Blood pressure 25, 50!¡± ¡°It¡¯s dropping again! Falling back!¡± ¡°The blood bottle is almost empty!¡± ¡°Understood, maintain the healing spell! I¡¯ll replace the blood bottle!¡± The surrounding high-level healers looked serious. Any technique has value, whether it enhances healing effects, reduces the cost of treatment, or allows lower-level healers to take on higher responsibilities. Clearly, what Garrett was doing was effectively preserving the patient¡¯s vital signs and reducing the stress of healing spells. If this could be learned, it could save many lives on the battlefield. But the problem is... Garrett¡¯s cloud screen, and the fluctuating mercury column on the patient¡¯s wrist, what exactly were they for? Elder Brock bent down with difficulty, whispering into the ear of the dwarf elder, who was about his height, in a volume that everyone else could hear: ¡°What is he doing, can you understand it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand... We didn¡¯t understand back then either when he was inserting tubes into everyone¡¯s lungs to infuse water... He¡¯s come up with something new again...¡± The dwarf elder replied perplexedly. His voice was just a tad quieter than thunder. Garrett: ¡°......¡± If you have questions, just ask directly! Whispering behind my back like this, not even quietly, what¡¯s the point? The healers concentrated, the magicians curiously watched, and the vampires pondered. Under the intense scrutiny of the onlookers, Garrett performed at 120% of his capability, completing in an hour and a half what would have taken five or six hours in his past life¡ª Of course, mainly because he didn¡¯t need to suture blood vessels, organs, or skin; all were handled by healing spells. And the patient¡¯s blood pressure, from a preoperative 40/10, had risen to 80/60. Still quite low, but now, not at risk of collapsing any minute. Garrett breathed a sigh of relief, removed the invasive blood pressure monitor, cast a healing spell, and signaled Bishop Hampton to release the calming spell. The patient was still unconscious, but the high-level healers exchanged looks, moved: This patient had survived. Not only survived, but also likely retained combat effectiveness, or at least not too greatly diminished. The healing spells used were about 45 fewer than they had estimated. Clearly, the practitioner¡¯s healing technique had played a significant role; and the blood transfusion also had a substantial effect. As for how to perform a blood transfusion, what experiences and precautions... Heaven help, everyone had read the newly published paper, and only those who had read the paper knew the countless tricks to try. ¡°Can this technique be taught to us?¡± In the silence, Marquis Tergu was the first to step forward, raising his voice to inquire. On the other side of the ¡¾Shelter Hut¡¿, Archmage Lebron immediately chimed in cheerily: ¡°We can talk about it, all discussable. Come, let¡¯s go outside and chat slowly...¡± After all, Mage Nordmark¡¯s attitude towards technology transfer was quite open, just right for a lucrative deal. Hey, didn¡¯t Mage Nordmark want them to help develop that blood-testing magic before? Just exchange! A group of people followed him out rustlingly. Viscount Seibesh quietly nudged his fellow vampire: ¡°What¡¯s there to see here? ¡ªAfter all, it¡¯s none of our business, we vampires don¡¯t heal this way...¡± ¡°Idiot! Don¡¯t your blood slaves need blood transfusions?¡± Julia glanced at him disdainfully, her tone scornful as she shifted her lace parasol even more between them. Stupidity is contagious; it must be separated! Keep them apart! Work hard to keep them apart! Under the young lady¡¯s contemptuous gaze, Viscount Seibesh suddenly realized. He slapped his forehead: ¡°Ah! Right!¡± Each blood slave¡¯s blood tastes different, everyone wants to suck from that particularly delicious one. But you can¡¯t suck too much at once, too much will kill them, and after one suck, they need a long time to recover... If it¡¯s confirmed that blood transfusions can promote recovery, suck once, have a few lower-level blood slaves give her a transfusion, recover quickly, and be able to suck again soon, wouldn¡¯t that be wonderful! Hehe... Hehe... Hehe... Marquis, you think too much for us! However, unfortunately, Marquis Tergu¡¯s demand for technology introduction was immediately met with a setback. It wasn¡¯t that Garrett was unwilling to teach, but... ¡°Can the blood-testing magic be used in exchange? ¡ªThrow a spell that can quickly determine blood types, convenient for emergency transfusions? The accuracy needs to be high enough, with an error rate of only one in ten thousand!¡± ¡°Uh...¡± Marquis Tergu really couldn¡¯t agree right away. He himself was identified by taste, not by magical testing; wanting to develop it himself, sorry, vampires are a race that relies more on instinct than on research, he really couldn¡¯t guarantee to invent it. Besides, their trade group was only staying in Nevis City for a month or two at most. If they couldn¡¯t develop it by then, should he stay here to continue, or mortgage a junior in Nevis, acting as a human blood tester? Negotiations immediately stalled. Archmage Lebron stealthily glared at Garrett, still smiling to back him up: ¡°Mage Nordmark previously researched this blood transfusion technology, said to lead dozens of mages in the Black Crow Swamp through trials and tribulations, and after a long time finally succeeded. If the blood-testing magic can¡¯t be developed in a short time... how about using other vampire magic in exchange?¡± While speaking, he made eyes at Garrett: Agree with him! The council can compensate you! It definitely won¡¯t be less than your research expenses! Garrett gave him a smile. Up till now, the council¡¯s credibility was still high, and taking the compensation wouldn¡¯t be a loss. He leisurely stood up: ¡°I¡¯ll go check on the patient. The first time giving a knight a large blood transfusion, not sure what reactions there might be, I need to keep an eye on...¡± I¡¯ll leave it to you, professionals do professional work, make sure to raise my price! Get a good price out of it! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 526: My Little Snake Slithered into the Dragon’s Nest? Chapter 526: My Little Snake Slithered into the Dragon¡¯s Nest? Marquis Tergu was caught in a dilemma. Should he fully devote himself to developing blood testing magic, in exchange for transfusion technology? Or should he use the unique magic of the bloodline to negotiate with the council? The former, though it had a low success rate and required more effort, could potentially offer high rewards if his tribe could monopolize it, even dreaming of a dukedom in 200 years. As for the latter, it had a high success rate and was less mentally taxing. It would benefit the entire bloodline, lifting all boats. However, the share falling to his own head would be rather small. Risk, reward? Reward, risk? Marquis Tergu brooded with a grim face, lost in thought. As for Garrett, after tossing out his tasks and responsibilities, he was off having fun. "Row hard¡ªRow!" "Against the current¡ªCharge!" The sailors shouted their usual chant, straining at the oars. Garrett had just saved dozens of them, including their beloved lieutenant. Now, he and the beautiful elven lady wanted to explore the caves. What more was there to say? Brothers, row hard! Braving the surging tide at ebb, they rowed to the "Singing Cave" and halted their boat. The bawling sailor leader jumped into the shallow water, tied the rope, and courteously guided: "Sir, Miss, from here on, you can walk. Please make sure to return before the tide rises¡ª" "Got it, thanks!" Garrett responded, busily casting supportive spells on himself. Cat¡¯s Grace, Glimmering Vision, Aquatic Breathing... Before he could finish, Seraina with a splash, jumped off the ship¡¯s rail, reaching out to him: "Garrett, let¡¯s go!" "Oho~~~" Amidst the sailors¡¯ laughter, whistles, and the roar of the waves, noise filled the cave. Inside the cave, many were busy. Scooping water, chiseling stones, scraping algae and shells off the rocks, all in a flurry. The leading mage kept shouting: "Be careful! Be careful!" "Don¡¯t hurt your hands! This place is home to a poison dragon!" Illuminate spells bobbed up and down in the cave. The tide had receded, revealing a path lined with dark hexagonal columns leading deep into the cave. Garrett carefully navigated past the bustling crowd, pulling Seraina along, responding to her barrage of questions: "Garrett, why isn¡¯t the cave singing anymore?" "Maybe the outside got blasted? The singing of the cave is a resonance between the waves and the cave. If something¡¯s damaged, it won¡¯t sing..." "Garrett, why are these columns hexagonal?" "Probably because they were originally magma... After erupting from the earth¡¯s crust, they cooled down into this shape..." "Garrett, why are they prying off these shells?" "Maybe they¡¯re studying the living environment of the poison dragon? Or perhaps the dragon¡¯s saliva on the rocks forms some special substance they want to study?" "Garrett, the tops of these columns are all rough, isn¡¯t it tiring to walk?" "I... Oh!" Almost slipped! The deeper into the dragon¡¯s lair they went, the wider and deeper the waterways became. At the entrance, the bottom was visible, but a few steps further, it was pitch black, unfathomable. Garrett kept close to the cave walls, high-stepping, low-stepping. As they progressed, shouts came from ahead: "Don¡¯t come over!" "There¡¯s a whirlpool ahead!" Garrett immediately halted. He rechecked himself, refreshing Cat¡¯s Grace and Ocean¡¯s Touch, preparing Living Rope... Right, Aquatic Breathing as well, in case he fell into the water and choked before Seraina could pull him up. He wasn¡¯t done preparing when the silver dragoness had already bypassed him, taking three steps at a time, rushing forward. Then, Garrett heard Seraina¡¯s clear, excited voice echoing from the cave: "Garrett! Look! The dragon¡¯s nest! It¡¯s right below!" "So, are you planning to fish out a dragon egg? Just so you know, if you do, you¡¯re raising it, not me!" Still not done disinfecting it! "Garrett, aren¡¯t you going to take a look?" Seraina stopped smilingly. She leaned back against the stone wall, clearing the way for Garrett, pointing forward: "I can take you down! The energy down there is rich, definitely some good stuff! Want to go? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep you safe~~~" Garrett shook his head furiously. He pressed his back against the stone wall, shoulder to shoulder with Seraina, peeking slightly downward: Under the bright white light, a whirlpool over five meters in diameter roared, greedily sucking in seawater. The deeper it went, the darker it became, with the core area being pitch black, mixed with strange, dense green and gray-white foam constantly bubbling up. Garrett took just one glance before involuntarily stepping back two paces, pressing even closer to the stone wall. I definitely don¡¯t want to go down there! It¡¯s so dirty, who knows what I might encounter! Just as he retreated two steps, Garrett¡¯s chest suddenly throbbed intensely. It was like a fervent heartbeat, or as if something had been startled awake, fiercely pounding¡ª He reflexively reached out to his chest¡ªno, to the oak staff, and the Endless Ink Pen wrapped around it. As his hand touched, a semi-transparent shadow shot out from between his fingers: "Little snake!" Garrett exclaimed. His contracted spirit, that semi-transparent, half-foot-long shadow with a white background and black stripes, turned into a dim light and shot straight towards the surface. Garrett didn¡¯t even have time to react. Seraina reached out and grabbed it, but the spirit twisted agilely, brushing past her palm, and plunged into the water. Swimming rapidly along the whirlpool, it dove into the depths, disappearing without a trace. "Uh..." What are you going down there for! Is there something down there that¡¯s attracting you! Do you still want to fetch a dragon egg up?! Garrett scrambled, trying to communicate with his spirit, to see what was happening down there through its eyes, but the little snake ignored him. In his consciousness, feelings of joy, urgency, and eagerness came in waves, but there was not a hint of an image. Clearly, his contracted spirit was impatient, with no time to spare for him. Helpless, Garrett reached for the spatial pouch, intending to retrieve the Ring of Arcane Eye: At least let me see what¡¯s down there! As his fingers closed around the hard ring, Seraina reached out and tapped it, sending a magical eye flying into the water. Carried by the current, it stirred and stirred, disappearing into the center, towards the depths¡ª With a pop, like a soap bubble bursting, it vanished without a trace. The two looked at each other in bewilderment. "Or, should we go down and take a look?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 527: Enter Upright, Leave Sideways Chapter 527: Enter Upright, Leave Sideways Seraila¡¯s Arcane Eye shattered. Garrett¡¯s hand paused in mid-air. "With Seraila¡¯s magic control abilities, even the Arcane Eye she summoned shattered right there and then; the one I summoned with the Arcane Eye ring would probably not last three seconds..." Forget it, forget it, just put it back honestly, think of another way. Seraila looked at him worriedly. Garrett had gone through so much trouble to get that little snake, and she was fully involved, crystal clear about the effort: It wasn¡¯t exactly a monumental struggle, but it indeed involved traveling thousands of miles. Although the process was interesting, she didn¡¯t want to do it again... If that little snake were lost, or if it ate something wrong and simply exploded, the trouble Garrett would have to go through to get a new one! "Maybe..." Moonlight Princess started rolling up her sleeves. Her body emitted a faint white light, casting magic glows here and there, and dragon scales appeared faintly around her ears and cheeks: "Should I go down and take a look? Help you catch the little snake?" "This..." Garrett hesitated. He wasn¡¯t worried about Seraila¡¯s safety: A mere poison dragon that could be killed by a cannon was no joke. The idea that its lair could trap Seraila was laughable. The problem was, it was a poison dragon! A poison dragon! What¡¯s the environment like down there? Could it be a pool of sticky, stinky, green poison water? Seraila was known for her cleanliness, capable of throwing three to five Blazing Fireballs daily just to heat water for bathing. To make her dirty herself for his little snake? Regardless of whether Seraila minded, Garrett himself first felt uncomfortable! He grabbed Seraila¡¯s arm and pondered how to stop her. Just in that brief moment, another surge of emotion entered his heart, and Garrett was startled, suddenly saying: "Wait, don¡¯t go down yet. ...It says it¡¯s quite fine." More than fine, it was ecstatic. In his thoughts, the little snake frantically darted about, flicking its tail, somersaulting, coiling around this and that: "Mine! Mine! All mine! I want to¡ªeat them!" It was Garrett¡¯s first realization that ethereal creatures could also eat. And indeed, the little snake was eating: gobbling up its food in big bites, hurriedly and quickly, as if afraid of being robbed. While eating, it continuously sent frantic thoughts: "Delicious! Delicious! Never eaten anything like this before! ¡ªI feel like I¡¯m growing! Let me eat a little longer!" How long would it have to gnaw on these scales? The sand had both new and old scales, some almost losing their scent, and relying on the little snake to eat its way through was really inefficient... Garrett sighed and communicated with it for a while, prompting the little snake to leave the sandy bottom and swim towards the edge of the pool. It no longer shook its head or wagged its tail but coiled its tail into a bow shape, thrusting forward like an arrow¡ª Zoom! With each thrust, it shot forward several feet, quickly reaching the edge of the pool. The little snake supported its body with its tail, erecting its torso and looking around. Moments later, another intense surge of joy came through: "Delicious! ¡ªBetter than just now!" It leaped forward, plunging into a sticky, gel-like substance, gulping it down. Garrett was astonished: What is this? Dragon saliva? Please don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s the poison dragon¡¯s saliva, that¡¯s disgusting! But the little snake didn¡¯t know what disgusting was. It feasted heartily, ranting in its thoughts about "delicious, delicious," "fresh delicacies," "much better than before." A thought struck Garrett, and he quietly asked it: "Can you taste the flavor?" "Of course! My previous master relied on me to identify herbs!" "Then... can you tell the difference between seawater and freshwater?" "Definitely! Seawater is so salty!" "And seawater and ordinary salt water?" The little snake sent a confused thought, seemingly not understanding what Garrett was talking about. Garrett wasn¡¯t in a hurry, quietly waiting for it to finish eating, to eat its fill, to get stuffed, and then it transformed into a bolt of lightning, shooting back into his palm. This time, the little snake didn¡¯t coil around the oak staff as usual, falling asleep with loud snores. Instead, its tail flexed and extended, springing up. Before Garrett could reach out to stop it, it had already turned into a stream of light, shooting into his brow and disappearing. "What happened to the little snake?" Seraila reached out to catch it but caught nothing. Garrett gently closed his eyes, feeling a swelling sensation coming from his brow, his lips curling slightly: "It seems like it ate too much, got bloated, and wants to go back to my meditative world to digest... It said, after digestion, it should be able to advance... Wait..." As he spoke, his entire body swayed twice, and he toppled over. Seraila, caught off guard, quickly reached out to pull him, narrowly preventing him from crashing into the water. Another look, and the guy¡¯s eyes were tightly closed, his breathing even, and it took a long while for his eyeballs to lightly turn¡ª "He¡¯s starting to meditate?" Seraila was both annoyed and amused: "Hey, this isn¡¯t a place to meditate! It¡¯s so dark! So narrow! And the tide will rise soon! In a few hours, no one can stay here!" She shook him a few times, but Garrett, with his eyes closed, had clearly sunk into deep meditation and wouldn¡¯t wake up for a while. Seraila had no choice but to lift him onto her back, muttering under her breath as she tiptoed out: "It was agreed to come here for fun, and now you start meditating by yourself... Hmph, if it weren¡¯t for me, they¡¯d probably put you on a raft and let you drift back all wet!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 528: Snake Spirit Blood Analyzer, Launch! Chapter 528: Snake Spirit Blood Analyzer, Launch! Garrett happily took a boat ride, closing his eyes and letting someone carry him back. This episode immediately alarmed a large crowd. The Dwarf Elder stood by his bedside for a quarter of an hour, murmuring for a while, then announced "All is well, the life force is strong"; Elder Buffalo asked about the causes and consequences, saying "This is a good thing, the spirit of the contract has reaped rewards, which can reciprocate to the master, congratulations"; Archmage LeBron came over for a stroll, saying "It¡¯s fine, just keep quiet and let him meditate"; Even Marquis Tergu of the Blood Clan generously offered "If it really doesn¡¯t work out, I can give him some blood..." "That won¡¯t be necessary!" Seraila vigorously pushed him out. Garrett, in a meditative state, calmed his mind, receiving wave after wave of relentless memories from the little snake. From hatching, growing, hunting, to occupying a lair. Then, being taken by a young wizard as a contract spirit, he traveled through wind, frost, rain, and snow, tasted herbs, fought venomous insects, cured stubborn diseases, and battled fierce beasts... After decades of solitude, he formed a new contract and saw sights he had never seen before under someone else¡¯s control. The contract spirit¡¯s memories were complex yet simple. Vision, hearing, smell, and an extraordinary intuition all poured into his mind. Garrett emptied his mind, firmly suggesting to himself: "Therefore, there is no color in the sky, nor perception, thought, action, consciousness... no eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, mind, no form, sound, scent, taste, touch, phenomena..." It must be said, the scriptures learned in the hospital to comfort patients were somewhat useful. During meditation, he was unaware of time passing. People came and went outside, the room was noisy then quiet, but Garrett did not care, wholeheartedly immersed in meditation. When he had sorted out all the messages and opened his eyes, the cabin had darkened. A single light, dimmed by frosted glass, illuminated only a square foot of the table. A dinner was laid out on the table, its lid covered in steam, keeping it warm. Outside the cabin, the sea wind howled and water splashed, indicating they had left the island and set sail under the cover of night. Seraila lay across the table. She had been waiting there for who knows how long, her face flushed and drooling slightly in her sleep. Garrett peeked at her cautiously. Waking a sleeping dragon had unpredictable consequences, and he certainly wasn¡¯t going to try. With a flick of his wrist, a cup flew over to him, and he cast a water creation spell, filling it halfway. "Garrett! You¡¯re awake!" Just that slight noise had already awakened the young silver dragon. She rubbed her eyes and jumped down: "How¡¯s the little snake doing?" "It seems to have grown..." Garrett showed her his wrist where the snake had doubled in size and thickness, curling around his wrist and flicking its tongue at Seraila. Seraila was delighted and reached out to play with it. The little snake curled around Garrett¡¯s wrist, rearing up halfway. Its head bobbed up and down, left and right, playing hide and seek with Seraila. The snake was quick, but Seraila was quicker. Sometimes, when she couldn¡¯t dodge in time, she would gently press on its tiny head. It had swallowed many toxic dragon breaths, and Seraila¡¯s fingertips were covered with a layer of luminescence, which surprisingly made contact with the incorporeal, pressing it flat on the table. For a moment, the cabin was filled with the clear, crisp laughter of the young girl. Garrett let her play with the little snake while he wolfed down his dinner. Then he extended his wrist again, allowing the snake to coil back up, focusing as he communicated with it: "I¡¯ve prepared two saline solutions, can you tell the difference?" The little snake wound around his wrist, looking puzzled. Garrett tidied up the dishes and drew two samples with a test tube: one 0.9% saline and one Ringer¡¯s solution, clear and transparent, at the same temperature, placed on the table. The little snake dove into them. Soon, feedback came: "They¡¯re different." "How are they different?" "..." Clearly, this question was beyond the little snake¡¯s ability to express. It coiled around Garrett¡¯s wrist a few times, nodding its head up and down, but no message came through. Garrett wasn¡¯t in a hurry, setting up an array of alchemical equipment, continuing to prepare medications: A pinch of glucose, dissolved in water; A pinch of oral rehydration salts, dissolved in 100 ml distilled water; Potassium chloride solution; Sodium bicarbonate solution; Penicillin injection... A saline solution mixed with cowpox... The little snake "tasted" each one. Though it couldn¡¯t describe the differences, it remembered which was which, and which were similar: For example, Ringer¡¯s solution and saline were quite similar, and somewhat like the oral rehydration salts; The oral rehydration salts had a bit more of a glucose taste compared to Ringer¡¯s solution, yet lacked something; The penicillin solution tasted much like saline but had a very pungent scent, while the cowpox injection was much milder... Garrett was both amazed and pleased. He quickly lined up a long row of test tubes: Concentrated sulfuric acid, concentrated hydrochloric acid, concentrated nitric acid, dilute sulfuric acid, dilute hydrochloric acid, sodium bicarbonate solution, sodium hydroxide solution... At a thought, the little snake moved from one test tube to another. Its head dipped in, stayed for a moment, then came out; moved to another, dipped in, stayed... Although it couldn¡¯t distinguish the taste of acids and bases, it could still indicate to Garrett which were harsh and which were mild, arranging them in order from strong acids to weak acids, from weak bases to strong bases, without mixing any up. Seraila, propping her cheeks under the light, watched happily. As the little snake tasted a drop, she followed suit; as it touched a drop, she took a sip... "Hey, hey, hey! That¡¯s concentrated sulfuric acid! You can¡¯t drink that!" "What? What?" Seraila pursed her lips, her tongue lightly licking her palate: "It doesn¡¯t taste acidic?" "Forget it, do as you please..." Though he said do as you please, Garrett dared not try other reagents. What if the dragon race couldn¡¯t withstand it? What if it blistered her tender lips and mucous membranes? Better switch to something safer... He rummaged through his space bag, flipping out several test tubes. Blood, suspected hyperlipidemia; Blood, suspected gout; Blood, suspected diabetes; Blood, suspected anemia... He set them up in a row, adding a test tube of normal blood, and pointed to the little snake: "Go!" In a short while, the little snake frantically transmitted a bunch of information: "This one tastes bad! Bleh bleh bleh! A fatty taste!" "This one tastes bad too! It¡¯s like that¡ªwhat you called acidic¡ªbut different..." "This one¡¯s so bland!" "This one tastes good, kind of like that... that... what you said was sweet!" Garrett was thrilled. The little snake was impressive! Though it couldn¡¯t report specific values or perform quantitative analysis, it could at least qualify them! A snake-shaped blood analyzer, indeed! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 529: Another Day Dedicated to War Chapter 529: Another Day Dedicated to War On the "Sperm Whale," with its passengers aboard, it sails through the waves, making a large circle on the sea. Besides demonstrating its combat capabilities, it also showcased other abilities: "Large marine creature approaching fast! At three o¡¯clock, within a distance of... less than 5 kilometers!" Inside the captain¡¯s quarters, a long, thin copper tube, flaring at both ends, connects directly to the deck below the third level. At the very front of the deck, a mage sits attentively, staring at a light screen that¡¯s five feet wide and three feet tall, continuously reporting: "At five o¡¯clock, marine creatures are approaching rapidly! Medium size, more than 20 in number, power level... preliminarily estimated as level 4, leader at level 5! Expected to make contact in 30 minutes!" "Twelve o¡¯clock..." The mage¡¯s voice travels through the copper tube to the captain¡¯s quarters, and from there, via other tubes, orders are conveyed to all compartments. The riggers, gunnery chiefs, and combat leaders each perform their duties, and in half an hour, they accurately meet the incoming marine creatures. On the "Sperm Whale," 108 cannons fire at full force, turning the seawater a bright red. "...So are we going to fight our way back?" After two consecutive battles, the dwarven elder couldn¡¯t help but express his doubts. The barbarian elder, Brock, nods: As races also from the Black Gate Giants, sharing common ancestors and legends, their attitude towards battle is the same. They do not fear combat, but they absolutely despise unnecessary slaughter. The logic is simple¡ªin a barren land like the great wasteland, if you take too much from nature in the first year, you will definitely go hungry the next! "Ah, please, everyone, don¡¯t rush," Knight Delock gestures with a smile. Around the third-level gun deck, one window after another opens, and sailors are seen lowering some alchemical equipment along the deck: "As you all can see, ¡¯Pharbetti¡¯s Curse,¡¯ this alchemical potion, can lure marine creatures to attack the contaminated battleship, greatly weakening its combat strength. The downside is, this potion does not differentiate between friend and foe¡ªbut now, we have a method to quickly neutralize this potion!" The VIPs quiet down. An important part of the earlier discussion about attacking the Radiant Church¡¯s fleet involved using ¡¯Pharbetti¡¯s Curse¡¯ to contaminate enemy ships, reducing their combat effectiveness. Only when weakened sufficiently could a full assault be launched¡ª But this thing doesn¡¯t differentiate between friend and foe! By then, if every ship is contaminated, can anyone even return? Now demonstrated is the process of quickly neutralizing the potion. The battleship continues to sail away, and from morning till noon, from noon till evening, the gathering sea beasts become fewer and fewer. Under everyone¡¯s watch, in less than two days and nights, the effect of ¡¯Pharbetti¡¯s Curse¡¯ has completely disappeared. "It looks pretty good..." "The effect is really strong!" "With this, the feasibility has increased again..." The big shots verified the council¡¯s method¡¯s effectiveness and then went back inside the VIP cabin, burying themselves in discussion. Lower-ranked guests who aren¡¯t privy to the battle plans scurry all over the ship, carrying fishing rods, pinching fishing reels, casting nets, all sorts of ideas to amuse themselves. As for Garrett... "Don¡¯t rush, don¡¯t rush! Line up, one at a time! Name, age, combat level, occupation¡ª" In front of him, a rack of test tubes is arranged. ¡¯Mage¡¯s Trick¡¯ shaping, a 5x4 rack, instantly setting up four. Clearly, today¡¯s task is to collect 80 samples. To his left, a glass box contains sterilized needles, each individually sealed; to his right, a sharps box, storing used needles. Seraina sits to his left, furiously writing labels, sticking one on each test tube, and passing them to Garrett¡ª The entire process is conducted like a blood collection station at a medical center. In fact, it is blood collection. Off-duty sailors form a long line, rolling up their sleeves to expose their elbows. Crowding together, they whisper: "Is this really useful?" "It really is! Didn¡¯t you see the other day? Knight Entley¡¯s severe injury, after a few bottles of blood transfusion, he recovered!" "Yeah! If we get injured ourselves, and the bishop can¡¯t heal us, we¡¯ll have to rely on ourselves! Knowing our blood type might just save our life!" "But... will they force us to give blood to the knight?" "Hey! The sailors who donated blood that day each received a gold coin, a gold coin! A gold coin for that much blood, wouldn¡¯t you agree?" "But what if you don¡¯t get the money?" " Are you stupid? What¡¯s more important, life or money? Not just anyone¡¯s blood can be transfused, if your blood type matches that of an officer, even if it¡¯s to help him with a transfusion, in a pinch, won¡¯t he pull you out of trouble?" "Besides, if the knight recovers quickly, someone can hold the line in a big battle, and we can all survive a bit longer. Mutual blood transfusion is good for everyone!" Garrett lets these discussions float past his ears, focusing single-mindedly on his task. He takes a labeled test tube, looks up to ask the name, checks it. Then, he picks up a needle, connects it to a vine, letting the other end stretch into the test tube, and passes it to the right: On the right, Bishop Ampton nervously takes over, beginning his task. Tying off a tourniquet, making the blood donor clench their fist. An alcohol swab cleans the skin, a fingertip presses to locate a vein, and the needle goes in¡ª "Ouch, ouch, that hurts! Be gentle! Look, no blood¡¯s coming out in the tube! You stuck it wrong again!" "Sorry, I¡¯ll try again..." Bishop Ampton apologetically smiles, casts a minor healing spell on the punctured site, and continues his work. Garrett, standing by, occasionally gives a few tips: "Watch the angle of entry! Make it 30 degrees with the skin!" "After sticking it in, lay the needle flat, at a 5¡ã angle forward, enter the vein!" "Once you¡¯re sure it¡¯s in the vein, push a little bit along the vein direction! Less than half a finger joint!" "Ah, you¡¯ve pierced through! Retract the needle! Try a different spot!" If Garrett himself were to do it, he¡¯d have finished with three people by now. But what can be done, he can¡¯t always stay on the ship, in the future, for transfusions and such, the crew must do it themselves. Better to teach the bishop first, then let him gradually instruct the assistants... 