Evelyn's magic power had finally returned to its peak. At this pace, in another two days, she would reach the level of an Adept Mage.

  Originally, she had planned to find magical materials in the Misty Forest to assist in her breakthrough. Now, she could only rely on her own accumulation of mana to progress slowly. It would take longer, but it was also safer.

  What puzzled Evelyn was that she could not see through Ryan's magic level at all.

  It felt exactly like that time years ago, when she had faced the lustful thief who had dared to kiss her—his true strength had remained hidden until their final battle. Yet even then, he had died under her ultimate ice sword.

  "Perhaps it is some rare magical constitution," Evelyn thought to herself."But judging by his performance, he cannot be more than a Ninth-tier Magic Apprentice."

  To her, Ryan was merely a boy she had met by chance. Once she left Shrouded Village, their paths would part for good.

  Naturally, she had no reason to pass on her magical knowledge to someone she barely knew. In the world of magic, where the strong prey upon the weak, compassion was often a fatal weakness.

  What she did not know was that Ryan's ability to conceal his true strength came entirely from the Grimoire within his mind. That was the source of his confidence—the reason he dared to travel with Evelyn without fear.

  "Evelyn, are you still awake?"

  Ryan's soft voice broke the silence.

  He was curled up on the mat, covered by a thin wool blanket. The herbs on his back still emitted a faint coolness that made him shiver.

  "Do you need something?" Evelyn replied, eyes still closed.

  "I'm a little cold," Ryan said, his tone full of quiet grievance. He could feel the chill seeping through the tiny gaps in the blanket.

  "Endure it yourself," Evelyn answered without hesitation.

  Ryan rolled his eyes in the dark, silently complaining, This woman has no warmth in her at all!

  He didn't dare pull the blanket higher. The Moonlight Herbs on his back had just been replaced—if they came loose, he would not only lose the healing effect but also have to endure the agony of reapplying them.

  With no better option, Ryan wrapped the blanket tightly around his lower body, curled up carefully to avoid touching the wound, and slowly closed his eyes in the cold night air.

  The next few days of recovery were dull but disciplined. During the day, Ryan rested in the wooden cabin, sometimes listening to villagers share amusing stories.

  At night, however, he had to endure what felt like torture. Evelyn came on time every evening to change the herbs, and to keep him from moving, she used enchanted vines to secure his limbs to the edges of the bed.

  "It hurts! Be gentle!"

  "Are you treating me or tearing my flesh off?"

  Every night, Ryan's cries echoed through the cabin. At first, the villagers would rush over in worry, but as days passed, they grew used to it.

  By the seventh day, when Evelyn bound him with vines once more, Ryan no longer flinched.

  It wasn't that he no longer felt pain—it was simply that he had gone numb from feeling it too many times.

  ......

  Eighth Morning

  The morning in Shrouded Village was unusually quiet. The familiar cries from the past seven nights were gone, leaving the villagers somewhat unsettled.

  As they passed Ryan's cabin, they would instinctively pause and listen, only moving on after confirming there was no movement.

  "The preserved monster meat is almost gone. We'll need to hunt some game at the forest edge again," the middle-aged team leader said to his five companions.

  The six hunters checked their equipment and offered prayers to the World Tree, a tradition passed down through generations, asking for safety during the hunt.

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  Evelyn had already distributed the bodies of the Ram-headed Charger and the tree leopard to the villagers.

  Now, aside from the remaining jerky, the village had very little stored food.

  Ryan watched the hunters disappear into the forest, quietly calculating in his mind. The danger to Shrouded Village had been resolved, the mission completed, and it was time to leave.

  "Village chief, do you have paper and ink?" Ryan asked Barret. He needed to write something to leave for the villagers as a farewell gift.

  Barret hesitated for a moment, then shook his head with a smile."We only have ordinary parchment for rituals and ink made from berries. If you don't mind, I can go get it."

  Soon, Barret returned with a roll of rough parchment and a small jar of dark purple ink.

  Ryan took them, smiling as he joked,"No problem, this will do just fine."

  "By the way, village chief, when the village prospers, you owe me a statue," Ryan said half-jokingly as he unrolled the parchment.

  What he truly wanted to record were advanced defensive magic techniques and hunting skills, such as fire enchantments, spike trap designs, and monster tracking methods.

  These fundamental magical techniques were far more useful to the villagers than any ordinary gift. They would make survival on the edge of the Misty Forest much easier.

  For Ryan, this was also a form of magical merit. Accumulating goodwill would make future endeavors smoother.

