A Hospital in Another World?-Chapter 808: The Great Famine is Coming!

Garrett advanced successfully, basking in the spring breeze, celebrating with his friends, while someone else was living miserably, enduring great suffering.

— The Radiant Church, Inquisition, Vice-Inquisitor Lucien.

Nearly a year ago, the Grand Inquisitor issued him a death order: "If you can’t take him down, I’ll go myself." Since then, he was on the brink of life and death:

Sent people to gather information, the target had returned to Nevis;

Sent assassins, but they vanished without a trace;

Attempted to hire higher-level assassins, but after checking his wallet, realized hiring another one would leave him broke…

And what future awaited a penniless Vice-Inquisitor in the Inquisition, in the Radiant Church?

At best, he would be marginalized, transferred to some rural post for retirement; at worst...

The Inquisition’s secret prisons were not without former members, even high-ranking ones. After capturing and killing so many, did they think there would be no repercussions?

Vice-Inquisitor Lucien counted and recounted his savings. Finally, he gritted his teeth and made a decision against his ancestors:

He would go to the Kent Kingdom himself.

Of course, he wasn’t going to personally assassinate the target. What was he thinking? His profession level was only 13, which was nothing in Nevis. He was a priest, not a knight. Without a combat role, how could he easily kill someone?

The person he faced last time, Carlisle, was level 14!

Even then, among the disciples of the Lord of Thunder, he was considered weak! That Garrett Nordmark, residing in Nevis, in his Mage Tower, under the protection of the Lord of Thunder, was not easy to kill!

But he still had to go to the Kent Kingdom. Once there, far from the Holy City, the Radiant Church’s influence wouldn’t easily reach him. He wouldn’t go to Nevis; instead, he would find a small place nearby to lay low, patiently waiting for an opportunity—

If no opportunity arose and the Church’s pressure increased, he would flee to the New World!

Although life would be harder, with fewer luxuries and surrounded by uncivilized natives…

But he would be alive! Going deeper inland, the vast New World would make it hard for the Church to reach him, and those mage heretics wouldn’t easily find him either!

He could find any native tribe. With his level 13 priest skills, he would surely be worshipped!

Vice-Inquisitor Lucien disguised himself and hid in a small town adjacent to Nevis County, reading newspapers and frequently gathering information. Thus, he learned that Garrett Nordmark had advanced to a level 7 mage soon after returning to Nevis;

That Garrett Nordmark had achieved numerous accomplishments;

That Garrett Nordmark was collaborating with the medical branch, the Black Crow Swamp, and many mages for research…

Moreover, this target was extremely reclusive. Vice-Inquisitor Lucien found out that Garrett had only left Nevis three times in six years! Three times!

Twice for council missions and once to visit home, spending the rest of the time in Nevis doing research. Council missions came with a large group of guards, and his return home was swift, with his level 8 Silver Moon Deer covering hundreds of miles a day, impossible to catch…

Other mages and professionals would go to fight and capture magical beasts, or rush to see strange phenomena, with their presence in mountains, forests, swamps, deserts—perfect targets!

Killing a few and leaving, with no one knowing after half a year!

Vice-Inquisitor Lucien waited and waited, finally hearing news of the Oak Grove Clinic building another Mage Tower. Now, his residence and workplace had Mage Towers?

This was a fortress! The difference between a mage inside a Mage Tower and outside it was vast!

Even if the mage relaxed a bit, the Mage Tower could automatically scan and alert for any intruders, especially high-level ones. If the mage was attacked, the Mage Tower’s support, defense, and attack would automatically activate.

No hope!

He had to leave!

Vice-Inquisitor Lucien gritted his teeth, disguised himself again, circled around the Kent Kingdom to shake off the Church’s spies, and then purchased a batch of salt. Under the guise of a small merchant, he boarded a ship heading to the New World.

He was leaving!

To hell with pinpointing and eliminating targets, to hell with “if you can’t kill him, I’ll go myself” orders. He wasn’t going to serve them anymore!

Life was the most important thing, survival was crucial. As long as he stayed alive, there would always be opportunities!

At most, the target couldn’t stay in Nevis forever, right? He would have to come out to gain experience, right? Many mages were going to the New World; maybe one day, Garrett would come too?

Maybe by then, in the vast New World, he would meet and kill him? The Church’s order was to "personally go and kill him," but it didn’t specify where or when...

