CHAPTER 759: WITHOUT STRENGTH, YOU CAN’T EVEN PERFORM SURGERY

Healing the wound on Archmage Byerbo’s cheek left the Level 18 healer drenched in sweat. Wiping his brow, he exclaimed to Byerbo:

"This wound is truly troublesome! Such high-density power, a dark, bloody aura... Honestly, I almost couldn’t heal it in one go!"

Archmage Byerbo thanked him profusely, offering a small gift in return—a pair of front paws from the golden cat—as a token of appreciation beyond the medical fee. Grand Mage Doane Belsa, inspecting the cat paws, suddenly realized:

"So that’s how you got injured! No wonder! I thought—"

He quickly swallowed his words. Byerbo’s face stiffened: "Thought what?"

Grand Mage Belsa smiled awkwardly, not answering but glancing at the lady nearby. Garrett bit his lip, holding back a bellyful of laughter:

What did he think happened?

Did a grapevine fall?

Or was it an encounter with a succubus, getting scratched in the face?

Speaking of which, doctors in this world have high status and bold speech. If this happened in his previous life, a doctor making such remarks would get more than just complaints—probably a punch in the face with no place to seek justice.

Feeling the awkward atmosphere, Grand Mage Belsa shifted the topic. He held the cat paws, examining them closely, squeezing a claw to retract and extend it, clicking his tongue in admiration:

"Such high-level magical beasts are not to be trifled with. Judging by its power density, it’s close to being a demigod, isn’t it?"

"It’s still an animal; as long as it hasn’t crossed that threshold, it’s manageable." Archmage Byerbo smiled proudly. Glancing at Garrett staring intently at the paws, he patted Garrett’s shoulder:

"Alright, I’ll leave you one claw to play with later. You’re not strong enough yet, so don’t scratch yourself, understood?"

Garrett: "...Okay... Thank you, senior brother..."

I don’t want to test my defenses with it! I just want to take some samples and see if there’s any special bacteria on animals from the New World!

He muttered internally, imagining drawing circles with the cat claw. Grand Mage Belsa turned to the lady, bowing slightly:

"Madam, shall we check your condition? There’s a changing room here if you need to change for the examination."

"Oh, no need." Master Philby smiled brightly. Without any visible movement, her long dress silently transformed, the sleeve on her left shoulder shrinking into a narrow strip around her neck.

Her entire left arm, along with the bandaged shoulder, was fully exposed, down to the collarbone. The bandage lifted, one, two, three loops...

Garrett took a sharp breath.

The rounded, white shoulder was covered in dark green moss, grotesque and colorful. Once exposed to air, or perhaps free from the bandage’s restraint, it stood upright, growing rapidly in the breeze.

Garrett even saw two pieces of moss touching each other, with a light "pop" sound. A small patch of moss sprouted on the floor beside them.

"Damn..."

Garrett gasped. Moss reproduces with spores! Floating spores everywhere, if they get into the lungs...

"Garrett! Step back!"

Both senior brothers and sisters commanded simultaneously. While speaking, they had already taken action:

Archmage Byerbo cast a flame shield on the ground, trapping the moss under it. Master Philby flicked her nail, lightning interweaving in the air. Amidst the crackling, countless spores turned to ash. ⱤἈℕՕβΕⱾ

Meanwhile, a soft, bright flame cloak gently enveloped Garrett’s body, expanding from inside out, clearing a three-foot radius around him, forming a golden-red barrier.

Garrett: "...Senior brother, senior sister, you’re amazing!"

He quickly darted behind his senior brother, hiding securely. Grand Mage Belsa frowned at the moss on the lady’s shoulder, then used mental power to sense it, hesitating:

"This seems to require surgical removal. Madam, do you..."

"No problem. Go ahead!"

"Please wait a moment. I’ll go to the Black Crow Swamp to get a friend. Cutting into the body is not my specialty; it’s best to invite a necromancer..."

Garrett popped his head out from behind his senior brother again.

Grand Mage Belsa’s lips moved slightly, and soon the sound of doors opening and closing was heard from outside, clearly a student running off to find help.

"I’ll do it! I’m familiar with this!"

"Don’t mess around!"

Senior brother and sister reprimanded in unison. Archmage Byerbo clasped his hands, and the flame cloak tightened, pulling Garrett back:

"Stand farther away! It’s already a hassle keeping you safe from this stuff!"

