CH207
This was Helag's plan; he never intended for the Dark Orb to directly harm Cole.
As long as it could disrupt or hinder Cole's movements, it was enough.
Helag was faster than Cole, and any slight hindrance allowed him to close the gap significantly.
Cole slowed to avoid the Dark Orb, and in a blink, Helag had shortened the distance.
Cole hesitated briefly, then continued forward, intent on escaping quickly.
Helag unleashed a barrage of Dark Orbs, forcing Cole into a desperate evasion.
Under normal circumstances, Cole wouldn't flee so haphazardly.
As a mid-level spellcaster, he could have fought Helag.
But now, Cole knew he couldn't delay and had to leave quickly.
This forced him into a defensive position.
Cole initially thought Helag was a close-combat spellcaster, not expecting such proficiency in spell attacks.
"Long Stride."
Seeing the distance was close enough, Helag used Long Stride, instantly appearing three meters behind Cole.
Startled, Cole turned, forming a Wind Arrow to hinder Helag.
In the next second, Helag vanished.
Cole quickly realized, "That teleportation spell again!"
Without hesitation, he rolled to the side.
Helag's punch missed, and he remarked, "Quick reflexes."
"Dark Imprisonment!"
Cole froze, attempting to rise but found himself immobilized.
Normally, this binding spell would only hold him for a fraction of a second.
But for Helag, that was enough; they were less than three meters apart.
A fraction of a second was ample time for many actions.
Boom!
A loud crash sent up a cloud of dust.
Cole lay in a crater, his body bent awkwardly at the waist.
Helag's punch had used full force, striking Cole's tailbone.
Though conscious, Cole glared at Helag.
His limbs twitched uncontrollably, his body beyond his control.
"Can't run now. A mid-level spellcaster is too valuable to kill; he must be kept."
Mid-level spellcasters held significant research value, so Helag wouldn't kill him.
These achievements would enhance his evaluation at Base 27.
Helag crouched, taking the wooden longbow from Cole's hand.
Holding it, Helag felt a peculiar sensation.
He instinctively felt a sense of familiarity.
Why did a wooden longbow feel familiar?
Observing it, Helag realized the bow's aura felt familiar, almost nostalgic.
He glanced at Cole, asking, "What's this bow called? How do you use it?"
Cole remained silent, coldly staring.
Helag expected no answer and didn't press further.
He attempted to draw the bow like Cole.
The bow was harder to draw than expected, requiring great strength.
As Helag fully drew it, a green arrow formed.
Simultaneously, Helag felt something within him flow into the arrow.
Whoosh!
Releasing the green string, the arrow flew and vanished.
Moments later, it reappeared before a distant boulder, exploding.
"Feeling more fatigued… It seems each shot drains physical strength…"
Helag understood the bow's peculiar nature.
The cost of using the bow was physical stamina; each arrow drained significant energy.
Even a great knight and mid-level spellcaster like Cole couldn't sustain many shots.
Helag considered, but he was different.
In his current state, his physical attributes were exceptional.
The recent shot only slightly drained his stamina.
But the loss was negligible; stamina was his least concern.
Helag estimated he could shoot dozens, even hundreds of arrows without issue.
The bow's ordinary arrow had 19 units of attack strength.
A crystalline wizard like Malcolm's basic spell had 21 units.
Helag now had a high-strength, sustained combat option.
During the fight with Cole, Helag noticed his limitations.
His strength lay in close combat, using immense physical power to subdue foes.
But against strong, fleeing enemies, he had few options.
His ranged attacks were limited to a few spells.
Those spells lacked sufficient attack strength.
Now, with the longbow, his ranged capabilities were bolstered.
Helag stored the bow in his space ring, waiting by Cole for Reese to bring others from the base.
Soon, Reese arrived with several people, including Kane.
"You handled him alone?" Kane asked, surprised at Cole's immobilized state.
Helag shook his head, "David helped, but he's injured."
He didn't claim all the credit.
Kane nodded, "Impressive, a mid-level spellcaster. You've earned great merit. What will you do with him? Keep him or give him to the base?"
Helag glanced at David, asking, "I'll give him to the base. What do you think, David?"
"I agree," David nodded.
David felt he hadn't contributed much.
Helag mentioned him to share the credit, adding to David's merit.
Grateful, David had no objections.
Cole was subdued by Helag alone, so it was his decision.
Kane said, "I'll take him back. This will be documented, aiding your future evaluations."
"Once his belongings are sorted, you can take what you need or convert them to magic stones."
