Inside the tent, Ivan frowned deeply, looking at the young man before him.
Andrew, however, looked calm and unperturbed, and slowly said, "I can heal you, which means my own lungs are fine.
But today, that old mage Hubert insisted that I only have seven days to live.
After seven days, if he finds that I'm not dead, he'll naturally target me..."
Ivan wasn't a fool; upon hearing this, he understood instantly, squinting at Andrew, "I see, so you can heal lung burns but can't stand up to a seasoned Fire Mage, right."
Andrew nodded.
There was no need to hide this.
If he had the strength to oppose Hubert, he wouldn't have let Ivan hold a knife to his throat so easily.
Honestly, he still felt a bit unsure.
After all, he knew too little about this otherworld.
If it turned out that Fire Mages actually had some methods for healing lung burns, and Ivan turned him over to Hubert in exchange for healing, wouldn't he be doomed?
Or, in case this Ivan was a particularly devout flame believer, who wouldn't harm any "holy Fire Mage" even if his own lungs were scorched by flames, then what should he do?
Then Ivan spoke, "First you must know, I can't beat Hubert, not now, and not even before I got injured."
Andrew's heart sank involuntarily.
Ivan continued, "But I promise you, I'll help you kill Hubert. Then you'll heal my lungs, right?
Let me make it clear, if I help you and you can't heal my lungs, then... I'll kill you, understand?"
Andrew couldn't tell if it was an illusion, but he always felt that when the other spoke of "helping you kill Hubert," there wasn't just a lack of reverence for the Fire Mage; there was a hint of... hatred?
Keeping this in mind, Andrew nodded and replied, "Of course, that's fair!
You help me kill him, and I guarantee to heal you! If you kill him and I can't heal you, you don't need to do it; I'll take care of myself.
But... you say you can't beat Hubert, yet you promise to help me kill him, what does that mean?"
Ivan reverted to the cold and sharp demeanor of a Demon Hunter, smiling slyly, "That's for me to handle."
...
...
Daylight broke.
There were only six days left until the date Hubert had prophesied for his death.
"Mmm—"
Andrew awoke from his sleep, rising and stretching broadly.
After a restful night's sleep, his lungs felt just fine.
But for the sake of disguise, he still feigned a few coughs.
Stepping out of the tent, Andrew couldn't help but squint his eyes.
The nights in the desert were very cold, yet the days were intensely hot and dry.
At this moment, the sun was high in the sky, and before him was a temporary camp composed of rows of tents, with the buildings and streets of Wildfire Town not far off on one side.
"Ignoring the world's pathological veneration of fire, the local customs and scenery here actually seem quite nice."
Andrew carefully observed the uniquely styled buildings that seemed to come straight out of a fantasy fairy tale, thinking, "This is going to be the place I'll live in moving forward."
Recalling last night's negotiation with Ivan, a subtle smile appeared at the corner of Andrew's mouth.
Last night, Ivan agreed to his terms.
And with Andrew's persistent questioning, explained what he meant by his remark about "not being able to beat Hubert but being able to kill him."
"—I am a Desert Hunter. In direct confrontation, I can't even beat the lowest level Desolate Beast, but I can easily hunt them down."
Ivan said indifferently, "Not being able to beat, doesn't mean not being able to kill."
As he said this, there was a natural confidence in his tone.
"I see. So, what's your plan to kill him exactly?"
Andrew was still a bit uneasy, yet simultaneously curious.
But Ivan only said, "I need to make some preparations, and must leave for a while."
Upon hearing that he would be leaving for a while, Andrew immediately frowned.
He only had seven days left. Under these circumstances, his elder brother still wanted to leave for a while to prepare?
Ivan said, "Rest assured, I'll come back. I want to live as much as you do. But I can't kill Hubert alone; it's too difficult, even if I strike from the shadows."
Andrew was taken aback, "You have other helpers?"
Ivan chuckled, "You have your secrets, and I have mine."
With that, he gave Andrew a deep look. At this point, Ivan was almost convinced that the young man in front of him genuinely had a method to heal lung burns. And that's something that could generate enormous sensation!
Andrew was silent for a moment, finally nodding, "Alright, I won't question what preparations you need to make.
But I still want to know when you'll be back. How do I contact you?"
He stared at Ivan as he finished speaking, thinking if you don't tell me this, I can't trust you!
Fortunately, this time Ivan straightforwardly replied, "I'll be back in at most three days; that's more than enough. You don't need to contact me; I'll contact you."
After that, Ivan didn't waste any more words or give Andrew a chance to ask further questions. He put on his jacket and left directly.
Leaving Andrew quite speechless.
However, this decisive manner somehow added an extra measure of confidence in Andrew's heart.
"By the way..." After leaving the tent, Ivan shouted from afar, "There's a box of food in the corner of the tent. Take it to that mother and daughter."
Andrew was stunned, but obediently found the box, opened it, and discovered it was filled with good fruits. His eyes softened a bit.
He picked up the box and returned to the temporary camp, handing it to Aunt Sofia.
Then he temporarily put aside his various tense thoughts——
And went to sleep.
By now, the sun was fully up.
Andrew sat before the tent, basking in the sun, eating breakfast.
Successfully convincing Ivan was good, but not enough.
Today there was still the next step in the "war preparation plan," or rather, "fire extinguishing upgrade plan"… Andrew's lips curled up slightly.
Truly, continuously putting out fires brings continuous pleasure?
Getting a bit carried away now!
"Come eat fruit."
Aunt Sofia came out of the tent with little Sophie, starting to distribute the box of fruits that Ivan had sent back with Andrew last night.
This wasn't purely an act of selflessness, but rather because Aunt Sofia considered that Wildfire Town would suffer one or two "Desolate Beast waves" every year. If something happened to her and little Sophie's father during such a wave, there would still be people to help care for Sophie.
Little Sophie was very obedient as well, holding a bowl and helping her mother distribute the fruits to everyone in the camp.
As Sophie's lifesaver, Andrew naturally received the largest portion.
"Brother Andrew! Here's your fruit!"
Little Sophie approached Andrew, her face with a slight sweat, holding a plate of otherworld fruits that looked like grapes accompanied by her mother.
"No, it's your fruit."
Andrew smiled, taking one and peeling it, handing it to little Sophie.
Little Sophie glanced up at her mother, and only after getting Sofia's approval did she open her mouth to take it.
With the first bite of the fruit, the little girl's eyes widened, "Wow, so sweet! How can it be so sweet?"
Andrew chuckled.
Of course, it's sweet.
Last night, when he healed Ivan, although he stopped midway for several considerations and didn't completely heal Ivan, nor unlocked any new abilities.
However, in using the "Water Spirit Technique," he felt significantly more adept.
So, what he just fed little Sophie was no ordinary otherworld grape.
It was a supreme otherworld grape enhanced by the "Water Spirit Technique!"
With more moisture, it's naturally sweeter.
Honestly, utilizing the "Water Spirit Technique" to heal patients' lung burns was an excellent experience, but for Andrew, it always felt like he was a doctor rather than a mage.
Now, by magically making the grapes sweeter, larger, and juicier to entertain… I mean, to delight kids, it finally made Andrew feel:
Just a bit like a real mage.