While the three men were stunned by the Frozen Ray, Gaode channeled his Magic Model to cast magic again.
The next moment, his left hand flung out a small, emerald-green sphere of liquid. Like a malicious comet tearing through the air, it shot straight toward the leader, who was still sluggish from the Frozen Ray.
After briefly spinning in the air, the sphere burst into a large, misty spray that landed precisely on the leader.
The moment the acid touched the man, his clothes and skin immediately sizzled with corrosion, emitting thick, billowing smoke and a pungent sulfurous stench.
The fabric of his clothes melted away, and his skin followed suit, leaving behind a glowing green trail of decay.
The acid dissipated after only about three seconds, but those three seconds were enough to cause the man agonizing pain. He collapsed to the ground, writhing and struggling as he let out continuous, miserable howls.
In the dark alleyway, the acid rapidly vanished, leaving only the corrosive, bluish smoke lingering in the air.
The man lay on the ground, still convulsing violently. His entire body was a gruesome sight, completely covered in charred marks. There was not a single trace of his previous ferocity left.
The other two men were out of their minds with fear.
They had some understanding of Mages, but not much. At the end of the day, they were just petty thugs with a few minor connections.
Because of this, the two failed to realize that a Mage Apprentice without a powerful background like Gaode would, at his age, most likely only be a First Class apprentice. His mana would be limited, and the maximum number of magic he could cast would not exceed five.
"Lord Mage, Lord Mage, please spare our lives... spare us! We didn't know you were a Mage. We offended you, but we'll never dare to do it again..."
The second man begged incessantly. In his eyes, this youth with a boyish face was far more terrifying than the top enforcers of the city's gangs.
"You are a noble Mage! Please don't lower yourself to the level of scum like us, and please don't attack us anymore," he said, his voice trembling as he watched Spiritual Light flicker at Gaode's fingertips once again.
The miserable state of their leader was right in front of him, stripping him of any courage to resist. He was terrified of meeting the same fate.
Gaode silently lowered his right hand, forcefully suppressing his anger. "Who are you?" he asked coldly. "Why did you attack me?"
It was the same question as before, but this time, they answered honestly.
"We are miners from the Nottingham coal mine..."
Seeing that Gaode's anger seemed to have subsided slightly, the second man spilled everything frantically, like a drowning man grasping for air. "Ever since the Nottingham veins dried up, the three of us lost our jobs. We've just been doing odd jobs in the city, living day to day.
"We knew we couldn't keep going like this. A few days ago, while drinking, we heard that a new mine was opening in Bremen and desperately needed miners. We planned to go there and pick up our old trade, it's just..."
"It's just that whenever you have money, you spend it all in the taverns, so now that you actually need it, you can't even afford the travel expenses, right?" Gaode said coldly in realization.
Miners in this era generally had no concept of saving money; every single one of them lived paycheck to paycheck. The moment they received their wages, they prioritized having a good time, blowing their cash on drinking or chasing pleasure. That was why the beginning of the month, when wages were paid, was always the busiest and most profitable time for the city's taverns.
The second man looked embarrassed but kept pleading for mercy. "It's our fault for lacking ambition, and it's our fault for getting wicked thoughts. Lord Mage, please don't hold this against scum like us..."
"Why did you choose me as your target? Do I look like a rich man to you?" Gaode had no intention of letting them off the hook just yet, determined to get to the bottom of it.
The second man was extremely nervous. He cautiously glanced at Gaode and explained, "It was our boss. A while ago, Phil's Magic Pharmacy was hiring temporary Medicine Gatherers. The three of us went and followed their clerks up the mountain to harvest Thorny Grass. We worked as Medicine Gatherers for a few days...
Surprisingly, Gaode actually remembered what this man was talking about. The first time he and Amy went to Phil's Magic Pharmacy, he had indeed seen a chalkboard by the entrance advertising for temporary Medicine Gatherers. The details matched up perfectly.
"During a break from gathering herbs, our boss was chatting with the clerks, and one of them shared a funny story.
