The Elusive Sorcerer

Chapter 145

Hana shivered violently as the snowfall grew heavier that night, but through sheer determination, she chose to see just how far Zavi would go through all of this.

Very early in the morning, at 00:15, the freezing weather drained the warmth from her body; that determination gradually faded as Hana's face turned deathly pale, making every breath feel as though it was cracking her chest apart over time.

Hana gave up. She ran as fast as she could, breathing through both her mouth and nose. The attempt nearly failed, but she managed to reach the cave and hurried to warm herself from the cold that pierced her bones and skull.

Inside the cave, Hana was baffled by Aaron and Mine when she saw that the two of them could sleep soundly despite the freezing conditions outside.

She knew the fireplace was keeping them warm, but this fire alone was not enough to restore Hana's body to how it had been before.

'Won't he die if he keeps standing out there?'

Hana became increasingly worried about Zavi's condition, yet she understood that she was a woman who could not endure staying outside, even in thick clothing, without a proper source of warmth.

She chose to wait and hope that Zavi would remain safe.

Near the statue he had made, beneath the raging snowstorm, Zavi's hands trembled as he brushed aside the grass he had used as hair, moving it to the left so it would not cover the face of his wooden statue.

Even though it had only been made the previous afternoon, Zavi felt that the statue could ease the longing he felt for the mother and family he had left behind.

With trembling lips, Zavi finally spoke softly, "Wait until I finish all of this before I can be by your side."

Zavi gently stroked the wood covered with grass and withered leaves that almost formed a face, hair, ears, and a mouth for the last time.

'Wait for me. I'll come home as soon as I finish all of this. I promise...'

Zavi wiped his face before his expression reacted as it had before. He turned around and returned to the cave to get some sleep.

He had absolutely no idea that he had been standing there for roughly an hour, ignoring his body's warnings and losing himself in the longing he had kept buried all this time.

Acting as though nothing was wrong, adapting quickly to a new place even though it sometimes added more burdens to his mind. Zavi piled all of it together, and finally let it all out in a quiet and fitting moment like this.

Aware that he was foolish, Zavi knew it because he had never considered himself intelligent or special.

Living through several days, several months, several years, without suffering a mental breakdown was already more than enough.

'Two... Two... More days before I leave... For Semilir.'

After muttering inwardly, Zavi realized that the heartbeat that usually pounded in his chest had vanished, and his lungs felt as though they had lost their function. His steps suddenly halted when something seemed to catch in his throat.

Zavi jolted. Realizing that remaining outside in a situation like this would kill him, he immediately poured all his strength into his legs.

When he reached the cave, his chest rose and fell rapidly as he bent forward slightly, rubbing his throat while his breathing felt manual.

'This is really annoying.'

Zavi hurried deeper into the cave, sat beside the nearly extinguished fire, and brought his face within a few inches of the blazing flames.

Zavi knew this could not continue, and if he did not wake up to the reality of it soon, he would surely die because of the terrible weather outside.

"Nature really shouldn't be underestimated."

After muttering to himself, Zavi lost his balance and collapsed onto the damp, cold cave floor.

He slowly turned his head, looking at the three of them with a pale face and trembling lips before staring thoughtfully at the cave ceiling.

'Good thing I hid my 260 Pace down there...'

Zavi glanced to the right, directly beneath the medium-sized rock where he had been lying earlier, and looked at the melon-sized stone with a faint smile.

Without realizing it, his eyes became unwilling to stay open as drowsiness quickly overtook him. Zavi yawned several times, and a few seconds later, he fell fast asleep in the warmth and comfort of the fire, curled up like a ball.

The night passed and was replaced by a morning with the same weather as before.

After more than two days of the same conditions, the three of them spent Saturday morning taking care of Zavi, who had come down with a fever the previous Friday afternoon.

January 25th, Saturday, 09:35.

The sudden fever made Zavi feel useless as the three of them cared for him wholeheartedly.

"I'm sorry for getting sick in the middle of a situation like this. Huft..."

Repeated sneezes caused Zavi's nose to grow increasingly red over time.

Tap... Tap...

"It's my fault for letting you go outside to look for food, and it seems I forgot to keep watch that night."

Aaron looked at Zavi, who lay weakly on the stone while wearing his black coat to keep warm, even though he knew it was not enough.

"It looks like we'll have to wait for you to recover from this deadly illness."