5 milliliters of fresh blood flow into the test tube, remove the needle, press a cotton ball in place. Garrett takes the test tube, drops in an anti-coagulation spell, inserts it into the test tube rack, next! Every day, collect 80 samples, perform 80 blood type tests, produce 80 results. Write them on a strip, give each sailor their own to keep safe. Create a record book, hand it over to Bishop Ampton, and when it¡¯s time for transfusions, they can call people by the book... Hmm, after the big battle, the battleship¡¯s chances of quickly regaining combat capability have increased by another point. Feels pretty great! Of course, verifying blood types and such doesn¡¯t actually need 5 milliliters of fresh blood. The rest, Garrett confidently keeps for himself, experimenting with the ¡¯Bloodline Discernment¡¯ spell, drawing images, letting little snakes taste... Today is still a day for accumulating samples. Still a day with no progress in blood magic. Still a day of persistent effort! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 530: A Legendary Invention, Obtainable but Not Affordable Chapter 530: A Legendary Invention, Obtainable but Not Affordable After the downfall of the "Sperm Whale," the ship sailed on the seas for seven more days. During this time, Garrett Nordmark busied himself in the cabin, working relentlessly for seven days. From the common folk to the extraordinary, from the captain, first officer, and bishop to all the sailors, gunners, craftsmen, and knights... Everyone took turns visiting him. Each person contributed five milliliters of blood, and returned the next day with a note indicating their blood type¡ª Fortunately, the sample size was manageable, and no rare blood types emerged, sparing Garrett from potential disaster. It was also fortunate that his reputation was solid. If he had been a mage from the Black Crow Swamp, people would rather die than agree to have their blood drawn. Who knows what a necromancer might do with their blood¡ªcurse them, or turn them into thralls? After seven days, Garrett was spinning from exhaustion, feeling nauseous at the sight of the blood-filled test tubes. As for Bishop Ampton, this priest of the God of War was so skilled at drawing blood, he hit the vein on the first try. After sailing for seven days, they returned to Nevis Port. The guests disembarked and headed to their residences, while the bloodkin were still lying in their coffins, carried off the ship just as they had been brought aboard. Garrett was temporarily free from hosting duties and was about to head back to the Mage Tower for a bath when a little bird landed in front of him. The bird was entirely bright blue, seemingly delicate and charming at first glance, but upon closer inspection, from its eyes to its claws, from its beak to its wings, everything was lined with fine threads of lightning. Sparks crackled among its feathers, constantly flashing. Flapping its wings, the bird hovered in front of Garrett, its deep blue beak opening and closing. Instead of bird calls, a clear and bright voice came out: "Garrett, the magic image conversion tool you asked about is ready. I have it here; come and get it!" "Yes, teacher! I¡¯ll come right away!" Garrett bowed joyfully, overjoyed that Lady Almeida had finally finished the magic tool that could project images from his meditative vision into reality. The magical device was already at his teacher¡¯s place; he could pick it up right now! His X-ray slides! His ultrasound! His future targets, CT and MRI! Finally, he could produce images, teach students, and explain to patients and their families! For a moment, Garrett forgot his exhaustion and, after informing Serrano, activated the teleportation spell on his "Endless Ink Pen" and rushed to the peak of Igor Mountain. The Lord of Thunder smiled when he saw how quickly Garrett arrived and casually pointed: ?a??O??E?S? "Try this thing out and see if it works for you." If it didn¡¯t work, could he even ask a legendary mage to modify it? Curious, Garrett followed where his teacher pointed, only to see a brilliantly golden square box. Two feet square and one foot high, adorned with a ring of various gems, and at least seven smooth pearls the size of a pinky fingertip embedded in it. Between the gems, countless silver threads intertwined, likely not silver but mithril. How expensive must this thing be...materials, magic circles, labor, plus a legendary mage¡¯s design¡ªGarrett didn¡¯t know if he could afford it with all his liquid assets. Suppressing a gasp, Garrett looked at his teacher. The Lord of Thunder smiled slightly: "Lady Almeida struggled for over a month and couldn¡¯t reduce the casting requirements. No choice but to make this thing; use it for now. ¡ªShe said, since she¡¯s developed this magic, she won¡¯t share the subsequent brainwave research with you." Garrett was ecstatic. Not having to pay was a relief; as for brainwave stuff, he didn¡¯t have the energy to research it himself, so it was best to leave it. Following his teacher¡¯s instructions, Garrett placed one hand on the top of the gold box, his fingers around the mithril-wound magic circle, and took out a blood sample with the other hand. Concentrating slightly, he cast a "Bloodline Identification" spell¡ª Then, his whole body slightly staggered, almost falling over. A powerful force surged from the gold box, draining nearly all of Garrett¡¯s magic in an instant. The box clicked and whirred, and soon, it spat out an extremely thin crystal chip, half the size of a palm, with faint glimmers of light flowing over it. Clearly, the power needed for recording and imprinting was drawn from him. "Teacher..." Garrett closed his eyes and panted for a while before complaining. This device was too harsh! His teacher hadn¡¯t even warned him before letting him try it! If he hadn¡¯t been deeply accomplished, having been infused by the world¡¯s will during several advancements, and had been just a regular fifth-level mage, he might have collapsed on the spot, passed out, or even damaged his foundation. The Lord of Thunder watched his disheveled state, merely standing by. Only when Garrett opened his eyes did he shake his head and smile: "Research is necessary, and so is accumulating spiritual power. If you spent more time meditating, you¡¯d have reached the threshold for advancement by now, and wouldn¡¯t be so embarrassed." ...But if I don¡¯t do research, I can¡¯t advance at all! Garrett dared not talk back to his teacher, picked up the crystal chip, and with a slight touch of his mental power, released a large three-dimensional light display. The display was colorful and intricate, with points, lines, planes, and arcs interwoven, containing data that indeed couldn¡¯t be recorded with just a pen. Garrett sighed deeply. Although the light display was still intangible, it could now be sensed, recorded, and imprinted by magic. He could hand it over to the Tower Spirits for data analysis, but... "Teacher, I can¡¯t use this box many times a day!" Garrett lamented. Without using potions, he could only use it once or twice a day at most. How long would it take to accumulate enough samples, to gather sufficient data for the Tower Spirits to analyze? The Lord of Thunder didn¡¯t even twitch his eyebrows. After Garrett¡¯s outcry, he slowly said: "This isn¡¯t meant for direct use. Take it back, connect it to an energy pool in the Mage Tower. That¡¯s how large magical devices are operated." "But my hospital doesn¡¯t have an energy pool!" Taking it to the hospital meant he couldn¡¯t use it even once a day; not taking it there meant dragging patients to the Mage Tower, where the energy field was harmful to ordinary people. Under Garrett¡¯s mournful gaze, the Lord of Thunder casually remarked: "That¡¯s your own problem then. ¡ªEither advance and increase your spiritual power limit so you can use it more often each day, or find a way to install an energy pool in the hospital yourself." Advancing wasn¡¯t something that happened overnight. Installing an energy pool, the energy pool in his Mage Tower, was acquired through negotiations with the council. God knows when he could afford one on his own. Disheartened, Garrett bid his teacher farewell and picked up the gold box to leave. As he was about to step out of the room, the Lord of Thunder called out from behind: "The storage crystal chips, 1000 contribution points for a hundred pieces, no bargaining. This box contains a hundred pieces; if you want more¡ªbuy them yourself." Garrett stumbled. "Teacher¡ªcan these chips be erased and rewritten?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 531: Data Chip, Whose Wool Are We Going to Pluck? Chapter 531: Data Chip, Whose Wool Are We Going to Pluck? In this world, research indeed costs more than anything else. ¡ª¡ªIf there¡¯s anything else that can compare, it¡¯s probably war. Naturally, losing a war is a huge loss, but winning can yield at least ten times the interest. Research alone, who knows how it will break even... Garrett walked down from the tower with a gloomy look, not heading home but first detouring to the trading area of the White Tower and asked: ¡°How much for a standard data chip?¡± ¡°One for 10 contribution points, 100 for a thousand contribution points.¡± ¡°Any discount for a bulk purchase?¡± ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, sir.¡± The trader behind the counter offered a standardized smile: ¡°The price is the same for purchases up to ten thousand chips, with no discount.¡± ¡°Then¡ªabout old chips that have been recorded on, is there an erasure service? Or can they be recycled?¡± Garrett asked with a last glimmer of hope. If it were possible to erase and rewrite for 1 contribution point, or even get a discount on recycling at half price, or less, his wallet could recover quite a bit. Alas... ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, sir...¡± Hope shattered. Garrett dragged his heavy feet out of the White Tower, looked around... Damn, he came too hurriedly today, Apa didn¡¯t come out to meet him! He had to summon the phantom steed himself to go back, and after returning, he¡¯d also have to endure Apa¡¯s jealousy and coquetry! Garrett gloomily returned to his own mage tower. He climbed up to the 8th floor¡¯s control center, took out a golden treasure box from his spatial bag, and placed it in front of the tower spirit: ¡°MOSS¡ªthis thing needs to be connected to the power pool, using the entire mage tower to power it, how do I connect it?¡± The crystal ball immediately started flickering. Once, twice, three times, then the light brightened, projecting a screen: ¡°Master, please don¡¯t worry, this isn¡¯t difficult. Please follow the diagram to connect the magical device to the power interface.¡± Mage tower¡¯s three-dimensional image, a nine-story tower, energy core, magnification, interface... It was quite like the instructional videos from online stores, slightly complicated just in case customers don¡¯t understand, can¡¯t install it, or install it incorrectly, which could lead to returns, negative reviews, and complaints. ¡°Ah... MOSS, I really wouldn¡¯t know what to do without you...¡± Garrett breathed a sigh of relief, comforting himself. He followed MOSS¡¯s instructions, a command at a time, a motion at a time, and placed the golden treasure box on the power interface. Another try, and indeed, the spell¡¯s cost was significantly reduced: ¡°It¡¯s basically a first-circle spell now!¡± Garrett exclaimed joyfully: ¡°Even if it¡¯s a high-level first-circle, it¡¯s still just a first-circle! With such a spell, I could cast...¡± even if not a hundred times, definitely dozens! Garrett beamed with joy. He lined up a row of test tubes, organized them according to blood type. Then, holding a test tube in one hand and pressing the golden treasure box with the other, he concentrated and cast a spell. Click, a thin chip was spat out. Four blood types in one round, then four blood types in another round. Garrett cast five rounds of spells in one breath, sorting the 20 chips into categories, and loosened them in front of the tower spirit: ¡°MOSS, can you help analyze these data? These 20 pieces of data, 5 per category. Among all the data, there is one point that is the same in each category, but different among categories...¡± Ra??o?bE?S? ¡°MOSS can analyze data.¡± The light projected from the crystal ball, line by line, typed out a response. Beneath the column supporting the crystal ball, a small box popped out: Half a foot long, half a foot wide, an inch high, perfectly square. The pure black base was inlaid with fine silver threads, spiraling out from the inside out. The silver threads were level with the base, Garrett casually touched it, smooth and crystalline, feeling no bumps or dips at all. ¡°Please place the data plate in the slot.¡± MOSS blandly prompted. Garrett sweat heavily: This is like copying CDs? Put in a blank one, take it out, record, take it out? So, is that why chips have to be in a standardized format? To facilitate the tower spirit¡¯s reading and calculation? Insert one, take it out, insert another, take it out. By the fifth chip, Garrett finally got a bit impatient: ¡°MOSS, can you do this kind of inserting and retrieving yourself?¡± It¡¯s only 20 chips, but if it were a couple hundred or a couple thousand, how long would I have to do such menial work? ¡°Please authorize, MOSS will instruct the invisible servants...¡± Garrett: ¡°......¡± The tower spirit¡¯s tone remained flat, no fluctuation heard. The hint of sarcasm in Garrett¡¯s earlier use of ¡°you¡± seemed to have completely escaped its notice. Of course, even if it had noticed, given MOSS¡¯s personality template and tone settings, it wouldn¡¯t talk back to Garrett... Either way, Garrett finally escaped the tedious menial work, freeing him to ponder more important issues, such as: ¡°Master, insufficient data, MOSS cannot compute.¡± ¡°How much data is needed to compute?¡± ¡°Insufficient data, MOSS cannot compute.¡± ¡°MOSS, can you erase and rewrite the data in this chip?¡± ¡°Master, MOSS cannot do that.¡± ¡°What would it take to be able to do it?¡± ¡°Insufficient data, MOSS cannot compute.¡± Garrett sighed. It seems there¡¯s no way to cut corners... He cast another round of spells, exhausting all his mental energy, then crawled to meditate. Speaking of which, it had been a long time since he meditated in his own mage tower... Ha... Ow... Powered by the mage tower, the gentle and abundant magical elements surrounded him. Garrett felt as light as if he were soaking in a hot spring, incredibly comfortable. Soon, he entered a dazed state. He no longer maintained a cross-legged posture, instead stretching out as much as he could, leaning back... When he awoke, he felt refreshed, as if he had shed several pounds. With the mage tower¡¯s ample supply, the growth in mental power from one meditation session could be several times that of meditating outside. Garrett vaguely felt that he might soon reach a breakthrough. But where is the ceiling? Where is the opportunity to break through the ceiling? Where is that point of effort, that opportunity to push upwards? Based on past experience, Garrett vaguely felt that perhaps developing the blood-testing magic was the moment to advance. The problem is, developing blood-testing magic requires a lot of data and calculations, a lot of data and calculations require spending a fortune on chips... Where does the money come from? Where to pluck some wool, no, where to pull in some sponsorship? Garrett shook his head, temporarily shaking off his worries. Looking at the time, it was again the hour to fulfill diplomatic duties. He rode the silver moon deer, speeding to the embassy, only to be immediately informed of a piece of news: ¡°By the way, that blood-testing magic, Marquis Tergu said he¡¯s not doing it anymore.¡± The marquis, after much consideration, felt that developing this magic was too low in cost-effectiveness. Especially considering Garrett¡¯s attitude of testing anyone¡¯s blood, he always felt that they couldn¡¯t keep the secret within their tribe... A year or two might be okay, three to five years might also work, but definitely not for decades! Just anyone from his tribe could learn it by making a round in the council! Might as well exchange the entire tribe¡¯s savings! Garrett nodded slightly, not annoyed, not complaining. It¡¯s best if the marquis doesn¡¯t proceed, as he wanted to develop it himself anyway. Finally, Madam Almeida had figured out the preliminary magic, and the development direction was also clear, just counting on this to advance! ¡°By the way, about the money from selling the blood magic, can it be converted into contribution points for me quickly? ¡ªIf not, converting it into data chips works too!¡± --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 532: Theft-proofing the Magical Plan Chapter 532: Theft-proofing the Magical Plan "Can I get the payment first?" "Or the data chip first?" Archmage Grom sighed with difficulty. Negotiating with the Blood Clan is a systematic project, not a transaction-by-transaction deal. Now that both parties have just reached an intention to cooperate in combat, the details haven¡¯t even started to be discussed. How could Garrett possibly get the money? He thought for a moment, took off his badge, and handed it to Garrett: "Short on cash? How about I lend you some? One or two thousand, just name the amount, I can still afford it!" Garrett quickly shook his head. If he really could borrow, he could simply ask around among the mages he knew; borrowing ten or twenty thousand contribution points wouldn¡¯t be too hard. But research funding can¡¯t rely on borrowing! Research is a bottomless pit. Ten thousand contribution points are just 1,000 chips, 1,000 pieces of data. Who could guarantee that 1,000 pieces of data would be enough to solve his project? "How about you help estimate a price?" Garrett thought for a moment and proposed another plan: "Estimate a rough price, and I¡¯ll use this magic to mortgage a loan from the council¡ª I remember, does the White Tower offer such loans?" That¡¯s not impossible. The problem with mortgage loans is that the transaction price can only be estimated low, not high. Otherwise, it¡¯s not just the wallet that gets hurt, but also the reputation of the appraiser. Elder Grom and his colleagues discussed it and only offered an appraisal of 2,000 contribution points. Garrett received the money with one hand and immediately spent it, turning it into 200 data crystal cards. However, trading blood for 200 cards, and buying 200 more from his own savings, putting four or five hundred pieces of data into the MOSS database didn¡¯t even make a splash... "Then, just spend the money from the Mage Tower?" Linne suggested. Garrett looked at the Mage Tower¡¯s account, which was already less than four digits, and silently shook his head. "Should I go borrow some from the teacher?" Aurora asked tentatively. Garrett shook his head even faster: If borrowing were an option, the Thunder Lord would have lent it to him already. Asking others would only bring trouble to them, wouldn¡¯t it? "Then what about..." Serrano rolled up her sleeves and looked around: "I remember the trading price in the White Tower, dragon blood is 1,000 contribution points a drop? Hey, do you have a bottle to store it?" "Don¡¯t mess around!" Garrett was startled and quickly stopped her. Casual financial aid between friends is one thing, but letting the Silver Dragon Miss sell her blood is another. He would never do such a thing that harms others without benefiting oneself! Serrano pouted her lips and retreated. Garrett, troubled, rubbed his temples: What else is there to sell? If there¡¯s nothing to sell, he¡¯d have to write a project report and apply for project funding from the council. The rabies project hadn¡¯t been concluded yet, and starting a new one, who knows if it would pass... As he thought, clouds moved outside the window, and a ray of sunlight hit the corner of his eye. Garrett suddenly remembered: Right, sunscreen! He had talked to Viscount Seibesh last time about improving the sunscreen magic. Where did it get stuck last time? Sunscreen materials? Chemical sunscreens won¡¯t do, so what about physical sunscreens? In his past life, what were the raw materials for physical sunscreen? Garrett closed his eyes and concentrated, quickly recalling from his memory. The main ingredients for physical sunscreen were zinc oxide powder and titanium dioxide powder¡ª Seemingly, they weren¡¯t hard to find? Garrett casually placed an order, and by evening, the White Tower had delivered the goods. Garrett scooped a spoonful from the left bottle, and another from the right, mixed them evenly, and called on Mage Linne: "Brother Linne, can you help me test this magic?" Mage Linne summoned the lowest rank of skeleton soldiers. As soon as it saw the sunlight, black smoke billowed from its body, and it staggered and fell. Garrett quickly threw the powder in his hand, casting the magic¡ª The tiny pinch of mixed powder rose up, turning into a mist, enveloping the skeleton soldier. The mist was extremely thin, almost invisible to the naked eye, yet once it covered the soldier, the black smoke immediately stopped. "This stuff is not bad!" Linne was surprised. The two stood shoulder to shoulder, watching for ten minutes; the skeleton soldier showed no signs of weakness. He looked at Garrett, who spread his hands: "I don¡¯t know either, they say it was invented by a great duke of the Blood Clan, they didn¡¯t tell me the strength or duration, only that they originally used silver powder." "Blood Clan using silver powder..." Linne chuckled. He took the spell materials from Garrett and casually cast a detection spell, immediately frowning: "Are you planning to sell this to the Blood Clan?" "Uh-huh." "That won¡¯t do." Linne cut him off decisively. Seeing Garrett¡¯s confusion, he pointed at the remaining powder: "A simple detection spell reveals it. ¡ªYou need to make it more complex, otherwise, it won¡¯t sell for a good price." Garrett deeply agreed. Non-clan members, their hearts must differ. Now, everyone is joining hands against the Radiant Church, but who knows if it might become a life-or-death struggle later? The things to be sold to the Blood Clan had better be as complicated as possible, so they couldn¡¯t make it themselves. Only then could humans sell it at a high price or cut off supply whenever they want! He invigorated himself, mixed the two powders with lime powder, baking soda, chalk, gypsum, and seven or eight similar powders. He adjusted the proportions and formula, yet no matter how much he tinkered, the detection spell could always reveal it. Garrett gritted his teeth and decided to take a different approach. You use silver powder for spell materials? Silver powder works, silver ions don¡¯t? Solid works, how about liquid? "Mr. Norwood! Mr. Norwood, do me a favor!" Mage Norwood responded to the call. He came with two apprentices, who had been tinkering with various rubbers lately and had achieved some results, just one step away from Garrett¡¯s requirements. Now that the boss had summoned him, he quickly set up various bottles and jars, cutting, pounding, boiling, and stewing¡ª Before long, a bottle of silver nitrate solution was completed first. It was already sunset by the time they finished tinkering, but Garrett had his own way. He asked Linne to summon a skeleton soldier, and he pressed a button on the wall, creating a crisp snap. The mercury arc rectifier emitted a faint blue light. Garrett held a small brown bottle in his hand, a stream of water rising from it, forming a mist, blocking the ultraviolet light emitted by the rectifier. Linne stood beside him, feeling the skeleton soldier¡¯s condition, nodded, and then shook his head: "It works, but a detection spell can still see it. Is there another way?" "Of course there is!" Garrett gave him a reassuring smile. If silver nitrate works, that means silver halides work too; if silver halides work, then why not play with something a bit more complex? "Mr. Norwood, let¡¯s keep at it! Concentrated hydrochloric acid, concentrated sulfuric acid, concentrated nitric acid, silver powder, iodine, all sorts of things, bring them all out!" Let¡¯s make something the world has never seen before, and see how your detection spell recognizes it! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 534: Miss Silver Dragon’s Fantastic Photography Journey Chapter 534: Miss Silver Dragon¡¯s Fantastic Photography Journey Add camphor to nitrocellulose. Heat. Pressurize. "Boom!" Mr. Norwood emotionlessly casts a Cleansing Spell. Garrett silently strengthens his protective barrier. Seraila calmly blows out a breath of icy mist. Mage Linde¡¯s senior, a necromancer from the Black Crow Swamp, swiftly makes several hand gestures, gathering negative energy to repair a skeleton. "Again!" ¡ªThis is the advantage of necromancers in industrial production. The frontline workers are all various skeletons; necromancers simply stand far away, using mental power to remotely observe and manipulate their skeletons, working hard. If anything burns or explodes, at worst, a few skeletons are wasted. The necromancer himself remains completely unharmed. "Mind the operating temperature... don¡¯t exceed 100 degrees..." Garrett advises expressionlessly: "Don¡¯t let the pressure rise too quickly... pay attention to the heat dissipation of the raw materials... if not, throw around some freezing rays..." Ah, just making celluloid, why is it so hard! After countless "booms," explosions, and burns, the necromancers finally mastered the production method. Though clumsy, at least they managed to produce: Making celluloid, pressing it into thin sheets; Producing silver iodide, vibrating it into microparticles with mental power, evenly distributed in gelatin; Coating it onto celluloid sheets, allowing the silver iodide gelatin to set; Then... "Smile!" Seraila shouts joyfully. With a snap, a flash spell explodes, and the film immediately captures a blurry human figure. ...Great, this eliminates the need for those smoke-emitting magnesium lights, directly rubbing to create light... Garrett mutters to himself, facing the silver dragon maiden, he lifts a happy smile. In this transaction, he truly gained a lot: Black Crow Swamp paid a one-time fee of 2000 contribution points for the celluloid film patent; Afterwards, for each piece of film sold, they would pay him 15% of the sales revenue as royalties; More importantly, for the next ten years, Garrett has a stake in all subsequent research and new products based on this technology from Black Crow Swamp¡ªearning 5% of the profits¡ª Of course, he needs to first use up the initial 2000 contribution points before considering further income. But Garrett is confident about future earnings: Joking, this is celluloid! It¡¯s plastic, the very first plastic! The person who first developed this thing became a millionaire not long after! "You guys change its ratio, temperature, and pressure, try a few more times, you should be able to produce different types of films." Garrett recalls from memory, advising the necromancer receiving the technology: "Transparent, opaque, translucent, you should have all kinds. Oh, you can try changing the base material of nitrocellulose, increase or decrease materials, but you can¡¯t reduce the camphor..." The necromancer writes furiously. Every piece of this information is a treasure, each convertible into money. Though they seem more useful for alteration types... "Stack different transparency films, try making more interesting things. Like, say, imitation ivory?" Back then, didn¡¯t someone use imitation ivory to make billiard balls? Does this world have billiards? Or other recreational items? The necromancer¡¯s pen slows slightly. What¡¯s the point of imitation ivory? In this era, those who can afford real ivory, who would use a fake? Those who can afford real ivory, for valuable items, who can¡¯t afford to hire a mage to cast an identification spell? "Right, remember to dye it! Dye it!" Garrett suddenly slaps his forehead. Almost forgot, celluloid has a very important role in medical research: "When the dyeing succeeds¡ªpreferably into a bright red¡ªcall me, I¡¯ll show you a vascular casting! It¡¯s those real biological, physically existing vessels!" "Understood! Will do!" The eyes of Linde¡¯s fellow disciples brighten, gleaming like a flash spell. "Okay!" Snap! Seraila takes out a film from the side, directly casting a true Flash Spell. Before the two necromancers can cover their eyes, she retracts the film, happily drifting away: "Hehe, got another one!" Necromancer: "..." Can I get the film back? Can I? It¡¯s said that this thing might capture souls... though whether it¡¯s possible or not is still unknown, a team from the school is researching... but can I get the film back? Or, could this beautiful lady please not photograph me? Obviously impossible. Before coming here, Linde had secretly instructed him: In the Mage Tower, don¡¯t mess with this elf maiden. First, you can¡¯t beat her, and second, even if you could, we can¡¯t afford to provoke her background... The necromancer leaves somewhat anxiously, casually leaving behind a bag of chips. Garrett¡¯s order, he delivered it on his way here: Garrett¡¯s 2000 contribution points, he gave half to Mage Norwood, to distribute to the follow-up team, and the other half instantly bought chips. With the transaction complete, Garrett no longer worries. He returns to the central hub of the Mage Tower, taking out a tube of blood samples, continuing to accumulate data: "Click." "Click." "Click." Another 1000 contribution points spent. Ah, this bottomless pit-like data accumulation process, who knows when it will end... If this money runs out and no funds come in, he¡¯ll have to fleece two temples... especially the Temple of the War God, their transfusion is precisely the weakness of healing spells, they should have a need... "Click¡ª" Wait, why does this sound off? Garrett suddenly opens his eyes. A meter in front of him, Seraila holds a smooth copper box, filled with who knows how many films, clicking away at him... "Se...rai...la..." Garrett is exasperated. Where¡¯s your lens? Your focus? I see nothing, just this box, what are you trying to capture? "Ah, Garrett, I¡¯m not capturing your soul! Really not!" Seraila quickly retracts the box behind her, taking a leap back: "I just wanted to record you casting spells! That chip is expensive, this homemade one, cheap!" She says this while rapidly retreating, finishing these two sentences, she¡¯s already reached the doorway, turning to run. Garrett is both annoyed and amused: "Come back!