"He said that among the four Medicinal Gardens their pharmacy partners with, the Alchemist from your Medicinal Garden loves to fuss around the most. He supplies them with low-level Potions, but at the same time, he constantly buys advanced herbs from them, essentially giving most of his earnings right back to the pharmacy...
"Then the lead Pharmacist scolded the clerk and told him not to disrespect Pharmacist Seda.
"He also mentioned that Pharmacist Seda has been in seclusion developing an Advanced Magic Potion. He never leaves the house, and he even has his apprentices handle all the deliveries and purchases. It just shows how dedicated he is, and if he manages to brew an Advanced Magic Potion, it would be a huge deal...
"It was after hearing this that our boss came up with a dirty scheme.
"Later on, our boss found out that the apprentice in charge of purchasing herbs and making deliveries for your Medicinal Garden had recently been replaced by you, who is much younger. We figured that the younger you were, the easier of a target you'd be..."
After hearing the whole story, Gaode remained silent for a moment before suddenly asking, "Did you happen to find out when our Medicinal Garden's next herb purchase is scheduled?"
"If you can answer that, I'll let you go this time," he added.
"I know, I know!" At this, the third man, who had been trembling in fear on the sidelines, hurriedly spoke up. "That clerk said your Medicinal Garden just placed an order last month, but this month, you urgently requested an identical batch.
"The thing is, they have all the other herbs in stock, but the specific ones you're buying are rare. They have to wait for the pharmacy's next shipment to fulfill the order.
"He was even bragging about how the Lord Pharmacist of your Medicinal Garden is very anxious but has no choice, because their Phil Pharmacy is the only place in all of Hogan City with the connections to procure the herbs he needs...
"The three of us staked out your Medicinal Garden for days. Today, we saw you leave for the city completely empty-handed. We figured the pharmacy must have received their shipment and you were bringing money to collect the herbs, so..."
Having obtained some crucial information, Gaode's attention shifted, and the anger in his heart gradually dissipated. He waved his hand impatiently. "Get lost."
They had only been after his money and hadn't planned to kill him, and they had already received sufficient punishment. Under these circumstances, he really couldn't bring himself to deal a lethal blow to the three of them. Although Gaode had dared to draw his blade and shed blood without hesitation when faced with Elan's threat, he was ultimately not a violent, bloodthirsty person.
"Thank you, Lord Mage! Thank you, Lord Mage! We'll leave right now!"
Seeing Gaode relent, the two men nodded vigorously. Not daring to overthink or linger for even a second, they hastily supported their boss—who was still writhing in agony on the ground—and scrambled away.
As he watched the trio flee, Gaode could still feel a burning pain in his back. That heavy blow from the club had packed quite a punch. Even though a wooden club was just a blunt weapon, taking a hit like that was certainly not pleasant. However, the anxiety and fervor in his heart allowed him to temporarily ignore the pain.
The anxiety stemmed from learning through the three men that his time was truly running out. The fervor came from the fact that this was Gaode's first time fully casting magic.
Even though he had tested casting magic after successfully constructing his Magic Model, he had never expected the power of magic in actual combat to be this immense. And this was merely a Trick. What if it were 1st Ring magic? A single cast would probably have sent all three of them straight to meet their maker, wouldn't it?
***
Horn City, Commercial District. Phil's Magic Pharmacy.
Gaode peered around from the entrance before strolling into the shop.
"How may I help you?"
A clerk from the Magic Pharmacy approached him. Quickly recognizing Gaode, he greeted, "The interval between your Medicinal Garden's two deliveries is shorter than before, huh?"
"I'm not here to make a delivery today," Gaode said, browsing the dazzling array of Magic Potions displayed on the counter. The vast majority were ordinary, low-level auxiliary Potions.
"Our Lord Mage specifically sent me to ask if the herbs he requested have arrived."
"As you know, our shipments always arrive on a fixed schedule—the last day of every month.
"We also know that Mage Seda is very anxious, but he really has to wait until the end of the month for the stock to come in. Please ask Mage Seda to wait patiently," the clerk said with a friendly smile, showing no signs of impatience whatsoever.
"I understand. I'll pass the message on to the Lord Mage." Gaode nodded, his expression normal, and turned to leave the pharmacy.