Chapter Thirteen: Harvest

Returning to his own courtyard, Komer did not go back to bed. Although the drinking the previous night still caused some headache, as a versatile sorcerer and even a pharmacist, he had plenty of ways to adjust himself. A cooling potion was quickly prepared, and after taking it, Komer immediately felt much better.

This skill was obtained by Komer from a wandering herbalist through an intermediate illusion scroll from the Light magic series. Of course, as an intermediate illusion, it brought not only a simple recipe for the cooling potion but also a formula for an antidote to neural poisons—his main goal for the exchange. The illusion was originally a light-based illusion spell used to deceive and disrupt enemies in battle. Due to its low mana consumption, it was a quite effective minor spell. However, the herbalist was an orc who often ventured into forests and mountainous areas infested with monsters, putting him at constant risk. Having an illusion to act as a substitute could greatly reduce the chances of him getting injured or even dying. Orcs were generally looked down upon by humans, and it was extremely difficult for them to learn magic from proud human magicians. Fortunately, Komer was not particular, and the orc’s antidote formula was a huge attraction. So, without anyone knowing, they negotiated and finally reached an agreement. Komer also gave the herbalist three special mana crystals, each of which could be used once with the scroll to cast an illusion. As a gift, the orc herbalist generously provided the cooling potion recipe as an extra.

After feeling much better, Komer carefully scanned the surroundings to ensure no one was spying before quietly pulling out a secret chest under his bed. A small and delicate jade lock appeared very exquisite, but don’t underestimate it—its material was extraordinary. It was made by Komer using corundum, infused with fire magic as well as dark magic attacks. Anyone who dared to force their way open the lock would silently suffer from attacks by dark flames. These dark flames were extremely insidious, silent, colorless, and odorless, making them undetectable to most people. One might only realize they had been harmed when the injuries manifested, by which time the damage would already be severe, and recovery would require a significant cost.

Opening the jade lock, Komer carefully took out the pocket he always carried with him from the box. After reciting some words, the pocket slowly expanded and began to float as if inflated with air. The strange patterns on its surface appeared even more eerie in this unusual environment. A corpse silently slipped out of the pocket—it was the unnamed body seized from the Rema Knights.

Having returned home for so long, Komer hadn’t paid much attention to it, especially at home. If outsiders found out that he not only knew magic but also mastered necromancy, it could cause huge trouble. At such a sensitive time, he didn’t want to invite problems.

The corpse quickly returned to its original size. The poison from the Alsophila wood had fully penetrated its body, turning the exposed skin a golden yellow. Its face and exposed hands shone with a golden light, resembling those of a bronze statue. The pitch-black ring on its left ring finger was particularly striking. Komer observed the corpse in front of him carefully. It was a shifty-looking man who certainly didn’t seem trustworthy. If he were walking on the streets, Komer might have mistaken him for an ordinary thug. But appearance often didn’t reflect reality. For example, this man had managed to escape the Rema Knights time and again, even prompting their leader to personally hunt him down. If he weren’t truly capable, the Rema Knights wouldn’t be so formidable.

Komer couldn’t assess the true strength of the Rema Knights, but based on his own near-death experience and last night’s encounter, he could only describe them as incredibly powerful—far beyond what ordinary people could challenge. Thus, this dead man piqued Komer’s curiosity even more.

Dressed in black-gray combat attire, he carried only a discreet pouch at his waist, giving him a neat appearance typical of a nightwalker. His coat even emitted a strange scent. Most people might not recognize it, but Komer, who had spent years in the outside world, was familiar with it. It was a special substance used by thieves to confuse and disrupt the sense of smell of hunting animals like hounds and tigers, rendering theirsense of smell ineffective. It was an essential item for a thief.

Apart from what was found on this guy at the time, Comer didn’t detect anything unusual about him. Comer couldn’t understand why the Ramah Knights valued this guy so much. If this guy had stolen some important item from the Ramah Knights or the Holy Church, then why did they leave in a hurry without even searching him thoroughly after dealing with him? Clearly, they only wanted to get rid of him. But then why did these guys head downstream along the Murray River to Sepulcus City? When Comer got off the boat, he clearly saw the large ship carried by those knights entering the harbor as well. Although those guys had never met him, the perceptive Comer quickly left that troublesome place at the dock.