¡ªWhat are you keeping this film for? It¡¯ll spoil in two months!" "Ah?" Seraila stops immediately. She fumbles, pulling out a film from the small box. The film dims upon exposure to light, and within a few breaths, Garrett¡¯s bright smile vanishes without a trace. "Ah... this..." Seraila stares blankly at the film, unconsciously pouting, her face turning from sunny to cloudy, cloudy to overcast, looking like it¡¯s about to turn stormy. Garrett wipes sweat: Miss, this won¡¯t work, just having the negative isn¡¯t enough, without developing and fixing, what¡¯s captured is useless! ¡ªRight, how are developer and fixer formulated again? Completely can¡¯t remember... Since he can¡¯t remember, Garrett doesn¡¯t dare to bluff. Fortunately, Seraila stands still for a moment, already thinking of a solution: "Darkness!" A shout, and the central hub of the Mage Tower instantly plunges into darkness. Seraila, holding the small box, raises her voice, clear and crisp: "MOSS! MOSS, are you there?" She¡¯s stayed in the Mage Tower so long, already authorized by Garrett, the tower spirit immediately responds. Seraila takes out a film from the small box, extending it forward in the darkness: "MOSS, can you record the image on this film, print it out for me?" "Already recorded, lady." The tower spirit, not sure what function it loaded, still successfully records in the darkness, responds promptly: "Can¡¯t print, Mage Tower lacks related components." After a moment of silence, it speaks again: "Related printing components, trading center price, 500 contribution points each." ...Can¡¯t afford it. Luckily, this can be saved up slowly, wait until Garrett¡¯s financial situation improves. Seraila pouts, dispelling the Darkness: "MOSS, can you display the image, show it to me?" "Of course, lady." The screen lights up, projecting a tiny human figure, only palm-sized. Seraila glances over, immediately displeased: "Hey, why so small? Make it bigger?" Making it bigger only worsens it. The features blur, the nose and eyes barely discernible, edges like countless black and white squares. Seraila grows more disappointed as she looks: "What¡¯s the point if it¡¯s so small... can¡¯t even tell who is who... a waste..." This, the image is too blurry, mainly because the silver halide particles are too coarse, unevenly distributed. Garrett wipes sweat: "Maybe... Seraila, why don¡¯t you try making some film yourself? Use mental power to crush the silver salts as finely as possible, distribute them evenly in the gelatin? Then fit your box with a lens..." After all, potassium iodide, silver nitrate, nitric acid, cotton, camphor, and such aren¡¯t very expensive, setting up a lab for Seraila to play around in for a long time. As for silver bromide and such... Joking, no mage has refined bromine yet, letting Seraila do it herself would be too painful. Mainly because that stuff stinks, is poisonous, dropping it on skin corrodes yellow wounds that never scar, never pus, just rot ting! Although Seraila is a silver dragon, her scales might be more corrosion-resistant, but it¡¯s still not worth the risk! Seraila happily goes off to do it herself. This film, buying costs 5 gold coins per piece, making it herself, 1 gold coin¡¯s cost, can make a huge sheet, cut out 100 pieces and still have plenty. Plus, she can play in Garrett¡¯s lab... "Seraila, remember to make less at a time!" Garrett advises worriedly from behind: "Slow down, make sure to cool it, definitely cool it... follow the steps, don¡¯t add random stuff... fully activate protections..." "Got it! If anything goes wrong, I¡¯ll just release a frost mist!" Miss Silver Dragon confidently responds. She closes the lab door, raises all defenses, dragon scales shimmering just beneath her skin, takes a breath of icy mist, begins operating... "Boom!!!" The entire Mage Tower shakes. MOSS goes into a frenzy, the alarm sounding piercingly. It releases invisible servants, herding everyone out of the Mage Tower. Only Garrett, fully armored, uses the authority of the tower master to unlock the door, rushing into the lab: "Seraila, what were you doing just now!" Seraila¡¯s ear tips and neck gleam with silver light, dragon scales brilliantly exposed. She turns a smoke-stained face, blinking her eyes, her voice bewildered: "I, I just poured in the silver nitrate... ah, mixed up, that cup was alcohol!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 535: The Alchemy Guild Visits, Financial Crisis Resolved? Chapter 535: The Alchemy Guild Visits, Financial Crisis Resolved? Garrett was at a loss for words. Although both potassium iodide solution and alcohol are colorless and transparent, their odors are distinct! How could you not smell that obvious alcohol scent, Serrano, before you poured it? No, why did you even bring out the alcohol? The step you are doing now doesn¡¯t need alcohol! You¡¯ve already poured it, now why are you heating it up! Garrett had no choice but to pause his own experiment and stay by Serrano¡¯s side. Both were fully geared in protective gear, activating the highest level of energy isolation barrier. Serrano followed each command and movement: "Stir! Stir! Slow down the motion!¡ªCool it down!" "Boom!" The explosion that had started to rise was frozen by Miss Silver Dragon¡¯s icy breath. "...Forget it, let¡¯s try again!" "Cool it down!" "Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!" "...Forget it, let¡¯s not make nitrocellulose, let¡¯s start with celluloid... Remember to slow down when pressurizing and heating!" "Boom!" Garrett seriously considered whether to send her to the transformational magic division... With strong defenses, the ability to stop reactions at low temperatures, and endless curiosity, she was clearly excellent material for a transformational mage! ...But if he really sent her there, Serrano wouldn¡¯t be happy, would she? Garrett dismissed the idea. However, as he didn¡¯t want to send the Silver Dragon girl to the transformational division, someone from there came looking... The vice president of the Alchemy Guild, a great mage who had previously made deals with Garrett to sell microscopes, shadowless lamps, pencils, and other items, arrived in person carrying a bag of crystal cards. "Oh, you¡¯re too polite!" Garrett followed etiquette, trying not to pay attention to the bag of crystal cards, and had his invisible servants serve tea to the visitor. The work-worn old man cast a weak freezing ray on the piping hot tea and took a delightful sip before he began to sigh: "Master Nordmark! Since you arrived in Nevis City not long ago, we¡¯ve been doing business for many years. Tell me, have I ever shortchanged you?" "Ah... this..." Garrett was a bit embarrassed. Not only had he never been shortchanged, but the terms provided by the alchemy workshop were quite generous. Over the years, his research had seldom lacked funding¡ªexcept for major expenses¡ªlargely supported by the alchemy workshop. "So, why did you license that film to the Black Crow Swamp!" The old man¡¯s sighs grew even sadder: "You know, getting a sublicensing from them was so painful! The combination and transformation of materials to produce new substances and develop new functions is inherently a domain of transformational magic! And we got it from the Black Crow Swamp!" Garrett felt even more embarrassed. Plastics are not just one substance, but a whole family. In the hands of transformational magicians, they really could develop endless products and perform limitless functions. But in the hands of necromancers, cough. "Well... I¡¯ve been short of money lately..." He stammered, his gaze involuntarily drifting to the corner of the coffee table. The crystal cards brought by the old man lay quietly there, it¡¯s unclear how many there were¡ª It shouldn¡¯t be over 100 cards, otherwise, the gift would be too generous. But even 100 cards wouldn¡¯t fill this bottomless pit! The old man obviously came prepared. He had already checked Garrett¡¯s recent transaction records and knew his most urgent needs. Following Garrett¡¯s gaze, he pushed the velvet bag next to him: "Let¡¯s forget the past. In the future, with such inventions, you must think of us!¡ªBy the way, you¡¯ve already bought five or six hundred crystal cards recently, is there a special research project? Our production can hardly keep up!" Oh, this... Garrett truly hadn¡¯t expected a production issue. Data crystal cards, aren¡¯t they just like floppy disks or CDs? How could they not keep up? Once the production line starts, it should be producing thousands of cards in droves, and I¡¯ve only bought a few hundred, and you¡¯re saying you can¡¯t keep up? How do you produce them? He took the old man into the heart of the Mage Tower, showing him his research process. Upon seeing a golden box, the old man laughed: "Ah, this is it. I spent half a month with my assistant fulfilling the order from ¡¾Philosopher¡¯s Rose¡¿¡ªso it¡¯s with you? Then you don¡¯t need crystal cards! Just connect it to the Tower Spirit, let it help you remember, wouldn¡¯t that be better?" Garrett looked at him expectantly. Connect, with what? Wires? Fiber optics? Where to connect? The golden box was completely sealed, embedded with dense gems and mithril filaments, he couldn¡¯t find where to open it, nor did he dare to forcibly pry it open! However, for the creator of magical tools, nothing was a problem. The vice president of the Alchemy Guild made a few gestures, and the surface of the gold box clicked open automatically. Then, click, click, click... The gems flew up, the mithril filaments were pulled out, and the walls of the box retracted. The old man¡¯s short, stubby fingers, like carrots, flew about, and soon he had disassembled the gold box, revealing the secrets hidden inside: A clear, cylindrical crystal sat at the center, surrounded by dense, neatly arranged runes. Layer upon layer of gears meshed together, each gear engraved with countless magical texts... At a glance, it seemed like a combination of a mechanical clock and a computer motherboard, but ten times more complex and possibly holding a hundred times more information. Garrett took one look and turned away, unable to look closely: Dizzying. The old man¡¯s work continued. He made a small hole next to the part that ejected the crystal cards in the gold box, pulled out two strands of mithril. One end remained inside the box, and the other extended through the hole: "Come on, where is the information intake of your Mage Tower central system? Just connect it, and it¡¯s all set!" "MOSS..." The Tower Spirit clicked open a panel, erecting two crystal columns as thick as fingers. The old man crudely wound the mithril wire around them: "All done! Try it out!" Garrett followed his instructions, took out a vial of blood, and placed a finger on the surface of the gold box, beginning the spell. The crystal columns pulsed like breathing, no familiar click sound, nor were any crystal cards ejected. Instead, the unflustered voice of the Tower Spirit: "Recorded, master." "MOSS, how much data can you store?" "Virtually no limit, master." MOSS replied smoothly. Garrett took a breath and swung his fist into the air: Fantastic! No limit meant that as long as he worked inside the Mage Tower, he wouldn¡¯t need to buy crystal cards! As for the hospital, if patients required X-ray or ultrasound reports, they could buy their own crystal cards... Hmm, include it in the check-up fee and offer two packages? --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 536: Miss Silver Dragon, are you aiming for the Nobel Prize? Chapter 536: Miss Silver Dragon, are you aiming for the Nobel Prize? The biggest financial crisis so far had been unexpectedly resolved. Garrett desperately wanted to start using the ¡¾Bloodline Identification¡¿ spell right away, to cast it until he was dizzy and darkened. However, the tiny bit of reason left in him restrained his hands. Under the old man¡¯s guidance, he began to practice disassembling and assembling magical devices: Dismantle the outer casing, connect the mithril wire, link it to the central hub of the Mage Tower; Disconnect the mithril wire, push the chip box back to its original place, restore it to its former state; Dismantle the outer casing, and do it all over again... After learning it once, Garrett could disassemble and assemble by himself, only needing occasional tips from the old man; after practicing a second time, he was able to operate completely independently. Although he wasn¡¯t a student of engineering, the fingers of a surgeon were sufficiently sensitive and stable. Garrett simply didn¡¯t dare to dismantle unfamiliar objects, but with guidance, he was confident in following the procedures: After all, these were the hands that could suture blood vessels and connect nerves! Just disassembling and assembling, what was so difficult about that? It was just like changing a phone battery! When using Mage Hand transformed into wrenches and screwdrivers, the transformations were precise, the control of force light or heavy at will, and every movement flowed smoothly. This made the old man sigh again and again: "You should forget about going to Thunder Horn! With your talent, you really should join our Alchemy Workshop!" Garrett: "..." Thanks, Black Crow Swamp always says the same, my ears are about to develop calluses... After disassembling twice, he took it upon himself to do it again without any hints. Ensuring he had fully mastered the work, he dispersed Mage Hand and gratefully bowed to the old man: "You¡¯ve really helped me a lot..." "Boom!!!" Another loud noise. MOSS sounded the alarm wildly, all the invisible servants dashed downward, and a familiar scene replayed... Garrett sighed, nodded hastily to the old man, and sprinted down. Upon opening the door of the alchemy room, smoke billowed out, revealing a little face blackened by smoke. "Seraina! What did you pour into what this time?" "I... It wasn¡¯t silver nitrate this time! Really!" Garrett covered his face. Behind him, the workshop old man, with his hands behind his back, looked around, sniffed, and revealed a friendly smile: "This young lady is quite talented! Even experienced mages in the alchemy workshop rarely manage to produce something when they add mercury nitrate to alcohol... Of course, it¡¯s too dangerous and prone to explosion, I wouldn¡¯t recommend a lovely lady like you try this..." "It¡¯s because the water content is too low." Garrett retorted without a second thought: "This stuff, in a dry state, explodes easily; if the water content is less than 10%, it can ignite in the air without exploding; if it reaches 30%, it won¡¯t ignite. Seraina, even if you pour something into something else, please don¡¯t think about drying it out, okay?" He felt that if things continued this way, he might not get to perform safe blood transfusions, but Seraina might just win a Nobel Prize... The old man¡¯s eyes lit up, he pulled out a thick leather notebook, scribbled down notes, cherished the book in his chest, then sincerely exclaimed: "Master Nordmark, you¡¯ve really helped us a lot!" During this period, the Alchemy Guild had been tasked by the navy to develop a substance with a stronger explosive force. The substance Seraina created was one of their results, but transporting and storing it was really troublesome... He nodded at Garrett and hurried out of the Mage Tower. Patents, licensing, those could be discussed later, first, they had to go back for testing! As long as the test passed, the Alchemy Workshop could deliver! Garrett casually followed to the entrance of the Mage Tower, sort of seeing the old man off. Watching the old man¡¯s back disappear in a rush, he immediately returned, dragging Miss Silver Dragon back to the central hub of the Mage Tower: "Seraina, look, I don¡¯t have to save money in a hurry now, I can research freely! Just open it up like this, connect it like this..." He skillfully disassembled, assembled, extracted test tubes, and cast spells. A low buzzing sound emanated from the golden box, just like every time it was activated before. Then, to verify the connection effect, MOSS could display the screen¡ª "Ah! I see it!" Garrett suddenly opened his eyes. Opposite him, Seraina had already undone the mithril threads, holding one in each of her thumb and index finger. Her face was flushed with excitement : "I see it!¡ªGarrett, the things you see in your meditative vision, it¡¯s like this!" Garrett helplessly pressed his forehead. "...MOSS, did you record the information just now?" "No, master." "Ser¡ªai¡ªna¡ª" Miss Silver Dragon turned and ran. Garrett really wanted to stop her, to ask how she managed to receive information physically, achieving the effect of the chip and the central hub of the Mage Tower. However, seeing her run so guiltily, he could only let her go, to ask later. Perhaps the body structure of the Silver Dragons was special, their scales could directly receive certain magical information? If that was the case, Garrett thought, he could actually introduce Seraina to participate in some projects, or directly guide her to research some things... But of course, for now, it was more important to gather data. After all, he couldn¡¯t outrun Seraina, and even if he didn¡¯t chase her, she would return by dinner time, wouldn¡¯t she? Garrett shrugged, wrapped the mithril threads around the crystal column provided by the Tower Spirits, and continued working. One hand held a test tube, the other a gold box, continuously releasing magic: ¡¾Bloodline Identification¡¿! ¡¾Bloodline Identification¡¿! ¡¾Bloodline Identification¡¿! Even though it was a first-level spell, casting it dozens or hundreds of times in one go was still a heavy burden for a mage. For the first thirty, Garrett smiled, his expression relaxed; Another thirty, his face became a bit more solemn; Yet another thirty, his expression serious, the speed of casting slowed down, chanting the incantation with each spell; The last thirty, sweat dripped down Garrett¡¯s forehead, the pauses between spells grew longer. Casting spells was like drawing silk. It¡¯s easy and enjoyable to draw silk from a full cocoon; to draw the last strand from an almost depleted cocoon, ensuring the silk¡¯s stability and uniformity, not to mention the difficulty of the operation, the cocoon definitely doesn¡¯t feel pleasant. But, this kind of mental exertion was also an excellent exercise for mages. To meditate after pushing to the limit, the effects were absolutely wonderful! Especially if you could meditate immediately with a sufficient supply of magical elements... Garrett thus completely drained his mental power. Then, pale-faced, he staggered and collapsed into the meditation room. "God bless, Seraina, please don¡¯t blow up the alchemy room again..." "Boom!" "Seraina, what did you add to what this time?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 537: Toothache Isn’t a Disease, But When It Hurts, It’s Like Having Other Diseases Chapter 537: Toothache Isn¡¯t a Disease, But When It Hurts, It¡¯s Like Having Other Diseases "Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!" Garrett resignedly realized something. Not everyone¡ªor rather, not only humans¡ªare suitable for developing potentially explosive contraptions. This is why Miss Silver Dragon, with her high defensive capabilities and strong adaptability, always ready to spray her icy breath to cool things down, is a part of this. If it were the Nobel brothers from his previous life, they probably wouldn¡¯t have survived long enough to see the results... He had no choice but to confiscate all the alchemical materials and reassign tasks to Seraina: "So, this is salt water, this is direct current, electrolysis can produce chlorine gas... collect the chlorine gas, heat it, let the gold burn inside, and collect the combustion product, dissolve it in water..." "What¡¯s this for?" "I¡¯ll show you something fun when it¡¯s done!" "Alright!" Seraina happily went off to work (or play). Garrett wiped his sweat in relief: producing gold chloride this way was the simplest and most crude method. But he wasn¡¯t sure what temperature was needed for the reaction, he could only let Miss Silver Dragon try it out slowly: "Start from 100 degrees, and slowly heat it up! Don¡¯t rush!" Indeed, various diseases could be transmitted through blood transfusion, so it¡¯s essential to check for infectious diseases beforehand. Things like hepatitis B antigens and hepatitis C antigens, Garrett couldn¡¯t test for, but not testing for syphilis would be irresponsible... It¡¯s not acceptable to let people unknowingly contract diseases and then rely entirely on [Remove Disease]. He massaged his forehead and returned to the meditation chamber to fully concentrate on replenishing his depleted mana. Then, he crawled back to the laboratory, laid out the jars and bottles, and worked back-to-back with Seraina on experiments. Hmm, he had already used up today¡¯s spell casting limits; doing experiments by hand was still manageable. But the prerequisite was... "Seraina, cast a protection spell for me!" "Alright!" The pathogen for syphilis, the pale spirochete, is detected using the silver staining method, which requires three reagents. Seraina was already preparing the gold chloride solution; two more to go. Garrett felt more confident doing it himself. 5% silver nitrate solution... drop by drop add concentrated ammonia until precipitation forms... continue adding concentrated ammonia until the precipitate dissolves... then add a few drops of 5% silver nitrate solution to turn the solution milky white... Done, the silver ammonia solution is prepared, stored in a brown bottle, and placed in the refrigeration room! Next, ignite the sulfur... After resolving financial issues, Garrett returned to a regular routine. He would go to the hospital in the morning, see patients, follow up on apprentices¡¯ research progress. In the afternoon, he¡¯d compile data at home, meditate a bit after finishing, and if there was time, conduct experiments. In the evening, he¡¯d check in at the embassy, fulfill his diplomatic duties, chat with the vampires, see if there was nothing concerning him, and quickly head home to meditate and sleep. If there weren¡¯t any cases at the hospital that absolutely required his intervention, he could also experiment, meditate, and write papers while on duty... However, unfortunately, that was just a wishful thinking. Patients coming to the hospital, especially those with money and power, were mostly there for his reputation. The desperately poor also included some with complicated and rare diseases, which he had to handle. Other healers in the hospital were happy to watch him work, learning some uncommon treatment methods. So... "Mage Nordmark! Mage Nordmark, please take a look!" "What¡¯s the disease now..." Garrett muttered as he put down his pen. Walking into the medical hall, two healers smiled at him simultaneously: one from the Church of Nature and one from the Temple of the God of War. Among them, a patient Garrett didn¡¯t recognize, dressed lavishly and with a pale face, tilted his head and covered his left cheek: "This toothache isn¡¯t getting better... You treated it two days ago, and again yesterday, but it still hurts!" Toothache isn¡¯t a disease, but when it hurts, it¡¯s unbearable. The two priests could only apologize with a smile, respectfully asking the patient to sit down, and then looked to Garrett. Garrett also felt frustrated: I¡¯m not a dentist! Oral and clinical medicine, from undergraduate studies, are entirely different disciplines, unrelated! We don¡¯t even use the same equipment! Without dental drills or chisels, even if you have a wisdom tooth, I have no idea what I should use to extract it! No choice but to examine first. The Oakwood Hospital didn¡¯t even have a dental treatment bed, so Garrett had to ask him to lie down on a regular examination bed and try his best to open his mouth. A cap over his head, a shadowless lamp hung up, and he began! He took a small hammer, following the patient¡¯s indicated areas of pain, tapping each tooth: "This one doesn¡¯t hurt." "This one doesn¡¯t hurt either." "This one still doesn¡¯t hurt." "How strange, why don¡¯t any of them hurt?" Logically, after two days of ineffective treatment, there should have been at least one decayed tooth. Garrett inhaled and exhaled, pulled out a hollow vine, and slightly created a small vortex behind, blowing cold air. Blowing over each tooth: "Does it hurt?" "Any soreness?" "Where does it feel uncomfortable?" The patient denied all. Garrett had no other options, so he pulled out the [Endless Ink Pen], placed it under the patient¡¯s pillow, activated X-ray magic, and observed each tooth: Damn it, top and bottom rows, left and right sides, 32 teeth in total, not a single decayed one. The four wisdom teeth nicely vertical, the roots stable, no signs of inflammation in the periodontium, and no absorption in the alveolar bone... So, what exactly is your condition, sir? Garrett quickly scanned once more, then examined again more carefully, still clueless. He frowned, suddenly considering another possibility: "Sir, besides the toothache, do you feel discomfort anywhere else?" "Nothing!" "Shortness of breath?" "None!" "Pain in the chest? Pain in the back? Shoulder pain?" "None of those either..." The patient grew impatient and tried to get up. Garrett held him down and quickly set up an electrocardiogram. As the magic electrodes touched, the cloud screen lit up and immediately started beeping alarms, causing Garrett¡¯s brow to furrow: "!!!" Trouble! The electrocardiogram showed a camel¡¯s hump-like elevation in the ST segment¡ªit was a heart attack! Anterior wall myocardial infarction causing referred tooth pain! "Sir, please lie down for a while, don¡¯t rush!" Garrett quickly stopped him: "You have a heart problem! There¡¯s an acute condition! Please lie down for a bit while I prepare the treatment..." Would [Remove Disease] work? Or should he perform catheter thrombolysis? How should the thrombolytic medication be administered? Through the radial artery or radial vein, into the heart? Or direct puncture? Or perhaps, using magic learned from the Black Crow Swamp for blood anticoagulation, apply it directly to the human body? Garrett thought anxiously. Unexpectedly, the patient, upon hearing his words, immediately pushed Garrett away, angrily getting up: "Nonsense! I clearly have a toothache, and you say I have a heart condition! Failing to cure it twice and blaming it on the heart, are you trying to scam me?" He yanked open the consultation room door and strode out. Garrett jogged after him but couldn¡¯t catch up to his pace: "Sir! Sir, please wait! Your condition is very dangerous! Let us treat you first, we¡¯ll charge only if we cure you, no charge if we fail..." Too late. The patient mounted his horse and galloped away, leaving only a trail of dust behind. