CH95

The battle resulted in significant losses for the caravan, with sixty-two people dead.

Among the dead were twenty-five civilians, while the rest were fallen guards.

Karim's adventurer group lost thirteen members, facing the brunt of the enemy's attack due to their superior equipment.

Other adventurers lost twenty-four members, mostly those with slightly weaker abilities.

Adventurers were generally shrewd, focusing on survival rather than risking their lives. As a result, those with stronger abilities mostly survived, as the battle didn't last long.

Karim and Roque jointly commanded the caravan, organizing various tasks.

Karim now held considerable authority, the recent events leaving an indelible impression on everyone.

Seeing the situation resolved, Helag found Ed hiding under the carriage and kicked him. "Get out and prepare to drive us out of here."

Ed quickly crawled out, nodding and smiling. "Yes, sir."

After witnessing Helag's prowess, Ed revered him like a deity.

While Karim's white light was impressive, Ed believed Helag was even more formidable.

Helag returned to his carriage, ready to leave, when Karim jogged over.

"Mr. Geralt, thank you for saving us at a critical moment. Who knows how many more would have died without you," Karim said gratefully.

Helag glanced at him and nodded. "Hmm."

Though curious about Karim's newfound power, Helag had no interest in the man himself. He disliked dealing with fools and responded curtly before getting into the carriage.

To Helag, someone like Karim was more dangerous as a friend than an enemy, potentially causing harm unintentionally.

Karim awkwardly smiled, not taking it to heart. "Wizards do have peculiar tempers."

He hadn't seen Helag in action but learned from the adventurers that Geralt was a Wizard who had killed many soldiers.

Upon hearing this, Karim immediately came to thank him.

Three hours later, the caravan set off again, this time with a somber atmosphere, lacking the previous cheer.

Roque sat at the front of the lead carriage, his face full of sorrow, staring blankly ahead.

A longtime friend, who had been with him on many trade runs, had died in the recent battle, found with only half a head remaining.

"After this run, I'm retiring to the countryside…" he remembered his friend saying before they set off.

***

Five days later, the caravan finally exited the Dragonspine Highlands, descending into a plain.

Ivis remained locked in the iron cage, given only a little water daily, and fed every three days to keep him alive.

As Roque put it, great knights don't starve easily.

Ivis was extremely weak, injured, with his limbs crippled and starving, his spirit utterly broken.

Helag thought it best to kill him outright, believing keeping him alive was asking for trouble.

Karim, having taken Roque's contract, felt obligated to complete the mission and safely escort the caravan to the Kingdom of Doris.

He also planned to escort Ivis back to Stormwind City to face the gallows, assigning two adventurers to guard him.

Entering the plains, they encountered more towns, unlike the sparsely populated Dragonspine Highlands.

The caravan's supplies were easily replenished along the way.

Despite the losses, the caravan's defense remained strong.

Especially with Karim now a great knight, they faced fewer troubles.

Some bandits attempted to attack, but the outcome was predictable.

***

A month passed quickly.

Helag sat in his carriage, slowly opening his eyes.

"Deep Blue, check my body data."

[Helag Merlin: Strength 3.9, Agility 4.0, Constitution 5.5, Spirit 12.4, Mana 100%.]

Helag exhaled. The meditation for the seventh star was complete.

His physical stats had significantly improved, partly due to completing the seventh star meditation and the continuous strengthening from dark energy particles.

Only three stars remained to complete the first array. He wondered what effects it would bring.

His main concern was that, even after completing the three remaining stars and meeting the requirements to advance to a third-level wizard apprentice, he couldn't brew the potion without a Stone Golem's heart.

The heart couldn't be stored long-term, making it impossible to prepare in advance at the academy.

Helag didn't know if the Kingdom of Doris had Stone Golems. If he couldn't find one after meeting the advancement requirements and the academy had no news, he'd have to rely on Deep Blue to deduce alternative potion ingredients.

Potion formulas weren't fixed; many ingredients could be substituted, sometimes with even better results.

Due to the difficulty of obtaining some ingredients, practical potion formulas often used more accessible substitutes. Wizards frequently experimented with different ingredients, sometimes discovering unique effects.

After completing the seventh star meditation, Helag resumed meditating on the eighth star.

Ivis had a miserable time. As a great knight, his injuries healed quickly.

But with constant surveillance, any sign of recovery led to his limbs being broken again.

This repeated torment left Ivis in a wretched state.

With few bandit attacks, Karim had more time to watch over Ivis.

Ivis sought opportunities to escape but found none.

His injuries healed only to be broken again, leaving him hopeless.

Yet he didn't give up, his desire to survive growing stronger, waiting for the right moment.

Half a month later, late at night, just half a month away from the Kingdom of Doris.

Helag, meditating, suddenly opened his eyes, looking towards Ivis's iron cage.

Ivis, as usual, sat slumped in the cage, his hands hanging limply.

Guarding him was a girl named Lizi, a member of Karim's adventurer group and a fervent fan of Karim.

It was her turn to watch Ivis, a boring task.

Ivis's limbs had been crippled multiple times, making escape impossible, so guarding him was stress-free.