Having returned to his small courtyard, Komer didn't go back to bed, despite the headache from last night's drinking; but as a Mage who dabbled extensively even in Pharmacology, he had many ways to adjust his condition. A dose of Refreshing Liquid was quickly concocted, and after ingestion, Komer immediately felt much more comfortable.
This skill was something Komer acquired from a wandering herbalist in exchange for a scroll of Intermediate Illusion Magic from the Light Magic Series. Of course, for such an illusion, the exchange was not just a simple recipe for Refreshing Liquid, but also included the formula for a neutralizing solution specifically for neurotoxicity, which was his main target for the trade.
The Illusion Magic initially was a Light-based phantasmal spell, mainly used in combat to deceive and disrupt opponents. Due to its low magic power consumption, it was quite an effective minor spell.
However, the herbalist was a Beastman who frequented forests and mountainous areas infested with Magical Beasts, facing dangers at any moment. Having an illusionary double could greatly reduce his chances of getting injured or even killed.
Beastmen were always scorned by Mortals, and for them to learn magic from the proud Mages among Mortals was wishful thinking. Fortunately, Komer wasn't one to fuss over unimportant details, and the Beastman's antidote recipe was indeed a great attraction. Therefore, they made the trade without anyone else's knowledge, after much haggling.
Komer also gave his counterpart three special Magic Crystals, each able to be used once in conjunction with the scroll to cast an illusion. And as a gift, the generous Beastman herbalist bestowed upon him the formula for the Refreshing Liquid as a bonus.
Feeling much better, Komer carefully looked around to make sure no one was spying before he quietly pulled out a hidden chest from under his bed.
A delicate Jade Lock looked rather exquisite, but this lock was not to be underestimated; made from corundum by Komer himself, it was imbued with fire Magic plus an attack spell from the Dark Series. If someone dared to forcefully break the lock, they would suffer an Attack from the subtle Dark Yin Fire.
This Dark Yin Fire was exceptionally insidious: silent, invisible, colorless, odorless, so most people couldn't detect it at all. Maybe one would only realize they were injured when the symptoms appeared, but by then, the damage would be serious, and recovery would come at a significant cost.
Upon opening the Jade Lock, Komer carefully extracted a pocket pouch that he always carried with him, and after chanting for a while, the pouch gradually opened, slowly inflating like filled with wind, its bizarre patterns becoming even more eerie in this peculiar setting. A Corpse quietly slid out from the pocket—none other than the anonymous one obtained from the Thunderhorse Knight Group.
Having been home for a while now, Komer hadn't spent much thought on this matter, especially at his own place. If outsiders discovered not only his proficiency in Magic but also his foray into necromantic arts, it could create quite a stir. In such sensitive times, Komer did not want to invite trouble upon himself.
The Corpse soon returned to its original size; the venom of the Sappan Wood had completely permeated its insides, causing the skin exposed on the surface to present a golden hue. The face and the exposed parts of the hands shone with a golden brilliance as if it were a copper statue. The pitch-black ring on the left ring finger was particularly eye-catching.
Komer carefully observed the Corpse standing before him. One could say this guy had a rather untrustworthy appearance, and at a glance, didn't seem like anyone decent. Komer might even take him for a common and crass Thief if he were out and about. However, outward appearances often don't represent the true nature of things.
For instance, this guy managed to escape from the Thunderhorse Knights time after time, and even the Corps Commander of the Thunderhorse Knight Group personally took action against him. If this guy didn't possess some real skills, wouldn't the Thunderhorse Knights be paper tigers?
Komer couldn't guess the true level of the Thunderhorse Knight Group, but judging from his narrow escape from death and the display last night, Komer could only describe them as unfathomably skilled, beyond the challenge of ordinary people. So this deceased fellow piqued Komer's curiosity even more.
Dressed in black-gray, this person was all set for swift movement; a typical night wanderer's attire. Apart from a rather concealed waist pack, his attire was very neat, and there was even a peculiar scent clinging to his outer garment.
Many might not recognize the smell, but Komer, who had roamed the outside world for years, was familiar with it. It was a substance used by Thieves to evade pursuit from trained animals like Hunting dogs and mastiffs. Containing stimulant spices, it could confuse and scatter the olfactory senses of animals, causing them to lose their sense of smell, an essential tool for a Thief.
Apart from the items found on the man, Komer didn't find anything particularly remarkable about him.
Komer couldn't understand why the Thunderhorse Knights valued this man so greatly. If he had stolen something important from either the Thunderhorse Knight Group or the Holy Church, why did they hurriedly leave without searching the body after disposing of him? It was clear they only wanted to eliminate this man, but why did they follow the Murray River downstream to Cyprus City afterward?
