The Cornflower Witch

The next day, the two walked through the forest.

Noah carried a bamboo basket on his back, with a small hoe and other tools hanging from his waist, while Sylutia simply held a basket and walked behind him.

Her sturdy cloth skirt brushed against the dew-laden tips of the grass, bringing a touch of moisture. The forest was filled with the fragrance of plants and trees, and the morning breeze and sunlight filtered through, giving a pleasant feeling.

This was the outer edge of the Gloomy Forest, where the erosion was very shallow. Logically, in a place like this, even if there were medicinal herbs, they would have already been picked by others. She didn't know how this young man managed to find enough herbs.

As for this expedition, Sylutia treated it like a leisurely outing, not taking it too seriously. Even if they didn't collect enough herbs, it wouldn't bother her.

As they walked, perhaps to pass the boredom or to give some advance instructions so that his teammate wouldn't react slowly if danger arose, Noah explained as they went along.

"Monsters, like beasts, all have their own habits. If you know the local monsters well enough, you can easily avoid them. For example, Silent Bats only appear at dusk and late at night, rarely seen during the day. Corpse-Eating Rabbits gather where there are corpses, and corpses are mostly produced by hunting."

"The path we're taking has plenty of plants but not much water. If animals were going for a drink, they wouldn't take this route either, so predators along the way will be much fewer."

"Of course, these are just simple tricks. After all, monsters are different from beasts—their powerful mobility often brings surprises. That's when you need some extra measures to help." With that, he took out a glass ball from his pocket, inside which were several tiny insects.

[Firefly Point Bees] (Insect Moth): Special bees that haven't yet condensed an Aspect; they flee at the slightest disturbance.

"These bees are very sensitive to residual auras in the air. If a dangerous monster has passed through a place, they'll get very restless and bump against the walls of the glass ball."

Sylutia looked at the bees in the glass ball and nodded slightly, but she felt his methods shouldn't stop at this.

The two continued forward. Now Noah climbed onto a steep rock, preparing to reach back and help the girl below, but he saw her leap lightly from the other side a few times and stand at the same height.

"You're very agile. Have you trained before?" Noah was a bit curious.

"Yes, I used to follow my teacher to gather herbs in the mountains too." Sylutia recalled her time studying under Heide.

"Then I'm relieved." Noah nodded and continued forward.

Although this girl was beautiful, youthful, and lovely, he had no extra thoughts. He just focused his mind and concentrated on this expedition.

Even though he hadn't encountered any accidents before, this life-or-death matter allowed no sloppiness. He had seen quite a few veterans with more experience than him die inexplicably in secret realms, never coming out.

As they went deeper into the forest, their pace gradually slowed. Noah began to stop from time to time, flipping through the hand-drawn map in his hands, then marking and pondering.

Seeing that his map was covered in all sorts of annotations, Sylutia couldn't help but ask curiously.

"Have you been to all these places?"

"I've been to most of them. I've been stationed at this outpost for almost a year now. The first half year was mostly spent familiarizing myself with the environment and figuring out the habits and patterns of local monsters." He sighed; the process had not been easy. When he first started, unfamiliar with the environment, he was nearly killed by a Third Tier monster. Fortunately, it wasn't fast, and he used the tools he carried to buy time and eventually escaped.

"No wonder you said you're experienced." Sylutia nodded. It seemed this person had considerable perseverance.

After a few minutes of rest, Noah finished his thinking, marked a spot on the map, and then led Sylutia toward it.

"The path I've chosen tries as much as possible to avoid the activity patterns of monsters in the surrounding forest. If we're lucky, we'll only encounter one or two low-tier monsters. After gathering the herbs there, we'll try to leave before 2 p.m., so we can return to the outpost before evening."

With that, he laid non-concealed mines at key intersections along the way. These mines were about the size of a fist, filled with 'combustion silver powder' and a detonation mechanism. As a Transcendent with the 'Gold Steam' Aspect, Noah could easily control them.

"If we run into a dangerous monster halfway, we can retreat along the path we came from, and these mines along the way will cover us well and drive back the monsters, making them hesitant to pursue." Noah added.

"I see." It seemed he had prepared quite a few measures.

