The entire group didn’t dare to stop as they hurried along the way.

The elite soldiers protected the rear while the acolytes observed the sky for other boulders.

Fortunately, they acted fast enough to escape the threat.

Of course, the losses were horrendous.

Previously, the entire expedition team was made up of 2,000 men, but now two dozen had fallen. Even more were wounded by the collateral damage.

That was when Illyan’s expertise shone.

The moment the team found a relatively safe place to set up camp, an officer rushed to Illyan’s side with a panicked expression.

“Sir!” Illyan just nodded as he took his suitcase and left.

On the way, he saw Aziro in the distance, drinking from a vial with his pale lips. He didn’t seem alright.

But Illyan could imagine why. The amount of Mind Power Aziro had condensed over half a year wasn’t anything great. If he squandered it in a few seconds, he would feel pain in his heart.

Yet the amount he had was nowhere near enough to lift several people from falling to their deaths.

Illyan could almost feel Aziro’s bad mood, so he didn’t dare stare too long as he made his way to the tent where the patients lay.

There, several apprentices were already tending to the men, but they could mostly help only those with small external wounds.

Once they saw him, they bowed, seeking his guidance. Illyan glanced at one apprentice with striking red hair and commanded them on what to do.

“Go to the patients with small wounds and bruises. I’ll take care of the high-priority cases. Tell me their conditions.” Illyan waved his hand, and one of the apprentices came to explain the situation of the injured.

Once Illyan finished listening, he nodded and hurried to the one most in need.

“Dr. Kaoran! This is a very serious problem. To avoid distractions, you should take at least one assistant!” one of the apprentices insisted.

Illyan turned his head, giving the apprentice a strange look.

It was Aurelia who had said this.

‘Quite good at acting, aren’t we?’ Illyan thought amusedly.

But his face didn’t change as he nodded and beckoned her to come along.

She bowed and followed him silently, while others scurried away—though not without casting strange glances at them. They didn’t know Aurelia well, mostly due to her distant behavior, but this scene was glaringly noticeable.

Still, people knew to mind their business as they went to treat others.

Illyan, meanwhile, went straight to the person whose entrails were ripped open by the creature’s claw.

He took a deep breath when he saw the patient. It would be difficult, but he could manage.

He let go of his suitcase, opened it, and took out several needles.

After finding that his set of dark crystal needles would take years to make, he had visited a blacksmith to make him a set of 120 steel needles.

The blacksmith was surprised but didn’t hesitate to help, as Illyan came as a physician.

Illyan had asked for 120 needles because he had discovered many acupoints in the body.

While he believed there were more, he hadn’t yet had time to discover them.

Creating additional needles was unnecessary for now, as Illyan couldn’t use them all at once.

For now, he wanted to seal some of the vital acupoints to stop the bleeding.

Aurelia’s eyes opened wide as she observed him.

But she didn’t speak, instead coordinating with him as he placed the needles in the patient. She prepared herbs to completely stop the bleeding and put the patient into an artificial sleep.

They worked in silence, adjusting to each other’s techniques with just a look.

In a few minutes, they stabilized the patient, assigned an apprentice to monitor him, and moved to the next case. This man had a large gash on his arm, though it wasn’t life-threatening. Unfortunately, the hand was infected and, at this point, would likely need amputation.

“Take out and measure a hundredth of a gram of the dried Mahona Herb, and grind it with Grostum Stems,” Illyan instructed as he worked, occasionally requesting what he needed.

Aurelia usually prepared everything perfectly, but this time, she asked for clarification.

“Isn’t Mahona Herb poisonous?” she asked, furrowing her brows, though still doing as he asked.

“Not in this dosage. With slowed blood flow, it will stay in the applied area and kill whatever’s causing the infection,” Illyan explained as he applied the powder to the hand.

“Interesting. There’s no information on that in the library. Not to mention, most physicians wouldn’t research poisonous herbs to know this…”

Aurelia looked at him suspiciously before relaxing her brows.

Illyan didn’t know what she concluded and didn’t care much.

The reason he knew something like this was simply due to his regeneration. To better understand vegetation, he had chosen to consume most of them in their raw state, including Mahona Herb.

