Chapter 532, Section 531: Orcas's Opportunity
“Night Owl, although I know you went to try your luck, this is still…” In the courtyard, Nova looked at the black-robed man that Night Owl had brought back, his brows furrowed.
The man stood half a step behind the night owl, wrapped in an old cloak of rough fabric with worn edges.
His posture was somewhat awkward, his shoulders slightly hunched, as if he subconsciously wanted to hide himself in the shadows, his movements carrying an inescapable air of slyness.
The hood's shadow covered most of his face, revealing only the lower half. His skin was an unhealthy, sallow yellow due to lack of sunlight, and his chin was covered with uneven, unkempt stubble.
There were traces of mycelium on his face, clearly indicating he was a Puji master, but strangely he wasn't wearing any Puji.
What was most unsettling were his eyes. The occasional glimpse from under his hood would quickly sweep over the furnishings in the yard and Nova's face. There was no frankness in his eyes, only weighing and scrutinizing.
Although he didn't say a word at the moment, he exuded an aura of "untrustworthiness".
Nova was right about him; this guy was a Class D agent named Orcas, and completing the mission was his only way to survive.
Even this opportunity, which could have been fatal, was something he earned by defeating the monster in the arena through his wisdom.
Faced with Nova's skepticism, Night Owl shrugged: "I don't really believe it either, but he says he has a way."
They weren't surprised that the other party knew about Ivan's situation.
It's not surprising that news of someone living there for several months and seeking medical treatment from various sources would spread within certain circles.
only……
"Another one trying to scam money?" The half-dragon Gal clenched his enormous fist, his knuckles making a slight cracking sound, his tone unfriendly.
They've seen far too many of these self-proclaimed "experts" who claim to have solutions and offer suggestions lately; nine times out of ten they're just scammers eyeing their money.
With the discerning eye honed through years of adventure, the Silverthorn Squad wouldn't be easily fooled. Most of those clumsy con artists eventually learned the true weight of Gal's fists.
As Gar approached step by step, his towering figure exuding a substantial sense of oppression, Ocas, who had witnessed true hell, remained calm and undisturbed.
He gave a hoarse laugh and said two sentences:
"I don't want money."
"If I fail, I'm willing to leave my life behind."
Garr stopped his approaching steps, turned around, and looked at Nova questioningly.
Nova looked coldly at Orcas: "Do you think we wouldn't dare kill anyone in the city?"
Although they lost Redstone City, given their status and with a valid reason, killing a conman wasn't a big deal; it could be resolved with a little money.
“No, I believe you, and I’m serious.” Orcas looked directly at Nova.
Nova could tell; that look in his eyes was serious.
It was almost excessive, as if he wasn't there to save Ivan, but rather to save himself...
"How do you plan to save them?" Nova stepped back, indicating that Orcas could sit down and talk.
Orcas didn't sit down, but carefully took out two items from inside his cloak: a sharp dagger and a crystal bottle containing some kind of transparent liquid. "First, he has to become a Puji Master."
The group wasn't too surprised by this statement.
The resilience of the Puji Masters is evident to all, and they themselves have even considered this method.
However, the vitality brought by the fungus was only manifested in the physical body, and after realizing that Ivan's problem was purely mental, they gave up the attempt.
Okas said he needed to become a Puji Master, which makes sense considering that subsequent treatments might put a strain on his body and he needed to improve his physical endurance beforehand.
But that medicine?
The night owl's hand emerged from the shadows and easily snatched the sealed crystal bottle from Orcas's hand.
Ocas was only barely at the Gold rank, and was utterly powerless against the Silver Thorn Squad.
Nova stepped forward first, gathering magic at his fingertips, and cast two mid-level spells to detect toxins and curses. The light swept across the bottle without causing any abnormal fluctuations.
After confirming that there were no obvious malignant substances, the night owl used a fine needle to dab a small drop from the bottle opening and gently placed it on the tip of its tongue.
Although the night owl doesn't often use poison, it doesn't mean she can't; in fact, she has considerable resistance to it, which is why she dared to try it.
Orcas remained silent, calmly observing the female elf.
To be honest, he didn't know what the potion was, only guessing that it was some kind of healing potion.
I was a little nervous, but I remained calm.
"Alas--!"
The night owl suddenly let out a short gasp, its entire body tensing instantly as if electrocuted.
Immediately afterwards, almost instinctively, she transformed into a blurry shadow, quickly sinking into the darkness of the ground beneath her feet and disappearing from sight.
"A night owl?" Nova exclaimed in surprise, his staff already in his hand.
"You bastard!" Gar grabbed Orcas by the neck and lifted him into the air like a chicken.
Under the terrifying grip of the half-dragon, Ocas's face quickly turned red, his eyes bulged out, his legs kicked in vain, and he could only make gurgling sounds of suffocation in his throat. If Gal had just applied a little more force, he would have been crushed to death on the spot.