Cole likely had valuable items, but Helag hadn't searched thoroughly, only taking the longbow.
Helag felt the bow was Cole's most valuable possession, quite unique.
The bases in the Land of Dawn were fair.
In the war effort, fairness was crucial.
Letting all wizards see that effort led to rewards encouraged genuine participation in the war effort.
CH208
Back at Base 27, Cole was taken away by Kane for a private "interview."
As the first mid-level spellcaster captured by Base 27, Cole's value needed careful and patient extraction.
Upon entering Base 27, Cole was shocked.
Seeing Parker, he sensed the immense magical aura and his mind raced with thoughts.
In recent years, Cole had traveled extensively, knowing that the Norn Kingdom was a remote kingdom in the elven plane.
Spellcasters were few, and powerful ones even rarer.
A magician like Severus was considered top-tier in the Norn Kingdom.
Through his travels, Cole gained deeper insight into the world.
The more he saw, the more humble he became, realizing his talents were not exceptional.
He never expected such powerful spellcasters in the desolate Lim Mountains.
Magicians and grand magicians were present—what were they doing here?
Cole pondered this question, unable to gather information due to the language barrier.
"What language is this?"
Confused, Cole had traveled widely but never heard this language.
He never considered Helag and his group might be from another plane.
He speculated they were distant spellcasters gathering for unknown purposes.
Cole couldn't fathom their goals; conquering the Norn Kingdom seemed impossible.
With their strength, they could easily conquer a kingdom, yet they hid in the Lim Mountains, indicating other motives.
Cole's experience hadn't exposed him to planar warfare, so he didn't consider it.
This made Base 27's actions seem strange to Cole.
Why were such powerful individuals hiding in a mountain range?
The surroundings lacked high-value resources.
In Base 27, Cole saw female adventurers, realizing those who vanished in the mountains were either dead or captured.
Cole knew he wouldn't be returning.
***
Back in his cabin, Helag was greeted by Asna, who helped him change clothes and made coffee.
Helag pondered issues; the patrol faced a liquefied wizard-level task.
Next time, the enemy might be stronger.
If a crystalline wizard, he could manage.
But against stronger second or third-level wizards, he might not return to report.
Surviving five months, the remaining seven seemed daunting.
Seated, Helag sipped Asna's coffee, the aroma filling the cabin, the firelight adding warmth.
A wooden rack held clothes, Helag's and Asna's, including black and white stockings from his space ring.
Previously bought for Shatia, the leftovers suited Asna.
Asna shyly washed and hung them to dry, drying them by the fire when possible.
Unable to go outside, she couldn't hang clothes out, especially intimate ones.
Wearing over-the-knee black stockings, Asna awaited Helag's instructions.
"Sit here," Helag patted the spot beside him.
Asna sat obediently.
Helag rested his head on her lap, feeling her soft skin.
He closed his eyes, contemplating future plans.
Asna remained still, her breath brushing Helag's face.
"Still hurt?" Helag asked.
Asna blushed, "A little…"
Her voice grew faint.
Helag, eyes closed, said, "Rest well tonight."
Though resting, his hands remained busy.
"Mm~"
***
Base 27, basement.
Beyond surface structures, Base 27 had seven underground levels.
Helag hadn't ventured down, requiring permission.
In an interrogation room, Cole was bound to a cross, secured by anti-magic chains.
"I'll ask questions, you answer. Silence is futile; using spells for inquiry may damage your mind. As a valuable mid-level spellcaster, I don't want to ruin this research material."
Parker spoke from a chair.
Cole, silent until now, asked, "Who are you?"
His curiosity persisted.
"We're seekers of truth," Parker smiled.
"Truth? Are you a church?" Cole assumed they were religious.
Parker shook his head, "No, we wizards don't worship gods."
"Wizards?" Cole heard the term for the first time.
"We're similar to your spellcasters, with slight differences in power systems," Parker explained.
"Why haven't I heard of this?" Cole wondered.
Parker produced scissors, "You don't need to know. There's much you haven't heard. Answer my questions; silence or lies will cost you a body part."
Parker brandished the scissors, their cold gleam threatening.
Cole's mind raced, unable to grasp their purpose.
Wizards?
Even Severus likely hadn't heard the term.
Which faction did they belong to?
No time to ponder, Parker's questions began.
***
Two weeks later, Oberstein border camp.
Tyron paced anxiously, asking, "Has Mr. Cole returned?"
The messenger lowered his head, "We've monitored the Lim Mountains, but there's no activity or sign of anyone leaving. Could Mr. Cole have…"