In medicine, dosage often determines whether something is a remedy or a poison, so he had experimented with lowering the dosage of poisonous herbs to see if they could be used medicinally.

Through this, he developed many new treatments, furthering his path in medicine.

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

They spent the rest of their time in silence.

Only after they finished all their work did Illyan finally ask.

“So, what is your reason for doing this? Didn’t you want to keep your distance?”

“Well, I did until I saw the look of familiarity in your eyes when you saw that wendigo.” When she said this, Illyan’s eyes widened.

After a few seconds, he sighed.

“So it really was a wendigo.”

“You weren’t sure?”

“That’s right. This one is different from the ones I know.” Illyan explained how the wendigo he knew had antlers, a beast-like body similar to a wolf’s, and bone protrusions.

Aurelia listened and nodded.

“It’s the same evil spirit but with a different birth. Usually, beast wendigos transform when they’re in the wild. The slender wendigos, however, form in isolated, dark places like caves.”

She frowned as she continued.

“Of course, there are other factors, like the emotional state of the person who sinned. Those full of hatred become beasts, while those feeling guilt turn into slender types. Additionally, those who eat their own kind actively and with relish become beasts. In contrast, if it was merely for survival when they had no choice, they turn into slender wendigos.”

Aurelia explained all of this.

Illyan listened attentively, as this was the first time he had heard such details.

Still, he had some doubts.

“What’s the difference in their abilities?” He was curious since this beast seemed weak. He wasn’t sure if it was just a weak individual, especially since he had survived an encounter with smaller wendigos as a child.

“They’re usually more cunning and rely on stealth. The ones you know are more savage beasts,” Aurelia shrugged.

“Why are you telling me this?” In the end, Illyan had to ask, as he couldn’t understand her thought process.

She looked at him with an austere gaze, then sighed.

“I just wondered how you knew about them. But it seems you don’t know much.”

With that, she began to leave.

“Wait.” However, Illyan stopped her.

“It’s Ezekiel, right? You suspected I was collaborating with him?” Illyan asked, realization in his voice.

Aurelia turned around.

“Yes. It was a small suspicion because of the mess both of you caused in town. During long winters, it’s common to see one or two wendigos appear in this region. However, Ezekiel has a certain power that allows him to create and control them,” Aurelia explained.

Illyan didn’t know how she knew all of that or why she cared, nor did he particularly care.

At that moment, Illyan felt his blood boil. So it was really him. A cold glint flashed in his gaze as he thought about tearing that bastard apart.

“Well, we are far from allies. I just used him back then. We even fought. I cut off his limbs, and he opened my stomach. But thanks to that, I got these black rods and connected the dots between them and the black rods in the wendigos I met years ago.”

Aurelia was surprised.

“You got the Refined Dark Crystals?”

Seeing her expression, he paused for a moment before nodding.

“A little.”

“Are you willing to sell them to me?” Her eagerness surprised Illyan. He knew the crystals were interesting but didn’t expect her to be this interested.

Aurelia noticed his reaction, and her face turned rosy for a moment before regaining its usual pale complexion.

“I’ll be honest with you, since you are a friend of my grandfather. The Dark Crystals are something I really need, so I’m willing to pay above market price.”

Seeing her earnest expression, Illyan smirked slightly.

It seemed he would have a big gain this time. Aurelia was very knowledgeable about the supernatural aspects of the world, something Illyan lacked at this moment.

He guessed it was due to her background, given that her gang dabbled in magic as well.

Feigning reluctance as if unwilling to part with the rods, he responded, “I don’t know… I risked my life for them and don’t have many. It depends on what you can offer.”

Aurelia pursed her lips. She could see through his pretense easily but didn’t know how to counter it. She knew she had been hasty with her proposal without offering anything concrete.

“You may have guessed that I am the daughter of the Heart Bearer Gang’s leader. I can offer you some minor techniques that can be shared with outsiders without issue. We also specialize in blood tools—tools such as weapons or armor that are strengthened by blood.”

When Illyan heard her words, he thought for a moment.

In truth, he wanted the techniques, but he already had too much on his plate. Instead, the tools were something he lacked. He had seen her blood saber, which was a very effective weapon in combat. However…

Illyan was fairly certain he couldn’t control them as she could.

