Ilan

Magic was certainly wondrous, inspiring endless longing and imagination, but Gao De had no time to marvel at it.

The environment here was terrible—dark, decayed, poorly ventilated, and as silent as a grave. He had only been here for a short while, yet he already felt gloomy.

This was clearly not a place to linger.

More importantly, he had tested medicine for Mage Seda and then come back from the dead. Could that matter really be settled so easily?

Without a doubt, his most urgent task was to escape this medicinal garden.

But how?

Just as Emil had said, the very first day Mage Seda had brought apprentices like them here, they had been branded with Tracking Marks.

Unless the Tracking Mark was removed, there was no escaping Mage Seda's clutches.

Supporting himself, Gao De slowly sat up. However, he did not get out of bed. Instead, he leaned against the wall and seriously considered how to break free from Mage Seda's control.

With his current store of knowledge, he could only think of two methods.

First, since spells like the Tracking Mark existed, there had to be spells capable of removing it.

Second, if he could not solve the problem, he could solve the person who had created it—Mage Seda.

It sounded simple, but actually doing it was harder than climbing to the heavens.

At least, it was for him right now.

Magic was wondrous, and therefore immensely precious.

He was a Mage Apprentice with no background, treated as one of the "Gray Rats." So far, he had only mastered two cantrips, both taught by Mage Seda. Where could he possibly learn a spell that removed Tracking Marks?

Moreover, learning magic was incredibly difficult. Even if he truly obtained the corresponding spell, there was no way he could master it in a short time.

As for dealing with Mage Seda, that was even more impossible.

Mage Seda was a veteran mage. Who knew how many powerful spells he had mastered?

And Gao De had only mastered two cantrips, neither of which had the slightest offensive power.

Gao De went over it again and again, yet still failed to think of a way out of his current predicament.

After considering it for a moment, he was just about to ask Emil, who had only recently quieted down, something.

A disturbance came from outside.

Urgent footsteps sounded, and an apprentice who looked considerably more mature pushed open the door and entered.

He moved briskly, sweeping his gaze over the narrow room before quickly fixing it on Gao De, who was half-reclining on the bed.

"Gao De, Mage Seda heard that you woke up. He wants to see you immediately!"

Gao De's eyes narrowed slightly. His thoughts raced, but he clearly lacked the ability to defy Mage Seda's orders right now. He merely nodded. "All right."

Gao De did not delay. He immediately got up and followed the apprentice who had come to deliver the message out of the room.

Only after watching Gao De leave did Emil suddenly realize something.

It seemed that Gao De was somewhat different after waking up.

But Emil could not say exactly what had changed.

Outside the room was a long, narrow corridor.

The corridor curved like a crescent moon, with a door at regular intervals along both sides.

A candle lamp stood on either side of every door, using their faint light and heat to drive away the gloom and chill of the corridor.

Although Gao De's previous self had lived here for nearly two years, those memories had not been left to him. Thus, he was extremely unfamiliar with this place and quietly observed his surroundings.

The apprentice who had come to deliver the message clearly did not notice Gao De's little movements.

In fact, in such a dangerous and oppressive environment, how could these apprentices have the mind to pay attention to others?

So at least Gao De did not need to worry about being exposed or having anyone notice that he was different from before.

He had only just arrived in this world and had not even caught his breath before having to face the mysterious and unfathomable Mage Seda. There was no way Gao De felt no pressure.

As he followed the messenger apprentice, he imagined what his upcoming meeting with Mage Seda might be like.

Just then.

A door on the left suddenly opened, and a gloomy-looking young man stepped out.

Gao De did not know him.

But the man seemed to know Gao De. He coldly blocked Gao De's path and, before Gao De could speak, looked at him with a smile that did not reach his eyes.

"Gao De, looks like you have quite the tough life. Even testing medicine didn't kill you."

Gao De frowned slightly at him but said nothing, turning to leave.

It was not that he feared him. Mainly, he did not know this person, and responding would only make it easier to expose himself.

Besides, this man was obviously looking for trouble. Why bother with him?

But just as Gao De was about to pass him, the man maliciously slammed his shoulder into him. The force was so great that Gao De felt as though he had struck a wall, staggering back several steps before managing to steady himself.

"What, Gao De? Have you become so arrogant that you can't even be bothered to speak to me?" The gloomy young man sneered. "You don't really think that because you have a little talent and can brew a Novice Spider Venom, Mage Lord will look upon you differently, do you?"

"If Mage Lord truly valued you, he would not have sent you to test medicine." He stared coldly at Gao De, his manner forceful and condescending. "Have you still not faced reality?"

"Mage Lord has summoned me, and I am on my way to see him. Is your business more important than Mage Lord's?" Gao De asked calmly. "If not, please move aside."

The young man's expression immediately turned ugly.

But he quickly recovered. Then he shifted slightly to the side, making room as he said with a grin, "Why didn't you say earlier that Mage Lord was looking for you? Fine, fine, go on. Don't delay Mage Lord's business."

Gao De glanced at him, said nothing, and walked past him with a cold expression.

"You don't think that just because this medicine test didn't kill you, there's nothing I can do to you, do you?"

As Gao De passed by him, the young man's low threat reached his ears.

Creak—

After leaving those words behind, the young man returned to the room he had just exited and shut the door.

"Let's hurry. We mustn't keep Mage Lord waiting," Gao De said without changing expression in response to the young man's threat.

The mature-looking apprentice nodded and continued onward. After they had gone a little farther, he could not help saying, "Sigh, Gao De. You tested medicine for Mage Lord this time and didn't die, which means your life wasn't meant to end yet. But you won't have such good luck every time. Why did you provoke Ilan? Everyone knows he holds grudges."

Gao De's eyes flickered. So that was the young man's name.

"Ilan?" he asked tentatively.

"Ilan is Mage Seda's first apprentice. Mage Seda treats him somewhat differently.

"He is the only one among us who can freely enter and leave the medicinal garden. Although it is to sell goods for Mage Lord, that alone is enough to show that he is different from us.

"And leaving that aside, no one knows how many batches of apprentices have been replaced in this medicinal garden over the years, yet he has always remained safe and sound. That says a great deal."

"We can't afford to provoke him."

"What, can he kill me?" Gao De asked.

"He may not dare to kill you outright, but making things difficult for you would be as easy as turning his hand."

"Look, if you hadn't been lucky this time, wouldn't he have gotten you killed?" the mature-looking apprentice said.

Gao De froze for a moment, then understood where Ilan's confidence came from. "He was the reason Mage Seda chose me to test the medicine this time?"

"Otherwise, why would you have been chosen? You are the only one among us who can brew Novice Spider Venom on your own."

So that was it.

Gao De looked back at Ilan's tightly shut door, his eyes flickering.