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 538: When people can’t be treated, let’s treat thrombosis in dogs instead. Chapter 538: When people can¡¯t be treated, let¡¯s treat thrombosis in dogs instead. "Good advice is hard to take for the damned ghosts..." Garrett stood on the hospital steps, watching the patient leave in a cloud of dust and finally shrugged helplessly and returned inside. What could he do? The hospital didn¡¯t have the authority to detain patients and force treatment! In his previous life, doctors could still grab hold of patients and plead with them. But in this world, a new problem had arisen: The patient was too strong to fight. This patient, whether a level 3 or level 4 warrior, was not someone Garrett, a mere level 1 warrior, could defeat without using magic. He had no choice but to return to the hospital and gather the idle healers on duty to start an educational session: "The reason that patient had a toothache is not due to dental issues, but a problem with his heart. The arteries that supply blood to the heart are blocked, leading to myocardial necrosis, which can involve other areas, from the navel up, including the teeth, in a heart attack-related pain!" "If multiple teeth hurt and it¡¯s unclear which one; if treatment and pain relief don¡¯t alleviate the toothache; if dental examinations show no abnormalities and electrocardiograms show ischemic changes, then be wary of a heart attack!" "In short, memorize that electrocardiogram magic! Don¡¯t just wait for automatic alerts; recognize abnormal waveforms and understand what they mean!" The healers nodded grimly. They were overwhelmed by the plethora of complicated ECGs they had to memorize. Since arriving at Oakwood Hospital, there had always been a mountain of things to memorize, and before they could finish the old material, new stuff came pouring in. Previously, it was all about casting healing spells, which was so simple, but now... "So, how do we treat it?" A young priest from the Church of Nature timidly raised his hand. Garrett sighed deeply. In his previous life, there was a mature set of treatments for heart attacks: intravenous thrombolysis, catheter thrombolysis, thrombectomy, stenting, or even coronary artery bypass grafting... Of course, this also included pain relief, antiplatelet therapy, anticoagulation, antiarrhythmics, shock management, and heart failure treatment. But the problem was, he couldn¡¯t perform most of these. Thrombolysis? He didn¡¯t have streptokinase, urokinase, tenecteplase, alteplase, or reteplase. Coronary artery bypass? As if the patient would let him open their chest; Electrical cardioversion? Sorry, although he was a disciple of the Lord of Thunder, he couldn¡¯t yet perform electrical cardioversion with his bare hands; Thrombectomy... he could swirl up saline in the abdominal cavity with a whirlwind at the vine entrance, but extracting blood clots from blood vessels... he feared he might break the vessels along with it. He longed for the negative pressure aspirators of his previous life... His face grew increasingly somber, and the healers in front of him became increasingly uneasy. The first to speak, the priest of the God of Nature, shrank back, leading the chorus: "I¡¯ll go memorize it!" "Yes, I¡¯ll go memorize it!" "I¡¯ll go memorize it!" The healers scattered like birds and beasts. Garrett stood dumbfounded as he watched a group of students flee in panic: "..." Actually, I wanted to say that I have some ideas, but I need to try them out... He silently turned around and went back to the research building deep inside the hospital. Necromancers and their apprentices were busily at their posts: collecting dog saliva, cutting rabbits, injecting rabbits... The development of the rabies vaccine was progressing orderly, without any decisive results yet. Garrett took a round, checked and guided the operations. Then he pulled out a hound that was kept separately and began his experiment for the day. This experimental dog with patent arterial duct had survived continuously for a week without abnormalities. Garrett skillfully restrained it, used a calming spell to bind and alleviate pain, prepared the skin on the right lower limb, and the chest... Systemic heparinization was impossible. He held a dry leech in his hand, cast an anticoagulant spell, and swept over the dog from head to toe. Then, a small snake leaped out and entered the dog¡¯s body. Right heart catheterization was out of the question, so he substituted it with an echocardiogram. Anteroposterior and lateral imaging of the aortic arch, observed through the eyes of the Spirit of the Covenant. After confirming everything was correct through several twists and turns, he made an incision in the right femoral vein and inserted a vine, growing it along the path of blood return to the heart¡ª The small snake swam parallel within the limbs of the experimental dog. The Spirit of the Covenant provided another set of eyes, guiding the vine upward, upward, upward. Through the femoral vein, inferior vena cava, right atrium, right ventricle, main pulmonary artery, to the ductus arteriosus between the aorta and pulmonary artery, he probed into the descending aorta, quickly retracted, turned to the side, and nestled at the junction of the ductus and descending aorta... A dim white light, carrying silver threads from the tip of the vine, guided the growth of the blood vessels inward, slowly sealing into a circle. In the phantom view of the snake, the blood originally diverted from the aorta to the pulmonary artery with each heartbeat, became less and less, until not a drop was left. Good! He retracted the vine, retracted the silver threads, and landed at the junction of the ductus and pulmonary artery, guiding the blood vessels to grow once more! The surgery was already a success at this point. Garrett breathed out, slightly pulled back the silver threads, and placed his fingertips on the dog¡¯s chest, initiating the ultrasound magic. Under the echocardiogram, the blood ejected from the left atrium flowed out, not a drop entering the pulmonary artery. Perfect! He withdrew the vine, withdrew the guiding energy¡¯s silver threads! He cast a healing spell, healed the femoral vein incision, and returned the experimental dog to its cage. Then he checked the dogs that had undergone surgery before. Indeed, the one that had surgery seven days ago lay listlessly, looking very unwell. Garrett took a deep breath, cast a [Mechanical Mind] on himself, and started a communication spell. In an instant, intense fear and pain, like a tidal wave, surged toward him: "It hurts, it hurts!" "My chest hurts so much!" "I can barely breathe..." Garrett remained expressionless. Thankfully, [Mechanical Mind] protected him, allowing him to receive the information without being overwhelmed by the insane emotions. He disconnected, and once again summoned the small snake: [Go in and take a look¡ª] Damn, a thrombus! Alright, introducing the vine and silver threads into the blood vessels did indeed stimulate the coagulation mechanism, likely causing the thrombus. Garrett turned and briskly recorded: The use of leeches for [Systemic Heparinization] needed to be intensified to prevent thrombus formation... So, what to do about the thrombus that had already formed? Before entering the lab, the idea of treating heart attack patients flashed through Garrett¡¯s mind. Good, heart attacks also require thrombolysis and thrombectomy, and here was a thrombus-laden experimental dog, perfect for a trial? His fingertips glowed dimly white, silently pressing down: [Remove Disease]! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 539: Use magic to "eat" those thrombi! Chapter 539: Use magic to "eat" those thrombi! "Remove Disease"! ...Ineffective. The thrombi, trembling and tender as tofu, remained exactly where they were, with no intention of disappearing. It seems that the creator of the "Remove Disease" spell was not aware of thrombi. Or perhaps, "Remove Disease" can only cure exogenous diseases, not endogenous ones? Regardless, Garrett had tried. The spell could kill parasites in the human body but did not facilitate their expulsion. In other words, a dead worm stuck in the bile duct still causes pain and cholecystitis... Garrett thought for a moment and released a second flash of white light. "Heal"! ...Still ineffective. The thrombi remained stuck in the blood vessels, with no signs of breaking down, dissolving, or being washed away by the bloodstream. Healing could promote the coagulation of platelets and seal wounds, allowing them to heal quickly. However, it seemed unable to break down fibrin in already clotted blood or make the thrombi disappear... "Sir, what are you doing?" Footsteps approached softly from behind. Garrett turned to see Leon Carlos and Miss Anita Winvey standing shoulder to shoulder behind him, each holding something as if to ask a question. Garrett briefly explained the situation. "What do you think?" The two apprentices racked their brains. Miss Anita Winvey was the first to respond: "Could we use ultrasound to shatter it? You mentioned that if accurately targeted, ultrasound can break up stones..." Cough, accurate targeting is one thing, but if it¡¯s even slightly off, the ultrasound capable of shattering a soft thrombus could definitely damage the blood vessel. Even if perfectly targeted, the shattered thrombus particles could cause more serious issues. The shattered thrombus particles could lodge in tiny brain or lung vessels, causing stroke or pulmonary embolism; the tiny fragments could spread within the vessels, potentially causing more thrombi... That¡¯s why, during thrombectomy, a net is used to catch the fragments, which are then sucked into a catheter with negative pressure... The female priest frowned in frustration. Leon Carlos, the young necromancer, thought for a moment and suggested another approach: "Boiling Blood?... If we could concentrate the power on that spot, raise the blood temperature, and burn the thrombus dry?" "..." Garrett had to admit, the idea was imaginative enough and seemed "reasonable." Perhaps, this is why experts need to frequently interact with students: These minds, unbound by knowledge and experience, though their ideas might be impractical 99 out of 100 times, can inspire great benefits if even one proves enlightening. Unfortunately... "But, setting aside the issues of controlling the spell¡¯s precision and intensity, the dried thrombus would still circulate in the blood, blocking wherever it travels..." Carlos also sighed in resignation. Garrett sighed in annoyance: "Let¡¯s just use vine thrombectomy, and then increase the anticoagulation..." Although using a whirlwind to create negative pressure and perform thrombectomy with vines is also likely to rupture blood vessels, it is something that can be practiced and controlled. A few experimental animals can afford the loss. As long as he masters it before treating his little sister, there should be no mistakes! He instructed the students to secure the experimental dog, anesthetize it, and retrieve a dry leech, then cast an anticoagulation spell. They made an incision in the blood vessel and inserted the vine... The little snake navigated ahead in the blood vessel, providing an illusory view to guide the growth direction of the vine. Under the guidance of his mind, the vine swayed, turned, and grew smoothly into the upper-level vessel. It must be said, this was much more convenient than twisting a guidewire in the rapid blood flow of superselective angiography! Garrett¡¯s fingertips glowed green as he solemnly manipulated the vine upward. At last, in the illusory view of the little snake, a dark red image of the thrombus appeared. Garrett took a deep breath, his left fingertip poised over the opening of the vine, ready to initiate the whirlwind spell¡ª Wait a second! Why must it be negative pressure suction? This is a vine, it¡¯s alive, it can change shape! It¡¯s not a rigid catheter or guidewire that relies solely on external forces to work! This thought flashed through his mind, and Garrett¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up. He carefully exerted a bit of power, allowing the tip of the vine to expand, expand, until it matched the diameter of the thrombus. Then, he slightly thickened it, pressing outward against the blood vessel¡ª Advance! Alright, it¡¯s caught! Grow forward more! It caught a bit more! Forward, forward¡ª Stuck. The blood vessel ahead suddenly narrowed, and the texture felt unusually hard. As the vine gently expanded, the feedback of elasticity was obviously minimal. Garrett was not impatient: Thrombi form in a location either because of vessel narrowing or because of plaques or deposits. It¡¯s normal to encounter abnormalities; if there weren¡¯t any, then that would be the real concern. Forceful expansion, like when placing a stent with a balloon, if the force is slightly too strong, the already hardened and brittle vessel could burst. Garrett dared not let the vine continue to thicken; he thought for a moment and chose a completely new path: The vine wriggled softly. The opening stayed wide and immobile, while just behind it, roughly at the equivalent of a throat, it softly contracted. The soft yet sturdy inner wall compressed and tightened, squishing the thrombus into pieces and sending it backward. Like an earthworm consuming soil, or a snake swallowing prey. One bite, another bite, yet another bite. Accompanied by the flowing blood, it enveloped the thrombus, crushed it, sucked it in, swallowed it... Then, forward! At narrow parts of the vessel, the vine slightly contracted, making its diameter narrower; at wider sections, it softly adhered again. Meanwhile, it also left a path for the blood to flow beside it, supplying blood to the organs downstream. The little snake¡¯s vision, capable of magnifying a few millimeters in diameter of a blood vessel by tenfold, and the mind-controlled vine, ensured there was no risk of accidentally bursting the vessel with too much force. Bite by bite, calmly forward, quickly, all the thrombi were "eaten." No need to inject a contrast agent, no need to use X-ray, in the little snake¡¯s vision, the blood flowed turbulently downward, passing through the previously obstructed vessel. As for the tiny thrombi fragments, Garrett had the little snake magnify the view tenfold, a hundredfold, focusing intently, and they were no longer visible. Even smaller fragments, the body¡¯s regenerative capabilities could handle, digesting them on its own. Excellent! Done! A joyful smile spread across Garrett¡¯s face. He controlled the vine to slowly retract until it exited the blood vessel and landed on the pathological tray. He canceled the growth spell, and in the center of the shiny steel tray, a long strip of dark red thrombus pieces lay sparkling. "Did you get it out?" "Got it out!" Garrett. Venous thrombectomy was now achievable, next up, practicing arterial thrombectomy¡ªextracting thrombi from pulsating arteries. With such a tool, the chances of saving someone from a heart attack were much higher! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 540: It Still Hurts After Healing, What’s Wrong? Chapter 540: It Still Hurts After Healing, What¡¯s Wrong? The surgery was completed, and the thrombectomy was successfully done, adding another tool to handle severe cases. Garrett was in a great mood. He turned to two of his students with a smile: "What is it?" "I am looking for microbes that have effects similar to Penicillium; I have made some progress so far..." "I have some ideas about the development of a rabies vaccine..." The students reported their progress and posed questions one by one. Garrett fulfilled his duties as the head of the Mage Tower, answering each question: Hmm, providing topics, correcting papers, resolving doubts, recommending books, my days are indeed becoming more like those of a leading academic... Unfortunately, neither of the students¡¯ research had made decisive progress. Garrett had no choice but to send them back to continue their work, and he returned to his clinic, picking up a copy of this month¡¯s "Arcana": "Magus Nordmark! Magus Nordmark!" "..." Garrett¡¯s mood then was no different from that of an intern who wanted to sneak in some study time during a shift but was called away by a nurse. However, the visitor was an acquaintance who came straight to him without considering letting anyone else treat him. Garrett could only step out from the clinic, greeting with a smile: "Viscount Calrend, it¡¯s been a week. How is your son? Is his bowel movement still smooth?" He had long held an impression of the viscount as "that father of the child born without an anus." "It¡¯s getting better." Viscount Calrend limped in, not daring to put weight on one foot, supported by two servants. Despite his condition, he couldn¡¯t resist gossiping: "How did you offend Old Audie? Just now at the club, he kept saying your treatment was no good!" Who? Garrett was puzzled. I haven¡¯t treated anyone by that name recently? "It¡¯s the one who had a toothache for two days, said he was treated here twice..." "Ah!" Garrett suddenly remembered. The patient with angina! "How is he?" "He¡¯s very spirited! Just now at the cards table, he even won 20 gold coins from me!¡ªBut never mind that, take a look at my ankle..." Garrett casually dragged over a stool for him to rest his foot. Looking down, he saw the viscount¡¯s trouser leg pulled up and his sock rolled down; indeed, the right ankle was swollen like a bun, both red and shiny: ?¦Á?¦­O?§£§¦S? "What happened? Did you twist your ankle?" Speaking with a breath full of alcohol, not even noon and already drunk, falling and twisting an ankle seemed just deserts. "Yes indeed! Last night, I was drinking with someone, walked a bit fast on my way back, and tripped down some stairs. It was late, I didn¡¯t think much of it, but now..." Garrett had already pulled out the ¡¾Endless Ink Pen¡¿. He circled around to confirm there was no fracture, then casually began the treatment: "There¡¯s no issue with the bones, at most a ligament sprain, a simple healing spell will do. Just wait, it¡¯ll be quick..." Such a minor injury and you specifically came all this way? A potion of light healing, just drink it and you¡¯d be fine, was it worth jostling through half the city in a carriage? Are you here for treatment, or just for gossip? While Garrett muttered to himself, he held the viscount¡¯s toes, rotated them inwards and outwards, pressed to confirm the injured spot, then activated the healing spell, treating it spot by spot. No such thing as healing light injuries, let alone micro injuries. He merely gathered a mass of positive energy, following the muscle directions, smoothing over them one by one: Heal the injured ligament! Accelerate local tissue metabolism! Speed up the absorption of swelling! Promote soft tissue healing! Such a minor injury, he could have treated it back when he was still an apprentice priest, and now, it was even more effortless and enjoyable¡ª This treatment method was precise, consuming less spiritual energy. Besides, he could also review the anatomical structure of the ankle. The only downside was the slow speed¡ªbut what of it, there weren¡¯t 300 patients outside the clinic clamoring for treatment. As the swelling at the ankle visibly subsided, while being treated, Viscount Calrend felt the pain diminish and began to praise enthusiastically: "I always say you¡¯re skilled in healing! That Old Audie kept talking nonsense, claiming it was just a toothache, but insisting his heart was in trouble¡ª" "Sit down! I¡¯m not done checking!" Garrett barked. However, the viscount ignored him, not only stood up to walk but even jumped a bit. True to the saying, ¡¯a doctor¡¯s advice not heeded, leads to more suffering¡¯, he screamed and collapsed. Garrett didn¡¯t bother to help him. With a flick of his finger, he summoned a floating disk to catch him. The viscount crashed onto the floating disk, clutching his right foot, then his left: "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow¡ªit hurts..." Garrett watched coldly, summoning four ¡¾Greater Mage Hands¡¿ to help him sit properly. Looking at the viscount, his legs curled up together, feet barely touching the ground, especially the big toes, conspicuously arched up. "...When did this foot start hurting?" "Just now, after I fell..." "Really? Nothing else? You twisted your right foot, how could your left foot also hurt?" Garrett scrutinized him. The viscount grimaced, wanted to bend down to rub his foot, but dared not touch, and inhaled sharply. After being stared down by Garrett for a while, he finally mumbled: "Alright, it¡¯s been hurting for several days now... After healing, it still hurts, it still hurts after being healed..." So why didn¡¯t you tell the truth right away? Is it to save on those two consultation fees, or to test my skills, to see if I can cure you without a detailed medical history? ...Why bother. Such self-smart patients were plenty, and if the illness wasn¡¯t cured, it was still the patient who suffered... Garrett sighed, with a flick of the Mage Hand, he pulled down the viscount¡¯s sock. As the sock hit the floor, Garrett glanced and saw his right big toe swollen and red, just as shiny as the previous ankle. "How many days has it been?" "It wasn¡¯t this red yesterday! Yesterday it was just a little painful..." "What did you eat yesterday?" No need to ask if he had drunk alcohol; since the viscount had entered, Garrett had smelled the alcohol on his breath. Sure enough, without thinking, the viscount rattled off a long list: Trout, bass, eel, pan-seared foie gras, red wine braised oxtail... You don¡¯t have gout, who does? However, gout combined with an ankle sprain isn¡¯t common and is easily misdiagnosed. Only because of his extensive clinical experience, having seen such cases before, did he immediately think of gout. Garrett stood up intending to fetch him colchicine. After a moment¡¯s thought, he suddenly stopped: "You have two options," he informed him seriously: "First, choose drug treatment. It costs five gold coins, effective within 12 to 24 hours, with significant pain relief within 24 to 48 hours. Second..." "I choose the second!" Viscount Calrend called out impatiently. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 541: Instant Dialysis with Divine Magic? Chapter 541: Instant Dialysis with Divine Magic? Garrett looked at him speechlessly. Choosing the second option? Without asking anything, you just chose the second option? What if I suddenly shouted, ¡°Someone prepare the operating room, take this guy for amputation¡±? Would you still choose it? Unfortunately, that¡¯s not possible. First, because of medical ethics and mutual trust, amputation without notification and consent is not allowed; furthermore, gout, even if amputated, that wouldn¡¯t solve the problem! The uric acid is still circulating in the blood, still depositing in the joints, still affecting the kidneys. Garrett sighed, fulfilling his duty as a doctor, explaining to Viscount Carden: ¡°I was considering trying divine magic...¡± Viscount Carden¡¯s pupils dilated instantly. Divine magic, oh divine magic! No damage, no pain, immediate effect! If divine magic can solve the illness, then definitely use divine magic, why use medicine? Medicine is only for those impoverished folks who can¡¯t afford anything else! ¡°That¡¯s great! Do it now!¡ªEven if the effects aren¡¯t good enough, I¡¯ll pay you as if it were divine magic!¡± Garrett smiled. He was about to continue when suddenly a head peeked in at the door: ¡°What divine magic?¡± Garrett waved at the newcomer: ¡°Brother Matthew, you¡¯ve come too! Well, this patient, I was planning to try a detoxification spell...¡± Detoxification spell, a general second-order divine magic. The Church of the God of Nature, Temple of the War God, Temple of the Spring Goddess, all have this divine magic. When Garrett first arrived, Priest Donald from the Temple of the Spring Goddess had tried using the detoxification spell to treat a child with laryngeal edema¡ªthough it was completely ineffective. ¡°Detoxification spell?¡± ¡°Detoxification spell?!¡± Two voices asked simultaneously. Priest Matthew was surprised and a bit puzzled, approaching the two, glancing at Viscount Carden¡¯s swollen thumb: ¡°Isn¡¯t this gout? Can gout be treated with a detoxification spell?¡± He pondered for a moment, murmuring a chant, and immediately a pale green light shone from his fingertips. It swept over Viscount Carden from top to bottom¡ª Without any reaction. The patient¡¯s pain showed no sign of relief. The only reaction from this divine magic was Viscount Carden¡¯s mixture of shock and horror as he jumped up: ¡°I¡¯m poisoned?! Who? Who poisoned me?¡ªOw, it hurts! The detoxification spell didn¡¯t work?! Is it some rare poison? Am I going to die?!¡± He jumped up violently, pain striking him, and then thudded back down into the chair. Babbling incessantly, he spouted a long string of complaints. Garrett was both amused and frustrated: ¡°I didn¡¯t say you were poisoned! I just had an idea, your symptoms, we could try a detoxification spell¡ªof course, to ensure the effectiveness of the divine magic, I need to take a little blood from you before and after the spell, about 1 milliliter each time...¡± ¡°But that¡¯s useless, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°His divine magic didn¡¯t work, so does that mean mine definitely won¡¯t work?¡ªDo you want to try it? If you don¡¯t want to try, I¡¯ll get you medicine right away!¡± Viscount Carden murmured under his breath. Garrett persuaded and cajoled, finally successfully convincing him, drawing one milliliter of blood from his brachial vein. The spirit of the contract dove into it, and soon, a flood of information came through: ¡°So sour! So sour! So sour so sour so sour...¡± Garrett worked to calm it and remember that taste. Although all sour, the flavors were different: Gout¡¯s high uric acid, ketoacidosis¡¯ acetoacetate, ¦Â-hydroxybutyrate, and acetone, as well as respiratory acidosis¡¯ increased carbonic acid, were all reflected differently in the blood. He didn¡¯t have the ability to discern by the flesh, but strangely enough, the little snake could taste it... Without an analyzer, the little snake had to rely solely on rote memory. Garrett steadied himself, calling up the spell model in his mind, preparing to cast the detoxification spell. The principle of the detoxification spell was to clear certain toxic substances from the body to allow it to recover normally. This divine magic could handle most poisons known to the public: Lead, mercury, arsenic, belladonna, aconite, henbane, strychnine... But unfortunately, it couldn¡¯t handle gout. Garrett figured, the ancient sage who created this divine magic didn¡¯t know about high uric acid = gout. Without knowledge, there was no target included in the divine magic for it. So, uric acid... Garrett recalled briefly. Uric acid, chemical formula C5H4N4O3, slightly soluble in water, soluble in hot concentrated sulfuric acid, glycerin, alkali solutions, sodium acetate, and sodium phosphate solutions, insoluble in alcohol and ether. Easily forms crystals, appearing as white crystals... The chemical formula and overview unfolded in his mind. Adding this information into the divine magic structure should be able to target it, and then, it was time to launch the divine magic to eliminate its presence. So, what would be the consequences of clearing it all at once? It should be fine. Uric acid is a metabolic end product, not a nutrient. Removing all uric acid at once was essentially like doing a dialysis... So, let¡¯s get to it! The light blossomed. Garrett¡¯s fingertips emitted a soft white light, sweeping down over Viscount Carden¡¯s body, lingering long over his ear helixes, all joints, especially the knee joints, ankle joints, and the first joints of both big toes: These places were where gout stones, or urate crystals, tended to deposit. Riding on the winds of the detoxification spell, maybe try removing them? Different from Priest Matthew¡¯s detoxification spell, Garrett¡¯s divine magic lasted nearly a minute. When the light faded, Viscount Carden bent down, pinching his toes and ankles, his face filled with surprise: ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore! Really, it doesn¡¯t hurt! Hey, your divine magic really worked! Both are detoxification spells, why was yours so effective...¡± He was overjoyed, reaching for his purse. Garrett held up a hand to stop him: ¡°Wait! We agreed, let me draw some blood first!¡± ¡°Ah... can we not draw... I¡¯ll pay double the treatment fee, isn¡¯t that enough?¡± A second-order divine magic, the casting cost was basically fixed, equivalent to a bottle of [Healing Moderate Injuries] potion¡ªthat is, 300 gold coins. Although doubling the fee was a bit painful, given the effectiveness of the treatment, Viscount Carden felt it was very worth it. Didn¡¯t you see another priest of the God of Nature, also level 5, with the same spell, had no effect at all. ¡°That won¡¯t do! We agreed on a price, that¡¯s the price; we agreed to draw blood, we must draw blood! If you¡¯re not trustworthy, I won¡¯t treat you in the future!¡± Garrett persisted, and finally got his way, successfully obtaining one milliliter of fresh blood. The little snake reluctantly crawled into it, soon twirling joyously up and down the test tube: ¡°La la la la~~~~ la la la la~~~~ Not sour anymore, not sour at all, even a bit sweet...¡± Wait a minute, Viscount, you wouldn¡¯t also have diabetes, would you? Let¡¯s have the little snake taste some urine sugar later, I wonder if it will turn against me... --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 1597: Your Eyes May Deceive You, Your Spiritual Power May Deceive You Chapter 1597: Your Eyes May Deceive You, Your Spiritual Power May Deceive You 1 Share Locked Chapter 542: To Save or Not to Save? Chapter 542: To Save or Not to Save? Question: How does it feel to treat someone for gout during the day and then see them binge eating and drinking at night? Garrett sighed leisurely. Not far ahead, Viscount Carden held a gleaming glass of wine, chatting and laughing with the guests. Spotting Garrett approaching, he vigorously waved him over: "Master Nordmark! Master Nordmark, come over here! ¡ª¡ª Let me introduce him, this morning, he cured my gout..." Garrett walked over, helpless. Next to the Viscount, a group of guests, corpulent and weary, with saggy eyes and sluggish steps, raised their glasses to him, eagerly greeting: "Master Nordmark, we¡¯ve heard so much about you..." "Master Nordark, I¡¯ll rely on you for my future gout attacks..." "Master Nordmark, I¡¯ve been feeling unwell recently, could you come over to check on me..." Garrett¡¯s face showed his helplessness. Lord Viscount, if you can¡¯t control your eating, you¡¯ll never get better! Normally, human blood contains 1200 mg of uric acid, producing and excreting 600 mg each day. If you consume a large amount of high-purine foods and alcohol, more uric acid is produced. My previous detoxification spell removed all the uric acid, but with your binge eating and drinking, it won¡¯t take long before the uric acid levels in your blood exceed the norm again... Why else would those undergoing dialysis bother doing it twice a week, or once a week? Just removing uric acid doesn¡¯t mean it won¡¯t accumulate again... "Lord Viscount..." He sighed deeply. Viscount Carden laughed and raised his hands: "Okay, okay, I¡¯ll stop drinking after this glass... I¡¯ll go eat something light, no more alcohol, alright?" Then, Garrett helplessly watched as he put back the glass and brought over a dozen oysters to share with everyone. The first one was handed directly to Garrett: "Come on, these oysters are from Ofla Beach, especially plump. They were fished out today and brought here with the seawater, just add some lemon juice and eat them raw, they taste the best!" Garrett was too exhausted to even sigh. Meanwhile, the crowd around them continued to chuckle: "Why are you serving him oysters! His elven lady isn¡¯t here today!" "Exactly, eat them while you can!" "Yes! Mr. Mage, there are several fine ladies at today¡¯s party..." If you keep this up, I¡¯m leaving... Garrett¡¯s face hardened. The laughter of the noble rakes around him grew even more reckless. Viscount Carden stepped up to block his path: "Ah, Master Nordmark, I wanted to ask you something. ¡ª¡ª It¡¯s said that the vampires have a potion that restores youth, who handles that? Could you connect us?" Garrett hadn¡¯t heard of such a thing. Even in his interactions with the vampires, they hadn¡¯t mentioned this. Curious himself, he pushed through the crowd to inquire with a familiar vampire. At the other end of the banquet hall, the foreign guests formed a circle. Gavin the dwarf, who had fought alongside Garrett in the selection battle, was lively swinging his shield and hammer against an orc. Garrett approached the circle, and the dwarves immediately made room for him: "What¡¯s this about?" "Gambling battle!" Gina was bursting with excitement. She was nestled among the dwarves, watching her fiance?