Chapter 467: Harvest Time

The battle ended, and the sea surface gradually calmed.

But the calm lasted only a moment.

Ripples rose again.

The drowned Aldrich floated up in a strange manner, drifting toward shore.

His body rose and fell with the waves, like a doll without a soul, drifting lifelessly across the sea.

Another branched lightning bolt split the sky.

Heaven and earth blazed as bright as day.

The intense light illuminated the entire sea.

Clearly visible beneath Aldrich’s body was a dark silhouette, shadowing him closely.

It was Tuanzi.

Boom!

Thunder shook the heavens and earth.

Splash! Splash! Splash!

The rain that had been building all night suddenly poured down in violent torrents.

Rain fell in sheets.

Raindrops the size of beans struck the murky sea, sending out one ripple after another.

Splash, splash.

Two splashes echoed along the lagoon’s shore.

First, Aldrich was pushed ashore by Tuanzi, his body slamming heavily onto the muddy bank, limbs limp and sprawled, utterly motionless and lifeless.

Then Gao De himself climbed out of the sea.

As soon as he reached land, Gao De rolled over and lay flat on his back, gasping for breath, his chest heaving wildly as rain pelted his face.

November’s autumn chill made the rain pierce the bone, but Gao De, who had already evolved the [Intermediate Ice-Resistant Body], was nearly immune to cold.

“No wonder he’s a second-ring mage—even the weakest one. I prepared so much, yet still found it hard to defeat him.”

Though he had won, Gao De still felt profound awe.

He had used nearly all his preparations, yet the battle had still been grueling.

Frowning, he first cast [Purify Food] to cleanse the filth and stench clinging to his body from rolling in the polluted water.

The rain had finally come.

Hss~

As soon as he cleaned himself, Gao De winced, sucked in a sharp breath, and twisted his face in pain.

—His abdomen was steadily oozing blood, washed away by the downpour, only to seep out again in thin streams.

After Aldrich had used [Cause Fear] to awaken Gao De’s deepest terror and immobilize him, he drove his dagger—infused with ice elements stored by [Absorb Element]—into Gao De’s chest.

But this first strike was blocked by Gao De’s chest armor component, enchanted with First-Rank Fortification.

Aldrich reacted swiftly; failing to land the first blow, he didn’t pause to analyze, but instead dragged the dagger downward for a second strike.

To end the fight in one move, Gao De chose not to defend or dodge the second strike, but to endure the blade’s attack—its magical power now spent.

This choice allowed him to defeat Aldrich.

The cost was this horrifying, long gash across his abdomen.

The blade had cleanly sliced open the skin and flesh.

The wound’s edges curled outward, blood continuously seeping out, quickly diluted by the heavy rain.

Rain pounded the wound with every impact, like a dull blade grinding against it, sending waves of excruciating pain through Gao De, making his body tremble involuntarily.

Had [Adaptation] not increased his pain tolerance by 100% and evolved the [Magical Endurance Body], he would have already been writhing and convulsing on the ground.

“Fucking hurts,” Gao De muttered, gently pressing his right hand against the wound on his abdomen.

As his mana flowed, a green light surged from his palm, like agile ribbons, seeping thread by thread into the wound.

Within the green light, potent vitality flowed, stitching and repairing Gao De’s wound like needle and thread.

The curled, bloody flesh was gently smoothed out under the green glow.

Torn tissues slowly realigned and healed; the bleeding slowed and ceased under the green light’s embrace, forming a dark red scab over the wound’s surface.

[Healing Spell+]

Beyond mere wound closure, the spell awakened a fresh vitality deep within Gao De’s body.

Exhausted from the fierce battle, Gao De suddenly felt renewed strength surge through him.

With this new energy, he pushed himself up with both hands, rising from the ground, then turned to look at Aldrich, lying unconscious beside him.

Aldrich was not dead.

But his injuries were undeniable.

Gao De’s right hand, which had unleashed [Primordial Savage Strike], had plunged directly into Aldrich’s body.

Blood oozed steadily from the gruesome wound.

If not stopped soon, he would die from blood loss within moments.

Gao De stared at Aldrich, frowning slightly.

