Chapter 512: The Road to the Adventurers Guild

The Road to the Adventurers Guild

Victor glanced at the mage.

"Please remain still."

Victor didn’t answer. He simply stood there and let the man do his work.

The mage stepped closer to his injured shoulder. He raised both hands and held them a few inches away from the wound.

A faint glow appeared around his palms.

Mana gathered between his fingers. Pale light spread through the ruined cavern, illuminating the broken rocks and bloodstained ground. The air seemed to settle around them. Even the dust floating through the light appeared to slow.

The mage took a deep breath.

Then he began the treatment.

A stream of healing mana flowed from his palms and entered Victor’s shoulder.

The effect was almost immediate.

Damaged flesh began to regenerate. Torn muscles slowly reconnected beneath the exposed tissue. Blood vessels grew back, one after another, restoring circulation to the injured area. Even the damaged nerves began to repair themselves.

Fresh skin soon started forming over the wound.

The speed of the recovery was remarkable.

Unfortunately, the process wasn’t painless.

Victor’s brow tightened as a sharp sting ran through his shoulder. The sensation spread down his arm, reaching deep into his nerves. It felt as though hundreds of tiny needles were piercing his flesh from the inside.

His jaw clenched.

His fingers curled into a fist.

That was all.

Victor didn’t make a sound. He didn’t complain or tell the mage to hurry. He simply stood there, enduring the pain with the same calm expression he’d worn before the treatment began.

Only the slight tension around his eyes betrayed his discomfort.

Diana noticed it.

So did Evelyne.

Neither woman said anything.

The mage, meanwhile, was completely absorbed in his work. Sweat had begun to gather on his forehead. He carefully controlled the flow of mana, adjusting it whenever necessary.

He couldn’t afford to make a mistake.

Victor’s injury was far more serious than an ordinary wound. Healing it required considerable skill and a tremendous amount of concentration.

This wasn’t a matter of simply closing a cut.

A large portion of flesh had been destroyed. The mage had to rebuild everything beneath it, layer by layer. The muscles needed to reconnect properly. The blood vessels had to form correctly, and the damaged nerves needed to recover without leaving behind permanent problems.

One mistake could cause lasting damage.

Fortunately, the mage knew what he was doing.

He steadied his breathing and focused on the wound.

The flow of mana became more precise.

Slowly, the injury began to disappear.

The exposed muscles were covered by new layers of tissue. The ragged edges of the wound drew together, and fresh skin spread across the damaged area.

Little by little, the terrible injury vanished.

A few moments later, the pale light around the mage’s hands began to fade.

Then it disappeared altogether.

The mage lowered his arms and released a long breath.

"Done."

Victor glanced down at his shoulder.

He rolled it once.

Then he did it again, moving the joint carefully to test its range of motion. He raised his arm, rotated his shoulder, and flexed his fingers.

Everything moved as it should.

There was no resistance. No lingering pain. Not even the slightest discomfort when he stretched his arm.

The wound had completely disappeared.

His skin was smooth and unmarked, as though the injury had never existed.

Victor moved his arm a few more times before finally seeming satisfied.

"Good."

The mage nodded, but his attention remained fixed on Victor.

He had questions.

Quite a few, actually.

The severity of the injury had already surprised him. He’d seen his fair share of wounded adventurers, but this was hardly the sort of damage a person could casually walk away from.

Yet Victor had barely reacted to the treatment.

Most people would have struggled to endure the pain. Some would have screamed. Others might have collapsed or at least asked for a moment to collect themselves.

Victor had done none of those things.

He hadn’t even bothered to sit down.

And now, with his shoulder healed, he seemed ready to leave without giving the matter another thought.

It was almost as if he’d just finished having a minor inconvenience taken care of.

What kind of man is this?

The mage couldn’t help wondering.

He opened his mouth, intending to ask a question.

Then his gaze shifted toward Evelyne.

She was already looking at him.

Her expression was perfectly calm. She wasn’t glaring at him, nor was there any obvious threat in her eyes.

Still, the mage hesitated.

There was something about her gaze that made him reconsider his decision.

He couldn’t quite explain it. Perhaps he was imagining things. But he had a feeling that satisfying his curiosity would only bring him unnecessary trouble.

And he had no particular desire to invite trouble into his life.

In the end, he decided to keep his questions to himself.

Some things were better left alone.

The mage straightened his robes and gave Victor a small bow.

"If you’ll excuse me."

Victor responded with a brief nod.

That was enough for the mage.

He turned and hurried out of the ruined cavern. His footsteps echoed through the passage, growing fainter with every step until they eventually disappeared.

Silence settled over the cavern once more.

Victor glanced toward the exit.

His shoulder was fine. He could move his arm without difficulty, and that was what mattered.

Of course, the healing hadn’t restored his entire body.

He was still exhausted. The strain of everything he’d endured weighed heavily on him, and a single healing spell couldn’t erase that kind of fatigue.

His body needed rest.

There was no denying that.

But he could walk.

He could defend himself.

And if someone decided to make trouble for him, he could still fight.

For now, that was enough.