Aaron nodded in confusion as he recalled the declaration Zavi had made that he would not survive much longer.

But at the time, Aaron had denied it in a mocking tone.

'You just have a fever, not some severe illness that's draining your body.'

Remembering that and hearing it the previous Friday night made Aaron suppress a laugh as he watched Zavi's overly anxious expression.

"Let Hana and me take care of you. Meanwhile... Mine volunteered to go out and find something to eat."

"Hey," Zavi said weakly, narrowing his eyes at Aaron. "You're really cruel, letting a woman go out alone in weather like this!"

Aaron shrugged slightly.

"What can I do? She's the one who insisted on going out because she got tired of eating the fruit you've been bringing back."

Hana immediately responded with a mischievous smile.

"Ah... Sirius wanted to accompany her, but she flatly rejected him, khu khu khu khu..."

Hana covered her mouth as she held back her laughter, unable to forget the moment that kept replaying in her mind.

"Hey, Sirius," Zavi said with ill intent. "Have you already..."

The sentence never finished as Aaron turned around, stomped on the ground, clicked his tongue, and walked deeper into the cave.

Realizing it was no different from that remark back at the abandoned house, Zavi suppressed his smile as he looked at Hana, who stood to his left through blurry vision.

"Hana, you..."

Hana immediately swallowed hard upon hearing Zavi's unfinished words.

'Does he know I followed him back then? No, that's impossible. There's no way he could have known I was there.'

She tried to deny it, reminding herself that her covert information-gathering skills, honed during her time in the village and while serving in the Intersection Society, made her certain that Zavi had never noticed her surveillance.

That was true, and Hana and Mine had been assigned by Canel to investigate Moran and coordinate the timing of the demon horse attack for the perfect moment, which ultimately took place at the beginning of November.

According to their information, the Intersection Society had successfully burned Moran with the demon horse's flames, though there had been a cunning intruder who caused the demon horse to lose control for a few seconds.

Zuhen Mudelk. Felina Ronatte.

"What's wrong with you?" Hana tried to ignore the thoughts in her head.

Zavi hesitated before speaking.

'What the hell, why did I say that just now?'

He cleared his throat and said with a weak smile, "I accidentally said what was on my mind."

'What was on your mind?'

Hana was left confused by Zavi's behavior.

Even so, Hana could still smile after realizing just how unique the infamous assassin Lamena, whom she had admired all this time, truly was.

"Alright. Letting you rest by yourself is probably a good idea."

Hana took two steps, then stopped. Without turning around, she quickly added,

"If you need help, just call me. I'll be waiting outside for Mine after she gets back from looking for food."

Hana continued walking away with a faint smile.

Zavi closed his eyes once more while waiting for the three of them to gather again.

'Now that I think about it, why did I suddenly become a king today?'

He frowned inwardly, let out a deep sigh, and decided to let the matter pass.

On Saturday afternoon, the weather outside was no different from before. However, Zavi felt something special when he was able to sit upright and discovered several fruits that Mine had apparently obtained from somewhere despite the current conditions.

He assumed the place was not far from the cave, but that seemed impossible. Zavi was also not entirely convinced that the fruit, packaged food, and bottled drinks had come from Chavez, considering how boldly Mine would have had to push through the blizzard to get there.

Unable to contain his curiosity, Zavi asked,

"From Chavez...?"

"Yeah, I bought all of this in Chavez," Mine grumbled, her expression indifferent as though the storm outside was no more than dust brushing against her body.

Zavi stared in astonishment, his mouth full of cold boiled potatoes.

"Are you sure?" Zavi asked, trying to confirm it.

Mine merely nodded.

"Of course. If you don't believe me, that's fine too."

Seeing food different from what they had before, which was always apples or mangoes, and after noticing the paper package filled with potatoes beneath it, Zavi felt grateful for this small blessing of a decent life.

'Thank you, Goddess Yarandrela, and all of you...'

After eating just enough and saving the rest for later in case he got hungry, Zavi leaned back and began discussing their journey with the three of them.

"Considering we've spent two, maybe even four days in the same place, I'm not entirely sure we'll be able to leave this cave tomorrow." Zavi let out a long sigh while wiping away sweat despite the cold around him.

"It's a matter of being ready or not," Aaron said calmly. "If you haven't recovered yet, then of course I'll wait for the right day to move."

"About that, it seems we won't be going there as promised," Zavi said reluctantly.

