Magic Farm 108

Chapter 108: A Mage Never Fights an Unprepared Battle

One bottle, two bottles, three bottles…

The Vela warrior woman, who had never uttered a sound even as her flesh was torn from her bones, had never imagined that one day she would feel guilty from drinking too many potions.

Tessa’s mind was filled with nothing but the thought of how many gold coins each gulp cost, and how many she had consumed so far.

Healing potions were often priceless, especially in a desolate place like the Winter Icefield.

But there was no denying the power of gold.

Because Theodore was nearby, she kept herself wrapped in a blanket to avoid frightening the child. Yet she could feel the flesh that had been devoured by the monster slowly regenerating, bit by bit.

Fifty bottles of healing potion disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Tessa couldn’t help but let out a burp.

Qi Yu tapped the table. “These five intermediate healing potions should work even better.”

In the survival game, an intermediate healing potion was three times as effective as a basic one, restoring 30 HP at a time.

Tessa no longer hesitated: whether she owed fifty bottles of basic healing potion, or fifty bottles plus five intermediate ones, what difference did it make?

She downed the five potions in one go.

Tessa looked lovingly at the child beside her. “Theodore, Grandmother is a bit thirsty. Could you fetch me a glass of water?”

Theodore immediately got up.

Tessa gently lifted the blanket.

Where once there had been only stark white bone, new flesh had grown over her legs.

She had her legs back, whole and strong, power surging through restored flesh and sinew.

“Thank you, Mage,” Tessa said, suppressing the tremor in her voice. “You have given me life again, made me a warrior once more.”

“You have always been a warrior worthy of admiration.”

Qi Yu asked, “How’s your arm?”

Tessa replied, “Still needs a little more.”

Crash.

Another twenty bottles of healing potion appeared on the table.

Tessa: “…”

Theodore returned with the hot water, looking at Tessa in confusion.

He didn’t understand—Grandmother had been drinking non-stop, so why was she still thirsty?

This time, Tessa didn’t bother with pleasantries. With the air of someone already buried under too many debts to care, she got up, walked to the table, and, with her now-whole right hand, picked up a potion and drank it down.

Clatter.

The bowl of hot water fell to the floor. Theodore’s mouth dropped open.

He was already six years old. Though Tessa had tried not to let him see her wounds these past few days, a terrifying monster had come to their home, and the once-strong grandmother had grown weaker and weaker, unable even to stand, always wrapped in a blanket.

He might not have known exactly what had happened, but a child’s intuition kept him glued to his only remaining family.

But now, he saw his grandmother stand up, strong again, just as she had been before.

When the last potion was finished, Tessa cast aside her blanket.

She knelt down and smiled at Theodore. “Come, let Grandmother hold you.”

Qi Yu quietly lifted his gaze from the book in his hands and watched the two embrace.

The little one was sobbing, the older one held him close, gently patting his back.

It was a beautiful scene. He thought, this shouldn’t be destroyed.

.

“Forgive me, Mage,” Tessa said softly, emerging from the next room.

After a good cry, her child had finally fallen asleep in her arms, at peace.

Qi Yu asked her to sit, since Tessa did look very old.

In the “Winter Icefield Magical Creature Compendium” he held, he had also found some information about the Vela.

This race was born strong and lived longer than ordinary humans.

In this world, even regular warriors could live for centuries; Vela warriors, perhaps even longer.

She looked so old—she was probably much older than Teacher Tranquility Brings Distance.

He had just finished reading the entry on the Ice Demon.

It was a race that lived in the very heart of the Winter Icefield, a mutated lifeform born from ice and snow, a natural ice-element mage.

From the description, it seemed a bit like the Swiftsure of the Forest of Stars.

But while the Swiftsure were numerous and low-level, the Ice Demon was at least a third-tier mutant from birth.

The book also said that Ice Demons loved the extreme cold, living in the icefield’s core because it was the coldest place of all.

That was a place ordinary people could never reach.

Icefield hunters never ventured into such dangerous territory.

He voiced his doubts.

Tessa immediately said, “You’re right, sir.”

Icefield hunters usually only operated on the outer edges of the Winter Icefield; most of its dangers were in the inner layers.

“This Ice Demon is different.”

Tessa’s tone was thick with hatred and fear. “Though I am old, I am still a fourth-tier warrior. I may not be its match, but I shouldn’t have been so helpless.”

“This Ice Demon’s greatest weapon isn’t its ice magic, but… illusions.”

“I was swallowed by fear—my will could not withstand its will… I couldn’t even draw my blade against it.” Tessa’s fingers trembled as she recalled that moment.

“Illusions? Mental control?” Qi Yu’s tone was subtle.

