Our Dharma Masters are like this.

Chapter 9: The Adventure Feels Pretty Good
The remaining iron pieces were also removed by Vales in the same way.

Gray was in so much pain that his face was pale, and large beads of sweat kept seeping from his forehead.

Zellier couldn't help but feel a little worried for Gray.

Without anesthesia, it can really hurt like hell. I don't know how Second Master endured the pain of having his bone scraped to remove poison back then... He's so passionate.

Gray weakly removed the cloth from his mouth.

"If I don't make it back alive, please tell Marian in the tavern that I love her."

"What nonsense are you talking about? Who told you to take the cloth off?" Vales frowned, stuffed the cloth back into Gray's mouth, and then disgustedly wiped his drool off.

Wounds caused by such metal fragments must be disinfected; otherwise, infection will almost certainly lead to death.

The moment Gray saw the cork of the Firethroat bottle popped, his expression instantly turned to horror.

This bottle of low-end medicinal wine, which costs thirty copper coins, is strong enough that even the dwarves, known for their heavy drinking capacity, would have to think twice.

Without giving Gray any time to prepare, Vales poured the liquor directly onto the wound.

"Uh-huh...!"

The pungent smell of alcohol mixed with the stench of blood filled the air. Gray convulsed in pain, his legs flailing wildly, before he slowly calmed down after a long while.

Seeing Gray suffer, Zellir felt a pang of pity.

"Didn't you buy any recovery potions or anything like that before you left? I think those would be more effective?"

"You mean the potion of life? That precious stuff made by holy healers, how can we afford it?"

As Vales wiped Gray's wound with a white cloth, he said, "One bottle would be enough to buy his life."

A potion of life... Is it that valuable? Zellier was taken aback.

It seems that medical resources in this world are much scarcer than he imagined.

The next steps were less cruel for Gray.

After cleaning the wound, apply a layer of hemostatic powder, then bandage it with a strip of linen. That completes the treatment.

"Done." Vales clapped his hands.

“I owe you a favor, Vales,” Gray said, exhausted.

"Alright, stop with the sentimental talk. Nobody owes anyone anything. If you hadn't held off the Mist Demon, we wouldn't have been able to kill this guy." Vales stood up.

Zellier covered Gray with a blanket and let him rest against the tree for a while.

A gentle breeze swept away the thick fog, and the surrounding white expanse finally faded, revealing the graywood forest once more.

No one would have imagined that such a brutal battle would break out in this place.

After confirming there was no threat, Marcus began cleaning up his spoils.

He picked up the dagger and carefully dissected the mist demon's corpse.

The blade pierced through the flesh, and an unknown blackish-red liquid flowed out from the opening, emitting a foul stench.

"Be careful not to get it on your body, it's corrosive," Vales warned.

The Mist Demon's body had nothing of value; it was mostly rotten flesh. His body was pieced together from various sources. The real valuable spoils of war were the magic core located in his heart.

Marcus cut open the thickened atrium of the heart, used the tip of his knife to pick out the crystal, and slowly removed it before wiping it clean with a cloth.

"How much is this magic core worth?" Marcus asked.

Vales leaned closer for a peek. It was a prismatic crystal shrouded in a light mist, containing abundant magical power.

The Mist Demon Core is the core used to make certain staves, and can also be used to concoct potions or as a material for alchemy; it has many uses.

“I don’t know much about judging quality, but this kind of quality should fetch at least fifteen gold coins or more, right?” Vales said.

“Wow…” Zellier raised an eyebrow.

If the money is split equally among the group, he can get about four gold coins, which is equivalent to four hundred silver coins. Isn't that much better than the eleven silver coins that Wild Wolf asked for?
"My beating wasn't for nothing." Gray smiled with relief, even the pain had lessened considerably.

"Then there's no problem. We'll split it equally, as usual."

Marcus put away the Mist Demon Core and patted Zellir on the shoulder.

"I never thought I'd be able to kill a Mist Demon one day. Recruiting you into the team was definitely the right choice. Well done, kid."

The class system for warriors is similar to that for mages, ranging from apprentice to lower, middle, and upper levels. After advancing to the upper level, warriors must choose a new class to specialize in.

Marcus had been a lower-level warrior for many years, unable to break through to the intermediate-level warrior because he couldn't master his battle aura.

When he encountered a monster like the Mist Demon, whose defenses could only be broken by battle aura and magic, he could only avoid it.

Magic comes from the seed of the spring, while fighting spirit originates from the heart of qi.

However, the awakening of a mage's Source Seed requires luck and talent, which cannot be forced, while the cultivation of the Heart of Qi is more accessible.

Even if you are dull-witted, if you persevere for decades, it is possible to advance your Qi Heart and thus master Battle Qi.

In some ways, battle aura is similar to magic power; both can greatly enhance combat strength.

However, battle aura can usually only be used to strengthen one's own body, while magic power can be released in the form of magic to achieve various effects.

After a quick tidying up, the group helped Gray set off on the road back to town.

Nothing unexpected happened along the way.

The forest gradually thinned out, and a clear blue sky stretched out overhead, extending all the way to the horizon. Below, the silhouettes of Blackrock Town's buildings were clearly reflected.

Signs of human habitation began to appear in the surrounding area, and many villagers who were out working cast curious glances at the team.

Zellier took a deep breath and revealed a genuinely relaxed smile.

Is this what it feels like to return from a completed mission? It's truly delightful...

My first mission was quite fruitful.

I obtained four gold and eleven silver medals, unlocked the Spell Evolution, leveled up twice, and added the Great Creation Spell and the Embrace of Mist to the analysis queue.

An adventure in another world... seems pretty good.

Blackrock Town, as its name suggests, is a town built around a mineral vein.

The black stone produced locally is a jet-black volcanic glass, which is a good crafting material and can also be used to make arrowheads, making it very popular among high-level rangers.

In addition, the existence of the Greywood Forest provides a large amount of timber and hunting resources for nearby villages and towns. Among villages and towns of similar size in the Kingdom of Ser, Blackrock Town is considered relatively prosperous.

After walking for most of the day, the team arrived at the outskirts of Blackrock Town.

A simple city wall made of dark logs and huge stones came into view.

Several guards can be seen leaning against the crenellations above the city wall, dressed in simple chainmail, their expressions listless.

A line of people stood at the city gate, mostly farmers or hunters pushing wheelbarrows, preparing to enter the city to sell their goods.

(End of this chapter)