And so, the two walked and stopped along the way, finally arriving safely at their destination. It was a mountain hollow surrounded by towering hills, with dense vegetation at the bottom. It would be hard for even a rabbit to squeeze through, let alone a person.

"Let me handle it." Noah drew the short knife from his waist. As the 'Gold Steam' power infused it, the blade took on a faint reddish luster, and the edge became sharp. Then he began hacking away, clearing the thick grass along the way to open a path.

The two moved through it, their clothes getting soaked with dew. Fortunately, the cloth skirt Sylutia wore was meant for field trips, with multiple layers. Even if the outer layer got wet, the inner layers weren't affected.

Once they entered the hollow, while Noah was still cutting through the grass, Sylutia had already spotted a green snake hidden in the undergrowth. It was a 'First Tier · Verdant Nectar' long snake, slowly flicking its tongue. But because its scales matched the surrounding grass, it was hard to distinguish.

"Wait." Sylutia spoke, stopping the young man ahead.

"What's the matter?" His movement paused.

"See it? That snake." Sylutia pointed at the snake.

Noah focused his attention and rubbed his eyes before finally noticing the hidden snake.

"Whew, your eyesight is really good." He sighed in admiration. If not for this girl's warning, he might have been bitten by that snake today. Although he carried an antidote with him, who knew if they would encounter other poisonous creatures later?

"I'll handle it." He took a deep breath, rolled up his sleeve, revealing the crossbow strapped to his arm, and aimed at the long snake.

The crossbow bolt slowly took on an orange-red luster, the tip of the arrow becoming hot and red. Then it shot out with force, piercing the snake's body. The air was filled with the smell of burning.

After being hit, the snake writhed and hissed, lunging at the two. Noah gripped his short knife and swung hard, splitting it in two. With his other hand, he grabbed the snake's neck and chopped off its head.

After finishing, he looked at the dead snake and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Looks like we can get some extra spoils this time." Snake skin and snake gallbladder were good materials; alchemists and pharmacists would buy them.

Then he crouched down, skinned the snake, took out the gallbladder, put it in a small jar he carried, sealed it tightly, and wiped the blood off his hands.

"Let's continue."

He resumed cutting through the grass, and the two finally reached the bottom of the hollow. Hidden in the thick grass there were rare medicinal herbs.

"Do you know herbs?" Noah asked.

"Of course. You could say this is what I studied." Sylutia nodded. She had already spotted over a dozen different herbs.

"Good, then let's start gathering. Be as careful as possible."

They split up to gather. Sylutia easily plucked the hidden herbs as she found them, including First Tier 'Dewdrop Grass' and 'Seven-Star Lotus', and Second Tier 'Black Deer Fungus' and 'Ring Umbrella Mushroom'.

An hour later, they finished gathering. Noah did a quick tally and found that the girl had collected more than three times as many herbs as he had, and their Aspects and qualities were well-preserved, with no signs of damage.

"Amazing. You really weren't lying when you said you studied this." Noah sighed in admiration.

"Let's go." He led the girl and set off back along the return path.

Perhaps because the harvest was plentiful and his mood was good, Noah became more talkative on the way back. Not only did he talk about his experiences when he first came to the Gloomy Forest outpost, but he also spoke of his time studying earlier.

"Eleven years ago, just like many others, I boarded a train full of hope, said goodbye to my family, and went to 'Gemor District' to study. I still remember the sound of the train's whistle as it departed, and the heated discussions among the apprentices on board."

"Everyone was talking about the names of those powerful mages, sharing the exciting stories of veterans and seniors they'd heard, fantasizing and hoping about what kind of person they would become in the future. I hardly slept during those few days heading to Gemor District; there was always an apprentice with endless things to say."

"Such pure and beautiful times, back then." He sighed.

"After arriving in Gemor District, we settled in and started learning new knowledge and secret arts, diving into our studies with great anticipation. The first two years there were incredibly fulfilling."

"But after that, it gradually became less easy."

"Some classmates, after two or three years of study, already had the confidence to pass the advanced academy entrance exams, while others were still struggling with complex and profound theoretical knowledge, unable to make sense of it. Differences in talent and aptitude began to show."

"I'm not stupid, but I can't say I'm exceptionally talented either—probably just above average. According to my teacher, I have hope of reaching Third Tier, but it will take a lot of effort and time. I might achieve that goal around the age of forty."