Aaron looked at him with an open heart.

"Don't worry about it," Aaron replied.

'I really do want to meet her, even under circumstances this difficult.'

Aaron knew that the distance from Havanuheta to Vinohoshi Province was well over hundreds of kilometers. Vinohoshi was one of the largest provinces, and he had no idea how many days it would take to reach the Kingdom of Synomia in the northeast and visit Cilten, where he had arranged for Siena to stay and build a decent future.

'Has she been living well there?'

Even though Aaron's circumstances were far from ideal, he never complained about enduring difficult times like these, nor did he allow himself to be trapped by the shadows of the past when striving for a better future.

"We'll move according to plan," Aaron said as he drank soda from a coconut shell container.

Hana hesitated at what Aaron meant.

"We're still going through that valley?" she asked worriedly, remembering the rumors about the blood-soaked steam train.

Aaron nodded as though he had complete confidence in the plan he had devised. He immediately stood up, found a stone with a sharp edge, and began drawing a map of the valley based on the information they had.

Although Aaron had never been there and knew nothing about the rumors despite living in Norn for nearly eight years, he carefully assembled a plan that would give them the best chance of surviving until they reached their destination.

Using stones on either side of a line representing the train tracks, Aaron pointed at the line and explained each person's role one by one.

"Salilfai, as usual, will support us from behind using explosive-baiting techniques. Hana and I will act as the executors, and Mine..."

Aaron suddenly realized he had hit a dead end in his explanation because he had forgotten whether Mine could actually use the artifact. He stared at her for several seconds.

"Can you use that fan artifact?" he asked to make sure.

Mine nodded hesitantly, unwilling to become a burden to the operation and determined to maximize the artifact's usefulness.

"Good if you can," Aaron said while pointing at the stone formation representing the valley.

"Salilfai will stay on the right side of the railway, several hundred meters away from Mine's position. If he ends up in danger from several Curse-Type Chalog, Hunters, or Silent Types, Mine will provide support using the fan artifact, giving Salilfai time to retreat to a safer location."

Zavi was deeply impressed by Aaron's strategy, which reminded him of Aaron's successful plan when they assassinated the businessman in Chavez.

"As for bounty hunters, I'm not entirely sure we'll run into them there again. Even though we'll be taking the safe route along the railway tracks, which means we might see trains passing by, Hana and I will make sure this plan remains stable and free from interference."

After explaining everyone's roles, Aaron tossed the stones back where they belonged and smoothed the ground in front of him once more.

The crackling of the fire created a brief pause, allowing the air itself to change, and the tension among them gradually dissolved as more sparks rose from the flames.

The gleaming silver revolver, the brown pistol, the ammunition, and the knife had all been checked by their respective owners.

Zavi could not even rise from where he sat; his legs felt weak, and his head throbbed as though something were stabbing him from within.

The night passed like a fleeting wind, and the morning arrived with heavy snowfall, though it was not as terrifying as in the previous days.

It had been more than five days since they arrived at this cave. Despite the cold, the three of them; Aaron, Mine, and Hana, had bathed three times and worn the same clothes throughout. As for Zavi, only twice, because he had suffered from a fever for more than two days and several extra hours.

Thanks to their care, by the time afternoon approached evening, Zavi's condition gradually stabilized while Mine took over his role of searching for food and water.

Although he was puzzled by the way Mine did things, Zavi did not think much about it due to his illness, nor did he dwell on how Mine could endure the freezing weather outside while wearing clothes that were far from thick.

Extraction, four abilities, each serving its own purpose; extracting, pulling out, separating, and removing something from its place.

Only Aaron knew about that ability. He kept it hidden from Zavi and rarely used it because it was not particularly effective. Aaron himself admitted he was not skilled at using it on himself. Naturally, there were risks that worried him whenever he used it, often causing him to overthink.

Through extraction, Aaron could remove poison from both his own body and the bodies of others. He could then use that poison under one absolute condition: he had to touch the target in order to transfer it.

By extracting the cold from Mine's body, even though she could still feel it, he allowed her to travel to Chavez without being affected by the harsh cold outside.

Extraction could also pull and separate souls or spirits, with one absolute condition: the user had to physically touch the target. This allowed the user to move the extracted soul or spirit wherever they wished. However, that soul could return to its original body if the Extraction user lost consciousness a few minutes before the extraction was completed.

