Chapter 9: Chapter 9: Adventuring Feels Pretty Good

Valles removed the remaining few iron shards in the same manner.

Gray’s face was now pale with pain, and beads of sweat dripped incessantly from his forehead.

Zelir couldn’t help but feel anxious for Gray.

’Operating without anesthesia is enough to kill a man. I have no idea how those heroes in the stories ever endured this kind of thing... Truly a different breed.’

Gray weakly took the cloth out of his mouth.

"If I don’t make it back alive, please tell Marian at the tavern that I love her."

"What nonsense are you talking about? Who told you to take the cloth out?" Valles frowned, stuffed the cloth back into Gray’s mouth, and then wiped the drool on Gray’s clothes with a look of disgust.

Wounds caused by metal shards like these had to be disinfected. Otherwise, infection was an almost certain death sentence.

The moment he saw Valles uncork the bottle of Firethroat Wine, Gray’s expression instantly turned to one of horror.

This low-end medicinal wine, worth thirty copper coins on the market, had only one thing going for it: it was incredibly potent. Even the Dwarf Race, famous for their heroic drinking capacity, would have to think twice about it.

Without giving Gray any time to prepare himself mentally, Valles poured the liquor directly onto the wound.

"ARGH...!"

The pungent smell of alcohol mixed with the stench of blood filled the air. Gray’s body convulsed in pain, his legs kicking and flailing uncontrollably. It was quite a while before he gradually calmed down.

Watching Gray suffer, Zelir found it hard to bear.

"Didn’t you buy any Recovery Potions or anything before we set out? Wouldn’t that work better?"

"You mean Life Potions, right? Those expensive things made by Holy Healers? Who can afford those?"

Valles said while wiping Gray’s wound with a white cloth, "The cost of one bottle is more than his life is worth."

’Life Potions... are they really that expensive?’ Zelir was taken aback.

’It seems healing resources in this world are much scarcer than I imagined.’

The next steps weren’t quite as brutal for Gray.

After cleaning the wound, Valles applied a layer of styptic powder and then wrapped it with linen strips. With that, the treatment was complete.

"All done." Valles clapped his hands.

"I owe you one, Valles," Gray said, exhausted.

"Alright, none of that sentimental stuff. Nobody owes anyone anything. If you hadn’t held back the Fog Demon, we wouldn’t have been able to kill the thing." Valles stood up.

Zelir draped a blanket over Gray and helped him rest against a tree.

A gentle breeze swept by, carrying away the dense fog. The vast white expanse around them finally faded, and the Gray Wood Forest reappeared.

No one would have guessed that such a brutal battle had just taken place here.

After confirming there were no more threats, Marcus began to collect the spoils.

He took out his dagger and carefully began to carve up the Fog Demon’s corpse.

The blade sank in, slicing open skin and flesh. An unknown, blackish-red fluid flowed from the opening, emitting a foul stench.

"Be careful. Don’t get any on you. It’s corrosive," Valles warned.

There was nothing valuable on the Fog Demon’s body, just rotten flesh. Its form had been pieced together from various sources. The only truly valuable spoil was the Demon Core located in its heart.

Marcus cut open the thick chamber of the heart, pried out the crystal with the tip of his dagger, and then carefully wiped it clean with a cloth.

"How much is this Demon Core worth?" Marcus asked.

Valles leaned in for a look.

It was a prismatic crystal wreathed in a faint mist, containing abundant Magic Power.

A Fog Demon Core could be used as a Wand Core for certain Magic Staffs, mixed into Magic Potions, or used as a material in Alchemy. It had many uses.

"I’m no expert appraiser, but for one of this quality, it should sell for at least fifteen gold coins, maybe more," Valles said.

"Whoa..." Zelir raised an eyebrow.

’If they split it evenly, he would get almost four gold coins, which was equivalent to four hundred silver coins. Wasn’t that way better than the eleven silver coins from the wolf quest?’

"Worth getting beaten up for," Gray added with a gratified smile, the pain seeming to lessen considerably.

"Then it’s settled. We’ll split it evenly, as per the old rules."

Marcus put away the Fog Demon Core and clapped Zelir on the shoulder.

"I never thought I’d see the day I’d kill a Fog Demon. Recruiting you to the team was the right choice. Well done, kid."

The Professional Tiers for a Warrior are similar to those for a Mage: from Apprentice to Junior, Middle, and Upper Level. After breaking through the Upper Level, they also have to choose a path for Reclassification.

Marcus had been a Junior Warrior for many years. Because he couldn’t master Fighting Qi, he had never been able to break through to Middle Level Warrior.

When faced with a Demon like the Fog Demon, whose defenses could only be broken by Fighting Qi or Magic, he could only steer clear.

Magic Power comes from the Spring Seed, while Fighting Qi originates from the Heart of Qi.

However, awakening a Mage’s Spring Seed requires luck and talent and cannot be forced. The cultivation of the Heart of Qi, on the other hand, is more accessible.

Even if you have dull aptitude, it’s possible to advance your Heart of Qi and master Fighting Qi by grinding away for a few decades.

In a way, Fighting Qi and Magic Power are somewhat similar, as both can greatly enhance one’s combat strength.

But Fighting Qi can generally only be used to strengthen one’s own body, whereas Magic Power can be projected externally in the form of Magic to achieve various effects.

After a quick cleanup, the group supported Gray and set off on the road back to town.

The rest of the journey was uneventful.

The forest gradually thinned out, and a clear, washed-blue sky stretched out above them, extending all the way to the horizon. Beneath it, the silhouette of Black Stone Town’s buildings came into sharp relief.

Signs of civilization began to appear. Many villagers out working in the fields cast curious glances at the party.

Zelir took a deep breath, a genuine, relieved smile spreading across his face.

’So this is what it feels like to return after completing a quest. It’s actually quite pleasant...’

’It was my first mission, and the rewards were pretty substantial.’

’I got four gold coins and eleven silver coins, unlocked Technique Celestial Calculation, leveled up twice, and even added Great Creation Skill and Embrace of the Mist Veil to the analysis queue.’

’This journey of adventure in another world... it seems pretty great after all.’

Black Stone Town. Just as its name suggested, it was a town built around a mineral vein.

The locally mined black stone was a type of inky-black volcanic glazed glass. It was a good material for crafts and could also be made into arrowheads, making it very popular with High-Tier Rangers.

Coupled with the presence of the Gray Wood Forest, which provided plenty of wood and hunting resources for the nearby towns and villages, Black Stone Town was considered quite prosperous among towns of its size in the Sel Kingdom.

After walking for the better part of a day, the party arrived at the outskirts of Black Stone Town.

A simple town wall, constructed from dark logs and massive stones, came into view.

A few guards could be seen leaning against the crenellations on top of the wall, dressed in simple Chain Armor with bored expressions on their faces.

A line had formed at the town gate, mostly consisting of farmers pushing wheelbarrows or Hunters preparing to enter the town to sell their goods.