The Legendary Mage (Alavin)

Not long after Alavin returned to Mount Eagle, the foraging teams began trickling back with evidently fruitful harvests and smiles brightening their faces. The Protégés tasked with protection had also snagged some spoils, dividing among themselves a few stalks of common Elixir Herbs.

No one paid much attention to Alavin, and he couldn't be bothered with them either. He sat by an iron bucket, nibbling on his hardtack, admiring the stunning vistas of the Cloudveil Woods.

By nightfall, eleven out of fifteen foraging teams had returned, but four were still missing, including Ogmundr and Nysah, who would never return.

Foraging was always accompanied by danger, and every Protégé was mentally prepared for it. Among the returning eleven teams, there were casualties: nine people had perished in the forest, their bodies never to be found.

"Nysah hasn't returned? Who was she grouped with?"

"I believe she was with Ogmundr."

"Lucky Ogmundr, foraging with a beauty by his side. I bet he's deliberately staying out longer. Every extra day is a blessing for him, ha!"

"Let's wait a bit longer; they should be back soon."

At night, atop the mountain, campfires blazed as the Botanic Haven Protégés gathered to tally each group's findings. They were on a mission, required to return with at least ten Advanced Elixir Herbs, preferably uprooted whole, and a minimum of a hundred ordinary Elixir Herbs and Elixir Fruits. Failing to meet the quota would result in punishment, while exceeding the quota promised special rewards. The guardian Protégés sat together, laughing and chatting, enjoying a hearty dinner. A girl called out to Alavin with a grin, "Hey, Alavin, come sit with us?"

Half-asleep, Alavin cracked open an eye and shook his head before drifting back off.

"We're curious about how you broke through to Novice Mage rank, would you come and tell us? We'll reward you with a chunk of meat," another young man shouted to Alavin.

"Did you really reach Novice Mage Stage III? Fancy a friendly spar? I promise to go easy."

"Come on over, we'll make room for you."

"I'm quite intrigued by this lad. A young lord turned servant for eight years, that's some patience. What do you think—is he truly carefree or brooding with dark thoughts, and biding his time for revenge?" "Hard to say. Hey, Alavin, come here, I have a question for you. Do you hate Cobalt Strike?"

The Protégés' interest was piqued as they beckoned Alavin over.

Alavin twitched the corners of his mouth into a silent smile, stood up, straightened his clothes, and, to everyone's surprise, walked down from the mountaintop to rest elsewhere.

The next day, one of the foraging groups returned, but there was still no sign of Ogmundr's team or the other two missing groups.

Some grew anxious; some of them stayed to continue waiting while others scoured the nearby mountains.

After two days and nights of searching, they found the remains of one of the missing guardian Protégés, reduced to mere fragments, unrecognizable. But the other foraging teams and Ogmundr's group remained unfound, not even their bodies.

"Could they have been ambushed?" They had to consider the worst. Perhaps they encountered a band of mercenaries or were slain by a Magi-Monster? Normally, mercenaries wouldn't dare provoke a Protége of Cobalt Strike, but exceptions could occur. If they had the misfortune of encountering a formidable Magi-Monster, their lives could also be in danger.

Such incidents used to be common during foraging, but in recent years, through the frequent deterrence by the Elders, they had become rare.

This time, the loss of three groups at once deeply unsettled everyone, especially since Nysah, an special Elite Protégé, was among them.

They couldn't easily give up and continued their search for another two days. They eventually found the remains of another foraging group, but it was unclear whether they had been killed by Magi-Monsters or mercenaries. Finally, they discovered the body of the swordsman from Ogmundr's group.

Three days later, the foraging teams returned to Cobalt Strike with a bounty of energy potions and the grim news of Nysah and the others' deaths.

No one suspected Alavin, as outsiders were unaware of the grudge between Nysah and him, nor of Alavin's true strength.

Upon his return to Cobalt Strike, Alavin's first action was to visit the cliff beside Botanic Haven to check if the Viper's Berry was still there. The cliff was draped with green vines and thick leaves, hiding many venomous snakes and giant pythons.

The Viper's Berry was indeed there, tucked away in a hidden nook. The energy within Shadowbringer stirred again, casting a hazy black fog over his Energy Realm, silently spreading as if to caution Alavin. Alavin found it strange why Shadowbringer was alerting him to the Golden Serpent. He hadn't experienced this when encountering other powerful Magi-Monsters in the forest.