Chapter 26: Third Rank

"Honorable Mage Yijia, I believe everyone deserves medical care. We should not deprive these unfortunate ones of treatment for various reasons," Physician Ino softly countered the other's viewpoint.

"Enough! Physician Ino, you should now check if their feet can be healed quickly. Take out your ointment," Shaoke was in no mood to listen to their irrelevant discussions and cut them off before their debate could escalate.

Without any ceremony, Physician Ino took hold of Mage Yijia's foot, which made Mage Yijia feel extremely uncomfortable. He struggled to pull his foot out of the physician's grasp, but after several attempts, Mage Yijia could only cover his face, refusing to look at the physician.

"Honorable Mage Yijia, I am a physician. How can I treat your injury without examining your foot? Stop struggling. Now, just wait until I apply the ointment my father developed. You will surely recover by tomorrow or the day after," Physician Ino explained while inspecting the injured area. He then noticed that Mage Kiya had similar symptoms, though milder.

"Physician Ino, can your ointment be applied to the waist? My back is almost too stiff to straighten, and my legs are sore as well," Mage Kiya seemed to have forgotten his earlier displeasure with the physician and hoped to obtain medication for his other pains.

"Come, let me take a look. Hmm! It's fine. Once this ointment is applied, you'll be better by tonight. Do you want to apply it yourselves, or shall I do it?" Physician Ino examined his back and legs. When he tried to check Mage Yijia, he was refused. Mage Yijia believed his condition was the same as Mage Kiya's and required no further examination, but the physician disagreed. "Honorable Mage Yijia, I believe even the same injury may not manifest identically in two individuals. Just as the great philosophers say, there are no two identical fig trees in the Wild Continent."

After being refused by Mage Yijia, Physician Ino could only express his opinion; he couldn't force the issue. However, when he asked whether the mages wanted to apply the ointment themselves or have him do it, the mages raised a question: "Is there any difference, Physician Ino? Is your method of applying it particularly special?"

"Yes, I will massage your feet while applying the ointment. That speeds up recovery, though it may be somewhat painful. However, I believe it's worth enduring to be free of pain sooner," Physician Ino took out the ointment he carried and explained the process. Finally, the mages unanimously agreed to let Physician Ino apply the ointment to their feet. They decided to handle the other areas themselves, as those issues were minor.

Seeing this matter resolved, Shaoke felt relieved. At least in his view, getting mages to accept treatment from a lowly military physician was not an easy task. Previously, Mage Feiyi and Mage Loki had always refused a physician's treatment when ill, preferring to endure the bumpy carriage ride to a small town a five-day journey away to seek treatment from a Cleric.

After hastily finishing breakfast, Shaoke bid farewell to the mages and the physician. He needed to discuss today's mission with the captain, as it was almost time to depart.

"Mage Xueye, are the other two mages ready as well? I heard from the soldiers that Physician Ino took medication to your place," the captain inquired with concern, hoping for a positive answer.

"Captain, Mage Yijia and Mage Kiya's feet are too swollen to walk. The physician says it will take two days for them to recover. Therefore, we cannot proceed with them for these two days," Shaoke explained the situation of the two mages to the captain, telling him it was due to prolonged fatigue and physical weakness.

"Hmm! I see, Mage Xueye. What do you think we should do now? We can't just stay here idly for two days without doing anything," the captain felt somewhat reassured after hearing Shaoke's explanation.

"We'll leave some soldiers here to protect the two mages, and we'll head deeper into the northern forest to find a campsite. Then we'll abandon this place, as there aren't many magical beasts here anymore," Shaoke had already considered today's plan on the way and answered the captain without hesitation.

The captain pondered for a moment and said, "Mage Xueye, heading further north is an area we've almost never entered. It could cause casualties among the soldiers. Besides, our manpower would be insufficient this way."

"Don't worry! We're just going to find a temporary campsite first, then return to pick up the mages. I believe we can handle it. After all, slightly higher-ranked magical beasts usually move in groups of three-to-five and pose no real threat to us. Unless we encounter a wolf pack, but there have been no wolf packs in this direction. I believe this isn't their territory," Shaoke explained his idea to the captain, hoping for his support and approval.

"Alright! I believe we won't be that unlucky. The soldiers are all strong," the captain went along with Shaoke's idea.