¡¯s back, her voice thrilled: "In these negotiations, each clan has brought some fine items, like potions, magical tools, and quality equipment... They¡¯ve turned it into a gambling event. Whoever wants something can win it through combat. Apparently, winning a lot can also benefit the negotiations?" I wasn¡¯t aware of this? Garrett was slightly surprised. However, considering his own combat skills... aside from fireball, greater fireball, and giant fireball spells, he was rather weak. It made sense that the council didn¡¯t inform him, he thought, coughing. "So, what¡¯s at stake this time?" He asked casually. Gina jumped excitedly beside him, her pigtails bouncing, pointing across the fighting ring to a red-cloth-covered platter on a table: "It¡¯s a [Resist Elemental Damage] ring, very useful for us blacksmiths. Oh, Garrett, check the betting list, see if there¡¯s something you want, we¡¯ll win it for you..." Just then, chaos erupted behind them. Calls for help, running, shouting: "Priest! Priest!" Amidst the clamor, Viscount Carden¡¯s laughter boomed: "Hahaha! Told you, you have a heart problem, and there it is! You wouldn¡¯t listen, serves you right if you die!" Someone¡¯s dead? Or, is someone dying? The patient today whose angina presented as tooth ache? Garrett stiffened. Instinctively, he took a few steps forward, then suddenly stopped. Angina... It¡¯s been three days, and if he¡¯s collapsing now, his myocardium might already be extensively necrosed. Without equipment, without medication, without an ICU, going there empty-handed... Probably won¡¯t save him, right? "Oh, Master Nordmark!" Viscount Seibesh suddenly appeared, grabbing Garrett and dragging him outside: "Come on, just in time, come help save someone!" He smelled strongly of blood. Garrett sniffed and his expression immediately turned grave. Initially dragged by the Viscount, he soon hastened his pace, almost taking the lead as they sprinted through several corridors and doors, plunging into the Viscount¡¯s residence. Opening the door, a strong smell of blood assaulted them. This scent... If there¡¯s only one injured person and the smell of blood is this strong, it must be about 200cc, right? Considering the time, the airing out of the blood smell, and internal bleeding, the victim¡¯s condition could be very dire! Garrett frowned, following the strongest scent of blood towards the inner room. Pushing open the door, he saw the previously met Radiant Sister ¡ª what was her name again? ¡ª lying face-up on a wooden bed. The last time Garrett saw her, she was in neat and solemn nun¡¯s attire, but now it was disheveled and blood-stained. Her exposed limbs were covered in various bruises and cuts. Her eyes closed, her breathing weak, her complexion as pale as death. "What happened?" Garrett kneeled beside her, his fingertips already pressing down. Under his fingers, her pulse was faint; she had likely lost at least 1000ml of blood. Viscount Seibesh hurriedly explained: "She seduced Julia¡¯s newly acquired blood slave! To punish her, I drained a few more drops of blood, and then..." And then, it turned into this. Coupled with the scars on her body and her previous mental state... A question involuntarily floated in Garrett¡¯s mind: To save, or not to save? --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 543: The Nun’s Life-and-Death Struggle Chapter 543: The Nun¡¯s Life-and-Death Struggle This girl, dying might be happier than living. ¡ª¡ªThis thought only flashed in Garrett¡¯s mind. He didn¡¯t stop his hands, continuing to check and prepare for resuscitation: According to medical ethics, the decision to give up treatment should only apply to incurable patients who are dying. The girl before him was not at this point. Even if she were, the decision to give up treatment could only be made by the patient. If the patient were unconscious, only the family could decide, never the doctor. As a doctor, one must assume the patient wants to live, never that they wish to die. ¡°What else did you do besides drawing blood?¡± Garrett asked sternly, continuing his work. Hmm, the patient was unconscious, her skin pale and clammy, her breathing shallow and rapid, her heart rate too fast, clear symptoms of hypovolemic shock: ¡°How much blood did you take?¡± ¡°Not much...¡± Viscount Seibesh¡¯s eyes flickered, ¡°I didn¡¯t want her to die... we just wanted her to lie down for a few more days... at most, I was too angry and took a bit more...¡± Garrett wanted to scold him. He held back, quickly set up an IV, and hung a bag of Ringer¡¯s solution to replenish her blood volume. Turning his head, he saw that Viscount Seibesh was still standing there, his face immediately darkened: ¡°Go call for help! Bring more people! She needs a transfusion! I need enough humans to find a compatible blood donor! Hurry! At least 20 people!¡± Viscount Seibesh ran out immediately. Garrett sighed deeply. He cast a cardiac magic spell, glanced at the waveform on the cloud screen a few times, and continued his thorough examination: Both pupils equal and round, reactive to light, good; No obvious wounds on the limbs, good; A damp bite mark on the neck, no longer bleeding, it seems legends are true, the vampiric kind do have the power to heal blood vessels rapidly; Capillary refill slow... It seems, apparently, aside from being heavily drained of blood, there are no other obvious injuries. As for whether there are other injuries in the thoracic and abdominal area, it¡¯s best to wait for Viscount Seibesh to return and continue the examination. Garrett sighed deeply, sitting beside the bed, watching Ringer¡¯s solution swiftly slide into the patient¡¯s veins. After a moment, he cast another healing spell. Sigh, healing spells are just life support, they don¡¯t replenish blood, I must quickly find someone for a transfusion... Garrett watched the glass bottle, quickly calculating in his mind. Blood loss, fluid replenishment, blood transfusion volume... This place lacks the conditions for transfusing red blood cells; only whole blood can be transfused, and the amount needs adjustment... ¡°...Why are you saving me...¡± The woman¡¯s voice faintly arose. Garrett turned his head, saw the blood thrall¡¯s eyes slightly open, a hard effort to turn her face towards him. Her face was pale, her voice weak, but in her deep, dark eyes burned two fierce flames: ¡°Why... won¡¯t you let me die...¡± Why? Because I am a doctor. Because someone asked me to save you. Because the vampiric kind are our allies... Garrett couldn¡¯t utter these words. The woman closed her eyes and gasped for a moment, then suddenly yanked the IV needle from her wrist, trying to stab it towards Garrett¡¯s eye¡ª ¡°!!!¡± Her movements were not agile due to excessive blood loss; Garrett easily dodged. Shocked and angry, he pinned her back down to the bed: ¡°What are you doing!¡± ¡°What did she do?¡± Footsteps approached quickly from the door. The struggle under his hands weakened, and the woman lay back on the pillow, returning to her previous silent, still, puppet-like demeanor. Garrett sighed in relief and didn¡¯t turn around: ¡°It¡¯s nothing, she didn¡¯t know we were helping her and pulled out the needle. I¡¯ll reinsert it¡ª¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Viscount Seibesh responded and wasn¡¯t suspicious. He watched Garrett busy himself, reinserting the needle, restarting the infusion, securing the needle again, and after everything was done, waved him over: ¡°I¡¯ve called the people, take a look, which ones are suitable~~~ they¡¯re all blood thralls, you can draw their blood, no problem!¡± With Viscount Seibesh¡¯s consent, Garrett carefully checked the young woman¡¯s torso, found no possibility of internal organ rupture, and then hurried out to test the blood. Viscount Seibesh sat by the bedside, touching the blood thrall¡¯s cold cheek, sighing softly: ¡°Alright, Theresa, be obedient, I won¡¯t draw so much blood from you again. That Julia is not a good person, her blood thralls, if you see them, walk away, do not speak...¡± Theresa stared blankly at the ceiling, her expression rigid, silent, occasionally shivering. Viscount Seibesh continued to coax and comfort her, spoke for a while, then stepped aside, letting Garrett come to perform the blood transfusion: ¡°Is this alright?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°Will she be okay now?¡± ¡°She¡¯ll be okay.¡± ¡°Do we need to transfuse more blood?¡± ¡°No need. Her blood pressure has risen, let her rest, recuperate, pay attention to nutrition, she must not be bled again for at least two months...¡± Garrett mechanically finished his tasks, mechanically cleaned up his tools, mechanically gave his medical orders, and then left. This treatment was truly unpleasant, neither the person who requested it nor the patient made it easy. He didn¡¯t want to come again... As he left, Viscount Seibesh also went off to seek his own pleasures. Only Theresa quietly lay on the bed, her expression indifferent, her nails deeply embedded in her palms. Originally, she was the daughter of a minor noble in the Rhine Kingdom, discovered to have a gift while being educated in a convent, and trained to become a sacred radiant nun. However, just after completing the sacred rites, the convent was attacked, she and many sisters were captured, sold... Throughout the long ordeal of being tossed about, her sisters gradually scattered, disappeared, and she became a blood thrall to a vampiric viscount. A seemingly cherished life, but also a living hell. And the Lord of Radiance told them, life is a gift from God, and suicide is a great sin... Brought from the vampiric territories to the Kingdom of Kent, after many miles and changes of territory, landing in the domain of evil magicians. Several escape attempts, several failures. Her master warned that if she tried to escape again, she would be turned into a lower blood servant, and that would damn her to hell! Theresa bravely approached another blood thrall, trying to stir up conflict between her master and Miss Julia. As a result, aside from nearly being drained of her blood, she achieved nothing. And yet, she was saved and brought back... Don¡¯t be discouraged! Find another opportunity, try again! Theresa silently cheered herself on. It was said that these vampiric beings, orcs, barbarians, dwarves, and evil magicians were conspiring against the Radiant Church? There must be conflicts among them, just find that point, expose it, and this evil alliance will surely fall apart! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 544: Garrett, why don’t you follow the example of the sages? Chapter 544: Garrett, why don¡¯t you follow the example of the sages? After finishing the treatment, Garrett returned to the Mage Tower, so dismayed he didn¡¯t want to see that group of blood clan. Really, although that girl is an enemy, she is still a person! She is a person! Sigh, in my previous life, I encountered many more depressing situations than today, and it wasn¡¯t enough to make me resist going to work. It seems that with a higher status, my tolerance has decreased. Or, was it just bending over for five bushels of rice in my previous life, reluctantly having to work no matter what? Garrett reassured himself back and forth like this, still feeling psychologically imbalanced, and decided to seclude himself. Not seeing anyone, not leaving the Mage Tower, all his energy was poured into blood magic research¡ª Getting up in the morning, furiously casting spells until his daily limit was reached. Diving into the meditation room, replenishing his magic power, and then sleeping soundly for eight hours to restore his mental strength, before starting another round of furious spell-casting... Doing twice the work in one day, his efficiency skyrocketed. After an indeterminate amount of time, one day, MOSS emitted a pleasant humming sound: "Master, I have found the relevant points, and they have been marked¡ª" Found them?! Really found them?! Garrett was overjoyed. At his command, MOSS displayed dozens of light screens. These screens were actually semi-transparent cubes about one cubic foot each. Colorful and piled together, they nearly filled the entire central space. Garrett these days was so sick of casting spells. A quick glance told him that these cubes were the feedback from "Distinguish Bloodline" in the meditation vision¡ª The cubes were arranged from top to bottom into four rings, neatly encircling the core of the Mage Tower. Each set of three-dimensional data had a position marked by MOSS: From a horizontal view, the images at this position on each ring were identical. But from a vertical view, the four images were all different. If Garrett wished, he could easily name them: Type A, Type B, AB type, O type... "The points have been found! This is what I need!" Garrett cheered excitedly. The next task was to continue to dissect "Distinguish Bloodline," find the part that could trigger the image of that spot, analyze it, package it¡ª And directly output the data! The goal was for a spell to tell you directly, "This is Type A blood." This spell usually isn¡¯t very useful, but on the battlefield, in the face of great disaster, when urgent blood transfusions are needed, it is an unparalleled tool! Success was close! Keep it up! Garrett, invigorated, swung his fist vigorously as he continued to work. Pulling out the record book, he flipped page by page to the corresponding section¡ª He had already conceived the plan for dissecting the spell. For so many days, after exhausting his spellcasting limits, he had buried his head in calculations countless times. Those bouts of fatigue, those slight dizzinesses, those feelings of pushing his brain to the limit, had been his constant companions these days. And now, it was time to verify! "Distinguish Bloodline - Dissection 1," release! Failure. The scene reflected in the meditation vision was not the part Garrett wanted. "Distinguish Bloodline - Dissection 2," release! Failure. Dissection 3, release... Dissection 19, release! This time it was right! This time, the scene reflected included the area MOSS had marked! Overjoyed, Garrett raised his right fist and swung it fiercely in the air. This dissection reduced the magic consumption of "Distinguish Bloodline - Modified" from a high-tier level 1 to a low-tier level 1, cutting more than half. And obviously, there was still room to continue dissecting. Garrett spread out paper and pens, and threw himself at the table, furiously calculating. "Garrett! Garrett!" "Huh?" "Time to eat!" "Oh... you guys go ahead, I¡¯ll come soon..." Garrett responded absentmindedly, lying on the table without lifting his head. Ink spread far and wide across the paper, numbers, formulas, and diagrams seemed to come alive, spreading from one sheet to another... Footsteps came and went. The Mage Tower maintained constant temperature and humidity, with uniform lighting, always providing the most suitable environment for research. The good thing about this was that research wouldn¡¯t be interrupted, the bad thing was, a researcher deep in thought could really starve to death at the table... "Garrett!" "Huh?" "Open your mouth!" A somewhat familiar voice. Garrett didn¡¯t bother to distinguish, obediently opening his mouth. The next moment, a small bundle of something fragrant and warm was stuffed directly into his mouth . "Chew!" Garrett followed the command, one action. Once, twice, three times. Mechanically chewing, mechanically swallowing. Ah, so dry, it felt like he was going to choke... "Open your mouth!" A straw was stuck into his mouth. Garrett stared at the manuscript in front of him, slurping and gulping... Just like that, unknowingly being fed bite by bite, drink by drink. Garrett¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t change, his hands didn¡¯t stop moving, the only difference being his brain seemed to turn a bit faster now that it was supplied with blood sugar... Hmm, should this part of the spell model be dissected horizontally, vertically, or split into four pieces from top to bottom, left to right? Footsteps quietly receded. Andrew Lynn, carrying a golden skull, retreated to the next floor, facing his hopeful companions with a helpless shake of his head. "How is it?" Aurora stretched her neck to peek at the tray in the hands of the golden skull. Unfortunately, the tray lid was tightly sealed, and without x-ray vision, she couldn¡¯t see anything. "He didn¡¯t eat at all?" You¡¯ve never been this kind to me! When I¡¯m so engrossed in reading that I forget to eat, you always just pull my ear! Andrew Lynn shook his head with a smile. To his right, the golden skull patted its chest and made a gesture of "grab and stuff"... "..." "..." The 181st use of a skeleton... Anyway, in the Mage Tower, with everyone¡¯s concerted care, Garrett¡¯s line of research was finally not interrupted. These days, he was in a daze, feeling nothing but his research¡ª Staying at the core of the Mage Tower, sleeping when tired, grabbing whatever he could find when hungry, drinking any liquid he could touch when thirsty. When his mental energy was exhausted, he would stagger down to meditate. Luckily, the "Endless Ink Pen" didn¡¯t need to be frequently inked, otherwise, after these few days, Garrett¡¯s lips would surely be black and unwashable. Days passed by, one day, two days, three days, five days, until one evening after seven or eight days, everyone was under the tower looking up at the starry sky when suddenly there was a loud explosion from the tower top, earth-shattering¡ª Looking up, they saw Garrett, like a firework, crookedly bursting out of a window. As he flew upward, dancing and laughing loudly: "I¡¯ve done it! I¡¯ve done it!!!" Everyone: ... Garrett, if you have the ability to fly like this, you have the ability to follow the example of the sages! --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 545: Garrett: Ahhhhh—Snap! Chapter 545: Garrett: Ahhhhh¡ªSnap! The successful development of ¡¾Blood Test Magic¡¿ brought Garrett an unprecedented joy. This was his first time, based on his past life experience, to independently develop a new diagnostic magic! X-rays, ultrasounds, he merely adapted existing tools for different purposes; the diagnostic methods remained the same as in his past life; The ECG Magic¡¯s primary magical framework was largely completed with the assistance of Lady Silver Dragon, and he himself had completed less than half of it; But Blood Test, this was a new magic he developed independently through experiments, calculations, and analysis, based on the ¡¾Bloodline Discrimination¡¿ magic! Moreover, following this path, he might even develop more similar diagnostic magics. ¡¾Bloodline Discrimination¡¿ could determine blood types, but could it also determine total red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, pH, blood potassium, sodium, calcium, various ions? Blood sugar, urea, creatinine, uric acid; total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein; hepatitis B, hepatitis C, syphilis, AIDS; AFP, CEA, HCG... Following this train of thought, he might be able to develop qualitative and quantitative, a full set of blood test magics! Maybe one day, a drop of blood and a spell could produce a very long diagnostic report, providing all the values a doctor could want. Before surgery, a simple slap could replace the four major infectious disease tests, no longer needing to fear occupational exposure. Until today, these ideas were just ideas. But with Garrett¡¯s newly developed ¡¾Blood Type Discrimination¡¿, a long journey had already taken its first step! Garrett was dancing and shouting mid-air. Below the magic tower, led by Andrew Lynn, a group of magicians looked up in silence. After a moment, Aurora whispered: "A mid-tier magician isn¡¯t supposed to fly in Nevis, right?" "He¡¯s flying within 100 meters around the magic tower and not higher than 100 meters above the tower top. There won¡¯t be a fine, let him fly." Mr. Norwood replied sourly. A magician, in his own magic tower and the surrounding area, is the supreme king. In this area, he can do anything without reproach. Including but not limited to flying, launching strange fireworks, and emulating the ancients by running wildly around the tower... But, mid-tier magicians can fly around their own magic towers, a law that exists in the code but is rarely cited. After all, a mid-tier magician in Nevis almost never owns "his own" magic tower... Whether flying near someone else¡¯s magic tower would be interfered with depends on your relationship with the tower¡¯s owner, or more precisely, how much your teacher dotes on you. What does it mean to be a favored son of heaven? Mr. Norwood was worried again, especially as Garrett, wobbling, had already flown around the tower top three times, the path he took was heart-stopping... "Isn¡¯t he going to fall?" "Don¡¯t worry, I can catch him." Andrew Lynn, Aurora, and Lady Silver Dragon said simultaneously. Andrew Lynn hooked his fingers, and Mr. Troka had somehow jumped to the top of the tower, looking up with a feline gaze; Aurora held a feather, ready to cast Feather Fall at any moment; As for Lady Silver Dragon... "Don¡¯t you fly up there! We can catch him without you!" Andrew Lynn and the Golden Skeleton, one on each side, held Lady Silver Dragon¡¯s hands. "Ong¡ª" Appa cried out high-pitched, shaking its horns, bending its front hooves. Bernard hurried over to calm it: "Appa, don¡¯t move! Don¡¯t jump up! Be careful not to poke a hole in him!" Anita Winvey looked solemn, pinching a seed between her fingers, kneeling on one knee, pressing it into the mud; Leon Carlos, who had not yet mastered Feather Fall, could only open his arms, looking up as he walked forward a few steps... The group below the tower pointed and whispered. Suddenly, Garrett came to his senses, looked down at them, and startled, he suddenly began to fall: "Ahhhhhhhhhhh~~~" Darn it¡ªI got distracted, and it seems like the flying spell has failed... What was the spell model for the flying spell... Or should I cast a Feather Fall... I didn¡¯t bring a feather, where¡¯s my ¡¾Endless Ink Pen¡¿... Darn, I didn¡¯t bring it with me... The height of the magic tower is over 40 meters, I have 3 seconds to react... 2 seconds... 1 second... "Ah¡ªSnap!" Four invisible servants, two raising their hands and two their feet, caught Garrett in mid-air. Garrett¡¯s falling speed immediately slowed, he wobbled in the air for a moment, and then slid down onto the broad antlers of the silver moon deer, lying directly on the deer¡¯s back. "Appa! Appa, don¡¯t run so fast ah ah ah!" The silver moon deer, carrying Garrett, sped up merrily. Crossing mountains, crossing rivers... No, it was up hills, down valleys, across streams, giving him a rough ride, before Appa, carrying a thoroughly shaken Garrett, slowly returned. Garrett barely climbed down from the deer¡¯s back, his legs went soft, nearly causing him to fall: "Appa... I haven¡¯t offended you recently, have I..." The response was a close nudge from the big head of the silver moon deer. Garrett leaned back, truly sitting down on the ground. His friends came over laughing. Before they lifted him up and tossed him into the air, Garrett hurriedly raised his hands: "Wait! I need to go write a paper!" The paper still had to be written. Especially, taking advantage of the recent breakthrough, writing it quickly often brought unexpected benefits. Andrew Lynn shrugged, stepping aside first. Aurora muttered softly behind him: "So boring..." Rarely having such a big achievement, and not celebrating with everyone! Garrett, covered in dust, got up, one foot high, one foot low, staggeringly escaping into the magic tower. He dashed to the table, writing fervently: "¡¶On the Creative Thought Process Behind the ¡¾Blood Type Discrimination¡¿ Magic¡·" "Known magic ¡¾Bloodline Discrimination¡¿ provides far more information than the actual analysis it performs. I have organized and classified this information, combined with previous research on blood types, to create the following magic..." "This magic¡¯s mana consumption can be limited to the level of tricks, but its learning difficulty and mental power requirements are at the level of a 1st ring spell..." "Thought: The mechanism triggering ¡¾Blood Type Discrimination¡¿¡¯s feedback is unclear... Consider approaching from perspectives of light, electromagnetic waves, etc..." "Future research directions..." Garrett was so engrossed in writing that he scribbled everything down¡ªultraviolet spectrophotometry, cryo-electron microscopy observations of protein shapes, and a mishmash of other things. After reviewing his work, he sighed, folding the latter pages up and stuffing them into a spatial bag to rewrite... These things can¡¯t see the light of day yet. Principles, ideas, the essence of the magic, evaluation, thought prospects, references. When Garrett put down his pen, dawn was breaking, and his oak wand tucked in his chest pocket was emitting a faint green light. Garrett jumped up and ran to the meditation room. Thump thump thump, he turned out of the staircase, nearly bumping into Aurora. "Why are you running so fast? Racing to the bathroom?" "I¡¯m advancing!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 546: Garrett: Starting Today, Becoming a Tough Guy Chapter 546: Garrett: Starting Today, Becoming a Tough Guy "I¡¤am¡¤advancing." These four words, brimming with authority, utterly stunned Aurora. Oh, heaven help, he was considered somewhat of a prodigy in Nevis, but how long did it take him to move from level five to six? Over a year, perhaps? Just like that, his mentor was quite satisfied with his pace, believing that he had been diligent during this time and not wasted it. How long did it take Garrett? Merely half a year. After all, Garrett advanced to a level five mage at the end of last year during the great gathering of barbarians, at the first fall of winter snow. Moreover, he was a dual-class mage and priest, both needing advancement... So, this is what distinguishes a legendary disciple from a disciple of a legendary disciple? Lost in a trance, Garrett had already dashed into the meditation chamber and slammed the door shut. Aurora snapped back to her senses and rushed to pound on the door: "Hey, it¡¯s Monday! Do you need me to ask for a leave for you?" It¡¯s the weekly meeting of the Thunder Lord! "Please do!" The door to the meditation chamber opened a crack, then quickly shut again. Click, the door was locked, activating the magic circle, sealing it from the inside and out. From this moment on, aside from the mage himself stepping out, only invisible servants controlled by the tower spirits could regularly bring in water and food... Of course, a mage in deep meditation, fully focused on breaking through, might not even need these. Garrett didn¡¯t need them either. He hurriedly sat down on the mat and closed his eyes. Instantly, the humanoid form of light in the core of his meditation stood up in his vision, slowly rotating, every detail vividly displayed. Bones. Muscles. Blood vessels, heart. Organs¡ªlungs, liver, gallbladder, kidneys, pancreas. The respiratory system, from the trachea to the lungs; the digestive system, from the throat, esophagus to the rectum. Nerves, brain. All these had been sculpted during previous advancements. What connected this time was the lymphatic and immune systems recently shaped by mental power: R?¦¡??????E?S The spleen, thymus, tonsils, various lymph nodes, lymphatic vessels, and capillary lymphatics throughout the body... The more detailed the creation, the more difficult it became. Lymph nodes, tiny and scattered throughout the body, each cancer surgery involving clearing surrounding lymph nodes was an intricate task; Capillary lymphatics and capillaries were densely intricate, penetrating every corner of human tissue. At the extremities, around each organ, they often ran parallel; And lymph fluid, delving into every interstitial space of the body, participating in the circulation of tissue fluid and blood... These details, limited by Garrett¡¯s total mental energy, were only roughly shaped. For instance, the one-way valve structure made of a single layer of endothelial cells in the capillary lymphatics was something he could only imagine vaguely: it should look like this... During the advancement process, the world¡¯s will, carrying massive energy, surged down. Those pale, ghost-like details gradually came to life. Filling details with energy. Linking with existing systems, integrating, and interacting. Becoming a complete whole. Then, the energy-forming meditation core, reflecting on the physical body, cleansing the corresponding organs and tissues... "Cough, cough... cough, cough, cough..." Garrett couldn¡¯t help but cough forcefully. His tonsils itched, and he spat out a glob of thick phlegm. Speaking of which, when he was a child¡ªin his previous life, that is¡ªhis tonsils often got inflamed. He had even considered removing them back then... "So, the lymphatic system¡¯s feedback to the body is that my immunity is greatly enhanced?