That had happened to Aaron several months earlier when he was struck by the deadly poison of a box jellyfish. He endured the pain, failed, and eventually lost consciousness, though he did not die immediately.

Another ability involved pulling shadows from a location, allowing him to move through those shadows, provided the destination was within one hundred meters of his current position.

Expulsion from a location allowed Aaron to drive away supernatural beings. This ability became especially powerful against demons, Recipestele, and jinn, depending on the level of spirituality involved, along with his cancellation techniques.

Aaron was genuinely reluctant to fight jinn because, after reaching Level 2, he had been instructed by Aaron Kwok himself not to fight them for a very long time.

Even so, he had managed to defeat that jinn thanks to Zavi's help and felt satisfied with their hard-earned victory over a supernatural creature that possessed terrifying regenerative abilities and powers of cancellation.

....

On Saturday Afternoon, Zavi returned to chatting with them as usual, unwilling to dwell on that matter any longer.

"Mine, have you fully mastered that fan artifact?" he asked, his shoulders slumped.

Mine shook her head.

"It's extremely difficult. Considering what happened to you back then, I'm not really sure whether I can use it."

Zavi once again remembered how foolish he had been when he used the fan artifact right beside his own face.

'Eugh... I don't want to touch that thing again.'

He stared at the fan artifact in Mine's hands with a traumatized look. His natural curiosity, combined with the trauma of dangerous experiences he had developed back on Earth, made him think twice about ever holding the artifact again.

'If they tell me to use it again, eh, I'll just sell it. Maybe it can be turned into money...'

A strange idea suddenly crossed his mind, causing his shoulders to straighten as a faint grin spread across his face.

"Speaking of artifacts, how much money could I get if I sold something like that?" Zavi hoped the artifact's price would be enough to make him a billionaire.

Aaron seemed to think harder. He had no idea what the market value of a Grade 4 artifact was, despite recognizing its shape and the unique symbols carved into its handle.

"I'm not really sure," Aaron said hesitantly. "Five thousand Pace or more would probably be a fair price for that artifact."

He stared at the Hoisline fan artifact for several seconds before adding,

"Are you thinking of selling it?"

Zavi nodded while frowning.

"Yeah. What else am I supposed to do with it? I'm the one who found it, and the money could help fund this mission."

Aaron slightly opened his mouth, but the moment slipped away when he realized Zavi actually had a point.

He also knew that Zavi was genuinely strange and independent when it came to money. During their last payday at the mansion, Zavi had offered the ten Pace he had just earned to pay for the suit Aaron had bought with his own money.

Aaron had refused and told Zavi to keep the money for himself. The suit had been a gift in recognition of his hard work.

'After working so hard to get this far, will he really survive everything that's coming for him?'

Aaron knew just how dangerous Zavi's life had become. The man had nearly died countless times, yet he could hold a smooth conversation with a Level Five Evil Spirit, Mastering, without showing the slightest fear.

Aaron wanted to understand how he did it, but the thought of Mastering's appearance always haunted him.

'He could become a formidable enemy for both me and him...'

Aaron glanced at Zavi, who was lying on a medium-sized rock while chatting with Hana and Mine about his plans to sell the artifact.

He let out a short sigh.

"For now, don't sell the fan artifact. Otherwise, all the planning we've done so far will be wasted. We still need it to help us cross the steam railway."

"Oh? I know that. I'll do my best," Mine replied wholeheartedly.

Hana patted Mine's shoulder with a relieved smile.

"That's the spirit. Confidence is good, so don't forget that."

Mine glanced at Hana, who was wearing a teasing smile.

"Since when did you become so annoying, huh?" Mine grumbled, preparing a surprise attack as all ten of her fingers flexed up and down.

A faint smile immediately appeared on her face.

Hana began pleading for mercy as Mine's fingers mercilessly tickled her.

"Ahahahaha, mercy, okay, I surrender. Please stop this...!"

Hana was nearly out of breath from laughing so hard, making her stomach and chest ache.

"You two are pretty noisy, aren't you?" Zavi remarked while lying on his left side atop a medium-sized rock.

The two instantly stopped, let out long sighs, and sat properly.

"See? He's mad because of you," Hana whispered mockingly.

"Be quiet!" Mine shot her a sharp glare before her calculating gaze swept around the cave.

Hana could only smile before finally falling silent.

Aaron immediately rose from where he was sitting and headed deeper into the cave to look for something.

Aaron stood up.

