Chapter 54: Gains


    The black-clad figure lay on the ground, struggling to breathe, his words barely audible. His pupils were slowly dilating, a sign that he was nearing the end.


    Han Ming placed his right hand gently on the man’s forehead, a faint blue glow emanating from his palm—water healing magic.


    The dilation of the black-clad figure’s pupils slowed, then gradually began to contract.


    Of course, this was only a temporary measure to restore a sliver of life to the man. Han Ming had struck with such force earlier that the black-clad figure’s internal organs were nearly shattered. Survival was unlikely, but Han Ming could at least keep him alive a little longer.


    Seeing the black-clad figure’s mouth move as if to speak, Han Ming’s expression turned cold. He suddenly punched the man in the mouth, shattering his teeth, and reached in to pull out a small poison capsule. Han Ming smiled with satisfaction. "Almost missed that."


    The black-clad figure’s eyes finally showed a hint of despair. Relying on Han Ming’s healing magic, he struggled to speak, each word labored. "Impressive… truly impressive… I thought your leap into the air was a mistake, but it turns out… *cough*… I was the one being played all along. What’s even more remarkable is that you’re a mage… and a Great Water Mage at that. You even knew to remove the poison capsule I had prepared for suicide… *cough*… At such a young age, to have such meticulous cunning… the younger generation is truly formidable."


    With his teeth shattered, the man’s speech was slurred and difficult to understand.


    Han Ming maintained his calm smile. From the moment the black-clad figure had begun speaking, Han Ming had been on high alert. Though their conversation had seemed calm, every word and action from the black-clad figure had been a trap, each one more insidious than the last.


    If Han Ming hadn’t been familiar with the Shadow Hall’s methods, he would have fallen for the man’s tricks. Even after the black-clad figure had been incapacitated, Han Ming had nearly let him commit suicide.


    Since arriving in this world, Han Ming had been in constant combat—from the Water God’s Cave on the underground island, to battling the garrison in Barbarian City, to slaughtering the Karlen family, and finally facing Huangying at the Magic Academy.


    In just a few short years, Han Ming had experienced countless battles, honing his mind to a razor’s edge.


    The black-clad figure was undoubtedly strong, but his strength didn’t lie in his rank or physical power. It was in his combat instincts. Every member of the Shadow Hall was a master assassin. Even if you were stronger or of a higher rank, a moment of carelessness could still lead to your death at their hands.


    They were the most professional killers.


    "So, are you going to tell me what that ‘thing’ is now?" Han Ming asked with a smile.


    The black-clad figure coughed up blood, took a few labored breaths, and then closed his eyes, refusing to speak.


    Han Ming’s expression turned icy. "You know I have countless ways to make you wish you were dead."


    The black-clad figure, eyes still closed, spoke with difficulty. "I don’t believe you… *cough*… Young man, you can’t fool me. You don’t have the aura of someone who’s killed many… *cough*… That’s something you can’t fake. It’s also why I underestimated you… *cough*… I’ve said enough. Do as you will."


    With that, the black-clad figure clenched his jaw, refusing to say another word, resigned to his fate.


    Han Ming sighed and delivered a final punch, shattering the man’s heart.


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    He had no real methods of torture, and even if he did, he lacked the cruel mindset to inflict such suffering on another living being.


    Only those with truly dark hearts could do such things, and Han Ming was not one of them.


    Shaking his head in frustration, Han Ming realized he still didn’t know what the mysterious "thing" was. All he knew was that it was likely a powerful magical beast. Beyond that, he was clueless.


    Han Ming reached into the black-clad figure’s waist and pulled out two items: a dagger and a small spatial pouch.


    Looking at the dagger, Han Ming couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease. How many weapons did this man have hidden on him? If Han Ming hadn’t sacrificed his left hand to end the fight quickly, who knows what other tricks the black-clad figure might have pulled? Han Ming’s mind was sharp, but even he had his limits. Prolonging the fight would have been disastrous. As for the wound on his left hand, Han Ming could heal it slowly with his water magic.