Victor had no intention of staying in the cavern until he felt completely refreshed. He had things to take care of, and sitting around wouldn’t bring him any closer to accomplishing them.

He could rest later.

With that thought, he turned toward the exit and started walking.

His long black hair brushed against his shoulders with each step. His golden eyes remained fixed on the path ahead, showing no sign of hesitation.

He didn’t look back.

Evelyne remained where she was for a few seconds.

She watched Victor’ s retreating figure, her brows slowly drawing together.

Honestly, she couldn’ t understand him.

After everything he’d been through, she’ d expected him to t a k e a break. Anyone with that kind of injury would have wanted a comfortable bed, some proper medicine, and a few peaceful days to recover.

Victor, however, seemed completely uninterested in any of that.

He hadn’t complained about his injuries. He hadn’t asked anyone for help beyond what was necessary. Even after the mage finished treating him, he hadn’t stopped to catch his breath.

He’d simply tested his shoulder, decided it was fine, and started walking.

Just like that.

As though his own condition barely mattered.

Evelyne followed him with her eyes, a faint frown lingering on her face.

What is wrong with this man?

Was he always this stubborn?

Or was there something else going on?

She thought back to the moment when the mage had been treating his shoulder.

She’ d noticed the way Victor’ s expression had changed. The slight tightening around his eyes. The way his fingers had curled into a fist.

He had felt the pain. She was certain of it.

Yet he hadn’t uttered a single complaint.

At first, Evelyne had thought he was simply used to getting hurt.

Perhaps he’ d suffered so many injuries over the years that a little pain no longer bothered him. Maybe he’d grown accustomed to pushing through it. Some people were like that. They learned to live with pain until they barely reacted to it anymore.

But the more she thought about it, the less that explanation made sense.

There was something different about Victor.

It wasn’t just his stubbornness. Nor was it simply his ability to endure pain without complaining.

It was the way he carried himself.

Victor seemed like a man who always knew what he wanted. Once he’d made up his mind, nothing could easily change it. He wouldn’t hesitate. He wouldn’t second-guess himself. And he certainly wouldn’t stop just because his body needed a little rest.

Even when he was injured, his priorities remained the same.

His own well-being seemed to come second.

Evelyne couldn’t quite understand it.

What was driving him so hard?

He acted as though he had somewhere important to be. As if something was waiting for him, something he couldn’t afford to miss. No matter how tired he was or how badly he might be hurt, he simply kept moving.

Whatever it was, it clearly mattered to him.

Perhaps more than anything else at the moment.

The thought stirred her curiosity.

What’s going through his head?

Evelyne glanced at his back, trying to make sense of the man walking ahead of her.

What could possibly be so important that he won’t even stop to rest? He’s injured, for heaven’s sake. Would it really hurt him to take a little break?

She wanted to ask him.

More than that, she wanted to understand him.

Victor didn’t behave like the people she was used to. Most would have taken the chance to recover after a battle like that. Even the toughest adventurers knew when to slow down.

Yet here he was, walking away as though nothing had happened.

Evelyne was still lost in her thoughts when she suddenly realized something.

Victor had gotten ahead of her.

Quite a bit, actually.

"W a i t!"

She hurried after him, her footsteps quickening as she crossed the distance between them.

Fortunately, she caught up just as they reached the passage leading out of the cavern. Once she was beside him, she tilted her head and looked up at his face.

"Master, where are you going?"

Victor didn’t slow down.

He continued walking, his expression calm and his attention fixed on the path ahead.

The passage stretched before them, leading away from the wilderness and toward the city. With every step, the surroundings began to change.

The rough, broken rocks gradually gave way to a more familiar landscape. The desolate scenery fell behind them, and the distant sounds of civilization slowly reached their ears.

Voices drifted through the air.

People were talking somewhere ahead. Footsteps echoed along the road, mixing with the occasional sound of a passing carriage. The farther they walked, the more signs of ordinary life they encountered.

It was a strange contrast.

Not long ago, they’d been in a ruined cavern, surrounded by danger and the aftermath of a difficult encounter. Now, the world ahead seemed perfectly normal.

People were going about their business as usual.

Merchants would be preparing their shops for another day of business. Adventurers would be gathering information, accepting quests, or returning from their expeditions. Others would be sitting in taverns, enjoying their meals and arguing over trivial matters.

For them, it was just another day.

Whatever had happened beyond the city walls had little bearing on their lives.

The city carried on, unaware of what had taken place in the wilderness.

And Victor had no intention of wasting any more time.

His golden eyes remained fixed on the road ahead.

"I’ m going to the Adventurers Guild."

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Authors Notes: Dear Readers, Thanks so much for joining me on this adventure! Your enthusiasm, feedback, and encouragement really keep me motivated to keep bringing *Journey to Become the Zenith* into existence. If you’re loving the Chapters, I’d love it if you supported my book with a Powerstone, review, or even a Golden Ticket—it helps me develop as a writer and lets more readers enjoy the story. I look forward to hearing your ideas and thoughts, so please don’t hesitate to share!

With love,

Scorpio_saturn777

Creator of Journey to Become the Zenith

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