  Breaking through a magical level during an elemental storm took two forms. A dark mage with bloodied hands often faced a corrupting elemental storm.

  A mage with goodwill, however, would encounter a pure elemental storm. Even powerful elements were weakened in effect, while the mage's body and magic became significantly more harmonized.

  Suddenly, Barret dropped to his knees. Ryan was startled and quickly reached out to support him."Village chief, what are you doing? Get up!"

  Barret gripped Ryan's hand tightly, his voice choked with emotion."You're leaving? On behalf of the entire village, thank you! We will remember this kindness for the rest of our lives!"

  Ryan waved his hand to ease the tension, smiling."You're too kind. I only did what I could. If anyone deserves thanks, it's Evelyn. She's the one who truly resolved the crisis."

  He paused, then returned to his earlier joking remark."But if you insist on remembering, once the village is stable, a small statue for me would be enough—pray that my magical advancement goes smoothly."

  "Absolutely!" Barret nodded repeatedly, tears welling in his eyes."We'll make a statue for you, and one for Evelyn too!"

  After chatting briefly about village matters, Ryan took his leave.

  --------

  Back in the cabin, Ryan immediately unrolled the parchment and began writing. He intended to record the advanced defensive magic in full.

  This set of defensive spells not only enhanced physical protection but could also form a rock shield in combat, proving more practical than any weapon.

  Thanks to the memory storage function of the Grimoire, every magical rune and casting step was clearly imprinted in his mind, leaving no risk of omission.

  In less than an hour, three rolls of parchment were filled with neatly written magical runes, each detail carefully annotated. From basic mana channeling methods to advanced shield enhancement techniques, even the rune drawing sequences that beginners often mishandle were marked with ink for clarity.

  By the afternoon, the hunting team returned. The members bore minor injuries, some carried a few beasts, while others lugged a Ram-headed Charger, showing that this hunt had not been easy.

  The villagers immediately set to work, cleaning and preparing the monster meat.

  Ryan waited until evening but saw no sign of Evelyn. A twinge of worry crept in. He was not concerned about her safety—her strength was undeniable—but he wondered if she might leave early.

  He also thought about leaving Shrouded Village and whether he could leave a lasting, heroic impression in her mind.

  At dinner, Ryan approached the hunting team leader, Matt, handing over the freshly written parchment."Here, take this."

  Matt unrolled the parchment and examined it. The magical runes shimmered faintly. Just by looking at the complexity of the runes, he knew this was advanced defensive magic.

  "This is far too valuable. Ryan, you should take it back!" Matt hurriedly tried to return the parchment. At this level, defensive magic could fetch an astronomical price on the market, yet Ryan was giving it away.

  "Take it, I said." Ryan pushed the parchment back."Let the villagers practice, especially the hunters. Don't you want them to survive more safely on the edge of the Misty Forest?"

  Matt looked at the parchment and then at Ryan's sincere expression. After a moment of hesitation, he accepted it.

  He held it tightly, his voice trembling."Thank you! I will make sure everyone practices properly and will not waste your kindness!"

  Ryan patted his shoulder and smiled, giving a final reminder."Practice diligently, and keep this quiet from outsiders."

  "Understood!" Matt nodded firmly, carefully tucking the parchment to his chest as if it were the most precious treasure.

  At that moment, a loud crash shattered the lively scene.

  Everyone turned toward the sound and saw Evelyn staggering into the village from a breach in the protective barrier. Her robe was torn in multiple places, and her body was covered in injuries.

  The protective barrier was Shrouded Village's magic, but now it had been forcefully split open.

  Even more terrifying, a skeletal rider followed her, mounted on a skeletal horse.

  The rider was clad in black armor, empty eye sockets burning with eerie green flames. In his hand was a massive blade radiating death energy—a high-level undead entity.

  As soon as the undead knight landed, he raised his giant blade and swung it down at Evelyn with deadly force.

  Evelyn hastily raised her ultimate ice sword to block. There was a crisp clash, and the impact sent her flying into the cabin's stone wall, a trickle of blood escaping her mouth.

  The barrier at the village entrance began to visibly repair itself, but the howls from outside were growing louder. Clearly, countless undead gathered beyond the barrier, only temporarily held back. Fortunately, for now, only this undead knight had breached the village.

  Suddenly, the World Tree at the village entrance emitted a faint glow. Its branches extended rapidly like whips, lashing toward the undead knight's head.

  This was the World Tree's active defense magic, triggered only when the village faced a mortal threat.

  The undead knight reacted with remarkable speed, raising his massive blade to block the strike.