Although outsiders might not see anything suspicious in what happened last night, with his own suspicions and increasingly keen intuition, Comer could be certain that those guys were looking for him. Though they didn’t know he was the one who escaped in the oak forest, the suspicious looks from those men still gave Comer chills. They must be searching for him—more precisely, for the person who took the body.

Taking out a small hammer from his pocket, Comer carefully tapped on the body soaked in the poison from the Alsophila tree. From the forehead to the shoulders and arms, to the waist, thighs, and calves, from muscles to joints and bones, Comer examined everything very carefully. This body posed too many puzzles with no one to answer them. This guy must have practiced martial arts for some time, though it was unclear what level he had reached. His well-proportioned body, strong and long thighs and calves, as well as elastic waist and buttock muscles, all indicated that he had been practicing high-level martial arts for years. When he lifted the eyelids, his dilated pupils were gray-brown, and his bloodless eyes proved he had specialized in night vision training. All this made this guy’s identity seem extremely complicated. Why did this guy end up becoming a thief? The items he carried were all top-quality, some even beyond what one could buy with money, which left Comer puzzled. Though these items were valuable, they weren’t enough to warrant the Ramah Knights of the Holy Church to pursue him across long distances. Comer had to admit that the Holy Church placed great importance on its reputation in such matters; unless someone was utterly evil, it was rare to hear of them resorting to extermination.

And based on his observations at the scene, it seemed the members of the knight order had been ordered by that so-called archbishop to kill this man, yet no reason was given for such punishment. The knights themselves didn’t seem to understand the details either. After completing the task, they simply buried the body hastily without even conducting a routine search. Perhaps searching a dead body didn’t fit their proud knightly code, but then why did they suddenly come to Cyprus looking for him? Komer also wondered if he had misjudged things and that they weren’t actually looking for him. Yet his keen intuition forced him to believe otherwise. Moreover, out of caution, Komer preferred to back down rather than reveal his identity.

Taking out a pair of finely crafted white silk gloves, Komer carefully put them on, then gently used his thumb and index finger to lift up the black combat suit from the corpse. The fabric was very smooth—by feel, it was a quite comfortable type of silk. Komer could sense its high cost, and there was also a faint magical energy clinging to it, clearly infused with advanced wind magic. This magic not only reduced resistance during rapid movement but also significantly minimized the friction noise caused by clothing moving in quiet situations. While this might be worthless to ordinary people, for a thief—especially a skilled one—it greatly reduced the chances of being detected when moving through heavily guarded areas surrounded by alert defenders.

Letting out a soft sigh, Komer nodded. This was a highly professional thief. In his judgment, this guy had been quite successful in protecting himself. Beneath the thin silk suit lay another layer of armor that was soft, lightweight, yet extremely sturdy. After examining it for a while, Komer still couldn’t identify the material of the armor, but he guessed it might be made from the hide of some special animal or magical beast. It was not only exceptionally strong and durable but also seemed to possess some special defensive properties. Komer took out a gold needle from his small bag and tried to pierce it. Despite using all his strength, he still encountered considerable resistance. Clearly, this armor had metal-resistant properties, but it could be easily pierced by Sauronwood—which only meant this guy was extremely unlucky to have run into someone using Sauronwood arrows.

Feeling somewhat tired, he took off his gloves and sat back down in his round armchair, which had accompanied him for over a decade. He stared blankly at the corpse standing in front of him. To be honest, this was truly a rare material. If he put in some effort, he might indeed be able to create a golden or even divine corpse. However, crafting such an advanced substance required not only a great deal of effort but also expensive materials, all of which were beyond his current financial means. Yet giving up such an opportunity would be a shame. Koemer sighed, waved his hand, and muttered something indistinctly. Immediately, the corpse shrank down and neatly retracted into the pocket floating in the air.

It’s better to wait for a while. He should wait until his coming-of-age ceremony before thinking about anything else. Everything was still uncertain at the moment. Perhaps after the ceremony, he would have to pack up and leave. But it seemed there might still be some chance for a compromise. A dark smile appeared on Koemer’s face.