Harvest

The cave was small, but large enough for one person. Several cracks in the ceiling allowed smoke to escape. After resting for a while, he began setting up simple defensive measures. Using magic powder, he placed an Alert Spell at the entrance. Any living creature that approached would trigger a piercing alarm.

Only then did Jialan let out a sigh of relief. He gathered some dry branches and used magic to light a small fire. The warm firelight dispelled the chill inside the cave and eased his taut nerves slightly.

After taking off his soaked robe, Jialan used magic to dry it. He took out some rations and ate a little with hot water. The warmth of the food gradually brought feeling back to his frozen body.

As night fell, the temperature outside the cave plummeted. The cold wind howled past the entrance, producing mournful whistling sounds. Jialan added more firewood to ensure the flames would keep burning through the night.

Leaning against the cave wall, he watched the dancing flames as exhaustion washed over him like a tide. Jialan's eyelids grew heavier and heavier. He knew he needed rest to face tomorrow's journey. After checking the Alert Spell one last time, he wrapped his robe tightly around himself and lay down beside the fire.

The sound of the wind outside gradually faded, while the warmth of the fire enveloped him. Jialan's consciousness slowly blurred, and he fell into a deep sleep.

Morning sunlight streamed through the cracks in the cave ceiling, casting mottled shadows across Jialan's face. He slowly opened his eyes and felt clearer-headed than ever. After a night of deep sleep, all his fatigue had vanished, and his Mana Pool had recovered to its optimal state.

Jialan stretched and moved his somewhat stiff body. Outside, the world was blanketed in silver, with sunlight reflecting dazzlingly off the snow. He dispelled the Alert Spell at the entrance, took a deep breath of crisp air, and felt completely renewed.

His stomach rumbled at just the right moment, reminding him that he had not had a proper meal in a long time. Jialan took out his magic staff and carefully stepped outside the cave. The forest after the snowfall was especially quiet, with only the occasional birdcall breaking the silence.

He soon spotted a Snow Rabbit searching for food. Jialan held his breath and quietly approached. Once he was at the right distance, he swiftly cast an Ice Spell. The Snow Rabbit was frozen before it could react.

After returning to the cave, Jialan skillfully prepared the prey. He raised the fire with magic, skewered the rabbit meat on branches, and roasted it. Before long, an enticing aroma filled the entire cave.

After eating his fill, Jialan began carefully reviewing what he had gained from this trip to the ruins.

The most immediate gain was the expansion of his Mana Pool. After testing it, he found that its capacity had increased by at least twofold. This meant he could cast more and stronger spells, while his sustained combat ability had improved considerably.

"This level of Mana Pool is already close to that of an Intermediate Mage." Jialan could not hide his excitement. This had undoubtedly greatly improved his ability to survive.

Next were the new spells he had mastered: Arrow Protection and Teleportation. Arrow Protection could form a Magic Barrier around his body to block ranged attacks, while Teleportation allowed him to move quickly over short distances. It was extremely useful whether attacking or retreating, but its consumption was far too great. Even with his expanded Mana Pool at its peak, he could only cast it twice.

His third gain was the improvement of his mental power. The Meditation Method he had obtained from the necromancer was far better than the one he currently used, increasing his cultivation speed by around twenty percent compared to the Meditation Method provided by the military. That twenty percent should not be underestimated—it could shorten the time it took Jialan to advance to Intermediate Mage by three or four years. The continuous battles and trials in the ruins had also greatly tempered his mental power. Now, his range of perception was broader, his control over magic power more precise, and he faintly seemed to be on the verge of stepping into the upper tier of the beginner realm.

There was also the magic array he had copied. Although he could only understand twenty or thirty percent of it with his current knowledge, that did not mean he would never understand the rest. As his realm improved and his knowledge accumulated, comprehending it would only be a matter of time.

Finally, there was that mysterious Little Green Bottle. Jialan carefully took out the bottle and examined it in the sunlight. Its body was emerald green and looked quite ordinary. The liquid inside flowed slowly, as though it possessed life.

"What exactly is this?" Jialan murmured. He decided to conduct some experiments to learn the properties of the mysterious liquid.

First, he caught a Snow Rabbit and carefully extracted a drop of the liquid. The Snow Rabbit seemed to sense danger and struggled desperately. Jialan hesitated for a moment, but still dripped the liquid into its mouth.

In an instant, the Snow Rabbit's body began convulsing violently. Jialan watched in horror as it expanded at a visible rate, then burst apart with a bang, flesh and blood spraying everywhere.

Jialan's face turned pale. He had never expected the liquid to be so terrifyingly potent.

"Maybe it's too concentrated and needs to be diluted..." he mused. He used a spell to gather some snowmelt and diluted the liquid dozens of times. This time, he chose another Snow Rabbit.

However, even the diluted liquid caused fatal consequences. Not long after drinking it, the Snow Rabbit began bleeding from all seven orifices and died in painful convulsions.

Jialan felt a surge of frustration, but then he noticed something strange. The plants around the Snow Rabbit's corpse began growing at an astonishing rate. Trees that had been somewhat withered from the cold sprouted branches and buds within minutes, growing more than a meter taller.

"This... this is unbelievable! Although many Wood Element spells can promote plant growth, those plants wither immediately without magical support. But this is completely different." Jialan's eyes widened. He carefully observed the changes in the trees and discovered that they were not only growing quickly, but were also exceptionally healthy, with full leaves and a lush green color.

This discovery thrilled Jialan. He carefully poured the remaining liquid around several seeds he had intended to use for spellcasting. Before long, the seeds broke through the soil and rapidly grew into mature plants.

"This liquid has an extremely strong stimulating effect on plants," Jialan recorded his observations, "but it is lethally toxic to animals."

Just as he was preparing to study it further, he discovered that the liquid in the bottle had run out. Jialan was somewhat disappointed, but when he was about to replace the cap, he was surprised to find new liquid slowly condensing inside the bottle. Fortunately, he was a spellcaster with powerful mental strength, or he would not have noticed it. After observing it for a while, Jialan estimated that the Little Green Bottle would need at least half a month to fill with liquid again.

This discovery plunged Jialan into deep thought. The mysterious liquid clearly contained immense energy. If he could find the right way to use it, its potential would be immeasurable.