A Hospital in Another World?

Chapter 138

The next morning, Garrett Nordmark joined the special forces and headed north at full speed.

He entrusted his tent, supplies, and medical equipment to Elder Hiss, carrying only a large backpack for convenience on the journey. The backpack was filled with food, water, clarified alum for purifying water, and a substantial amount of gauze bandages and medicines.

In addition, Garrett had a small pouch securely fastened around his waist. Inside the pouch were supplies for him as a healer:

- Ten bottles of minor healing potions

- Five bottles of moderate healing potions

- Two bottles of severe healing potions

- Two bottles of antidote

- Two vials of energy potions promised by Elder Hiss

In a creative move, Garrett also stuffed a bunch of things into the pouch:

- Ten small oxygen cylinders, each the size of a little finger, sealed with cork and wax. 

- Ten small test tubes, each containing 1/5 of potassium permanganate. With these items, he essentially carried 20 powerful spells. Garrett touched his pouch, feeling reassured.

Of course, there were also the mana pearls given by Master Lorenz, the wooden charm from Elder Hiss, the amulet from the bald Bishop that could activate a shield once a day, and a variety of magical items provided by Mage Linde, including offensive and defensive ones. If it weren't for Garrett's intervention, the necromancer would have unloaded his entire magical arsenal on him.

Garrett, despite appearing overly cautious, was well-prepared. The special forces he joined consisted of only 21 peopleoriginally designated for 20, but Garrett brought along his follower, expanding the count by one. There were two level-five members, three level-four, and five level-three. Garrett's strength ranked at the bottom in this group.

If he hadn't been previously injured and required healing, he wouldn't have qualified for the mission.

...Of course, Garrett's follower, the barbarian Bernard, was a level-seven warrior. Averaging it out, they were about level four. Whether this averaging was appropriate was another matter.

Even so, Garrett's meticulous and well-prepared demeanor made everyone want to laugh. Barnes, the level-five knight leading the group, rode up on his horse and tousled Garrett's hair directly:

"Bringing so much stuff, huh? Little priest, are you afraid we'll starve you, or are you afraid we'll freeze you?"

"...These are all for healing," Garrett said with a dark face, dodging Barnes' hand. "If you're capable, don't get injured from start to finish; you won't need my help."

"Did you hear that, brothers?" Barnes laughed heartily. "Our little priest says, let's not get injured from start to finish, or he won't be able to handle it!"

"Alright!"

"We promise not to need his help!"

"Little priest, just take care of yourself!"

Boisterous laughter echoed all around. Garrett wanted to shout a few more words, but as soon as he opened his mouth, a mouthful of cold wind rushed in, forcing him to pull his hood tightly.

They galloped along the west bank of the river, heading north at full speed. Garrett's riding skills were still quite ordinary, and he couldn't share a ride with the barbariantoo heavyso he had to focus on riding alone. It wasn't until the evening, during the camping, that he overheard his companions chatting about their destination:

Their mission was to follow the river downstream directly to the mouth of the Dov River and check for the fleet of the Radiant Church. If they found it, they were to intercept it if possible; if not, report back to the main camp. The main force would then cross the Dov River and head straight for the county city of Midland.

Midland County had two large cities: one was the county city, situated on the east bank of the Dov River, facing the allied forces of the Norman Count; the other was the Massa Port, located in the Burton Bay, with deep waters and calm waves, a natural and excellent harbor. According to the Earl Norman's judgment, the fleet of the Radiant Church was most likely to land at Massa Port.

"I guess by the time we get back, the battle on this side will be over!" Barnes, the knight, laughed heartily. The mage beside him pulled his hood and chuckled:

"Anyway, there are plenty of people over there; they won't miss us. The camp is noisy all day long; it's better to take a stroll outside."

Uh... Garrett felt a bit guilty as the one who had caused the most noise yesterday. A gust of cold wind blew, and he followed suit, pulling his hood half over his face.

"How long will it take us?" Garrett asked.

"At least two days, and we'll have to climb a mountain! Little priest, can you handle it?"

The boisterous laughter continued. Garrett planned his answer, relying on the boost from both magic and divine arts. After a moment of thought, he asked, "Why are we climbing a mountain if we're supposed to follow the river?"

"This river is quite tricky." Captain Barnes picked up a piece of firewood, stomped out sparks, and drew on the ground to show Garrett: "From the mouth of the river inward, dozens of miles are all cliffs. Only after passing through can we find a flat area to dock. Climbing the mountain and looking down is the most convenient we can attack, but they can't reach us!"

"The question is, can we attack?" Garrett wondered. Looking at the river not far away, the Dov River was already quite wide here, with a surface area of possibly hundreds of meters. Anchored ships on the opposite side could easily carry hundreds of people. If this was further downstream, how big would the ships need to be?

"We can definitely attack!" Captain Barnes laughed heartily, pointing to the opposite side: "Little priest, are you not a local? With just this ship, it can at most reach Som Port. Further down the river, although it's not narrow, it's full of rocks and mountains, and big ships can't pass. We're just checking if there's a small team; if there is, we'll take care of them on the fly!"

It seemed the chance of a battle wasn't very high. Garrett relaxed, picturing the terrain in his mind. He gazed at the full moon in the sky for a while, finished his routine meditation, and walked around the campfire before sinking into a deep sleep.

The next day, they rose early and traveled for most of the day, finally reaching the cliffs at the mouth of the river in the evening.

The group abandoned their horses and began ascending the mountain. Captain Barnes tied up the horses, leaped up the slope at an angle of at least 30 degrees. The level-four mage chanted a few lines, a light wind surrounded him, making him agile. With a leap, he almost caught up with the archers in front.

The other warriors were also racing, each one vying to be first. On the slope without a ready-made road, they sprinted with the momentum of a hundred-meter dash.

Garrett lagged behind alone. He looked up: climbing was possible, but with his abilities, he could only crawl up using

 hands and feet, step by step. Just as he was thinking this, suddenly, his waist tightened, his body lightened, and the ground beneath his feet retreated. Bernard, the barbarian, had picked him up and was sprinting. The level-seven warrior surged upward, as fast as a galloping horse, and soon surpassed the front of the team. Reaching the mountaintop, Garrett, looking down, took a sharp breath:

Who said big ships couldn't navigate here?

Between the canyons, the river was filled with numerous masts and sails. Dozens of masts were visible at a glance. Each mast proudly displayed the same flag: a raised arm holding a dazzling golden thunderbolt, ready to strike down at any moment.

Under the setting sun, the golden thunderbolts seemed as if they could strike the earth at any time.

"Radiant Lord!"

Beside him, Captain Barnes gritted his teeth, joints creaking.

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