An exceptionally high mission completion rating

Fortunately, this portal was not connected to the White Frost.

"Let's go. They have a sorcerer with them too."

A deep, calm voice came from inside the portal. It probably belonged to Caranthir.

Imlerith slammed his massive hammer into the ground in displeasure, scooped up the two huge blocks of ice behind him, and jumped into the portal.

Just as the portal closed, Caranthir's shrill cry could still faintly be heard:

"You dare bring those two freaks into my great hall! Get out!"

Once the fighting subsided, the soldiers lit fires and carried their frozen comrades over to thaw.

But after most of those frozen bodies softened, they never stiffened again.

A handful with thick armor and strong constitutions survived at the cost of permanent frostbite.

Even Chen Xu could not stop shivering. He wished he could thrust his purple-blue hands straight into the fire.

It was a pyrrhic victory. What had been a one-sided battle had come at a terrible cost because of the Wild Hunt's involvement.

The only good news was that, through the elemental perception and knowledge of the [Heart of Nature], he had finally managed to make the mysterious secret power of the void begin merging with his body.

[You have comprehended a cultivation method: [Basic Source Power Refinement Method]!

Dark Energy recovery rate +10%, daily experience gain +10]

His long-depleted Dark Energy bar began steadily filling. It recharged at roughly one Gerkka every thirteen minutes, or one point for short.

Thanks to the bonuses from the refinement method and [Intermediate Nature Affinity], his Dark Energy recovery rate was faster than the White Wolf's, but his capacity was only nineteen points, less than half the White Wolf's.

Under his guidance, Source Power began rapidly driving the cold from his body and repairing the necrotic areas.

After they had rested until midnight, the baron began organizing the transport of the dead and wounded back to Crow's Perch.

Chen Xu was no longer in any serious danger and began his usual battlefield cleanup.

The corpses of fifty-six Mortal Tier Middle Stage and Lower Stage monsters yielded only eight [Red Mutagen] and six [Blue Mutagen] from the Water Hags.

The twenty-three Mortal Tier Middle Stage monsters among them provided a pitiful 115 experience points, while the Lower Stage monsters could no longer provide any experience under the tier-reduction penalty.

Weavess's pointed hat had a [Spirit +1] effect. It was filthy, foul-smelling, and tattered, but worth fifty points.

There were also some low-value venom extracts and ribwort plantain commonly used by the hags.

This plant, similar to all-cure grass, was particularly effective against the highly poisonous miasma that rose from the swamp at night.

As it happened, several soldiers had been poisoned on their way to reinforce the battlefield. Chen Xu prepared a few doses of medicine to ensure they would suffer no further losses from it on the return journey.

Geralt lay unconscious over Roach's back. Fringilla held the reins.

Chen Xu had also called Lizi back with a whistle. Of the three of them, the sorceress was the only one who had lost her horse.

With the mission complete, she began demanding her promised payment from the baron:

"Now, you should tell me what you know about Ciri."

After one complication after another, she was already seething with anger.

"Ciri went to Novigrad." The baron sighed and glanced back at the white-haired old woman with an aching heart.

He had thought that saving his wife might salvage their miserable marriage, but Anna was concerned only with tending to the sick orphans and still refused to speak to him.

"And?" Fringilla waited for the rest of the information.

"That's all." The baron tilted his head toward the sky. He knew this answer might not satisfy her.

On horseback, Geralt suddenly sat bolt upright from his deathly stupor and roared in disbelief:

"That's it? You put me through all that shit, and that's all you know?"

"Who the hell do you think you're talking to?" The baron glared.

In truth, even his father might not have been as old as Geralt.

But he was in the wrong, and they had helped him, so he added:

"Ciri insisted on leaving when her wounds were only half healed. Nothing could stop her. She said someone was hunting her, and she didn't want to drag the people of Crow's Perch into it.

Don't be angry... I'm willing to provide money for your journey.

Besides, you'll need passes to get to Novigrad. I can issue those for you.

And as for you, sorceress, I'd suggest keeping yourself concealed. The Eternal Fire's witch hunters are all over Novigrad."

Fringilla immediately noticed something amiss:

"You're a baron appointed by the Empire. How can you issue Redanian passes?"

There had to be some illicit dealings between the two sides.

"I will report this to the emperor! You'd better have a reasonable explanation, Philip Strenger!"

Inside Crow's Perch's inner keep, the sorceress and the White Wolf went straight upstairs to rest.

The Sergeant busied himself arranging compensation and relief for the dead and wounded, while Chen Xu followed the baron to the reception room.

A heavy purse was placed in his hand:

[You have completed the difficult mission [Save the Baron's Wife]

Time taken: 34 hours, 27 minutes (gold), mission completion rating (rainbow), employer satisfaction (gold)

Overall evaluation: Unparalleled!

You received experience ×1,500 (1 rainbow +100%), points ×300, Advancement Card ×2!]

He had no idea where such an incredible completion rating had come from. Presumably, it was because Anna's curse had been lifted and she was in a good mental state;

and because the orphans had come through unharmed as well.

Well, he could not quite call them unharmed. If Chen Xu had not prepared an antidote along the way, the children would have suffered vomiting and diarrhea for several more days.

"This money isn't enough to express my gratitude, but I haven't forgotten that I still owe you a promise."

The baron poured himself and Chen Xu a glass each of his treasured Ghistak dry white wine, a melancholy look on his face.

His wife had been saved, but their relationship had not; his daughter had been found, but she refused to come home;

in the end, he was still all alone.

"Baron..." A dangerous idea suddenly occurred to Chen Xu. This couple had tormented each other until their hair turned white. It really was rather tragic.

"Philip." The baron motioned for a toast. "Just call me by my name."

"All right, Baron." Chen Xu considered his words for a moment, because he did not know whether what he was about to do was right or wrong:

"I know a kind of magic that, combined with a special potion of mine whose effects are so mild it's almost harmless,

might make Anna fall in love with you again. At the very least, she'll develop a dependence on you."

The [Heart of Nature] recorded this ancient, brutal method of courtship:

Ritual: Soak hair, clothing, or a personal portrait in Godling tears or harpy blood, then stuff it beneath the other person's bed.

Potion: Boil herbs such as mandrake root, berbercane fruit, black hellebore petals, and crow's eye together with a little emerald dust or blue mutagen.

One or two drops with dinner each day would make the other person see you in their dreams, while also controlling the brain's secretion of desire (love) hormones.

The baron's eyes instantly lit up, but the word "witchcraft" left him deeply hesitant.

Chen Xu could clearly sense his heartbeat quickening. His heart being stirred was more than just a figure of speech.

"...No need. Thank you."

After a long, teeth-clenched struggle, his fists tightening and loosening, Philip finally closed his eyes and refused. His wife had already suffered too much.

If she did not love him, so be it... They were both in their forties or fifties. Being able to accompany each other through the final stretch of their lives was already a tremendous blessing.

Witchcraft might fool others, but it could not fool him.

Chen Xu himself breathed a sigh of relief. This was a means of toying with people's hearts, more barbaric and despicable than killing:

"You're a good man, Philip." He rose and walked out of the reception room:

"You should tell Tamara how you saved her mother. You finally did something good, so don't keep it to yourself."

"Get out, get out, get out!" Irritated, Philip picked up the wine bottle and hurled it at him.

Back in his guest room, Chen Xu opened his panel before resting;

he had reached Mortal Tier Peak. It was time to consider what advancement involved.