Chapter 445

The voice was dry, but Gao De's eyes gleamed.

As if he had discovered a rare treasure.

Anna scratched her little head and replied in a childlike tone, "I only understood part of it, because many symbols I don't know the meaning of."

That's right.

To Gao De, these symbols and numbers were commonplace and absurdly simple; to the people of this world, they were incomprehensible scripts.

This was also why he had no qualms about Anna around—first, he didn't feel the need to guard himself against a five-year-old girl, and second, even an adult would be utterly unable to understand what he wrote.

Of course, because these symbols and numbers were so simple, someone with innate talent might grasp them after watching his entire calculation process.

Even so, for a child of this age to achieve such a thing was still astonishing.

Gao De didn't know how to react, and after some thought, he gently rubbed Anna's soft hair. "Anna is a genius."

Anna: "Huh?"

Gao De smiled slightly. "But now, go to sleep. It's very late."

"Oh right!" Anna let out a huge yawn and only then realized how exhausted she was.

"I need to wash my face and brush my teeth," she mumbled.

Even this tired, Anna still stuck to her routines.

Because of last night's late hours, Gao De didn't wake up early the next day.

Only after the central clock tower's deep bell struck nine times did he stir from deep sleep.

Anna still slept soundly, her face buried in Gao De's chest, her hands and feet clinging to him.

This time, he couldn't bring himself to playfully drag her up for breakfast—he carefully moved her limbs off him, lifted the blanket, climbed out of bed, changed clothes quietly, and stepped out alone.

Sadly, he had overslept past the inn's free breakfast time.

He paid two silver coins to the front desk landlady to prepare lunch for Anna, then grabbed a quick breakfast at a nearby shop before, as yesterday, hiring a carriage to head straight for Marko District.

When the carriage reached Marko District, Shama was already waiting on the shore in his small boat, having waited for some time.

"I'm late. Sorry to keep you waiting," Gao De jumped onto the boat.

"Not long, not long at all," Shama hurriedly waved his hands.

"Same as before—take me to where you most recently spotted the Mozhangyu."

At Gao De's request, Shama's expression changed. "Master Mage, last night someone in our area was attacked by a Mozhangyu."

" Mozhangyu attack? How serious?" Gao De raised an eyebrow.

"Five people died on the spot. Four others were severely wounded and collapsed—they've been taken to the clinic, but the situation is dire. Even Ye En can't help. Only Doctor Danika can save them."

"Doctor Danika?" Gao De noticed the deep respect in Shama's voice when he mentioned the name.

"Doctor Danika is a mage like you. She built our only clinic here ten years ago. She uses magic to heal us for free. But her home is in Lagos City—she only comes to Marko District when there's an emergency."

So that's how it was. Gao De instantly felt respect for Doctor Danika.

A mage willing to come to this place everyone shuns, to treat the poor for free, and to persist for ten years—such noble character deserved admiration.

"Then take me to the clinic first. Let me see if any of them have woken up—I need to understand the situation."

"Alright," Shama said without hesitation and began rowing vigorously.

After rowing a short distance, he remembered something and added quickly: "Master Mage, I found out about the people living in the shack you asked about yesterday."

"Oh? What did you learn?" Gao De frowned slightly.

"They moved here five or six years ago—seven or eight people total. No one knows what they do. Neighbors say they've never gone out fishing."

"Five or six years ago…" Gao De thought for a moment, then asked: "When did the Mozhangyu and the rotting salamanders first appear?"

Shama thought hard before answering: "About five years ago, maybe a bit more. They have no natural predators here, breed rapidly, and are extremely dangerous—constantly attacking boats on the waterways. Everyone was terrified to go out then."

"Some even left Marko District out of fear for their lives—but with our means, where else could we go?" Shama sighed, helpless.

Then his expression brightened. "Thankfully, the Sea Sentinels regularly send people here to clear and drive away the water beasts. Without them, we'd have been overrun long ago."

They appeared over five years ago. These people arrived five or six years ago—the timing matches.

Combined with the "salamander spy's" confession and his own findings, he could now confirm several things.

Honestly, these people hadn't hidden their traces or movements at all—they probably never imagined anyone would care, so they didn't bother with caution.

After all, Marko District had always been a place everyone despised. Over the years, apart from Doctor Danika and the Sea Sentinels, no mage had ever set foot here.

Even the Sea Sentinel mages sent here were forced to come—they'd grit their teeth, finish their mission, and leave immediately, never lingering.

They came and went in a flash.

"Did none of them return last night?" Gao De asked again.

Shama nodded. "Neighbors say they disappear for a few days every so often, then reappear. No one knows what they're doing."

But no one could say exactly when they vanished.

The people of Marko District didn't pay attention to such things—their information was all vague impressions.

As they spoke, Shama had already rowed Gao De to the clinic in Marko District.

Calling it a clinic was generous—it looked no different from other shacks, built with flimsy planks, a crumbling "dangerous structure."

The only difference might be the herbal symbols painted on the door.

The clinic was surprisingly busy—eight or so people crowded outside.

Men and women alike, most men bare-chested, women in tattered clothes, all faces etched with anxiety, eyes darting toward the clinic's interior.

Shama steered the boat steadily alongside the clinic's platform. The hull brushed the wooden planks with a soft "thump."

He jumped off first, tied the rope, and Gao De followed.

The eight people outside instinctively turned—and when they saw Gao De's Sea Sentinel uniform, their expressions changed. They bowed respectfully, eyes filled with awe, preparing to speak in greeting.

Gao De waved his hand, stopping them.

He stepped onto the platform, walked to the door, crossed the threshold, and entered.

Inside, the clinic wasn't dark like other shacks—it was brightly lit.

At the center of the room stood a slightly plump woman in a green nun's robe, a lantern floating above her shoulder.

The lantern emitted a soft, bright glow, illuminating the entire room.

A first-tier alteration spell: 【Dancing Lantern】.

Gao De instantly recognized the lantern's origin—and confirmed the woman's identity: Doctor Danika, as Shama described.

Several small beds lined the room—crude, made of wooden planks and worn mattresses, each occupied by a wounded patient.

Doctor Danika stood beside one of them.

On the bed lay a man, bare-chested, covered in wounds oozing blood, unconscious.

The wounds were blackened, but coated with a green liquid—some herb, temporarily halting further deterioration.

Doctor Danika extended her right hand, palm gently pressed against the man's chest.

Her expression was focused, her eyes heavy with gravity.

The next moment, green light surged from her palm—a living ribbon, slowly flowing into the man's body.

The green light carried threads of vitality, strengthening his life force, dimming the blackness of his wounds.

Seeing this, Gao De's heart jolted.

This was a first-tier evocation spell: 【Healing Shu 】!

As a healing spell, 【Healing Shu 】 was an absolutely rare technique.

Even among rare spells, it was among the higher-tier ones—far more valuable than attack spells.

He never expected to encounter a mage wielding such a rare spell in this humble clinic in Marko District.

(End of Chapter)