He thought for a moment, then extended his right hand and placed it on Aldrich’s body.

First, he cast [Healing Spell], but held back his full power, merely forming a thin scab to stop the bleeding.

Then Gao De switched spells, channeling another surge of vitality through his palm into Aldrich’s body.

Cantrip [Borrowed Benevolence].

It granted the target temporary life force.

As long as this temporary vitality lasted, the target would not die, no matter how severe the wounds.

Aldrich could not die.

Otherwise, Gao De would have crushed his heart outright instead of holding back, and he wouldn’t have had Tuanzi drag him ashore.

But to avoid falling victim to the cliché of a villain surviving a half-hearted attack, Gao De had truly gone all out.

So now Aldrich had only a thread of life left—if not for a mage’s superior vitality, he wouldn’t have lasted until Gao De’s [Borrowed Benevolence] kept him alive.

Wind howled, dark clouds piled thick, rain poured in torrents.

The vast city of Lagos was swallowed by storm; beneath the curtain of rain, everything blurred.

Lights still burned.

Danika couldn’t help glancing out the window again.

“Why hasn’t he returned yet?” Her face showed worry.

Gao De had been staying at Ronggu Garden; though he left early and returned late, he always came back.

But tonight, it was so late, and the weather so terrible, that unease stirred in her heart.

Just as Danika was about to look away, a flash of lightning illuminated the window, casting a shadow on the ground.

A figure stormed in, drenched in wind and rain, dragging a long, shapeless object behind him.

In that fleeting flash, Danika recognized the face—her expression changed instantly, and she hurried out to meet him.

Inside the room.

Rainwater dripped from Gao De’s body, pooling on the floor, spreading slowly along the cracks.

“You’re injured,” Danika said, rushing him inside and studying his pale, rain-streaked face.

“Minor wound. Bleeding’s stopped. No problem,” Gao De waved it off, his voice still hoarse.

“Let me heal you,” Danika said, concerned.

“No need. I already treated myself,” Gao De replied.

Reality isn’t a game.

In games, when a character is injured, a healer casts a few healing spells and the character returns to full health, strong and vigorous.

Thus, you often see a “tank” under the care of several healers, his health bar rising and falling like waves—plummeting to zero, then surging back to full, standing alone against a thousand foes.

But in a reality with supernatural power, such scenes are impossible.

Mages don’t have health bars; no amount of stacked healing spells can instantly restore full strength if the mage still lives.

First, healing spells aren’t that powerful—they’re more like potent medicine or a precise surgery, halting deterioration and accelerating healing.

Second, healing spells can only affect the same person once in a short time; repeated casting within that window is like drug resistance—no longer effective.

That’s why Gao De politely declined Danika’s offer.

Danika froze, a flicker of surprise and confusion in her eyes.

She studied Gao De deeply.

She had given him the [Healing Spell] formula only ten days ago.

And now he had already mastered [Healing Spell]?

She felt both awe and curiosity—wondering how he had done it.

But at her age, she naturally respected boundaries.

“Who is this?” Danika paused, glancing at the motionless human body wrapped in a trench coat, breathing faintly.

“My mission target tonight,” Gao De smiled slightly.

After another silence, Danika spoke again: “Let me bandage you. [Healing Spell] is powerful, but not all-powerful. Combined with conventional treatment, it speeds recovery.”

Under Danika’s firm insistence, Gao De dried off, dismissed [Winter’s Arrival], then went to Ronggu Garden’s infirmary, removed his top, and lay on a hard cot.

Danika cast [Dancing Lantern Spell], illuminating the small infirmary brightly, then carefully examined Gao De’s abdominal wound.

Then she took a large wooden box from a nearby cabinet.

Inside the box, bandages, herbs, and ointments were neatly arranged.

These herbs and ointments were all collected and dried by her, and the ointments were mixed by her own hands.

Dania took out a bottle; as soon as she unscrewed the cap, a fresh, herbal scent filled the air—the contents were yellow ointment, thin like yogurt.

She carefully applied the ointment to the skin around Gao De’s wound.

The moment the ointment touched his skin, Gao De felt a faint chill, and the pain in the wound immediately lessened.

