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Witcher: I Can Extract Everything-Chapter 354 - Let’s Go
After returning, Heath made some preparations, such as making potions, magic scrolls, and other tools that might be used in exploring the ruins.
A few days later, Jackman arrived as promised. After giving a brief explanation to Amy, Heath went out with him.
When they arrived at the dock, there was already a large sailboat docked there. It was a five-masted sailboat. The hull was very huge, almost a hundred meters long. The bow part of the boat was a Mermaid sculpture, and it was well-made.
It was docked in the middle of a pile of merchant ships. It looked like an ordinary merchant ship. There was even an emblem of a noble family attached to the body of the boat, and the flag of a noble was also stuck on the mast. It looked like an ordinary noble merchant ship.
However, Heath could easily feel the strong elemental fluctuations from it. Using his spiritual eye, he could easily see the runes all over the body of the boat. It seemed that this was a Wizard ship disguised as an ordinary merchant ship.
At this moment, some men dressed as sailors were carrying boxes of goods to the deck. They looked like they were preparing for sailing
After Jackman brought Heath over, the sailors bowed.
“Sir Jackman.”
“Sir.”
Heath paid attention. These sailors were very muscular and burly. Thick calluses could be clearly seen in the palms of their hands. They were all marks after using a sword, he could easily tell from their auras that they were Knights.
Heath asked, “Are these Knights coming with
us?”
Jackman nodded. “It would be easier for us to camp in the wilderness with the help of Knights, wouldn’t it?”
Heath asked, “Where did they come from? Are they reliable?”
Some Wizards would prepare some Knights before exploring the ruins. They would collect wandering Knights from the market or use black magic to make them. Most of these Knights did not have the spirit of Knights, and they were not very reliable.
Not only would they not be of much help during the exploration, they might also be a hindrance, and they might even betray them at a critical moment… Therefore, Wizards who died at the hands of the Knights had also happened before. In any case, Heath had never liked to bring these burdens with him during his expeditions.
Jackman explained, “Don’t worry, I know what you’re worried about. I don’t like to bring unfamiliar Knights along, but we can be at ease with these Knights. They were all brought out by Alza from the family he established in the human world through his bloodline. They’re not some wandering Knights.”
Alza was the Wizard who was going to explore with them this time, and he was also the discoverer of the ruins.
Heath said, “I see. Alright, then.”
After walking for more than ten steps, Heath finally met the Wizard Alza that Jackman had mentioned.
It was an old man. He looked to be in his sixties or seventies and was very old. His head was full of silver hair, his face was wrinkled like old tree bark. His back was hunched, and his body was very bent.
He was wearing a reddish-brown long shirt with a golden cane in his hand. He looked very polite like a human aristocrat.
Jackman walked up and greeted, “Alza, my old friend, I have brought someone here!”
The old man turned his head. He first looked at Heath. The envy on his face was obvious when he saw Heath’s young face. After using his spiritual power to check on Heath… There was a surprised look on his face.
He quickly bowed humbly and said, “Sir.”
From his spiritual power, the young Wizard in front of him had the strength of an intermediate-level Wizard. In the Wizard World, strength was the most important. He naturally had to bow to a person of this level.
Heath waved his hand and said casually, “I’m Jackman’s friend. It’s better for everyone not to be so formal.”
Jackman also added, “Haha, old man, didn’t I tell you before? Heath isn’t a person who likes to put on airs. He’s very easy-going.”
Seeing Jackman’s familiarity with the old man, Heath couldn’t help but look at Jackman curiously.
With the help of magic, it wasn’t too difficult for Wizards to maintain their youthful appearance, and most Wizards would do the same.
There were only two types of Wizards who did not hide their age and allowed time to show on their faces. One was that they did not care much about their appearance, and the other was because they had used up too much of their life force so it was impossible to maintain their youth by relying on magic.
The old man in front of him was obviously the latter. Heath could sense at the first glance that his life force was very weak.
However, Wizards had a lifespan of 500 years. If the old man could use up his lifespan to this extent, then he should have lived for several hundred years. Jackman was just a young Wizard of the new generation. The fact that the two of them could establish a friendship made Heath very curious.
Jackman probably saw through Heath’s doubts and took the initiative to continue the conversation. “What’s the matter, Brother Heath? Do you feel that our relationship is too
good?”
Heath nodded. “It doesn’t seem like an ordinary friendship. It’s more like a close friend of brotherhood.”
Jackman laughed loudly. “Hahaha, then your judgment is really accurate. In fact, it is indeed correct. Alza and I grew up together. We were the same kind of brothers when we were young.”
Heath was stunned. It was obvious that he was even more confused.
But he thought for a moment and quickly thought of something. “Could it be…”
The old man, Alza, nodded. “Yes, Lord Heath, your guess is correct. The reason why I am the way I am now is because my life force has been used up too much. When I advanced into a Wizard, I failed twice. After that, because of a few failed magic experiments, it caused me to age.”
The path of Wizards was not as smooth as Heath’s. On the contrary, most Wizards, especially those muggle Wizards who did not have a solid foundation, were always full of obstacles on the path of Wizards.
This path was full of difficulties and dangers. Whether it was advancement or magic experiments, it was easy to fail and cause a magic backlash, and the backlash would cause the Wizard’s spiritual power to suffer. If it was severe, it would result in a large loss of vitality like Alza’s. Even magic would not be able to repair it.
There was only one path left in front of him, and that was to continue advancing. Only after advancing to an intermediate Wizard would his life force recover.
Heath said regretfully, “Oh, how unfortunate…”
Alza sighed softly. “Yes, some Wizards are born with bad luck, just like me…”