The Odyssey cruised steadily above the clouds.
Inside the cabin, Allen watched as Victor was carried in.
Victor lay on the deck, his face as pale as paper. His missing left leg was temporarily bandaged, the wound charred black.
His Alchemy Wizard Robe was tattered and bloodstained. He was unconscious, his breathing faint.
But it didn’t matter. A First-level Wizard, even with such grievous injuries, could pull through on their own powerful life force as long as they weren’t killed on the spot.
As for the leg... with a Wizard’s thods, regenerating it would be all too easy. Even replacing it with a chanical leg was a common procedure.
Allen took out a Healing Potion from his Space Ring, uncorked it, and poured it into Victor’s mouth.
Allen couldn’t bring himself to use a better potion.
After all, Victor’s unconsciousness was only due to the depletion of his Magic Power and Spiritual Power. These low-grade potions were enough to wake him up and let him recover on his own.
’As for the physical pain, if a Wizard can’t even endure this much suffering, how can they ever grow stronger?’
’Besides, as a fellow disciple of their ntor, Victor had surely learned chanical Mind, just like . He wouldn’t fear the pain.’
The potion’s effect was remarkable. In less than half a minute, Victor’s tightly shut eyelids twitched and slowly opened.
His gaze was first confused, then clear, and finally replaced by anger and humiliation. He struggled to get up but fell back onto the stretcher.
"Don’t waste your energy."
Allen’s voice sounded from above him. "Your Magic Power is depleted and your Spiritual Power is overdrawn. You can’t even fully utilize a Wizard’s self-healing abilities. Just lie still."
Victor gasped for breath, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding tal bulkheads before landing on Allen.
"I..." His voice was hoarse. "I’m still alive?"
"For now," Allen nodded. "But your workshop couldn’t be saved."
Victor fell silent for a few seconds. A flicker of resentnt flashed in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.
"Thank you," he said, forcing out the two words.
"You’re welco." Allen’s expression didn’t so much as twitch. "We’re fellow disciples, after all."
Victor was about to say sothing, but Allen had already pulled a terminal from his robes and held it out in front of him.
"However, so accounts still need to be settled."
Victor froze for a second, then looked down at the terminal.
The light screen flared to life, and lines of numbers leaped into view.
[Rescue Operation Expense Report]
Spider Slayer Mk. II: 42 units lost, cost 2,200 each, for a total of 92,400 Magic Stones.
Pacifista PX-1: 3 units lost, cost 31,000 each, for a total of 93,000 Magic Stones.
Ammunition expenditure, Magic Power energy conversion, Golem wear and tear, and maintenance fees: 87,650 Magic Stones.
Healing Potion: 50 Magic Stones.
Subtotal: 273,050 Low-Level Magic Stones.
[Courtesy Rounding: 7,350 Magic Stones]
[Total Amount Due: 280,000 Magic Stones]
Victor looked down at his severed left leg, then back at the "50 Magic Stones" on the bill.
He suddenly had the urge to curse soone out.
"You..." Victor took a deep breath. "You only used a 50-Magic-Stone Healing Potion on ?"
"Yes," Allen nodded, his tone calm.
"Your injuries are mainly from the depletion of your Magic Power and Spiritual Power; the physical wounds are a secondary issue. A lost leg is no big deal. There are plenty of ways to regenerate it, and since you’ve learned chanical Mind, you don’t fear the pain. Therefore, I chose the most cost-effective option."
"Our ntor said the Tieyan Clan will cover half the combat losses."
Allen’s voice rang out again. "You only need to pay half. And considering your current situation, you can defer the paynt."
Allen’s tone made it sound as if he were the victim who needed rescuing, and Victor was the deadbeat trying to skip out on his debt.
Victor was so angry his chest heaved violently, pulling at his wounds and triggering another wave of excruciating pain.
’If you called Allen stingy, you’d be wrong—he ca all this way to save and even charged for the Golems at cost. But if you called him generous, you’d be a fool—he even itemized the 50-Magic-Stone Healing Potion, and that divine maneuver of rounding *up* the bill was enough to make laugh out of pure rage.’
’He, Victor Iron Fla, heir to the Tieyan Clan—when had he ever suffered such an indignity?’
He struggled to sit up, ignoring the fresh blood that began to seep from his wounds. He pulled a Magic Stone Card from his Space Ring and imdiately initiated the transfer.
"Two hundred and eighty thousand! No need to trouble our ntor. I’ll pay for it all myself."
Victor gritted his teeth. "Every last stone!"
When Allen received the transfer, a flicker of satisfaction crossed his eyes. ’As expected of a noble scion. He has the requisite backbone, at least.’
"Excellent. I do admire heroes like you."
"Now that the account is settled, let’s discuss the arrangents moving forward."
Victor snorted coldly. He didn’t speak, rely stared daggers at Allen.
"Your workshop is in ruins and can’t be rebuilt anyti soon," Allen continued. "Furthermore, our ntor said Black Wizards were behind this Magical Beast tide. Zone 19 is still not safe."
Victor’s pupils contracted. He knew Black Wizards existed, but he never imagined he would be attacked by them.
"I suggest you stay in Zone 18 for a while," Allen said. "Wait for this storm to pass, then you can consider returning to Zone 19 to rebuild."
Victor fell silent.
He knew Allen was right. In his current state, returning to Zone 19 would be suicide.
His family’s resources had been almost completely exhausted in this beast tide. He couldn’t die. The Tieyan Family still needed him.
"Fine." Victor finally nodded, his voice hoarse. "I agree."
’My will is strong. I will not be defeated by a re setback. This failure is both a humiliation and a trial.’
Just then, Jarvis’s voice suddenly echoed through the cabin.
[Commander, ergency alert!]
[Mining Site 3 is under attack by unknown assailants! Abnormal Magic Power fluctuations detected. Suspected Black Wizard activity!]
Allen’s pupils constricted.
"Bring up the live feed."
The light screen switched instantly.
An overhead view of Mining Site 3 appeared before Allen.
There, the once orderly mining operation had descended into chaos.
The defending Spider Slayers and PX-1s were battling a swarm of Crystal Shell Giant Scorpions.
Without triggering any warning, the swarm of Magical Beasts had sohow appeared near the mining site.
’Zone 18 is under the surveillance of the Demon Eye, and the Magical Beasts around the mining sites were cleared out long ago. It’s impossible for a swarm to appear out of thin air. This is definitely the work of Black Wizards.’
Allen’s gaze sharpened instantly.
"Black Wizards!" Victor, who had also heard Jarvis’s alert, said as his expression turned grim.
"The First Legion won’t make it in ti. Mobilize the defensive forces from Three Forks Canyon Camp to provide support."
"Odyssey, full speed back to the workshop!"
Allen commanded in a low voice, "Freedom Gundam, all Storm Falcons—deploy for ergency support!"
Mining Site 3 was a highly productive Fire Elent Crystal mine, located 150 kiloters northwest of his workshop on the plains of Three-way Canyon.
’I’ll dispatch the Golems as support first. I can’t personally step onto the battlefield. Self-preservation is the top priority.’
’If they really can’t hold it, I’ll just use the Purgatory Volley and blow the mine and all those Magical Beasts to kingdom co!’
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