“Are Aziro’s blood bone spears made by your gang?” he asked out of curiosity, noticing the similarity.

“That’s right. Most of the items acolytes possess here are made by our gang. The Arkravav Empire forbids bringing powerful tools and items into the kingdom without hefty fees. Most people only bring the few things they truly need, selling or leaving the rest. The local stuff here is mostly worthless anyway.”

Illyan considered her words. Since this place was relatively weak, it made sense that there would be restrictions on imports.

‘There’s also a high chance that the energy siphoning here affects these items too. So it makes sense that bringing valuable items here would be impractical.’

Thinking this, he asked the obvious question.

“What about blood weapons? Do they have any issues?” Illyan didn’t intend to buy them but was interested in their weaknesses. Given that some acolytes used them, he felt it was worth knowing.

Aurelia glanced at him with a sidelong look.

“If you’re referring to the energy depletion here, it generally doesn’t affect these weapons. They’re powered through Blood Energy. Like Mind Power, this energy is part of your body, making it harder to drain away—at least if the energy levels are low. When it exceeds a certain threshold, it will be siphoned off quickly.”

Illyan absorbed all this information, pleasantly surprised by her knowledge.

“All right, I have a counteroffer for you.” He had decided on what he wanted most.

“What is it? As long as it’s reasonable, I’ll give it to you.” She seemed confident in her ability to provide whatever he requested.

“You said before that I’m full of imperfections, correct?” Illyan said casually.

“That’s right. But I can see that those flaws are much less pronounced now—at least in your physical body.” Aurelia nodded, her expression then crumbling.

Illyan grinned with amusement.

“I want a complete foundation for my future, including my Mind Power and Mana. You must have a way to fix this issue, right?”

He spoke with confidence, though he tried not to show his excitement. If he succeeded in this negotiation, his long lifespan would be matched by a clear path forward.

Aurelia furrowed her brows, deep in thought.

“How much Refined Dark Crystal do you have?”

Eventually, she asked, hesitating.

“How much do you need?”

Unfortunately, Illyan wasn’t sure of the crystal’s true value or how much she expected he had, so it was safer to let her name her price first.

“Hmm… Considering what you’re asking for, I should offer an appropriate reward. How about five kilograms?” she asked, her expression uncertain.

Illyan held back a smile. The crystals he had back at home weighed over twenty kilograms, so he could afford that.

“That’s quite a lot, to be honest…” But he still shook his head as if he didn’t have that much.

Aurelia sighed. She knew it was difficult to obtain such crystals here, but she needed as many as possible.

“However, I can give you two kilograms,” Illyan offered.

Aurelia shook her head.

“At least four. They also need to be high quality.”

They negotiated for a while before finally settling.

“I’ll give you three and a half kilograms of crystals. If the quality doesn’t meet your standards, you can have five kilograms.”

“And you’ll show me that acupuncture technique of yours,” she added suddenly.

That surprised Illyan.

“Why?”

“Acupuncture is a southern tradition, rarely seen in the northern part of the Oberuan Continent, so I’m curious. How did you learn it?”

Aurelia looked very interested in its origins.

“Self-taught.” Illyan only shrugged. He couldn’t admit to dissecting living people, could he?

She looked suspicious but didn’t back off.

“Actually, I think this will be mutually beneficial.”

“Oh? How so?”

Aurelia smiled charmingly.

“The foundational technique I’m selling you is also self-made. I was born with a gift, one that lets me see imperfections. I can spot flaws in techniques or crafts, even impurities in metals. Because of that, I was repulsed by the techniques my gang possessed. So, I recreated the [Thirteen Layers of Blood Energy]. I heard of a similar technique from the past and used that as inspiration to develop my own.”

As she said this, she looked proud and dignified.

But her face soon turned gloomy.

“Unfortunately, these flaws only lessen but never fully disappear. Without this cursed gift holding me back, I’d already be a Magister or even a Great Magus. Instead, I’m just a lowly apprentice, progressing at a snail’s pace.”

She forced a smile, but Illyan sensed her pain. Seeing imperfections might be a worse curse than his own. Now, he realized she was probably like him.

That made him feel closer to her.

But he still remembered his objective.

He would strip away all the benefits she could offer!