When Komer had just disembarked, he clearly saw the Knights' ship docking as well. Although those men hadn't confronted him directly, the sensitive Komer quickly left the contentious area of the dock.
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Although the incident last night did not seem particularly suspicious to outsiders, with his increasingly acute spiritual sense, Komer could assert that those guys were looking for him. Even though they did not realize he was the one who had escaped in the oak forest, the doubtful gaze of the middle-aged man still sent chills down Komer's spine. They were definitely searching for him, to be precise, the person who had taken the corpse.
Komer took out a small hammer from his waist pocket and carefully tapped on the body that had been soaked with Sappan Wood poison. From the forehead to the shoulder, the forearm, and then to the waist, the thigh, and the calf, from the muscles to the joints and bones, Komer examined each part meticulously. This corpse brought him many puzzles, yet no one could provide the answers.
This man must have practiced martial arts for a certain time, but Komer did not know to what level he had attained. The well-proportioned torso and the sturdy, elongated thighs and calves, the elastic lumbar and gluteal muscles, all indicated that this person had been practicing superior martial arts for more than a year or two. Flipping open the eyelid to inspect, the dilated pupils were gray-brown, and the absence of blood vessels in the eyeball proved that he had specially trained in night vision. All this made the man's identity seem extraordinarily complex. Why then did he become a thief?
The items carried on him were not only of high quality, but some were even things money couldn't buy, which puzzled Komer.
Though valuable, these items were not sufficient to cause the knights of the Church of Light's Thunderhorse Knight Group to pursue him for thousands of miles. Komer had to admit that the Church of Light was quite concerned about its reputation. Unless one was utterly despicable, it was rare to hear of them carrying out annihilative actions.
Moreover, according to his observations at the scene, it looked like the knights were ordered by the so-called Archbishop to slay the man, yet they did not mention the reason for such punishment.
It seemed that the knights themselves were not clear about the inside story. Once their mission was completed, they merely buried the body hastily without any thorough search. Perhaps searching a dead person's body didn't fit their proud knightly style, but why then did they suddenly come to Cyprus in search of him?
Komer also wondered if he might have misjudged the situation and that the other party was not actually looking for him. However, his sharp intuition forced him to trust his judgment, especially because, erring on the side of caution, Komer would rather recede than reveal his own background and identity.
He took out a pair of exquisite white silk gloves and put them on with great care, then gently lifted the black outfits from the corpse's body with his thumb and forefinger. The fabric was very smooth, and by touch, it felt like a very comfortable silk material. Komer sensed that the fabric's costliness went without saying, and it also had a faint flow of magic power attached to it.
It was obviously enchanted with advanced wind magic, not only reducing the resistance the wearer faced while moving quickly but also significantly silencing the sound of clothing rubbing against the wind in quiet environments.
This might be worthless to ordinary people, but for a thief, especially a high-level thief, moving through heavily guarded forbidden areas and facing defenders with keen senses, this could greatly reduce the chances of being detected.
Komer exhaled softly and nodded; this was indeed the work of a professional thief. According to his estimation, this man had been quite successful in protecting and defending himself.
Underneath the light silk outfit was another layer of armor that was incredibly soft, light, and yet sturdy. Komer examined the armor for a while but couldn't recognize the material; he guessed it was probably tanned from the skin of some special animal or magical beast. It was exceptionally tough and seemed to have some special protective ability.
Komer took out a gold needle from his pouch and tried to stab the armor. Despite using all his strength, he encountered significant resistance. Clearly, the armor had metal-resistant properties, yet Sappan Wood could easily penetrate it.
This only meant that the man was fated to endure such a plight, coincidentally encountering an arrow made of Sappan Wood.
A bit tired, Komer removed the gloves and sat back in his round chair which had accompanied him for over a decade, blankly staring at the corpse standing before him.
To be honest, it was indeed a rare specimen. With some effort, he could probably refine it into a Golden Corpse or even a Divine Corpse. However, refining such advanced materials not only required a lot of energy, but the necessary components were all prohibitively expensive. With his current financial status, he simply couldn't afford it, but it was too much of a pity to pass up such an opportunity.
With a sigh, Komer waved his hand, murmuring indistinctly in his throat, and the corpse obediently shrank and retracted into the floating pocket in midair.
He would wait and see for a while longer. His coming-of-age ceremony was still pending, and everything was uncertain. Maybe once it passed, he would have to pack up and leave. But it seemed there might still be a chance for compromise. A sly smile appeared on Komer's face.
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