Tessa nodded. “Yes, sir. I know you mages have stronger minds than most. But this Ice Demon’s mental control far surpasses that of warriors and mages of the same rank…”

Qi Yu: …

He thought he understood why the drifting bottle had given him this commission.

After becoming a third-tier mage, his spirit attribute had reached 128. With the Emerald Necklace’s +3 and the Ring of Silence’s +6, his spirit was as high as 137.

The Guardian Mage Robe, when worn, doubled his spirit attribute.

If this Ice Demon had mutated and its main attack was spiritual…

That was perfect.

The “Winter Icefield Magical Creature Compendium” in his hands recorded the details and weaknesses of this mutant: adept at ice magic, greatly strengthened in cold environments. But, as a creature born of ice and snow, it feared high temperatures and fire.

Qi Yu already had a plan.

He asked Tessa, “You said before that the monster always comes at night?”

Tessa nodded. “Yes.”

Perhaps because darkness naturally breeds fear, it chose that time deliberately.

“So we still have most of the day left.”

Qi Yu took out a piece of parchment. “I’ll draw a magic array now.”

A temperature-regulating magic array.

He finished drawing the array on the parchment and had Tessa place the magic crystals in the marked spots, leaving only the last one.

If the last crystal was placed, the array would activate.

No rush.

Next, he pulled out a thick stack of parchment and began inscribing magic scrolls.

Tessa watched in astonishment as Qi Yu inscribed scroll after scroll as easily as drinking water.

She’d seen magic scrolls before; they sold for dozens of gold coins each when the caravan came to the Winter Icefield.

According to the merchants, the materials were expensive and the success rate was less than one in ten, so the high price was only natural.

She knew merchants tended to exaggerate, but still… not like this…

Were magic scrolls really this simple?

After watching for a while, she couldn’t help but ask, “A genius mage like you… why would you risk yourself to take on my commission?”

In fact, ever since she’d met Qi Yu, she’d been wondering when she had ever issued a commission.

Thinking back, it must have been in her most desperate moment, when she prayed to the heavens and all the gods, hoping a hero would descend to drive away the demon.

Could it be that the gods truly heard her, and sent this mage to her?

Qi Yu said, “I told you, it’s fate.”

Maybe the drifting bottle really was a gift from some god.

He handed Tessa a stack of scrolls.

Tessa: “?”

“They’re all fire-element spells I inscribed,” Qi Yu said honestly. “I’ve never fought such a powerful mutant before, so I’m not confident. But since it fears fire, let’s prepare as much as we can.”

“If we can’t beat it, just throw these at it.”

Tessa stared at the “mountain” of preparations in her hands.

And the mage was already back to inscribing more fire scrolls.

She had at least several dozen in her hands.

Never in her life had she fought such a well-supplied battle. Was this what it meant to fight as a mage?

She didn’t know that Qi Yu still had several hundred scrolls in his own backpack.

He’d made them whenever he was bored, drawing a few on parchment at a time, slowly building up a stash.

.

After his last experience with fainting, Qi Yu didn’t dare get too absorbed—he stopped after a few dozen scrolls and checked his mana.

In the meantime, he sampled Tessa’s cooking.

Especially fragrant roasted meat slices, and a big pot of thick stew.

There were several kinds of mushrooms, some vegetables he didn’t recognize, and a hint of cream. The key ingredient was a spice Tessa called “black coriander,” slightly spicy and wonderfully aromatic.

Qi Yu had several bowls in one sitting.

“Your cooking is amazing,” Qi Yu praised. “Aside from one of my good friends, you’re the best cook I know.”

Perhaps the elderly liked children with hearty appetites. After the meal, Tessa seemed much less reserved around Qi Yu.

Theodore, too—though he’d been afraid to approach Qi Yu at first after waking up, by dusk he was already leaning on the table, his big gray eyes fixed on Qi Yu as he inscribed magic arrays.

If not for the Ice Demon’s threat, this would have been the time for Tessa’s family to share dinner together.

Qi Yu heard Tessa say so and comforted her, “Once we deal with the Ice Demon, make me another pot of that soup from lunch. It was delicious.”

Hearing the young man’s calm tone, Tessa’s heart gradually settled.

“All right,” she replied with a smile.

The sky grew darker and darker.

With the Ice Demon stalking them, there was no safe place in the house. Theodore didn’t hide; instead, he was protected between the two adults.

When the last light faded completely—

Qi Yu felt Tessa’s body tense, and Theodore clung tightly to her sleeve.

“It’s here,” Tessa said in a low voice.

She didn’t need to warn him—Qi Yu already knew.

An extreme cold had descended upon the house.

Qi Yu felt even his fingertips go numb.

“A… mage?” A sluggish, muffled voice sounded from outside the room.