Malcolm's threat was clear: unless Helag stayed in Moonlight Forest forever, Malcolm would come after him.
After some thought, Malcolm decided to leave for now.
Barty was too formidable to defeat, and taking Helag from him was nearly impossible.
Malcolm glanced at Barty before riding his night steed away.
Barty watched him leave without attempting to stop him.
He didn't want to stir up more trouble during this critical ceasefire period.
Barty looked down at Helag. "Let's get you back to the forest. I'll notify Larry."
He knew Helag was Larry's student. Though Helag's injuries were severe, they weren't fatal.
Barty summoned a giant leaf, and with a flick of his finger, Helag floated onto it. Barty stepped onto the leaf as well.
Once they were both on, the leaf accelerated towards Moonlight Forest.
"Mr. Barty, wait for me!" Fred shouted from below.
"More weight means more burden. You return to the station and continue your duties," Barty's voice echoed from the sky.
Fred watched the leaf disappear into the distance, then glanced nervously in Malcolm's direction.
If Malcolm returned, Fred knew he wouldn't stand a chance.
He wasn't as strong as Helag and wouldn't last a second against Malcolm.
The giant trees summoned by Barty still surrounded the area.
Fred climbed down from a tree, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and started running back.
***
Three days later.
Helag slowly regained consciousness after three days, feeling a splitting headache and pain all over his body.
"You're awake?" a gentle female voice said.
As his awareness returned, Helag realized he was lying in his bedroom at home, with Bessie sitting beside him.
"Bessie? What are you doing here?" Helag asked, surprised.
"Don't talk too much; you're not fully recovered yet. Mr. Larry just left. He's been treating you these past few days. Your broken bones are set, but you need rest. I don't know much about healing, so I stayed to care for you," Bessie explained.
"Thank you," Helag said, finding it difficult even to lift his head.
"Deep Blue, assess my current physical condition."
[Multiple fractures, all set—extensive soft tissue injuries. Punctured lung from broken ribs, now repaired. Liver rupture with severe bleeding, now repaired…
Body is in a critical recovery state, estimated to need one month of rest for a full recovery.]
Helag sighed at Deep Blue's report. "I almost didn't make it."
Facing a formal wizard for the first time, the power gap left him feeling utterly helpless. Despite his best efforts, he barely survived.
Luckily, Barty arrived in time. Otherwise, he would be in Malcolm's lab, dissected for study.
"Water," Helag croaked, his lips parched.
Bessie quickly poured a glass of water, gently helping Helag sit up and placing a soft pillow behind him before slowly feeding him the water.
"Thank you," Helag said gratefully.
"It's nothing. We're friends," Bessie smiled.
Helag noticed she was dressed conservatively today, unlike her previous seductive attire.
"How long was I unconscious?" he asked.
"Three days," Bessie replied. "Mr. Larry said your body is incredibly resilient. Normally, someone with such severe injuries wouldn't wake up for at least ten days."
Helag knew it was due to his strong constitution, but compared to a formal wizard, he was still too weak. "I almost didn't make it back."
Bessie quickly reassured him, "No, you're amazing. Malcolm is a first-level crystallized wizard, and you managed to hold out until Mr. Barty arrived. That's incredible. Almost no third-level apprentice could do what you did."
The gap between formal wizards and apprentices was vast, their power levels were worlds apart.
Normally, Helag should have been killed instantly.
Helag forced a smile, appreciating the compliment but feeling a deep sense of frustration.
"I must become a formal wizard!"
After facing death, Helag's desire for power grew stronger.
After drinking some water and eating a little, Helag lay back down and began meditating.
"You're so diligent. No wonder you progress so quickly. Mr. Larry said meditation can speed up recovery, but don't overdo it. You still need rest," Bessie reminded him before gently closing the door, leaving Helag to meditate.
In his mind, the second constellation diagram lit up a star.
The Starry Sky Meditation Technique allowed third-level apprentices to light up five stars; Helag had four more to go.
His current mental power is 18.6. He estimated that mastering the Starry Sky Meditation Technique could raise it to 24 or 25.
Typically, third-level apprentices needed around 20 mental power to advance. If Helag could advance with 24 or 25, it would be highly advantageous.
"Meditate to the limit before advancing."
Despite his eagerness to grow stronger, Helag remained patient.
He could advance once his mental power reached 20, but he aimed for perfection and planned to fully prepare before advancing.
***
Half a month later.
Helag could now get out of bed and walk slowly, recovering faster than expected.
"Maybe it's related to the Starry Sky Meditation Technique," he speculated.
After recent meditations, the twelfth star was nearly solidified, and expected to be completed in two or three days.
As Bessie helped him to the living room, someone knocked on the door downstairs.
"I'll get it," Bessie said, helping him to the sofa before going to answer the door.
Through Deep Blue's perception, Helag saw a middle-aged man with round glasses and strong mana fluctuations, indicating he was a powerful first-level formal wizard.
"I don't know him. Why is he here?" Helag wondered.
He observed the interaction and saw Bessie greet the man respectfully, indicating his high status.
Bessie led the man upstairs, who then addressed Helag. "I am Salin Ellison, one of the current administrators of Moonlight Forest."