"I'm heading out for a bit."

After saying that, Aaron calmly walked past the three of them, causing Zavi, whose eyes were almost fully closed, to glance at him from the side.

'He's bored from staying in this cave too, huh? Actually, I think we're starting to resemble wild animals hiding in a cave for hibernation.'

Zavi immediately rejected the idea, unwilling to compare himself to a wild beast.

'But there's some truth to it. I can't deny that...'

After muttering to himself, Zavi closed his eyes again, using both hands as a pillow beneath his head.

Just as he was about to fall asleep, a calm, clear, and calculating voice pierced his thoughts.

"I'd like to talk. Is that okay?"

Zavi immediately sat up and looked at Mine, who was staring back at him.

"What is it?" Zavi asked while yawning.

There was no answer. He searched for his pocket watch and, once he found it, opened the cover.

Click...

"1:50 PM, huh?" Zavi whispered, closing the watch before slipping it back into his shirt pocket.

'Another strange thing. I'm starting to believe this pocket watch is practically my lifeline.'

Zavi thought as he watched Mine, who seemed hesitant despite the sharpness in her gaze, to say what was on her mind.

"Just say it."

Zavi urged her to be honest.

"We're on the same team. If something's weighing on your mind, I'll find a way to deal with it."

Hana nudged her friend's shoulder. Mine understood the meaning behind it and quietly told her not to interfere.

Taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling, Mine extended the Hoisline fan artifact toward Zavi.

Zavi was confused and wanted to refuse, but Mine immediately spoke her mind.

"May I keep this?" Mine asked softly.

'Damn, her voice can actually become this gentle. Ah, I get it now. No wonder Aaron secretly likes her...'

A faint smile appeared on Zavi's face as he thought about something completely outside his usual concerns.

Dating. He had absolutely no experience with it, either in this world or back on Earth.

'I've never even dated anyone. I've never even held a woman's hand.'

Zavi shook his head to rid himself of the improper thoughts.

"Just take it. It's a gift from us, and this artifact could help you before you find your Recipestele..."

"Munien," Mine calmly corrected him.

Zavi nodded, trying to commit the name to memory.

"Thank you for trusting me," Mine murmured in relief as she slipped the fan into her jacket pocket.

Zavi closed his eyes. Sleeping while waiting for nightfall and better weather was the best idea he had.

The two women exchanged confused glances and sat quietly, as there was little else to do besides talk.

Time drew closer, and so did their journey through the valley on the way to Semilir.

When night arrived at 7:20 PM, Zavi finally woke from his afternoon nap. He woke with his muscles stiff and tangled, leaving him dazed for several minutes.

At first, the three of them did not believe it. But after examining the situation more closely, they realized that Zavi had slept face down with his head turned in one direction for several hours. As a result, parts of his muscles had tightened while others had been compressed, restricting blood flow. Instead of waking refreshed, he woke up with aches he had never imagined possible.

"That's why you shouldn't sleep all the way until night. It's not good for you."

Mine warned him seriously, as though determined to make sure he never repeated it.

Being lectured by the two women for several minutes made Zavi feel like a little child.

'This is exactly like a mother scolding her naughty kid.'

After relaxing his muscles, Zavi decided to stand up as soon as he learned that Aaron was already waiting outside.

With some effort, he managed to stand perfectly. The fever was gone. So was the dizziness. His muscles had relaxed again, though his neck still felt stiff.

Holding onto the cold cave walls with his warm hands, Zavi carefully made his way outside, followed by Hana and Mine, who acted as his supervisors.

The moment he stepped outside, the cold air carrying a fresh, sharp, and pleasant scent struck him after spending so long confined inside the cave.

'Saturday night, huh?'

Saturday night, 8:00 PM.

Zavi watched the steadily falling snow with a weary and burdened expression.

"So, we're finally moving?" Zavi asked weakly.

Aaron glanced at him with his usual indifferent expression.

"Yeah," Aaron replied. "The weather outside isn't as cold as before."

'Even though I'm cheating since my body can't feel the cold properly, I can still sense it,' Aaron added inwardly.

"We'll proceed according to plan." Aaron took two steps forward before continuing, "Hana, let's go..."

Aaron resumed walking, with Hana following behind him.

"Take care of yourself, okay?"

Hana quickened her pace and walked two steps behind Aaron.

Zavi glanced at Mine for several seconds before carefully taking his first step forward.