...Ugh, being weak is such a bother. Garrett lowered his head in frustration:

Being low-level, I can’t even watch a surgery, needing my senior brother and sister to protect me. Performing surgery is out of the question...

Even though senior sister is a mage, not a warrior, a Level 16 Grand Mage’s body has been strengthened many times, probably impervious to cuts. Surgical procedures would drain me dry without healing much.

While he was sulking, Grand Mage Belsa had already turned outside, his lips moving slightly.

A wisp of 【Sending】 floated by, and soon the sound of doors opening and closing was heard, a student running off to the neighboring Sleepless Tower for help.

But Garrett still wanted to struggle. He bent his left leg forward, stretched his right leg back, using all his strength to resist the flame cloak’s pull, shouting:

"I can do it! I really can! I don’t need to do it myself! I can put a skeleton in there to assist the archmage, retract hooks, pass hemostats, be an assistant! I can watch from the next room with an Arcane Eye!"

Grand Mage Belsa didn’t want to get involved in their internal disputes. Seeing the burnt green moss on the ground, he summoned two mage hands to carefully collect the ash and store it in a box.

This high-level plant that could harm an archmage was valuable even in remnants and must be collected!

Outside the moss ring, the flame shield rose, forming a net around Garrett, continuing to drag him out. Garrett struggled hard:

"If you ask someone from Black Crow Swamp, they’ll let me assist! Ask them! I’ve given lectures there! In the deep, multi-level circular lecture hall!"

With a bang, the door closed in front of him, and the flame net dissipated. The flame cloak still wrapped gently around him, flickering as if saying:

Try coming in again?

...Garrett didn’t dare. His senior brother wouldn’t kill him but would teach him a lesson, maybe burning a patch of skin, causing a treatable injury...

Wait then, Black Crow Swamp will bring him in, won’t they?

Ugh, being weak means no rights!

Garrett stared dejectedly at the door, hoping someone familiar from Black Crow Swamp would bring him in. If only he had mastered the Arcane Eye, he could send one in now...

Wait, before they arrive, at least complete the examination!

He raised his voice:

"Do a CT scan! Or at least take some X-rays! Anteroposterior, lateral views! Use 【Detect Magic】 to see where the moss roots are! It’ll help during surgery!"

If the CT scan results were out in 15 minutes, Garrett doubted it would take Black Crow Swamp people an hour to arrive...

In fact, it took less than 15 minutes. Coming to operate on a Grand Mage was a rare experience no one would miss!

In less than 20 minutes, after getting the X-rays under Garrett’s direction, the group returned, and a figure in a black robe floated over.

The newcomer greeted Grand Mage Belsa familiarly, nodded to the two from Thunder Horn. Then, seeing Garrett, he clearly hesitated:

"Master Nordmark? You’re here? You..."

With a bit of confusion in his tone, he turned to Grand Mage Belsa and the others. Garrett mentally added the narration:

With him here, why did you call me?

Grand Mage Belsa coughed, saying nothing. Senior brother glared at Garrett:

"What are you looking at? Stand outside! You’re not strong enough, it’s too dangerous here for you!"

Garrett: T_T

Garrett’s only comfort was senior brother throwing out an Arcane Eye, letting him watch from a distance outside. Then he happily saw the sterilization protocol well-executed by Black Crow Swamp.

Wash with soap water, wipe with alcohol, rinse with holy water saline. Though using holy saline instead of iodine was extravagant, it seemed effective in sterilizing.

Then, the Black Crow Swamp mage stepped back, releasing a dark gold skeleton with a scalpel to begin the operation...

Garrett: !!!

Prep the area!

Prep the area!

Surgery on the shoulder should shave the armpit hair!

Never mind, not shaving won’t matter much, just rinse with holy water more. Garrett knew if he suggested shaving now, senior sister might slap him with a mage hand, causing lumps all over his head?

He obediently shut up. In the operating room, sterilization, anesthesia, the necromancer carefully maneuvered the dark gold skeleton to make the first cut, the second cut. Blood suddenly gushed out, staining the field red.

Moss on Philby’s shoulder rapidly grew along the blood.

"Uh..."

The black-robed mage hesitated:

"Master Nordmark, maybe you should take a look?"

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