"Wait! Gar, wait!" Night Owl's voice came just in time from a shadowy corner, tinged with urgency.
She regained her form, her face unusually rosy, her chest rising and falling slightly, her breathing a little heavy, but her eyes were unusually bright. "I'm fine! Just now... I just hadn't adjusted for a moment."
Nova quickly told Garr to put Ocas down and asked, "What happened? What was that?"
Night Owl shook his head, licking his lips with a lingering relish: "I don't know the exact formula, but it's incredibly nourishing! It's extremely pure life energy, and... it has a forest-like feel, like standing deep within the oldest forest after the rain, with soil, leaves, and some kind of... tranquil vitality? I love it, I love it so much!"
"The feeling of the forest?" Nova and Gar exchanged a glance, both bewildered.
Elves are far more sensitive to the forces of nature than other races, and they could hardly fully comprehend the Night Owl's description, but the terms "great tonic," "pure life energy," and her slightly excited complexion were enough to show that the potion was not only harmless but also an extremely rare treasure.
In an instant, the image of the shifty-eyed Ocas in front of them was shrouded in an aura of unfathomable mystery in the eyes of the Silver Thorn Squad members.
Gar scratched his head awkwardly, stepped forward to help the still-breathing Ocas up, pressed him into a chair, and clumsily but with controlled strength massaged his shoulders and neck with his large, fan-like hands. He apologized in a muffled voice, "Ahem, um... I'm sorry, brother, I was too impulsive just now."
Nova chimed in, "Please forgive me, but this potion... is truly extraordinary."
Night Owl leaned closer, his eyes gleaming as he stared at Ocas: "Do you have any more of this potion? Where did you get it? I'm willing to pay a high price, a very high price!"
Ocas finally managed to catch his breath, which had almost stopped, and the purplish-blue finger marks left by Garr were clearly visible on his neck.
In the past, if he had been treated like this, he would have held a grudge and waited for an opportunity to retaliate a thousandfold.
But now...
He touched his burning neck, feeling surprisingly calm.
He was almost strangled to death, it's not a big deal.
He also carries on a mission assigned to him by that terrifying being known as "the Boss".
The boss had promised that as long as this matter was handled well, he could leave that nightmarish cave and live a peaceful and comfortable life in the Fungus Castle for a whole year.
Forget about "good days," he would be more than willing to stay in the prison of Fungus Castle, as long as he could escape that place!
This was his only chance, fought out of countless equally desperate D-level personnel through trickery, resilience, and a bit of luck. How could he possibly give it up just because of a little bit of rough treatment?
He smiled and told Garr not to worry, indicating that he understood.
He then regretfully told the Night Owl that there was only one bottle of this precious potion, and no more.
Finally, he calmly rejected Nova's request for compensation, a decision he made from the bottom of his heart—contribution points in the Mushroom Garden were the currency.
“I’ve already said, I don’t want money,” Aucas repeated, his gaze sweeping over the three of them. “If I really manage to revive this mage, I’ll make sure your Silverthorn Squad owes us a favor.”
Human kindness can be far more valuable than gold coins with a price tag, provided, of course, that Ivan is successfully revived.
Ocas asked for a favor rather than money, which almost convinced Nova that he was at least somewhat confident.
Nova finally asked, "Who are you...?"
"The Mushroom Cult".
The Mushroom Cult... a small sect that recently emerged in Mushroom Capital. Its doctrine of worshipping Puji is rather comical, and it was recently circulated as a strange tale in the adventurer's tavern, where they had also heard of it.
Could this seemingly comical sect actually harbor extraordinary individuals?
Unbeknownst to them, the true cult leader is still in Mushroom Capital Prison, and Orcas is merely using a figurehead.
As for making a deal with this seemingly cult-like Baigu Cult... since there's no devout priest of the God of Light in the team, as long as Ivan can be saved, it doesn't matter who we deal with.
Nova exchanged glances with the other two, and finally nodded solemnly on behalf of the team: "Okay! As long as you can wake Ivan, the Silver Thorn Team will owe the Bygone Cult a favor."
Ocas's anxiety finally subsided.
Why would he care about the favors of the Silver Thorn Squad?
This was merely a price offered casually to gain the other party's trust.
He'd be willing to pay anything to complete the mission and escape his misery!
Next, following instructions, Ocas performed mycelial parasitism on the unconscious Ivan.
Then, the diluted water of life was fed into its mouth.
A powerful and pure life force washed over Ivan's body, causing the mage, who had been lying in bed for months, to visibly regain his rosy complexion, and his physical condition was even better than before he fell into a coma.
The remaining mental health issues are no longer Ocas's responsibility.
The next day, he brought Number Ten, who had already completed his spiritual ascension, to the Silver Thorn Squad's courtyard.
(End of this chapter)
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