    Another thing Han Ming noticed was that, since activating his second-tier magic imprint, he had twice felt a strange change within his body—something different from his water magic energy. He looked down at the slow-healing wound on his hand and wondered if the Seed of Life within him was beginning to awaken. He hadn’t used any healing magic on his hand, yet it was healing on its own, albeit slowly.


    Perhaps the Seed of Life had been fully absorbed, but why was it now showing signs of revival? Han Ming couldn’t sense the Seed within him. Was it because water nourishes plants? As his water magic abilities improved and his magic core became more refined, was it subtly nurturing the Seed of Life?


    But where was the Seed? He couldn’t find it within himself. Maybe it had been fully absorbed, and he himself had become like a giant seed?


    Han Ming gave up trying to figure it out. The truth would reveal itself in time, perhaps when his water magic reached a higher level.


    Another pleasant surprise was the small spatial pouch the black-clad figure had carried. Now that the man was dead, the pouch was unclaimed. Han Ming quickly inspected it and found it to be smaller than his own five-cubic-meter pouch, holding only about two cubic meters of space.


    Most importantly, Han Ming discovered two medium-sized fire elemental magic crystals inside. He didn’t care where the black-clad figure had gotten them. All he knew was that fire elemental crystals were the most sought-after and expensive, especially medium-sized ones.


    Over the past year at the Magic Academy, Han Ming had consumed magic crystals at an alarming rate, jumping from a first-tier, first-rank mage to a second-tier, first-rank Great Mage. The cost was that he now had fewer than five hundred small magic crystals left, along with one large water elemental crystal from the Water God’s Temple.


    With these two medium fire elemental crystals, he could exchange them for small water elemental crystals. At an exchange rate of one medium crystal for one thousand small crystals, and considering the high demand for fire crystals, he could likely get around two thousand five hundred small water crystals.


    This discovery excited Han Ming.


    His unique constitution made him a bottomless pit when it came to absorbing magic energy. From a single small crystal, he could only absorb about a tenth of the energy an ordinary person could. This meant he consumed magic crystals ten times faster than others.


    To advance his magic rank, he would need to rely on vast quantities of magic crystals. Relying solely on absorbing water elements from the environment wouldn’t be enough. However, the upside was that the massive flow of magic energy through his body had greatly enhanced his sensitivity to elemental energy, far surpassing that of ordinary people.


    After storing the two medium fire crystals in his spatial pouch, Han Ming nodded in satisfaction. This trip had been quite fruitful. Two thousand five hundred small crystals would keep him going for a while.


    Pleased with his gains, Han Ming hid the bodies in the bushes and returned to the tree hollow to meditate, using water healing magic to treat the wound on his left hand.


    The long night finally passed, and the sun rose slowly.


    At the first light of dawn, Han Ming emerged from the tree hollow, gathered some dry firewood, and pulled out the simple seasonings and the meat from the beasts he had killed the previous day. He quickly prepared the meat, skewering it on sticks and roasting it over the fire.


    As the aroma of the cooking meat filled the air, Han Ming couldn’t help but recall his first meeting with Sagus.


    Back then, Sagus had been naive and weak.


    The first time he had spoken to Han Ming, it had been because he was drawn by the smell of the meat Han Ming was cooking.


    Remembering Sagus drooling over the food, Han Ming smiled faintly, feeling a warmth in his heart.


    In this world, he was no longer alone. He had two brothers and a sister.


    After finishing the meal, Han Ming stretched and packed away the remaining meat and seasonings. He then set off deeper into the Barbarian Forest.


    As he ventured further, he knew he would soon encounter magical beasts and other powerful individuals.


    The faint black mist drifting in the sky made Han Ming’s heart tighten.


    What exactly was the mysterious creature the black-clad figure had spoken of?