Chapter 268: Assistance and Escape

This outdated standard array is severely inadequate.

Their current mana accumulation has dropped by 45%, and their physical pressure has increased by 65%.

Added to that, they've been operating in secrecy and dared not use reconnaissance spells, so they've barely leveraged their seventh-rank mage advantages.

It's also because they're both newly promoted and haven't adjusted their mindset yet.

Stop the flight spell.

Wilson and the three junior mages kept their distance.

Bald Andrew growled: "Who the hell pushed me down just now!"

"It's too late to blame anyone now—quickly deal with the plague on your body."

"Alright, alright, alright."

He swung his staff, and faint glimmers of magic flashed continuously.

【Cleanse Dust】【Protect from Evil】【Healing Touch】【Remove Curse】.

At this point, the filth had been cleared away, revealing Andrew's red-skinned face, covered in disgusting blisters on his scalp.

Wilson couldn't help cursing: "Why did you cast 【Remove Curse】? What's the point? Don't you have plague-protection magic potions?"

Andrew shook his head.

"Damn it! You might as well not have advanced to seventh rank—you've lost your damn mind."

Though he spoke harshly, Glasses still raised his staff and cast 【Purify Plague】 on him.

The three junior mages behind had no intention of helping, but now they couldn't just stand idle.

"Senior, I'll help too~"

"Me too—I just happened to acquire a medical magical item recently."

"Same here."

【Venia's Light】【Minor Restoration】【Glow of Calm】.

Everyone says mages aren't good at healing, and it's true—these three spells are all low-tier; even the third, 【Glow of Calm】, only grants courage, motivation, or encouragement to the target.

Only Glasses' 【Purify Plague】 was actually useful.

Andrew's condition seemed to improve.

He cast 【Isolation Bubble】 on himself, and immediately a transparent, iridescent bubble enveloped his body.

"I'm feeling better—my domain can suppress the plague."

No sooner had he said it.

Wilson immediately sent him a 【Message Spell】.

"Domain-level plague is hard to handle—withdraw."

"No withdrawal."

"Why be stubborn? You can always deal with girls later."

"It's not that—Glasses, we've known each other for years, so I'll tell you this: when I fell into the pond just now, I sensed something."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't describe it, but it was definitely a high-level treasure!"

Wilson frowned: "You're sure?"

"One hundred percent."

At that moment, the three junior mages walked over.

Their faces showed a mix of embarrassment and fear.

"Seniors, look at how much the Fear Field has changed—getting into the botanical garden is nearly impossible now, and Senior Andrew is injured. Shouldn't we withdraw first?"

Wilson glanced at the determined bald man, then at the botanical garden in the distance.

He smiled:

"What's most important for a mage, my three juniors?"

"I know! Know when to run!" said a junior with a blunt fringe.

He shook his head with a smile, like a kind old professor.

"That's one thing—but more important is unwavering determination. Otherwise, how could we have reached our current rank?"

"What do you mean, Senior?" asked another junior with heavy makeup.

Wilson looked calm and in control.

He raised his finger and pointed toward the webbed ruins opposite the botanical garden.

"We need the pond water, and we need revenge. The botanical garden can spare troops to guard it only because the front line isn't critical. If the battle were truly urgent, they wouldn't leave so many guards behind. As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Stay here and wait—I'll go over there and advise them!"

With that,

he lightly tapped his staff on the ground; magic shimmered over his body, and he rose into the air.

Frrr—

A gust of wind brushed the faces of those on the ground as they watched Wilson soar toward the distant webbed ruins.

Boom!!

A figure slammed into the ground like a cannonball.

Blood and bones were blasted and crushed by the impact, leaving a deep circular crater.

Luo De turned around.

At last, he could no longer see the plague beasts.

He didn't relax—he took the Crystal Swan treasure from his spell satchel and activated its 【Group Flight Spell】.

Jumping from crater to crater was fast, but too noisy and left traces.

Now was the perfect time to use a treasure that consumed no essence and left no tracking traces.

The speed wasn't great, though.

One and a half hours later,

Luo De arrived at the place where he'd encountered Bone Dragon Mei Gan.

That is, beside the massive blood lake.

"Finally lost them."

He sighed.

He stopped the flight spell and rested in place.

Before this, he had used the 【Group Flight Spell】 from the treasure and successfully soared through the sky.

But unfortunately, flight spells in the current magical system are painfully slow.

You need other spells or magical items to compensate for speed.

Luo De knew a spell called 【Cloud Wing】, whose only effect was to increase flight speed.

He just thought it was too low-tier and never bothered to learn it.

"I heard there's a seventh-rank spell called 【Ethereal Form】—you sacrifice spellcasting and physical attacks temporarily, becoming a spherical ethereal form. Flight speed more than doubles, and you can pass through obstacles."

She once cast it in Kali's mini-lesson.

Pachi—

Luo De tossed Sharon onto the ground from his shoulder.

She groaned, blinking drowsily open her eyes.

"Luo De… is this how you treat a girl?"

With the help of 【Mirage Net】, she regained consciousness halfway, but had drained immense mental energy and now felt foggy.

"Is this what you meant by 'solved the memory'?"

Luo De sneered.

He wanted to sit down, but glanced at the filthy ground, then pulled out a folding chair from his spell satchel.

"Something unexpected happened—I didn't realize… Aimer's memory contained another memory."

"So? What's your current situation?"

Sharon lay on her back, staring at the two black-and-white moons in the sky, expressionless.

"Normally, I'm done—because of my carelessness, the complete memory has merged into mine. For the rest of my life, I'll have to fight this damned plague doctor's consciousness for control of my body."

"'Normally'? So you mean it's not normal now?"

"Yes. This is the Fear Beast's mental dimension, where manipulation of spirit and soul is far easier than in reality. Combined with your illusion-weaving skills, I might still be able to peel it out."

Luo De nodded.

He took another small loaf of bread from his spell satchel, spreading jam on it as he asked:

"So, what's my payment?"

Sharon froze.

She lifted her head, stunned:

"We're partners, Luo De—I always thought you were a real man who steps in when a partner is in trouble."

(End of Chapter)