¡ªBut it¡¯s not too prone to allergies, right? This needs some adjustment..." He certainly didn¡¯t want to sneeze from a spring breeze and suddenly have a swollen throat. Struggling to perform a tracheotomy on himself would be too tragic! Garrett quickly plunged into deep meditation. The direction of enhancing immunity must not be overly sensitive but should be a systematically strengthened system through training. Like upgrading from a human level to that of a dwarf or barbarian; or from an ordinary human to a knight... In essence, illnesses that could knock me down yesterday will no longer pose a threat from today! Others might fall ill for days; I¡¯d at most sneeze! Starting today, becoming a tough guy! GO! The world¡¯s will feedback came wave after wave. Constructing the meditation core, reflecting on the physical body, filling the entire meditation environment, constructing spells¡ªif Garrett wasn¡¯t mistaken, this time both his priest and mage levels were soaring. Developing smallpox vaccines, promoting cowpox vaccinations, analyzing blood types, promoting blood transfusion methods... It seems, the advancements and contributions he had made to this world since his last level-up had been sufficient to win the world¡¯s favor, no longer hindering his advancement? Garrett silently contemplated, fully extending his mental power, welcoming the energy infused by the world¡¯s will. Advancing from level five to six wasn¡¯t a major threshold, aside from "I, Garrett, handle energy" there were no other tricks. What he needed to decide now was which spell to include in his soul magic during this advancement¡ª Was there even a need to consider? Definitely the blood-testing magic! Hmm, most crucially, there had to be enough capacity left for magic interfaces... Fortunately, during the state of advancement, the energy infusion was continuous, even speeding up his thought process considerably. Garrett rattled off a messy dismantling, leaving seventy to eighty interfaces for this spell: Cells! Ions! Pathogenic organisms! Proteins! DNA... Regardless of whether they could be detected in the future, first, cram all conceivable tests into it! In the lingering aftermath of the energy infusion, Garrett completed the final touches on the spell model and sprang up. "How did it go?" "Was it successful?" As the door was pushed open, a chorus of inquiries met him. Garrett chuckled and lifted his arm, showing off his biceps: "Of course it was successful! Very successful! Let me tell you, after this advancement, I am all steel¡ªmuscle¡ªand bone!" "Oh? Really?" Arms, one on each side, rested on his arm. One arm, muscular and knotted, with forearms thicker than Garrett¡¯s and covered in dark, long sweat hairs¡ªclearly, it belonged to the barbarian Bernard; The other was literally skeletal¡ªthin to the point of only having the ulna and radius, devoid of muscle and skin, brilliantly golden, unmistakably Linne¡¯s golden skeleton. The owner of the golden skeleton stood far back, arms crossed: "Steel muscles and iron bones, huh? Between these two, why not try arm wrestling?" Garrett: "..." Boosting immunity doesn¡¯t mean increasing strength! That¡¯s enhancing constitution, and the aspects of enhancement are different! He jumped back, first slapping his space bag, releasing his own dark gold skeleton. The two skeletons approached each other and began arm wrestling; soon, the ulna of the dark gold skeleton was snapped by the golden skeleton. Linne: ...To be honest, giving you this skeleton was really a waste. Why not let it move freely? --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 547: The Agreement is Made, Only to Collapse Immediately? Chapter 547: The Agreement is Made, Only to Collapse Immediately? "Thank you all for coming... After more than a month of intense negotiations, we have reached a series of friendly agreements..." Archmage Lebron held up a wine glass¡ªfilled with a pale golden liquid, possibly champagne¡ªand cast a voice amplifying spell, speaking with great enthusiasm. In the venue, about half of the audience listened politely, while the other half whispered among themselves... Garrett had just emerged from seclusion and advanced in rank, arriving just in time for the closing ceremony of this diplomatic conference. He had seen it through from beginning to end, truly earning his title as a diplomat. Now, he was mingling in the crowd, fulfilling his last duty. Although at this moment, Garrett was not with the vampires he was supposed to host but surrounded by a group of dwarves, barbarians, and orcs, who were overwhelming him with their attention: "Garrett, have you advanced? The stars on your badge have changed!" Gavin, on tiptoes, struggled to look at Garrett¡¯s chest. There, a mage¡¯s badge with five copper stars had now turned into one silver star. Next to the badge, an oak staff with six green leaves elegantly unfolded¡ª A sixth-level mage, a sixth-level priest. "You were still fourth-level when you left... That was fast! It¡¯s only been over half a year, and the copper stars turned to silver!" "Yes, indeed. It¡¯s been quick." An orc warrior pushed through the crowd, his large golden earrings swinging, dizzying to watch. Seeing Garrett¡¯s bewildered expression, he laughed heartily and pointed at his own chest: "Mage sir, remember me? I was the one you saved by cutting open my chest and manually compressing my heart." Oh, the case of cardiac tamponade, the one where he directly pressed on the heart. Now Garrett remembered: "That¡¯s you! How¡¯s your recovery?" "Great!" The orc warrior swung his fist and jumped vigorously, keen to show off his robustness: "After I went back, I rested for six months and successfully advanced!" Open chest, direct heart compression, successful resuscitation, no impediment to advancement... Garrett noted mentally. Very good, another case feedback. Such rare cases could actually make for a paper... Too bad there¡¯s no relevant journal here. When will there be an Otherworld version of The Lancet? "Mage Nordmark, I heard you¡¯ve been researching blood verification magic lately. How¡¯s it going? Can our blood be used to determine blood types?" "Uh, this... This magic has only been tested on humans so far..." Garrett broke into a sweat. His blood verification magic, tailored for human blood types, could instantly determine A, B, AB, and O types¡ªthough he had renamed them for easier dissemination in this other world. But for orcs... "Lord Nordmark, give it a try." Elder Brock, wearing a feathered cape and holding a bone staff, also squeezed over, extending a hand: "You said before, if blood transfusion could be done timely, warriors could recover much faster. Try it, maybe your magic can determine our blood types too?" He gestured with his bone staff, and a group of barbarians crowded around, each extending a hand. The leader grabbed a small knife from his belt, wiped it across the pad of his left middle finger, and blood gushed out like a fountain. Garrett: !!! Stop! Stop! Just a drop is enough! No need to be so heroic and cut yourself like that! He hurriedly took out a test tube to catch the blood, while simultaneously forming a small orb of healing energy and pressing it onto the wound. Ah, why make it so complicated when a needle prick and a cotton ball would suffice... r?aNo??????§¦?¡ì After collecting the blood, a magical slap confirmed "Analysis Impossible". Garrett focused intently, sensing feedback from his meditative vision. Indeed, the results of the magical probe were different from the four human blood types. "Uh... I might need more samples..." "Samples abound! Look around here, or just shout in town, and you¡¯d get hundreds!" Elder Brock waved his hand grandly. Garrett followed his gesture and looked ahead. Each warrior had raised a small knife¡ªthough the blades were three to four inches long¡ªplaced on their fingers, staring intently at him. It really wasn¡¯t necessary... Garrett broke into a sweat. Turning his head to the side, the dwarves and barbarians were all staring wide-eyed, as if eager to take this opportunity to get their blood types tested right away. "This..." "Garrett, start with us!" "Mage Nordmark, check our blood types first!" Below in the hall, Garrett was surrounded by guests from different races, seemingly chatting happily, blending in well. Above, Archmage Lebron and several leaders of the foreign delegations raised their glasses, smiling at each other: These trade agreements, the free movement of people , mutual guarantees of safety and work rights, were not the focus of these negotiations. After all, the agreements were just renewals, needing only minor adjustments, easily handled by any subordinate. But this time, taking advantage of the continuous blows to the Radiant Church, while their pope and high priests all retracted their activities and significantly reduced their external involvements¡ª After one or two months of tough negotiations, everyone reached the most crucial outcome: At sea, blocking the Radiant Church¡¯s fleet returning from the New World, delivering them a heavy blow! Consensus was reached, combat times were set, deployments determined, and the numbers of troops, ships, magical devices, and high-level professionals coordinated, along with the methods of collaboration and command, and the sharing of costs and spoils of war... Each point required discussion, every detail had to be repeatedly negotiated, each term agreed upon amid endless debates, scheming, table-flipping, and hurling insults about each other¡¯s ancestors... "Coward!" "Coward!" "Idiot! Those ships you built are just big bathtubs! One giant wave could capsize them!" "Still better than someone who won¡¯t even show their face outside another¡¯s bathtub!" Clang, clang, clang... Papers, quill pens, and ink bottles flew in all directions. Fortunately, dwarves, barbarians, and orcs are thick-skinned, and vampires and mages have various magical barriers. Once the throwing and tempers subsided, an apprentice-level cleaning spell swept through, and everything was back to normal... Ah, all is said with tears. Fortunately, everything was finally torn apart and settled. Tonight, everyone could fully enjoy the joy of the feast, without thinking about the arduous work ahead... "Ah¡ª" From afar, behind the banquet podium in the deep, a scream suddenly erupted. Sharp, pitiful, fearful, desperate. The entire hall¡¯s festive atmosphere was shattered by this scream. Several foreign leaders turned their heads to look. The orc prince, quickest to act, leaped forward, following the sound. Before long, he returned, pointing angrily at Marquis Tergu of the vampires: "Ptui! Our great orcs will never fight alongside you! Forget about the agreement!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 548: An Orc on the Verge of Turning, Can She Be Saved? Chapter 548: An Orc on the Verge of Turning, Can She Be Saved? What happened? Did a fight break out? Is someone injured, or worse, did someone die? Garrett squeezed through the crowd, picking up his pace. After a few steps, Seraina caught up from behind, boosting him by the elbow. Garrett felt as though he was flying through the clouds¡ªlifted off his feet. He was carried by Seraina, not touching the ground, speeding forward. They rushed through corridors, across courtyards, around corners. Far away, several illumination spells rose up, lighting the bushes and the pond where men and women enjoyed their merry-making¡ªone pair after another scattering like birds and beasts. ...It seems there are quite a few revelers outside the banquet hall... So, is this why the fun overturned? Garrett hastened his steps. Under the light of the illumination spells, a group of high-ranking officials moved briskly. The tails of Marquis Tergu¡¯s tuxedo fluttered conspicuously... ¡°What a rotten ally! Turning our noble priests into blood servants, we cannot afford such allies!¡± From a distance, the booming reproach of an orc prince carried through: ¡°The priests are servants of the War God! They are sacred and inviolable! Turning them into blood servants, such acts are an insult to the entire orc race!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a blood servant... it¡¯s an offspring...¡± ¡°Smack!¡± A loud sound¡ªunclear whether it was a slap, a punch, or something else¡ªbut a vampire was sent flying, tracing an arc in the air, landing right at Garrett¡¯s feet. Garrett looked down and thought, wow, his jaw twisted all the way to his back! With his cervical spine twisted like that, he must be dead, right? Then he saw the vampire propping himself up on his hands, grunting as he pushed himself up. His eyes were hazy, and he even managed a feeble grin, as if he wasn¡¯t in much pain... Alright, the vampire¡¯s physique is different, being beaten to this state probably doesn¡¯t need saving. Garrett continued to rush forward, only to hear chaos ahead: ¡°Get out of the way! Let me end her misery quickly!¡± That was a roar from an orc prince; ¡°Let¡¯s try to save her first...¡± This was the calm, deep persuasion of Archmage Lebron; ¡°No! Your Highness! Let me save her! Save her!¡± This was the desperate wail of an orc warrior; ¡°I can withdraw the True Blood, but if I do it now, she will definitely die...¡± That was the somber explanation of Marquis Tergu... ¡°Out! An orc priest would rather die than become a vampire!¡± The cacophony was overwhelming. If the decibel level in the banquet hall was 60, this area could easily exceed 90. Garrett, dragged by¡ªor dragging¡ªSeraina, plunged into the crowd. He saw a red-haired girl lying on the ground, breathing more out than in, her eyes half-open and clearly in critical condition. ?A?No¦Â§¦????? Another orc threw himself over her, shielding her from the furious orc prince, pleading bitterly. His gray tail swept back and forth, his ears and tail suggesting he was either from the wolf or dog tribe? Garrett instinctively assessed the girl¡¯s condition. Her complexion was deathly pale, her breathing weak... Two fresh bite marks on her carotid artery, bright red, looked recently healed... Clearly, she was in hypovolemic shock, so, was it the vampire who had been sent flying who caused this trouble? Garrett reflexively wanted to rush down to examine her, barely holding back. He circled halfway around and asked Archmage Lebron: ¡°Can she be saved?¡± ¡°It¡¯s tough...¡± Archmage Lebron shook his head, looking utterly weary. Everything was settled, how could this happen now? Orcs are fierce, vampires are proud. If they really tore into each other, the newly forged alliance would instantly collapse... ¡°She has lost too much blood. Only if the initial embrace is successful, she can be saved. If we withdraw the True Blood now, she will die immediately¡ªAnd healing spells cannot be used, True Blood conflicts with healing spells, she would die immediately!¡± ¡°Let me try?¡± Garrett was not content to give up. Hypovolemic shock, well, she¡¯s not dead yet, there¡¯s still a chance to save her. After all, if the rescue fails, she¡¯s just dead, right? Archmage Lebron pondered silently. Letting the girl die would be detrimental to the council; Letting Garrett try, and if it fails¡ªwhich was highly likely¡ªwould also be detrimental. The orcs losing a priest would not likely consider Garrett¡¯s intentions kindly, and resentment was a high possibility; Not letting Garrett try, after he had proposed it, would make the orcs think the council was just standing by ? Amidst his hesitation, Garrett had already stepped forward, facing the orc prince. He stared into the prince¡¯s eyes, opened his arms, and stood between him and the vampire girl: ¡°Can I try to save her? If it¡¯s just excessive blood loss, I just saved someone a few days ago!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right, he just saved someone!¡± Viscount Seibesh appeared out of nowhere to testify. The orc prince¡¯s eyebrows furrowed with anger, then forcibly suppressed it: He recognized this healer. It was he who had opened up the chest of his servant and brother, the werewolf Simon, and brought him back from the brink of death. Now, he wanted to save someone... ¡°Please.¡± The orc prince¡¯s voice was deep, reaching down. ¡°Please proceed without reservations... If it doesn¡¯t work, the orc race will still be grateful for your help.¡± Garrett nodded and quickly dove down to check. The red-haired girl was wrapped in a sheet, seemingly only in that sheet. A fiery red tail peeked out from under the sheet, glossy and slick... Fox tribe? Garrett¡¯s mind raced. What was the blood type of a fox... ¡°Hurry, get everyone in here! All your subordinates!¡± He turned his head and commanded the orc prince. His tone was firm, without hesitation. After speaking, he rummaged through his space bag, starting to pull out items: ¡°Seraina, carry her inside! Your Excellency the Archmage, please clear the room, keep unrelated people out! Marquis, when I say it¡¯s okay, please withdraw the True Blood!¡± The silver dragon girl responded, grabbing the orc lying on the red-haired girl and flinging him far away. She scooped up the fox girl in her arms, glanced around, and ran to the nearest room. Garrett followed, quickly pulling out Ringer¡¯s solution, syringes, seeds. Ah, the ion content in orc blood, the osmotic pressure, he hadn¡¯t measured those before. Now, he had no choice but to treat a dying fox as a living one! He raised his hand, and a levitation spell enveloped a saline bottle, lifting it high. A vine burrowed into the bottle, connecting to the syringe. With a quick touch, the needle pierced the shriveled vein, and Ringer¡¯s solution flowed in immediately. ¡°Prince Your Highness! Have your people arrived yet!¡ªQuick, let me test her blood type!¡± --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 549: Testing the Orcs for Blood Type? Chapter 549: Testing the Orcs for Blood Type? Garrett urged the orc prince to find someone while he worked. He took another needle, connected it to a vine, and let the vine thicken and harden, turning it into a makeshift syringe. He inserted one end into the patient¡¯s right radial artery, and from the other end, a tiny whirlwind was released. A negative pressure was created, and fresh blood gushed out, flowing down the soft end of the vine into a test tube. "Has someone come yet? Hurry up!" Garrett urged again. After urging, he flicked his right thumb, causing the tough vine wall to soften, retract, and seal softly on the wrist skin. With a satisfied clap of his hands, he said, "Done! A simplified version of an indwelling needle!" He took the opportunity to snap a picture of an electrocardiogram and began to test the blood type. In his meditative vision, the magical feedback from the blood testing was bizarre and utterly different from what he had seen when studying human blood types before¡ª So, orc blood types are indeed different from humans¡¯? But there¡¯s no reproductive isolation between humans and orcs, as there are rumors of half-orcs; what¡¯s that about? Never mind, now is not the time to delve into these questions. This fantastical world even has vampiric beings; the reasons for reproductive isolation might not be the same as in his previous life... Garrett took a deep breath, and his ¡¾Magical Tricks¡¿ flew about, sketching the scene he saw on the white wall, preparing to check it later. Red, orange, yellow, green¡ªthe colors were vibrant, no need for paint or mixing, controlled by thought, and easily erased if mistaken. Aside from its short existence of only one hour, it was indeed an excellent choice for taking notes at home or on trips, for killing... no, for making short-term notes. As he finished painting, a group of orcs rushed in with noisy footsteps. Garrett turned and frowned: The orc prince¡¯s golden hair fluttered from his head to his chin, his face broad and his ears short and round, reminding Garrett of an African lion; The prince¡¯s entourage was a mixed bunch, some with straight horns on their heads, some with leopard-patterned faces, including the cat girl who had climbed the mast last time. There was also a young girl with a light figure and a pair of large wings on her back, pure white in the center with pitch-black edges... A bird tribe? Crane tribe? Celestial crane? What¡¯s all this? So many different races, how can their blood types be the same? "Those of the same tribe as that girl, step forward! The rest, step back!" Garrett shouted. Fox people and other canine tribes likely had a higher chance of matching blood types, while other species had a lower probability. As for herbivores... Herbivores, why are you even here? Your species are too different! And the bird tribes, you¡¯re even further away; the likelihood of a blood match is nearly zero! The orcs jostled about. Then, a thin man pushed through the crowd, wearing a dusty, semi-old coat, his fur dull and his ears holding a feather pen. When Garrett first saw him, one profession came to mind: Accountant? "Only you? No one else?" The fox man nodded sorrowfully, his large tail sweeping behind him, his fur patchy and dull, in stark contrast to the vibrant fox girl. Though Garrett¡¯s aesthetic wasn¡¯t influenced by the orcs, he found the difference stark. r§Ñ?O¦Â§¦? The fox man shakily extended his hand, wanting to use a small knife to make a cut, but couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it after several attempts. A warrior nearby scoffed and reached out to grab: "Let me do it!" "No!" Garrett quickly intervened. A needle prick was all that was needed, why always make such a big cut... ah... "It won¡¯t work, the blood type is wrong. Are there any from the canine or wolf tribes?" Remembering that foxes belong to the canine family, the probability of a blood match should be higher... maybe... With that shout, a row of orc warriors stood up, each one lively. Without waiting for Garrett¡¯s command, they simultaneously extended their left hands, raising their palms, and with their right hands, drew their blades across... Garrett: "..." He finally understood that carnivores were the main warriors of the orc kingdom, with half of the prince¡¯s guard being from the wolf tribe. Since they were guards, being unafraid of pain and death was standard; anyone waiting for him to prick them for blood would probably die of laughter... Fortunately, this approach objectively sped up the blood testing. Garrett patted magic on each of their hands, checking the wall after each; another pat, another look. After a round, three remained! Preliminary screening passed, cross-matching passed, and fresh blood was quickly transfused into the fox girl¡¯s body. Garrett glanced at the electrocardiogram on the cloud screen, exhaling in relief: Good, good, the heartbeat¡¯s frequency still sounds like a living person, there¡¯s still time to save her... "Marquis, please draw the true blood!" Marquis Tergu¡¯s face darkened as he stepped forward swiftly. Extending his hand, he flicked out a thin, sharp fingernail, gently slicing across the girl¡¯s carotid artery. The blood did not spray out. Instead, a dark red, almost black, extremely viscous pool of tainted blood stuck to the marquis¡¯s fingernail, silently flowing up his finger into his palm. Arterial blood should never be this color. Thus, this must be the true blood of the vampiric beings... Garrett watched breathlessly. After the tainted blood flowed out, and fresh blood sprayed out in a flash, he quickly pressed down on the girl¡¯s carotid artery. His other hand had already conjured a healing spell, gently touching the wound. Releasing his hand, there was no active bleeding, and the neck skin did not swell. Very good. Blocking the carotid artery for just a few seconds wouldn¡¯t cause brain hypoxia¡ª Next, it all depended on the girl¡¯s fate! Garrett focused intently on the electrocardiogram. Beside him, Archmage LeBron stepped forward, lowering his voice: "Can she be saved?" "Maybe... look, the heartbeat¡¯s frequency has slowed..." "Slowed?!" Several voices exclaimed in shock. Slowed? That meant it was nearly stopping? Garrett shook his head with a smile. A slower heartbeat was actually a good sign; it had been over 150 per minute before, now it had dropped to 140. Moreover, the waveform showed the heartbeat was becoming stronger; the person was gradually recovering. Three wolf tribe warriors, each donating 400 milliliters of blood, could replenish 1200 milliliters for the patient. Along with the added Ringer¡¯s solution, it should be enough. "No problem, she¡¯ll live." An old man from the orc prince¡¯s entourage approached tremblingly, chanting softly. A pale red glow shot from his hands, landing on the fox girl. Immediately, her eyelids fluttered, and she let out a low moan. "The life force has strengthened... at this rate, she indeed can live..." Dwarves, barbarians, two healers also gave positive responses. The orc prince sighed deeply, nodding gratefully to Garrett, then suddenly turned to Marquis Tergu: "So now, please tell us¡ªwhy did you turn our priestess into a blood servant without any reason?" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 550: The Mastermind Behind the Accident Chapter 550: The Mastermind Behind the Accident Indeed, why was the fox woman turned into a blood servant? Archmage LeBron was also eager to know the answer. He glanced at Marquis Tragu with a cold face, his gaze urging: Speak up! Your family¡¯s younger generation, what were they thinking, daring to meddle with that fox tribe¡¯s priestess? Whether turning her into a blood servant or a descendant, this was bound to cause major trouble! Marquis Tergu¡¯s face also turned dark. These troublemakers, do whatever they want on their own territory, but still fool around when out on official business? If the troublemaker was his descendant, he would have already executed him. Unfortunately, it was another marquis¡¯s man, and even with calls for punishment, it was essential to clarify the situation first! He half-turned, raised his hand, and with a swipe, a gust of black wind howled out. In an instant, the young blood race member previously sent flying by a slap was dragged back, spinning and slammed onto the ground. "Speak!" Marquis Tergu¡¯s finger twitched, and the black wind whipped like a lash, leaving five bloody marks: "What¡¯s going on? Have you lost your mind?!" The young blood race member screamed in pain. On the bed, the fox tribe girl slightly opened her eyes, saw the blood race member, groaned, and then fainted again. Her slightly recovered complexion turned even paler. Garrett furrowed his brows slightly. He turned to Archmage LeBron, lowering his voice: "Your Excellency, there is a patient here, please keep quiet." His voice was deep, his tone gentle, yet very firm. Archmage LeBron silently glanced at him; having interacted for some days, he knew well what kind of person Garrett was. This kid, humble and easy to talk to, but when it comes to matters related to patients, he followed the rules strictly, no exceptions. Disturbing his patient? Disturbing someone he had just managed to save? Garrett was truly ready to confront anyone, sparing no one¡¯s feelings! Archmage LeBron sighed softly and turned to the beast tribe prince. It was his people who suffered and were saved, after all, so Archmage LeBron spoke gently and discussed: "Let us ensure peace here for the treatment, shall we move somewhere else to talk?" A group of people came thundering in and then thundered out. Seraila peeked out eagerly, desperate to know what was happening. Garrett smiled at her: "If you want to know, just go listen! I¡¯m here, no worries." "Do you have enough healing magic? And that cardiopulmonary resuscitation, without me, do you have the strength?" "Don¡¯t worry, no problem." Garrett smiled and patted his spatial bag. A dark gold skeleton turned into a streak of light, shooting out and assembling itself on the ground: R?a?N§àB§¦?S?? "If really needed, it will handle chest compressions, and I¡¯ll manage artificial respiration¡ªthe Deep Breath spell, try one spell, blow one breath, very convenient. If we run out of healing magic, I can call you in time¡ª" "Then it¡¯s settled! I¡¯m off to watch!" Miss Silver Dragon happily dashed out. Garrett smiled at her retreating back, turned back, and pressed on the fox tribe priestess¡¯s hand: Releasing his fingers, one second, two seconds. The blood color finally started returning slowly, Garrett frowned: "The peripheral reperfusion is slow, the blood volume still insufficient. My previous estimate of the blood loss seemed a bit too optimistic..." As he thought, he activated the healing magic, a faint white light passing through the sheet, illuminating the fox girl¡¯s abdomen. Significant blood loss, stomach, intestines, kidneys, liver, all were affected... Through the room door, the sounds of arguing, scolding, and shouting continued. Garrett ignored them, checked the fox girl¡¯s recovery, and turned to three mobile blood banks: "Come on, you, yes you, stretch out your hand! This blood bag is almost finished, it¡¯s your turn now!" These wolf tribe guards looked quite robust, their body weight probably exceeding 180 pounds. Blood gushed out, and Garrett slapped an anticoagulant spell on the blood bottle, murmuring to himself: "Drawing 400 milliliters of blood is definitely no problem, in extreme cases, an extra 200 milliliters per person should also be fine. Well, worst case, I¡¯ll just hang a saline drip for each of them!" He had plenty of saline! Just as he hung up a new blood bottle, he heard a long, agonizing scream from outside. Low and hoarse, as if someone¡¯s neck was being stepped on: "I didn¡¯t mean to turn her into a descendant! I really didn¡¯t!¡ªI was just playing with her, accidentally sucked a few mouthfuls of blood, I saw she was almost done ..." "Nonsense! Why would my tribe¡¯s priestess be with you?" "That¡¯s not the point... The point is, why did I suck so much blood? What happened?" "I... I don¡¯t know... I just got carried away... Oh right, there seemed to be a fragrance then..." "You say there was just because you say so?" "Really, there was! Don¡¯t believe me, go search!¡ªGo search!" Then Garrett couldn¡¯t hear anything else. The noise of people moved far off to another courtyard, whether to search or to verify. After a while, the Silver Dragon girl swept back in a gust, her face pale with anger: "Really annoying!