"Reaching Third Tier at forty is actually not bad. Many people can't even see the hope. At least I can see it, and I know how to get there. It just takes effort and time to accumulate."

"After the fifth year in Gemor District ended, I knew I didn't have much more to learn there. Staying would just be a waste of money. So after making up a few missing courses, I left and started working, accumulating experience and resources."

"The first two years of work were fairly stable, but I increasingly felt that various trivial matters were pulling me further and further from my goal. Some of the knowledge and theories I'd learned were even starting to fade."

"This is where I have to mention the benefits of the 'Secret Word' Aspect. I've heard that you 'Secret Word' apprentices have excellent memories, giving you a natural advantage in learning."

"Well, that's true." Sylutia brushed a strand of hair behind her ear as she recalled, nodding slightly.

"I practice the 'Gold Steam' Aspect. Its advantage is that it makes it easy to find work. Whether in an alchemy workshop or at a guild, people will take you in, and the income is a bit higher than for apprentices with other Aspects. But when it comes to learning knowledge, it doesn't offer much help."

"During those two years working in the workshop, I didn't make much progress, but I learned to make some simple tools. For example, this small arm crossbow on my arm—I made it myself." He revealed the bronze-colored arm crossbow.

"Also, the mines I laid earlier, the 'combustion silver powder' needed to make them, and the detonation mechanism—I learned to master those quickly. If I weren't trying to make more money, just making and selling tools would probably bring in a decent income." He recalled his past experiences with buying and selling.

"But just selling and making tools was still too slow. I don't want to wait until I'm forty. The future is too far away."

Saying this, he stopped and turned around.

"Actually, many friends and classmates have advised me not to rush, saying there's plenty of time. But I don't see it that way."

"Life is very short." When he said this, there was a slightly longer pause.

"I've seen it. Those old mages, even though they're also Third Tier, have none of the sharpness and pride a mage should have. They just sit woodenly in their positions, completing their work."

"They're genuine Third Tiers, but to me, they feel like nothing more than larger versions of Second Tier apprentices, doing mediocre work day in and day out, with no desire to improve further. They don't learn anymore, and they even hate being told about new things. For years, they only use the same few spells, without any of the breadth or adaptability a mage should have."

"That kind of state is like the vitality has been drained from them, just slowly waiting for death to come."

"Don't you think that's terrifying? Since they managed to reach Third Tier, it means they were once the geniuses of their hometown, the outstanding students at school, among the top of their peers. But then they ended up like that."

"I can't imagine myself turning into that in the future. And life is short. Even if I reach Third Tier at forty, what could I still do then? I'd probably lack the energy and drive to keep climbing upward."

"When you die, there's nothing left. Life is a precious journey that only happens once. To waste such precious time on idle waiting is truly regrettable."

After saying all this, he seemed to have let out a lot of the emotions he'd accumulated over the years, and his mood gradually calmed down.

"Sorry for saying things you might not be interested in."

"It's fine. Actually, hearing this gives me a lot to think about." The girl nodded, without reproach or complaint, with an understanding expression.

Although she had studied in Asra District, it was only for a year. She hadn't, like other classmates, first received basic education at a local school, then spent several years studying in the district to prepare, and finally passed the entrance exams for an advanced academy.

Because her grades were too good and she didn't stay long, she didn't have a deep understanding of the experiences of ordinary, less talented apprentices. Hearing Noah's story today, she felt a lot of emotion.

Her talent was very good, so she had avoided many of the difficulties that ordinary apprentices faced: struggling to master profound theoretical skills, lacking sufficient funds to continue their studies, having difficulty obtaining core secret arts, and having no excellent teachers to turn to.

And these hurdles she had skipped over were obstacles that blocked the path of ordinary people, one after another. It might take them over a decade to barely overcome them and become full-fledged mages. By then, they were often no longer young, their drive and energy no longer as abundant as in their youth, and they gradually faded into mediocrity.

Mediocrity isn't a sin, but watching things that once shone brilliantly slowly dim is always a regrettable thing.

Time doesn't just take away the years; it also takes away the spirited youth who once brimmed with ambition.

If, in their twilight years, they looked back and could choose a different life again, would they walk a different path?