After discussing the details again, the captain began assigning soldiers to carry spare tents for the night's camp, sufficient food, and arranged for some soldiers to remain behind. He also decided to bring the Elder Physician along to handle any unexpected situations.

Shaoke informed the two mages, who were still receiving treatment, of his and the captain's decision and wished them a speedy recovery. Although the physician was reluctant to part with the Elder Physician even briefly, he had to accept the captain's decision.

The team set off slightly later than usual. After traveling for two magic hours away from the camp, they encountered scattered low-ranked magical beasts. Since their goal was to find a suitable campsite at a sufficient distance, they avoided engaging large groups of magical beasts. However, the small groups of beasts they encountered along the way were all dealt with by the soldiers. Under Shaoke's decision, they only collected the more valuable and easily portable spoils, leaving the rest scattered on the ground. Amid the soldiers' sighs of regret, these were gradually left behind.

After a brief lunch, the disappearance of the mist allowed the soldiers to relax their tense nerves a bit, and they began chatting among themselves. The Elder Physician continuously directed soldiers to gather any medicinal herbs they spotted. Shaoke diligently memorized the surrounding environment and route, as they had never ventured this deep before. In truth, Shaoke was also worried—worried about suddenly encountering a wolf pack. If that happened, not many from their team would likely survive. Although the wolf packs here were Second Rank magical beasts, their success rate in advancing ranks was quite high. Moreover, they often hunted small groups of higher-ranked magical beasts across ranks, consuming their cores to accelerate their own advancement. Overall, they were no less formidable than large groups of Third Rank beasts.

As they continued deeper, signs of magical beast activity became increasingly frequent along the way. Even some Second Rank Snow Tigers curiously approached the team. Once spotted by the soldiers, their fate was predictable. Dozens of javelins, arrows, and hand axes, at the captain's command, whistled toward the Snow Tigers that had come to observe the team. The poor Second Rank beasts sometimes only managed to release one 'Ice Ball' before shamefully perishing under the dishonorable group attack. The 'Ice Ball Spell' they had pinned their hopes on was also neutralized by Shaoke using his mental power to control a 'Fireball'.

Shaoke and the captain noticed that most of the Second Rank magical beasts here were Snow Tigers, which gradually eased their worries about encountering a wolf pack. It seemed this area was Snow Tiger territory, and the wolf packs hadn't yet managed to encroach.

As evening approached, through the trees, the team spotted a small mound. The trees on the mound were sparse, and to Shaoke, ignoring the scattered trees, it looked like a steamed bun magnified countless times over.

A natural campsite—this was the first thought that came to Shaoke and the captain. However, as the team drew closer and the trees thinned, a dark hole suddenly appeared on the white hillside. Another thought instantly crossed everyone's minds: "There's a high-ranked magical beast here." "Prepare for battle!" the experienced captain shouted sharply. This was a magical beast's lair. "Drop the heavy loads, be careful!"

"Roar! Roar!" A tiger's roar echoed, and a foul wind swept across the ground. Relying on a mage's unique perception, Shaoke realized the ambushing beast had bypassed the scouting soldiers at the front and was attacking the center of the team—where Shaoke was positioned. "A Third Rank beast, likely a successfully advanced Snow Tiger! Damn it!"

"Scatter!" Shaoke shouted desperately. "Fireball Spell!" Relying on his perception, Shaoke suddenly sensed a surge of magical energy flying from behind him. Quickly forming hand seals, he expended twice the usual mental and magical power. Utilizing the technique of dual-handed Spellcasting, his already fast casting speed increased by about one-third. A fireball the size of a washbasin, commanded in the Ancient Magic Tongue, exceeded the maximum capacity its magical structure could bear. Under Shaoke's mental control, trailing a nearly three-meter-long flame, it erupted from his hands and shot toward the opposing Spell. "Boom!" "Crack..."

The Third Rank Snow Tiger's mutated 'Ice Ball Spell' collided with Shaoke's 'Fireball Spell', which had consumed a large amount of mental and magical power and was about half again as powerful. Scattered flames and ice shards flew about twenty meters away from the team. Thick trees were pierced, burned, and frozen.

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It's raining, so I'm posting early. Otherwise, if the network cuts off, I won't be able to upload today. Thanks for your support!