Then Dania picked up the bandages and gently wrapped them around Gao De’s abdomen, layer after layer.

Her movements were skilled and steady, and she occasionally looked up to observe Gao De’s expression, ensuring her actions caused him no discomfort.

“It might feel a bit tight, but this helps the wound heal and the ointment absorb.” After finishing, Dania patted Gao De’s shoulder.

“Thank you.”

“Now you must rest well,” she added instinctively.

“I will.”

After lasting all night, the rain finally stopped.

Golden sunlight pierced through the clouds and poured down.

On the streets, puddles left by the rain shimmered under the sunlight.

Under the effect of the [Comfortable Slumber+] spell, Gao De slept soundly, and his wound healed further.

He rose, changed into his Sea Sentinel uniform, stepped out of the room, and ate a simple breakfast.

Just as he was halfway through his meal, Doctor Dania hurried over and reported to Gao De: “The man has woken up.”

Hearing this, Gao De perked up, shoved the last few bites of bread into his mouth, and rushed to a small room in the backyard of the Orphanage of Solitude.

It had originally been a storage room, temporarily repurposed by Gao De.

Inside the room, Aldrich, his face waxen yellow, was bound tightly to a long bench; though conscious, he remained extremely weak.

Creak.

The door was pushed open.

Gao De, clad in his Sea Sentinel uniform, strode in boldly.

“So he’s awake.”

Aldrich struggled to lift his eyelids—an effort that took considerable strength at this moment.

Finally, his gaze moved upward from Gao De’s clothing, settling on his face.

So young!

Could such a young mage have reduced him to this state?

Looking at Gao De’s face, Aldrich’s eyes narrowed, his heart flooded with complex, conflicting emotions.

He had risen from nothing, struggled through decades of hardship, endured countless sufferings, committed countless evils, to achieve even this small measure of success.

Yet here was someone so young already respected as a Sea Sentinel mage, and even defeating him as a first-rank mage.

The Dao is unjust!

Aldrich felt profound bitterness, his heart heavy with sorrow.

“You unleashed water beasts to harm the poor of Marko District. Those people had no conflict with you, yet you did this—surely you were hired by someone.”

Gao De held a scroll of parchment and a pen.

He spread the parchment on the table, picked up the pen, and asked.

Aldrich remained silent.

“Are you some noble martyr who’d rather die than speak? Or are you still protecting your superiors?” Gao De didn’t grow angry at Aldrich’s silence; he set down the pen and regarded Aldrich with interest.

“My lord,” Aldrich croaked, struggling to speak, “could you tell me why you recovered so quickly? Did you have some extraordinary equipment that resists necromancy?”

What puzzled him most was why his [Cause Fear] had only worked for a moment against Gao De.

Gao De smiled faintly and shook his head. “Sorry, I can’t.”

The reason was simple: his mental strength had broken its limit, reaching the second-rank mage level.

Aldrich had just ascended to second-rank; his mental strength was slightly stronger, but only marginally, so [Cause Fear]’s duration was reduced to near nothing.

Of course, Gao De had no reason—and no intention—to tell Aldrich this.

“If I tell you everything truthfully, can I live?” After another moment of silence, Aldrich stared at Gao De with bloodshot eyes.

Those born in obscurity always clung fiercely to life.

“I don’t know,” Gao De shook his head. “That’s not up to me—it’s decided by my superiors.”

“But,” he paused, then continued, “I know that if you refuse to cooperate, you will die for certain—and you’ll still be forced to confess.”

Mages had too many methods; Gao De couldn’t force Aldrich to speak the truth, but higher-rank Sea Sentinel mages certainly could.

Knowing Gao De spoke the truth, Aldrich’s eyes lost their malice and rage, growing calmer.

“I’ve served as second-in-command of the Needle Stitch Gang for years and accumulated considerable wealth and treasures. Promise me one thing, and I’ll tell you where I’ve hidden them.”

He thought for a moment, then suddenly looked up at Gao De. “These are all my personal possessions—no ledgers exist. As long as I keep quiet, you may take them all without reporting or registering them!”

(End of Chapter)