¡ªTruly disgusting!" "What happened?" Garrett turned his head from the ECG monitor. Seraila sat down beside him, glanced at the bed where the fox tribe priestess lay unconscious, and spat, turning away her gaze: "She got carried away with someone! That blood race member was dazed and sucked her blood! Humph, the beast people even said it was the blood race who forced her, but then someone brought out letters!" Garrett wiped sweat. Girl, the patient is still half-conscious, your ranting like this could really affect her recovery! And there are beast people here too! Saying such things about their people in their presence is really awkward! He held a finger to his lips and "shushed" her. Seraila stuck out her tongue, waved her hand, and an invisible, colorless barrier rose from the ground, encircling them, isolating them from the surrounding people. Garrett quickly turned back, glanced around, and saw several wolf tribe guards pretending to see nothing, hear nothing, know nothing. Seraila followed his gaze and continued her rant: "They found seductive incense at the scene, traced magic marks all the way, and found a blood slave... She admitted to stealing the incense, saying she just wanted to make a big fuss, cause a fatality, and break up the alliance if possible! Humph, definitely a follower of the Radiant Church, that stench!" Was it that Radiant nun he had saved before... In Garrett¡¯s mind, a pale face surfaced. Wooden expression, a dark collar around her neck, occasional flashes of resentment in her eyes... To be fair, given how she was treated, wanting revenge, wanting to disrupt the alliance during the opportunity, was understandable. But sorry, they were on opposing sides, and since she had done this, probably, she wasn¡¯t going to survive. "Then what?" "Then it seems they started talking... Since the fox girl was with that blood race member voluntarily, and the blood race was framed, it wasn¡¯t intentional, as long as she can survive, everything can be settled. I got impatient with their pretense and just came back!" Saying this, she peeked outside and suddenly dispelled the barrier. Very soon, a large group came thundering in, the beast tribe prince leading the way, grasping Garrett¡¯s hands: "Thank you for saving our tribe¡¯s priestess. Mage Nordmark, your kindness is engraved in the hearts of our beast people, never to be forgotten." ¡ªSo, about the medical fees? --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 551: Making a Small Fortune and Setting off for Home Chapter 551: Making a Small Fortune and Setting off for Home Medical expenses were naturally needed. The value of a fox tribe priestess was much higher than that of a wolf tribe guard, and the beastmen paid a significantly higher consultation fee¡ªor rather, a gratitude fee. The beastmen prince didn¡¯t hesitate and sent a set of gold utensils as a thank-you gift: A milk tea pot nearly a foot high, made entirely of gold. The hunting scene depicted on the body of the pot was vividly alive, with each fierce beast¡¯s eyes inlaid with gems; Eight matching gold tea bowls, each with a lid and a bowl stand. When the eight lids were put together, they perfectly depicted the four seasons; A large plate capable of holding the tea pot and bowls, over two feet in diameter, with edges decorated with grape and animal motifs, as fine as hair... The lavish use of gold and gems shouted a few phrases: Opulence! Wealthy dog owner! Pearls like dirt, gold like iron! "Disregarding its artistic value, just the gold and gems are worth at least three thousand gold coins," determined Norwood the mage after appraising the set: "The magic array embedded in the tea pot can keep the liquid inside fresh for at least a week. Boss, the beastmen are quite generous." If liquidated, it could support the hospital for a month or two, or fund the construction of an additional hospital building. Garrett gave a nod of approval to his own money-making speed. The beastmen had given a lavish gift, and as the party responsible for the mishap, the blood tribe had to be even more generous. However, their style of gift-giving was vastly different, something Garrett could hardly get used to: "What¡¯s this?" Garrett stared at the contents of the box for three to four seconds. A... hairpin? Hair comb? Two long legs, ghastly pale in color, looking as though they were made from bone, with a similarly crafted bat at the top... It was a bat, right? Spread bone wings, membranous skin, claws, every detail exquisitely carved... Right at the center of the bat wings was a black humanoid figure, arms spread atop the wings, legs curled and squatting, sharp talons fiercely protruding. The little figure, less than an inch high, from facial expressions to body movements, was meticulously detailed. Rotating the hairpin, those little eyes seemed to stare right at you. The craftsmanship was excellent, the material intriguing, and moreover, it was encased in a coffin-shaped box. But what was it? Norwood the mage looked at it and was equally perplexed. He was not a mage specialized in appraisal, but he could sense a strong dark aura emanating from this magical artifact. Lynn casually passed by and recognized it immediately: "Bat hair comb, crafted from the bones of a vampire bat king, with an embedded dark crystal statue processed to gather negative energy, useful for controlling undead creatures or vampire bats¡ªthe effect is quite good..." "Snap." Garrett quickly closed the box and handed it to Lynn. Magical artifacts, useful for a necromancer, perfect for those who need it the most! But, the blood tribe sending me this, what are they implying? I¡¯m not from the Black Crow Swamp... Besides the two beneficiaries, Master Lebrun also highly praised Garrett. His words hinted that Garrett had played a significant role in this diplomatic negotiation, and the council would not forget it¡ª This negotiation task would be issued to each participant as part of the council¡¯s annual mission. Depending on the nature of their contributions, there would be different levels of compensation, with Garrett¡¯s involvement... "Don¡¯t worry, the transaction fee for the blood magic test isn¡¯t included, but just your participation bonus alone will not be less than 1000 contribution points!" Master Lebrun assured him earnestly. It was no joke, if it weren¡¯t for Garrett stepping in to save people, this alliance might have collapsed at the last minute! Garrett sincerely thanked him, then turned back and went about his business. The hospital entered a positive cycle, the mage tower entered a positive cycle, at this stage, he was not short on money. A little more or less bonus, didn¡¯t make much of a difference to him. As for advancing or such, well, he had just advanced recently, and the pressure from his teacher wasn¡¯t that great. Moreover, moving from level five to six, there weren¡¯t any new spells to learn, it was mostly a stage of reviewing and consolidating... At this stage, the priority was to repeatedly practice the animal experiments with persistent ductus arteriosus, to solidify the technique to perfection! Garrett buried himself in the hospital, fully focused, working with the animals. Surgery, chest opening, connecting blood vessels; vines extending, treating, observing; performing dissections to verify experimental outcomes... In order to develop a rabies vaccine, Black Crow Swamp was desperate to catch as many stray dogs from Nevis as possible, providing Garrett with no shortage of experimental subjects. Eventually, even the necromancer apprentices at the hospital could perform dissections on several dogs a day. And the dogs¡¯ survival times had gradually increased from initially half a day, to one day, two days, and then to half a month, a month. They were lively and well, able to eat and sleep, showing no signs of discomfort. "It looks like there are no problems." After organizing the last batch of experimental records, Garrett let out a long sigh of relief. This batch of experimental dogs, ten in total, all successfully survived a month post-surgery without any discomfort. An echocardiogram showed their blood flow had completely returned to normal, heart size was normal, and after sensing by a priest of the God of Nature, their vital signs were good¡ª Two of the dogs had even successfully become pregnant! With animal experiments reaching this stage, it might be time to move on to clinical trials? Even if the intervention experiments failed, he had also conducted a batch of successful experiments using minimally invasive thoracic surgery to close the ducts. "Lynn, Aurora, Mr. Norwood, I¡¯m going to visit my hometown." Garrett packed up his things and bade them farewell: "There¡¯s a little neighbor girl back home with congenital heart disease, waiting for me to treat her... This round trip will take a few months, so I¡¯m counting on you to look after the mage tower, okay?" "Leave it to me, leave it to me!" Aurora was envious. At level six, Garrett could travel anywhere just by saying a word to the Lord of Thunder, while his teacher kept him locked up in Nevis... Ah, when would he be able to travel the country? "Going back to Hartland City?" Lynn remembered how he first met Garrett and smiled slightly: "I won¡¯t be joining, I¡¯m quite busy recently. Say hi to Gelman for me. Oh, and if you need a place to stay, feeling the mage tower too cramped, you still remember how to get to my underground den, right?" Norwood the mage quietly prepared the map, and as for Bernard, the barbarian packed a huge amount of luggage, leading a silver moon deer, standing clearly in front of Garrett with a very obvious intent: Take me with you... Even more excited than him was Seraina. The young silver dragon packed her tea cups, teapots, bedding, and her daily experimental alchemical equipment, etc., sweeping everything into her spatial bag, and directly jumped onto the back of the silver moon deer: "Garrett, let¡¯s go together! I want to see what your hometown is like!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 552: Close to Home, Garrett Grows Nervous Chapter 552: Close to Home, Garrett Grows Nervous "Oh¡ªaha!" "Go for it!" Garrett shouted. With a whoosh of his flying spell, he soared into the sky, whirling through the canyon. Seraina flew beside him, while the barbarian rode Apa relentlessly below... Garrett, originally eager to return home quickly, had thought about catching an airship or using a teleportation array near Hartland, a large city, to make his way back. Normally, this would take him a day, at most two, to get home. However, both plans were vetoed by the Lord of Thunder. The legendary mage, eyes lowered, indifferently dropped the advice: "You¡¯d better walk the distance." Well, then, walking it was. This included the earlier plan of taking a ship from Nevis Port, heading south for a while, and now packing up everything... From Nevis to Hartland City, it was merely four to five hundred kilometers. Garrett sent a message to Elder Elwin, borrowing a bird trained by the Church of the God of Nature, which would take at most a week for a round trip. But walking there wasn¡¯t so simple. If this were in the great wilderness, Apa could sprint and cover two thousand kilometers in five days. But from Nevis City southward, first to circle around Igor Peak, and then mountains upon mountains followed. From Igor Peak southward, within 40 kilometers, the terrain was undulating, and the valleys deep. The Lord of Thunder meant for him to find his own way out. Whether climbing hard, using a flying spell, following the valleys, or directly crossing the mountains, the idea was the same¡ªproceed on your own. Although he didn¡¯t expressly forbid Seraina from carrying him or even scouting ahead in her dragon form, Garrett felt that if he really asked Seraina to do so, or even just to scout, it would end terribly. So, he just had to walk. Garrett flew above while the barbarian rode the deer below... "Aaaaah! I¡¯m going to hit the mountain! I¡¯m crashing!" "Featherfall spell!" A poor choice¡ªair currents varied greatly between the canyons, not a good place for a novice to practice flying spells... Seraina laughed so hard she almost fell over. Garrett drifted slowly down, squeezed onto the back of the silver moon deer, and continued on the journey. As a level 8 magical beast, Apa¡¯s ability to traverse mountainous terrain was much stronger than Garrett¡¯s. The wind whistled by his ears, quickly covering a good distance. "Wait a moment! Stop, I need to check the map!¡ªA mountain on the left, a mountain slightly ahead on the left, then a lake forward... Why doesn¡¯t it match the map? Where am I now?" Garrett missed the modern map-making technology, the Beidou navigation system, and the game mini-maps that showed a red dot just by opening them. What kind of map was this, anyway? A triangle for a mountain, a circle for a lake. There were no contour lines, and the scale was guessed at random. He had been walking for only half a day, and already he didn¡¯t know where he was! Garrett turned the map over and over. After a long while, he looked up: "Right, which way is south? Let me check... The position of the sun is... What time is it now..." "That way is south," Seraina stretched out her hand lazily. Garrett was still a bit skeptical, having checked and calculated for a long time: "It really is that way! How did you know?" "I just know!" Seraina¡¯s answer was matter-of-fact. Her slender palm was raised high, her fingertips pale and almost transparent, a flash of light passing by, and Garrett suddenly realized: "This is dragon scales! Can your scales directly feel it?" "Of course! All that stuff you mentioned... infrared, ultraviolet, and all sorts of other things, I can feel them all! There¡¯s definitely more than just those types of light in the sunlight!" Garrett¡¯s heart raced. Radio waves? X-rays? Gamma rays? What kinds of rays could Seraina feel? In an instant, he thought of countless research papers, seven or eight ways to utterly doom the Radiant Church. It¡¯s just too bad that these things all required experiments, possible only back in Nevis¡ªnow was not the time to turn back immediately¡ª "Ah, wait, there seems to be a village ahead! Let¡¯s go ask!" Fortunately, the mountains around Igor Peak, considered the backyard of the Council, were dotted with numerous villages, mage towers, and production bases. It was feasible to ask around to confirm his location. Garrett stumbled about, asking people everywhere, taking countless detours. Flying a bit, running a bit, then flying again, running again. If he found he had taken a wrong turn, he could either go back or climb over¡ª Just fly up with a flying spell, go straight over the mountain. Aim south and keep going; eventually, he would make it out. Garrett climbed through the mountains for seven days. After seven days, he reached a mountain ridge, and the view suddenly opened up¡ªhe couldn¡¯t believe he had actually made it out¡ª Out of the mountains! Out of the mountains! Ahead, beneath, the land was flat, and from then on, he just needed to sit on Apa and speed straight ahead! "Yo¡ªho! Apa! Let¡¯s run!" The silver moon deer snorted disdainfully. Lowering its head, it nudged Garrett, causing him to stumble. Garrett looked down at his attire: his coat, a complete mess; his trouser legs, frayed; his shoes, all muddy... "Cleanse! Cleanse! Cleanse!!!" Once out of the mountains, the path became easier. Racing straight south across the plains, circumventing mountains, bypassing cities. Traveling by day, setting up a protective shelter at night, he didn¡¯t need to bother finding a place to stay. So, he sped for three days, from the northern mountainous regions of the Kent Kingdom, across the central plains, down to the southern parts of Newster County, taking a slight detour to Hartland City. The mountains, rivers, and fields ahead grew more and more familiar. Gradually, he passed roads he had patrolled, cottages where he had treated the sick, and... The mage tower where he had studied magic. Garrett grew increasingly silent. He stopped Apa, took a wide detour, and headed towards the city gate. When he could see the city gate, he simply jumped off the deer¡¯s back and slowly walked forward by himself. Returning home as an adult, the familiar accent unchanged... It wasn¡¯t quite as dramatic as gray hair at the temples. After all, it had only been four years since he left home. Four years, from a 16-year-old boy to a 20-year-old young man. From a mage apprentice, a priest apprentice, to both a level six priest and mage. He had completed the treatment protocol for patent ductus arteriosus, with animal experiments verified. When he left, Garrett had set a deadline for himself: to complete it within eight years. If possible, better within five years. But now, he had managed to save an extra year. A year early meant the disease might not have progressed to a later stage, pulmonary hypertension might not have started, or it might not be severe, there might not have been a reverse shunt, the myocardium might not have been damaged... It meant treatment was possible, the prognosis would be better, and little Avril could grow up healthy and happy. How was she doing? Had Uncle Calren¡¯s beard gotten tougher? Had Aunt Eileen gained some weight? Raymond, the guy who danced hand-in-hand with that girl at the Midsummer Festival, they had gotten married the year before last, when would they have a little baby? Elder Elwin, Bishop Bald, Mage Gelman, Mage Elliott, Little John... the casters who worked in my clinic... How was everyone doing? I had sent many letters before, and they always said they were doing well, never sharing any difficulties with me... Garrett walked slowly. Crossing fields, onto the main road, and as he approached the city gate, he suddenly quickened his pace, raising a smiling face: "Raymond! Vali!¡ªI¡¯m back!!!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 553: Uncle, Aunt, I’m Back! Chapter 553: Uncle, Aunt, I¡¯m Back! Raymond¡¯s pupils slightly contracted. Then, he relaxed all over, exhaled deeply, and took big strides forward: "Garrett! Little Garrett! It¡¯s really you coming back!" He opened his arms from five or six steps away. Four steps, three steps, two steps, his gaze fell on the badge on Garrett¡¯s chest, and he suddenly paused: In the center of the quadruple rings, a brilliant silver star quietly shimmered. A Level Six Mage. Behind him, the gasps of the city guards rose and fell. In the whole Hartland City, the number of professionals at this level was countable on one hand. Especially spellcasters¡ªseveral bishops, the hosts of the Mage Tower, each one, someone they needed to bow to, someone they needed to address as "Your Excellency." Raymond froze in place. His arms were stiffly outstretched, but he didn¡¯t continue moving forward. After a moment, he quietly let them fall, wiping the sweat from his palms on his trousers. "I¡¯m still Little Garrett, huh!" Garrett, however, without hesitation, lunged forward and hugged him tightly. His arms tightened with a creaking sound. "Brother Raymond, you¡¯ve gotten much stronger! You must be close to becoming a knight, right?" Raymond finally smiled. Feeling the tight embrace squeezing his ribs, he let out a "hey" as he exerted strength in his arms to break free: "You haven¡¯t gotten any stronger. As much strength as before¡ªalthough, you¡¯ve grown taller!" He raised his hand to measure. When Garrett left, he had been a head shorter, his hair reaching only up to Raymond¡¯s chin, but now it was up to his eyebrows: "You haven¡¯t been training properly these years, have you?" Garrett lowered his head to avoid his gaze, and like the young boy he once was, quickly stuck out his tongue slightly. It wasn¡¯t just about not training properly, he had actually regressed from a Level 1 warrior back to Level 0¡ªlater his teacher had said, "It¡¯s not easy to regress like you have." If it weren¡¯t for the advancement to Level 5 that refined him, Raymond probably would¡¯ve seen a good-for-nothing... "Brother Raymond, could you possibly come home early today?" He forcibly changed the subject: "I want to eat Aunt Eileen¡¯s pickled meat!" "Alright, alright!" The smile in Raymond¡¯s eyes was unstoppable. He reached out and ruffled Garrett¡¯s hair, half-turning to his fellow soldiers, waving his hand: "Little Garrett is back. ¡ªI¡¯ll head back first, you guys cover for me!" "Sure thing, Captain!" "Don¡¯t worry and go back, Captain!" "If anyone asks, we¡¯ll say that the Mage himself is back! ¡ªEven the city lord will approve this excuse!" The soldiers responded with giggling. Garrett turned around and waved at Seraina: "Seraina, let¡¯s go!" With the clatter of hooves, the beautiful silver-haired girl, even with her elven ears hidden, remained the most eye-catching figure. As the city guards stared dumbfounded, she followed a giant deer, nimbly bounding forward: "Garrett, shall we go? I want to see the place where you used to live!" "Let¡¯s go!" They proceeded straight down the main road. In all of Hartland City, this was the only road that could accommodate the Silvermoon Deer to wander freely. Thus, the deer, with its back higher than a man¡¯s head and antlers over four meters wide, stood there, filling the entire street. Along the way, they naturally cleared the path. Passersby stood under the eaves, and carriages retreated into alleys, making way for them. Jokingly, such a big deer was definitely a high-tier magical beast, one could die without knowing how if bumped by it¡ª And there was someone leading it slowly ahead! Someone capable of controlling a high-tier magical beast was definitely a high-tier professional! Unapproachable, unapproachable... The street momentarily emptied. Garrett, while walking, pointed out places to Seraina with a smile: "This is the best commercial street in town, well, the only commercial street, actually..." "That store sells all sorts of things from overseas, including tobacco..." "This one sells paper, pens, and ink. When I went to buy paper, I encountered their owner choking, I saved him, and he gave me a big stack of paper..." "This is the biggest bakery in town, but honestly, I think Aunt Maggie¡¯s bread tastes better..." Seraina looked around, glancing left and right, then withdrew her gaze, uninterested. Suddenly ahead, hooves clattered, and several horsemen galloped over, pulling up their reins and dismounting quickly as they approached: "Mage Sir¡ª" "Knight Nolan! Knight Flynn! I¡¯m Garrett ! Don¡¯t you remember me?" Garrett raised a radiant smile. The newcomers paused, sizing him up and down, recognizing the shadow of the boy from four years ago on Garrett¡¯s face, then relaxed: "Little Garrett... no, Mage Nordmark? You¡¯re back?" Hurrying over were the city guard¡¯s Captain Nolan and Lieutenant Flynn. When Garrett left, one was Level 7, and the other Level 5. Hearing reports of a suspected high-tier magical beast boldly entering the city, both came immediately due to their duties¡ª Unfortunately, they took a different route from the gatekeeper who relayed the message and didn¡¯t receive the news. Seeing it was an acquaintance, they both sighed in relief: Thank heavens, no need to fight. They walked alongside Garrett, each leading a horse: "Mage Nordmark, you¡¯re back?" "Is this giant deer your mount? What level?" "How long are you back this time? Or are you staying for good?" "Who is this young lady..." They exchanged pleasantries as they walked. Garrett kept a smile on his face, answering every question they had. After walking half a street, another horseman rushed over, dismounted, and saluted directly in front of Garrett: "Mage Nordmark! I am here by order of the city lord¡¯s office, please, Sir Mage, come to the city lord¡¯s residence for a talk!" The road ahead was completely cleared, a straight path leading directly to the city lord¡¯s residence. Behind the knight, a luxurious carriage drawn by four horses sped towards them, slowing only a few dozen steps away. Clearly, this was the city lord sending his own vehicle, specially to pick him up. Garrett sighed silently. What a hassle, he shouldn¡¯t have ridden Apa into the city, stirring up so much attention... If only he had snuck in quietly... Sigh as he might, business was business. Garrett composed his expression, expertly adopting the demeanor of an experienced emergency department associate director¡ªboth approachable and authoritative: "This return home is to visit family and friends, eager to see them. I appreciate the city lord¡¯s kind intentions, after meeting with relatives and friends, I will naturally pay a visit." After finishing, he turned his head towards Knight Nolan and Knight Flynn, his smile bright: "Uncle Nolan, Uncle Flynn, sorry, I¡¯m off to Uncle Karen¡¯s place first! See you later! ¡ªSeraina, let¡¯s go!" Saying so, he made a 90-degree turn, ducked into an alley, and waved outside. The silver-haired girl cast a light from her hand, and the three-meter-tall giant deer instantly shrank to the size of a small deer, bouncing along behind them, darting about. The alley was narrow, the eaves low. Garrett didn¡¯t mind at all, even stopping at a bakery they passed to buy a big bag of bread, walking quickly forward with his arms full. Soon, they arrived at a humble brick-and-stone house, shouting loudly: "Uncle Karen! Aunt Eileen! I¡¯m back!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 554: Avril, Shall Brother Show You a Magic Trick? Chapter 554: Avril, Shall Brother Show You a Magic Trick? "Clang." A crisp sound fell through the wooden door. Immediately following, there was a series of sounds¡ªclang, clang, clang, a complete mess, goodness knows what had been knocked over. It took a while before the door creaked gently open. A middle-aged woman stood in the doorway, facing Garrett across the threshold. She was thin, with strands of silver in her hair, visibly older than Garrett remembered. Staring at Garrett without blinking, it took her a while before she exclaimed: "Why are you still bringing things over? Come in! Come in and sit!¡ªRaymond! You boy, why didn¡¯t you stop him!" Saying this, she stepped out the door, reaching out to pull Garrett. Her hand almost reached him, then suddenly retracted, nervously wiping it on her apron, then again: "Garrett, you¡¯re back..." "Aunt Irene!" Garrett rushed over. With one hand holding a bag of bread, and the other freed up, he firmly grasped her hand. The touch was as rough and cracked as it was four years ago. Doing laundry, cooking, wiping, and mending, these hands were always busy taking care of the entire family from dawn to dusk. Without thinking, Garrett¡¯s palm glowed faintly white, smoothing over Aunt Irene¡¯s hand. Rough turned to delicate, cracked to smooth. Aunt Irene, stunned, finally sighed, her eyes misty: "You child..." Just like that moment, the first morning Garrett went to the Mage Tower after awakening his healing skills, he had also treated the cracks on her hands. Four years, it¡¯s been four years. Little Garrett, who had left home for four years, had grown taller and become someone significant. His gaze still held the innocence of that child. "Aunt, I¡¯m thirsty! I want some water!" Garrett shoved the big bag of bread into her arms, boldly demanding. Aunt Irene, flustered, hugged it and hurried inside. After taking a few steps, she suddenly turned back, looking at the silver-haired girl: "Who is this young lady? Your friend? We..." "This is Seraina, my friend, she came to visit with me," Garrett called Seraina forward with a smile: "Seraina, this is Aunt Irene, she watched me grow up. My father died early, and Uncle Kalen and Aunt Irene, they¡¯ve always taken care of me like their own child." "Aunt Irene." Seraina followed his lead, sweetly smiling and extending her hand: "I am Seraina Muenlight Freysgrett. Pleased to meet you." "Ah... this..." Aunt Irene was flustered. Seraina¡¯s rare silver hair, beautiful looks, and dignified aura, in this small, shabby alley, she appeared like a fairy descended to earth. Not to mention, she had a rare surname that sounded extraordinarily noble. Such a girl shaking her hand and saying, "Pleased to meet you"? How should she respond? Would the girl despise her poverty, her dirtiness, her rusticity, and then dislike Garrett too? She shook Seraina¡¯s hand, then quickly let go, inviting them inside. As soon as they entered, a copper basin lay on the floor, surrounded by broken dishes and plates¡ªobviously, hearing Garrett knocking had caused the commotion. Aunt Irene¡¯s face turned red. This mess, this mess... She was busy trying to clean up, dragging out stools for them to sit on, finding clean cloths to wipe them, bustling around unsure of what to do. Overwhelmed, she raised her voice: "Avril, come out and help! Avril!" "Coming..." A soft voice responded from the back room. The sound of hurried footsteps followed, and shortly, the curtain lifted, revealing a small girl. Pale-faced, with dry, yellow hair, she clearly looked malnourished. Over ten years old, yet her stature seemed under nine. She glanced curiously at Garrett, her lips moved, calling out something. The voice was so low, Garrett couldn¡¯t catch it. No need to ask, Avril was young and probably didn¡¯t remember him. He had used the same trick when facing unfamiliar relatives as a child... Garrett chuckled to himself. The little girl then turned to her mother, bending over to quickly help clean up. Garrett immediately interjected with a laugh: "Aunt Irene, don¡¯t bother¡ª" A simple sweep of his cleaning spell, the intact and broken pottery, all returned to their places. Another sweep, the table and stools, dust and grease, all vanished clean. Garrett clapped his hands, smiling at Aunt Irene: "Is Avril the only one here? Where¡¯s Edward and David?" "Those boys¡ª" Aunt Irene was startled. She stared incredulously at the floor, absentmindedly replying: "Edward joined the city guard last year, he¡¯s probably training right now. David went to be an apprentice, he won¡¯t be back until evening¡ªah, what would you like to drink? Want some sugar water?" "Plain water is fine." Garrett smiled at her, standing up and squatting in front of the little girl: "Avril, do you remember me?" The trash in front of the little girl disappeared in a sweep, her eyes wide in surprise. Seeing Garrett squat down, her clear gaze circled his face, then she shook her head blankly. Aunt Irene¡¯s hand immediately pressed on her head: "Memory like a sieve! This is your brother Garrett! Forgotten?" "She¡¯s still young!" Garrett quickly intervened, pulling out a piece of candy from his space bag, slipping it into the little girl¡¯s hand. He subtly examined her: Avril¡¯s face was pale, but thankfully not swollen, her cheeks not too red, her lips pale, hmm, fortunately not cyanotic... "Avril, I¡¯m brother Garrett, remember? You once gave me candy, remember?" The little girl pondered for a moment, then suddenly her eyes lit up, sweetly calling out: "Brother Garrett!" "Yes, good girl!" Garrett ruffled her hair. With a flick, two high-level Mage Hands, one on each side, lifted her onto the stool beside him: "Avril, shall brother show you a magic trick?" With a snap, a cloud screen unfolded. "Wow..." The little girl gasped softly. Staring at the floating cloud screen, watching the fluctuating lines, she was so captivated she forgot to put the candy in her mouth. Beside her, Aunt Irene nervously rubbed her hands: "Garrett, it¡¯s good enough you¡¯re here, why bother with magic to amuse her..." "Shh!" Garrett gently stopped her. He focused intently on the electrocardiogram on the cloud screen, his mind racing, analyzing every wave, not daring to miss any abnormalities. The flickering light of the cloud screen cast on his young face, in that moment, Garrett looked as serious as any of the mages in the magic tower outside the city. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 555: The Dinner that Never Was Chapter 555: The Dinner that Never Was Garrett was intently staring at the ECG monitor. The P waves were broadened, the PR segment shortened. On the V1 lead, the P wave first appeared positive, then followed by a deep and wide negative wave¡ªindicating left atrial enlargement. Right atrium... The right atrium was normal. Left ventricular hypertrophy, right ventricle normal. No signs of myocardial ischemia or injury. Very good. Really very good. Garrett took a long, deep breath, a genuine smile spreading across his face. Observations were just observations, but with the ECG, he felt more confident: The normal right atrium and ventricle meant that pulmonary arterial hypertension had not yet developed. Or at most, it was just early-stage dynamic pulmonary arterial hypertension, with no irreversible pathological changes yet. There was still time, treatment now would have a good prognosis! As little Elvie stared at the cloud screen, timidly reaching out to touch it, only to quickly retract her fingers when the screen flickered, Garrett got up quietly and waved to Aunt Eileen: ¡°Aunt Eileen, I have something very important to tell you...¡± Three minutes later, Aunt Eileen stood outside the house, occasionally glancing back at her daughter inside, her expression uncertain. Can she really be cured? Her daughter, born frail and sickly, can she really be cured? So many high-ranking healers, so many important figures, the bald Archbishop from the Temple of War, Elder Elwin from the Church of Nature, they all looked and said there was no cure... Could Garrett really cure her? Could Garrett truly heal her? ¡°Little Garrett...¡± her voice trembling, she spoke in bursts: ¡°Aunt knows you mean well, you want to comfort me, make me happy... can you really heal her? You... what level are you now? Have you surpassed the Archbishop? Surpassed the Elder?¡± ¡°...¡± Garrett couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly. But it was to be expected, in a world where ordinary people without medical knowledge could only judge healing abilities by the ranks of priests. What else could they rely on? In a world with a literacy rate of less than 5%, what else could be expected? Higher rank, stronger healing abilities, capable of curing serious diseases and injuries; lower rank, weaker abilities, only able to cure minor ailments. That made sense. Even today, people generally think that a chief physician is stronger than an associate chief, and an associate chief stronger than an attending... So how could he convince her? How could he make her believe that he truly had a way to safely cure little Elvie? Garrett only pondered for a moment before making up his mind. He smiled gently, sincerely grasping Aunt Eileen¡¯s hands: ¡°Auntie, I¡¯m not lying to you, I can really do it. I can explain the treatment method in detail... or else, I could invite my teacher and the Archbishop over to explain it to them, let them vouch for me?¡± Aunt Eileen¡¯s eyes lit up. But soon she shrank back, clutching the edge of her apron, rubbing it nervously: ¡°This... wouldn¡¯t that be too much trouble for them?¡± These were important figures! The Archbishop from the Temple of War, a formidable figure whom they could only look up to and bow from a distance, and who was the last safeguard for soldiers¡¯ lives on the battlefield; Though Elder Elwin was approachable and easy to talk to, he wasn¡¯t someone you could just summon at will! Even if this Elder was Garrett¡¯s teacher and owed him some favors, those favors should be saved for crucial times! ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Garrett looked up confidently: ¡°I was going to visit them anyway, just ask them to help with a little favor, to vouch for me. It¡¯s a small matter!¡± Aunt Eileen¡¯s fingers clutching her apron finally relaxed a bit. Obviously, the grown-up little Garrett didn¡¯t give her the same reassurance as the esteemed Elder and Archbishop she had always looked up to. If those important figures could vouch for him, that would be great... Garrett pretended not to notice this. He shouted cheerfully at the middle-aged woman: ¡°Aunt Eileen, what¡¯s for dinner? ¡ª I want to drink the soup you make! What I missed most in Nevis City was your cooking!¡± ¡°Alright, alright, soup, definitely soup!¡± Aunt Eileen hurriedly agreed. Garrett¡¯s demands, just like when he was a child, actually helped her to relax, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes smoothing out in a smile: ¡°You sit at home, I¡¯ll go buy some bones¡ª¡± ¡°Bernard, you go with Aunt Eileen to buy things!¡± Garrett pulled out a small coin purse and stuffed it into the hands of the barbarian: ¡°Aunt Eileen, let him help you carry stuff. Bernard eats a lot! If he doesn¡¯t go, you won¡¯t be able to carry it all by yourself! I¡¯m going to the hospital for a bit, to settle Apa. Wait for me, Aunt! I¡¯ll come back for dinner!¡± He took Seraina, with Seraina riding a greatly reduced Apa, directly to the hospital. He handed Apa over to the priests of the God of Nature, asking them to take it outside to run freely. Hmm, and to pass a message to his teacher, to set up a time... Going to find his teacher himself would be too troublesome! Hartland City, though small, still spanned over a hundred miles with dozens of scattered villages! Hartland City wasn¡¯t large; from Aunt Eileen¡¯s house to the hospital, it was only about a fifteen-minute distance. Garrett entrusted Apa to Priest Joanna, and simply accompanied her to send Apa outside the city, watching it run joyfully away: ¡°Apa! Have fun out there! I¡¯ll come find you after I¡¯m done with the city!¡± ¡°Whoo~~~¡± The silver moon deer let out a long cry, dust billowing, disappearing in an instant. Joanna¡¯s trained falcons spread their wings, circling lightly above its head, continuously guiding it with their calls. Shortly, they tightened their wings, diving down to land on its antlers... Among the animal companions of the priests of the God of Nature, there seemed to be a smoother communication than between the priests and the animals themselves. Joanna and Garrett stood side by side, watching them disappear into the forest. Then, the female priest half-turned, her cheeks flushed as she slapped Garrett¡¯s shoulder hard: ¡°Little guy, you still remember to come back! This clinic has been under your name for several years, and we¡¯ve been looking after it! ¡ª Tell me, what have you been up to all these years? When are you coming back to teach?¡± ¡°Sister Joanna...¡± Garrett cried out in pain, nearly knocked off balance by her slap. He could only laugh and plead: ¡°I¡¯ll come as soon as I settle in! I just got back today, I have to go eat at Aunt Eileen¡¯s... visit the teacher, the Archbishop, then I¡¯ll come back! I¡¯ll definitely come back!¡± Unfortunately, Garrett never got to eat dinner at Aunt Eileen¡¯s. When he returned, the entrance to Aunt Eileen¡¯s house was packed. Guards stood in two full rows, two knights stationed on either side of the small house door brightened upon seeing him and quickly approached: ¡°Mage Nordmark, we are here by the command of the Lord Mayor¡¯s office to invite you to a banquet!¡± Aunt Eileen, holding her daughter, and Uncle Karlen standing with his two sons, all wore somewhat forced smiles. Not far away, a narrow alley just wide enough for two horses to pass through was completely occupied by a luxurious coach adorned with gold. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 557: Returning to the Cabin with Miss Silver Dragon Chapter 557: Returning to the Cabin with Miss Silver Dragon As the door opened, everyone was dazzled by the sight¡ªa literal dazzle, as the light streamed out of the house, reflecting off the distinctive bald head inside, shining brightly... "Bishop!" Aside from Seraina, everyone in the room, one by one, stood up. The table and chairs rattled, and the bald-headed bishop laughed heartily as he stepped inside: "No worries, I¡¯m just here to check on you. Little Garrett, you guys just enjoy your meal and your reunion, no worries!" As he spoke, he had already reached the center of the living room, placing a roast chicken on the table, and casually wrapped an arm around Garrett. His hefty arm pressed down, making it hard for Garrett to breathe, and he whispered: "I¡¯ve spoken to the lord of the city, you don¡¯t need to mind him, just enjoy your gathering! Really, you¡¯re a level 6 mage now, and he still wants to summon you like this, his brain must be malfunctioning!" Garrett: ...Normally, we¡¯d say someone¡¯s brain is swollen, or their brain is waterlogged. If it were a medical diagnosis, you might say the frontal lobe is underdeveloped... I¡¯ve learned something new today! The bald bishop stood between Garrett and Captain Calrend, continuing to mutter under his breath. Hearing that the city lord had sent for him, and that Garrett had declined, he immediately went to the city lord¡¯s mansion. He presented facts and argued vehemently, effectively quashing the lord¡¯s delusions: "A level 6 mage at the age of 20! Two years ago, in a place like Nevis City, he already had his own mage tower!" "Really, he¡¯s just trying to bully you because you¡¯re young, without a solid foundation, and a Hartland native," the bald bishop grumbled between them, not mincing words about the lord: "If you had stayed in your mage tower, he wouldn¡¯t dare summon you directly. You don¡¯t show enough backbone, living next door, he thinks you¡¯re weak! Tsk, brainless fool!" Captain Calrend tried not to laugh. Garrett shrugged: "Someone who wouldn¡¯t invest in public health during a plague and fled the city, I didn¡¯t expect him to be clever. But still, thank you¡ª" "Thank for what? It¡¯s nothing!" The bishop¡¯s arm tightened again before letting go, nodding at them: "Hey, you guys continue, I¡¯m off! Come visit the temple sometime! Remember to come!" Looking around at everyone, he nodded significantly at Seraina and strode out. Garrett followed to see him off, but was pushed back inside: "Go back, go back! It¡¯s just a few steps from here to the temple, I can walk!" With a bang, the wooden door shut, and Garrett was locked back inside. True to his word, that evening, no one else disturbed them. Garrett and Uncle Calrend¡¯s family caught up joyfully, talking into the night before parting¡ªthis shabby house really wasn¡¯t big enough for three more people, truly too small to fit everyone... The barbarians went to stay in the hospital. However, Garrett and Seraina returned to the cabin he lived in as a child: no choice, the lady insisted on seeing it, and he couldn¡¯t argue. The stone cabin smelled musty, grass had grown on the roof, but at least it didn¡¯t leak. Evidently, Uncle Calrend¡¯s family, as they wrote in their letters, tidied up the place occasionally. Garrett conjured several illumination spells, showing Seraina around: "This armor belonged to my father... it¡¯s knight-level armor, I can¡¯t wear it. It¡¯s been here since he passed away..." "Don¡¯t bother with the wardrobe, it¡¯s empty... On my first day at the mage tower, there were just two shirts inside, one small, one patched... It was only because Aunt Eileen altered a new shirt from Brother Raymond overnight that I had something decent to wear..." "There¡¯s a chest of books under the bed, also left by my father. I learned to read and write from these..." There were only two chairs by the table, one with a broken leg. Garrett cast a repair spell, barely fixing it, and sat down with Seraina. His Mage Hand flew out, dragging the chest of books from under the bed. Seraina leaned over it, flipping through each book: "¡®The Isolde Story Collection¡¯... ¡®The Song of the Sea Sirens¡¯... also this one. ¡®The Rose Legend¡¯... still¡ª" As she flipped through, she glanced up at Garrett. That expression: Your father¡¯s hidden books, why are they all like this? Garrett could only offer a bitter smile. A knight, a knight living in a remote little city, wanting to leave some readable books for his son, what else could he find? RA?¦­¦¯bE?s? Popular was already the best option, otherwise, what, holy scriptures? Though the offspring of warriors mostly received their education in temples, Garrett had some guesses about his biological father¡¯s faith... Luckily, as they continued to flip through, a few travel books and poetry collections appeared, salvaging the situation. He let Seraina keep flipping, while he conjured several more powerful Mage Hands, lifting the bed: Underneath where the chest had been, the ground was packed hard, with no recent signs of disturbance. Garrett dug with his Mage Hand, soon lifting out a small box. He lifted the lid, and inside was a shallow layer of coins under the dim light of the illumination spells, eight gold coins, five silver ones¡ª Seraina leaned over curiously to look. She dipped her fingers into the box and accurately picked out the distinctive gold coin: on one side was a bearded man wearing a crown, and on the other, a two-headed eagle: "Huh, Garrett, why do you have gold coins from the Rhine Kingdom here?" "My father left them..." "How did he get them? From the battlefield? Or... right, Garrett! I seem to remember, the surname Nordmark, it¡¯s from Rhine nobility! That¡¯s right, Nordmark, it means ¡¯lord of the northern frontier¡¯... Was your father really local? Not from abroad?" "...Now that you mention it, I recall Uncle Calrend or someone saying he really came from abroad..." They turned back to continue sorting through the chest. Soon, Garrett found a thick envelope hidden inside the cover of an especially thick poetry collection. The envelope was blank, and the inside page empty. Only when fingertips touched it could one feel the faint impressions left by a pen. "No... it¡¯s not water-stained... this is magic." Garrett¡¯s fingertips caressed the thin letter, feeling the subtle magical fluctuations inside. His original self had been a commoner, and right after he had transmigrated, he hadn¡¯t thoroughly perused every book. Even if he had, his former self wouldn¡¯t have recognized its anomalies... "This has been sealed by magic...¡¾Dispel Magic¡¿!" A thin ray of light shot from his fingertips. In an instant, the letter unfolded and morphed before him, elegant handwriting appearing line by line on the page. --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 558: The Origin Hidden in Time Chapter 558: The Origin Hidden in Time "Garrett Nordmark, my dear child..." Beautiful handwriting trailed across the paper. Serrana let out a small exclamation of surprise and reached out to touch the letter. As soon as her fingertips touched it, the handwriting seemed to recoil in fright, suddenly retracting and vanishing. The two of them looked at each other, stunned for a moment. Serrana withdrew her fingers, Garrett coughed, and cast a spell again. Magical light descended, perhaps sensing that it was just him there, and the handwriting spread out across the paper once again. This time Serrana didn¡¯t dare to touch it. Instead, she lay horizontally across the table, leaning her head forward, and quietly read along with Garrett. Upon closer inspection, they both noticed something unusual. The script on the paper wasn¡¯t a common language, nor was it any of the languages known on the continent, nor was it the magical language Garrett had learned when he first encountered magic. It was beautifully rounded, adorned with many vine-like decorations. At a glance, it was both refreshing and uniquely magnificent. "It¡¯s Elvish!" Serrana exclaimed softly, turning her head to look at Garrett. She had studied Elvish¡ªthough she hadn¡¯t, casting a [Comprehend Languages] spell on the spot wouldn¡¯t have been difficult. But to think that the letter left by Garrett¡¯s mother was in Elvish? Under the light of the illumination spell, Garrett¡¯s eyelids were lowered, his face showing no sign of emotion. His lips moved silently as he read on: "When you read this letter, Mom has already returned to the Eternal Gathering Island. I¡¯m very sorry that I can¡¯t be there to raise you myself, but my kin have found me, and they are taking me back home..." What followed was a rather mundane story, even cliche?d. An elf who had traveled abroad fell in love with the youngest son of a noble from the Northlands. They shared mutual affections. Under the rule of the Radiant Church, elves were not tolerated. Even though she was willing to disguise her appearance, the danger was still immense once exposed. They had no choice but to leave their homeland and moved to the Kingdom of Kent, where the church¡¯s influence was weaker and the attitude towards other races was more tolerant. Fortunately, the man was of little significance in his family, and the distance was great; thus, their departure cut all ties. They had hoped to live peacefully for the rest of their lives, but Garrett¡¯s mother¡¯s kin came knocking, insisting on taking her back... From the outcome, it seems like it was a case of "lovebirds beaten by fate." Garrett read on silently. His face was like a mask, devoid of any expression. Serrana watched him for a long while, cautiously touching the edge of his hand: "Garrett?" "Ah... Oh?" Garrett suddenly snapped back to reality: "I¡¯m fine... Really, I¡¯m fine. I just didn¡¯t expect... that my origin... was like this..." Serrana kept quiet, her eyes shimmering as she continued to watch him. Garrett sighed, half-turned to face her across the table, and began to reminisce slowly: "When I was very young, my mother disappeared, and I was raised by my father, practically supported by the kindness of various families in the neighborhood. Patching clothes, washing and scrubbing, it was all done by the aunties and grandmothers around. My father died in battle before I was ten, leaving behind this..." A house, a set of armor, a small savings enough for his original self to grow up safely. Plus a box of books, and, in his lifetime, he taught his original self to read and write. R?A?No?E?s?? Everything was out of the ordinary. If his original self¡¯s father was a nobleman, it all made sense. As for which family his father belonged to, how powerful they were, where their lands were, what their title was¡ªGarrett had no interest in any of it. Let alone that it was his father¡¯s patrilineal family, which had nothing to do with him. Based on the fact that the Rhine Kingdom was deep in the continent, and the Brolin Kingdom to the east, he would be insane to go there! Why not be a magician? Why not be a doctor? However, the story of his mother¡¯s origin was what truly surprised him. Garrett reached up to his neck, tugging and pulling, and pulled out a small pendant: Pale green, teardrop-shaped, neither gold nor jade, neither wood nor stone. Certainly not plastic, resin, or silicone. He couldn¡¯t tell what it was made of at the time, and even now, with his current knowledge, he still couldn¡¯t tell. Perhaps, after returning to Nevis, he should visit the council¡¯s exchange and the Transmutation School¡¯s storage to broaden his knowledge? "I remember¡ªdon¡¯t know who told me, but I have this memory¡ªthis was left by her..." Serrana looked at it curiously. From the start of reading the letter to now, Garrett had been distracted, contemplative, but there was no sign of melancholy or sadness. The calmer Garrett was, the more she worried. But not daring to ask directly, she simply went around and examined the pendant: "Eh, this is..." She couldn¡¯t tell at a glance. She extended her hand to Garrett: "Can I take a look?" Garrett leaned forward, placing the pendant in her hand. The Silver Dragon Princess pinched, rubbed, and squeezed it, short of biting it, and still couldn¡¯t tell what material it was made of. Only through the sensation of her psychic power could she make a judgment: "This is good stuff!" Being the treasure of the Silver Dragon race, she had seen plenty of precious items in her own family¡¯s treasure trove and her aunt¡¯s. Yet this pendant still deserved her praise: "The life force within it is strong. Very subtle, but very strong. Garrett, quickly see what it¡¯s for?" The pendant was mentioned in the letter. It didn¡¯t say what it was or how useful it was, but at the end of the letter, it earnestly mentioned: "The map to the Eternal Gathering Island is engraved within this pendant. Once you reach level ten, touch it with your psychic power, and you¡¯ll be able to see everything... Your loving mother, Iluni Emagil" Garrett¡¯s gaze drifted into the darkness. Emagil, in Elvish, means "jewel flower." Given his limited understanding of elves, the family with this surname must hold a significant status. Level ten, huh? Only when he reaches level ten will he be eligible to travel to the elven settlements? "Jeez, how stingy, to only let you know the map at level ten," Serrana wrinkled her nose: "It¡¯s just the Eternal Gathering Island! Although it¡¯s far, on the other side of the new continent, it¡¯s not hard to find... Garrett, if you want to go, I can ask at home tomorrow how to get there!" It¡¯s just an elven settlement, what could the Dragon race possibly not know? It¡¯s only because she hadn¡¯t been paying attention. There¡¯s no way her elders at home wouldn¡¯t know! "Ah, no need." Seeing her discontent, Garrett instead smiled. He took the pendant back from the Silver Dragon Girl, hanging it around his own neck, looking at the puffed-up little princess with warm eyes: "I¡¯m not in a hurry to go. If I want to go after reaching level ten, we can talk about it then!" Yeah, the world is so big, I want to see it too. A magician of level ten or above can go anywhere. Maybe by then, I¡¯ll want to experience the scenery of the elven settlements? "For now, let¡¯s think about how to convince Uncle Calrend to perform the surgery on little Elvie..." --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 559: A Dancing Pulmonary Artery? Chapter 559: A Dancing Pulmonary Artery? Finding someone to help persuade Uncle Karen was not difficult. The next morning, Elder Elwin and the bald bishop arrived together. Captain Karen took special leave and sat in the hospital¡¯s clinic, listening to Garrett explain: "Avery¡¯s condition, according to my diagnosis, is due to a duct between the aorta and pulmonary artery that has not closed. This duct, a normal channel for blood flow during fetal development, should close after birth..." He used the spell "Silent Phantom" to outline the heart, the two lungs, the systemic and pulmonary circulation, explaining effortlessly. Although it was a Level 1 spell that he had just started practicing, he now wielded it with ease. The heart¡¯s cross-section, the left atrium, left ventricle, right atrium, and right ventricle, each connected to different blood vessels. With each beat of the heart, the illusionary blood kept flowing and circulating, and the arteries contracted and relaxed. The valves opened and closed distinctly, and the colors of venous and arterial blood changed vividly. For easier understanding and memory, Garrett even labeled each blood vessel in the phantom. He paused and looked at his audience. To his left, the bald bishop¡¯s eyes shone with excitement, leaning forward as if he wanted to devour the phantom whole; To his right, Elder Elwin¡¯s white beard fluttered as he watched his long-separated pupil with a slight smile. Each wrinkle on his aged face expressed deep satisfaction; Uncle Karen and Aunt Eileen sat side by side, clutching their little daughter tightly between them, staring anxiously at the floating images. They didn¡¯t even have a moment to marvel at the magic. Garrett waited a moment, observing the "understanding" and "comprehension" expressions on his teacher and the bishop¡¯s faces. He added a duct between the aorta and pulmonary artery, changing the direction of the blood flow, and continued: "If this duct remains open, some of the blood ejected from the left ventricle into the aorta will flow directly into the pulmonary artery, causing increased pulmonary circulation and pressure." Elder Elwin and the bald bishop nodded in understanding. Uncle Karen and Aunt Eileen still looked confused, as though they could hear each word but couldn¡¯t comprehend them together. Garrett sighed inwardly, manipulating the phantom and emphasizing his words: "Over time, when the pressure in the pulmonary artery equals or even exceeds that in the aorta, it becomes very difficult for the right ventricle to pump blood into the lungs, requiring tremendous effort. Prolonged stress could lead to right ventricular failure and even... death." Aunt Eileen gasped softly, clutching her daughter tighter. Captain Karen¡¯s face darkened, Elder Elwin coughed gently, and slowly said: "Since you¡¯re back, you must have a solution, right?" "Yes." Garrett¡¯s phantom changed again as he carefully explained the treatment method. At the end, he pulled out experimental records from his spatial bag and distributed them to the elders: "I¡¯ve conducted hundreds of animal experiments in Nevis. The recent batches have been quite successful, with a 100% survival rate." Elder Elwin and the bald bishop, one on each side, bowed their heads to read. Occasionally, they looked up to compare the descriptions with the phantoms in front of them. These records, unfamiliar in format and phrasing, were not completely indecipherable but required their full attention. For a while, the two senior healers were completely absorbed, with no time to attend to the patient and her family. Captain Karen held his daughter tightly, silent. Aunt Eileen¡¯s eyes welled with tears as she gently stroked her daughter¡¯s hair and face, as if she might lose her at any moment. Avery leaned quietly against her parents. The ten-year-old girl understood topics like life and death. She pressed her mother¡¯s hand and looked up, her voice clear: "Daddy, Mommy, let Brother Garrett treat me. He came all this way back just to cure me, not to harm me, right?" The clinic fell silent. Captain Karen tightened his grip, almost unable to speak. The bald bishop looked up from the records, staring intensely into Garrett¡¯s eyes, his voice deep: "Are you sure about this diagnosis? Are you confident?" "About sixty to seventy percent," Garrett replied promptly. "To be specific, a thorough examination is needed to confirm the diagnosis." "Then let¡¯s see it! Show us!" Garrett was prepared. The ECG had already been done; there was no need to repeat it. He took out the "Endless Ink Pen," held it with a mage¡¯s hand, and circled behind Avery. Under the light of the "Detect Magic" spell, he squinted and observed: R??A?o???E?S? "Ah, the clear signs of pulmonary artery dancing..." "Where?" Two heads leaned in simultaneously. Garrett took a deep breath, vaguely pointing at Avery¡¯s chest to Elder Elwin and the bald bishop: "Here is the pulmonary artery. See, with every heartbeat, the pulmonary artery trembles violently, so much that it appears to be dancing¡ªwe call this pulmonary artery dancing syndrome. Normal people don¡¯t show such signs. Uncle Karen, you come and see for yourself too..." Elder Elwin thrust his oak staff backward, activating "Detect Magic" again. Two real-time X-ray images appeared side by side, with the "Silent Phantom" flowing non-stop. Garrett pointed and explained: "The heart¡¯s beat, the force with which blood is shot from the left atrium into the aorta, is really strong. A large amount of fresh blood is ejected, and if some of it goes into the pulmonary artery, the artery endures pressure it shouldn¡¯t, causing it to tremble violently. This is what it looks like..." The logic wasn¡¯t hard to grasp. The two elders compared back and forth, finally nodding: "Yes, it looks like you¡¯ve diagnosed it correctly." However, Garrett didn¡¯t relax. He reconfirmed the diagnosis¡ªcardiac shadow enlargement, aortic knob protrusion, left ventricular enlargement, increased pulmonary blood flow¡ªthen stopped the "Detect Magic." After the X-ray, they still needed to perform an echocardiographic examination... This time, Garrett didn¡¯t let his teacher and the bald bishop assist; he rolled up his sleeves, one hand conducting the ultrasound, the other pressing on a golden box. At level six, casting the spell didn¡¯t drain too much of his spiritual power, thankfully. Half a minute later, the golden box spit out a chip, and Garrett triggered the image to start explaining. He pointed out where the duct was unsealed and where the blood flow signal was abnormal. The ultrasound image was much harder to understand than the X-ray, and he explained with so much effort he was sweating, only to receive some half-understanding looks. "Uh... The last thing to do is to let the Spirit of the Covenant deeply inspect inside..." A phantom black-and-white little snake rose from the oak staff. Elder Elwin glanced at it and immediately smiled contentedly: "A spirit of the Northlands¡¯ totem! This is a good thing; I went there early in my years and couldn¡¯t get one... Not bad, better than me!" --------------- Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate. If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections. Chapter 1644: Male Mages, Provide Your Materials! 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