Vice-Inquisitor Lucien curled up in a narrow cabin, rocking on the sea for almost a month, finally reaching the New World. Jumping off the ship, rubbing his eyes—

"Damn it!"

In the high port, towering majestically, overlooking the area, was a guiding lighthouse visible from miles away, which was also a Mage Tower!

But there was no other way. The ship he found was bound for a settlement established by the Magic Council in the central part of the Northern Continent. A place without a Mage Tower was impossible!

This small town called Woltham, established near a natural deep-water harbor, had few residents: some were mages and warriors of the council, along with merchants and workers; a small portion were poor people from the Kent Kingdom, hired to work in the New World after selling themselves.

The majority were local natives, bustling in and out, carrying various local specialties: whole wild buffalo hides, tendons, dried wild boar meat, rich beaver skins, pearls of various sizes, medicinal herbs, and magical beast materials…

They sold these to the tall, fair-skinned, gold, brown, and red-haired outsiders, in exchange for weapons and healing potions.

The entire Woltham port and trading area were bustling with noise. As for why there were no fights…

Lucien only walked three streets before seeing a Mage Tower in the distance at the end of the street. He quickly changed direction, only to see another Mage Tower after two intersections.

The two towers faced each other from afar, forming a triangle with the port lighthouse. Lucien was terrified, hiding all his aura as he walked along the road. Turning a corner, he saw a group of warriors laughing and carrying weapons toward him.

Looking up, oh no, it was the Temple of the God of War.

Then he saw the Temple of the Spring Goddess and a lush oak tree with its canopy covering about half an acre… Vice-Inquisitor Lucien felt no emotion in his heart anymore.

Just leave! Hurry and go inland, away from these magic-playing heretics and their reach!

Vice-Inquisitor Lucien sold two bags of salt at the port, bought supplies, and hired a cart to head inland. Reaching a native tribe, he sold a batch of goods; moved to another tribe, sold more goods.

Unknowingly, he passed through seven or eight tribes, a month’s journey inland. Finally, near Thunder Lake, two days from the shore, he found a small tribe to hide in.

— It was called Thunder Lake because, according to local legend, walking five days and nights northeast along the lake shore would lead to a high cliff where waterfalls roared day and night.

It was said that a warrior’s bride was taken by the chief, and he was expelled from the tribe. Fighting desperately, the warrior reached the thundering place and leaped off. Swept into the lake by the waves, he survived with unmatched courage and strength, becoming a mighty warrior.

He returned to the tribe, killed the chief, and reclaimed his bride, living happily ever after. A narrow white waterfall beside Thunder Falls was the bride’s veil…

Lucien didn’t want to hear any of this. Even hundreds of miles away, he could feel the elemental concentration from the direction the natives pointed, making him shiver.

Extremely strong water elements, maybe even lightning elements? If a high-level magical beast occupied that place, he wouldn’t be surprised. If there was a Mage Tower, he wouldn’t be surprised either.

So, peace, peace was good. Staying far away, living quietly, occasionally gathering information…

Vice-Inquisitor Lucien successfully went into hiding. As a small merchant with some healing skills, he brought much-needed supplies to the native tribe and healed two patients, earning their enthusiastic hospitality—

This small tribe of less than five hundred people had just lost their healer.

The natives offered the elder’s former house, refurbished all the straw mats, and every family contributed cherished animal skins. They promised that as long as he stayed and treated the tribe members, all food and drink would be provided by the tribe… 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

It sounded good, but Vice-Inquisitor Lucien felt miserable after just three days.

This broken house hadn’t been cleaned in ages! The stench made him want to die every moment!

This broken house had no sewage system! Going to the bathroom meant braving the wind and snow outside! Asking the natives for a wooden bucket and someone to empty it, he was told there was no such custom!

What were they eating in this broken tribe! Suspicious grain cakes, either mixed with stones or sand; extremely bland and slightly sour fruit wine! Dried meat of unknown age, its surface completely black!

Surviving by lowering his living standards to this extent, was it too much?

Should he take a risk, go deeper inland to find a larger tribe?

But the natives’ living standards were like this… Should he go back to Woltham?

Or return to the Kent Kingdom?

Lucien stirred the unknown tubers and grains in his wooden bowl, deep in thought. Before he could reach a conclusion, the door was pushed open, and a dozen warriors entered, saluting him:

"Elder, we need your wisdom to guide us—the famine is coming…"