A Hospital in Another World? C.297

"Ahahahahahahahah—"

Garrett Nordmark’s scream echoed through the night sky. Atop the Tower of Heaven, a beam of white light immediately shot down, enveloping Garrett’s forehead. Just as Garrett felt a bit relieved, the white light swept out... and out... and out...

Who’s controlling the searchlight? It couldn’t be someone from Black Crow Swamp, could it? freeweɓnovel.cѳm

From a height of over 200 meters, I’d probably be smashed to pieces, unable to become a lich!

Garrett thought indignantly. The next moment, his shoulder blades suddenly tightened, and his falling speed slowed down.

Twisting his head, Garrett saw a pair of wings stretching out from his back, semi-transparent and shimmering. The wingspan... forgive him for his inability to estimate, but just one wing was more than twice his own height.

With a flap of those wings, they then spread out smoothly and stayed motionless. The mountain wind, robust under the wings, immediately turned his fall into a glide.

Looking left, Mage Morton glanced at him with an indescribable expression; looking right, Archmage Carlisle’s face was full of frustration, pointing a finger, a breeze carrying his voice, whispering into Garrett’s eardrum:

"...How could you scream like that? With us two great magicians here, why would you think you’d fall to your death?—If all else fails, you should’ve cast Featherfall!"

...I was just worried you two might leave me hanging, each thinking the other would take care of me... As for Featherfall, honestly, I just forgot about it in the panic...

Garrett sheepishly admitted. Indeed, it was my own oversight, but Mage Morton went too far! Not a word before leaping off the cliff with me!

Given the circumstances, with someone else’s summoned wings still attached to his back, he couldn’t protest on the spot. With a flick of his finger, Mage Morton gently directed the wings to change direction, circling in the air before descending. What might have taken over an hour to run on the ground, they landed gently within a quarter of an hour.

The ethereal wings silently shattered, turning into specks of starlight that returned to Mage Morton’s palm. This great magician then cast a spell, pointing in the direction it drifted:

"This way!"

Garrett had to cast several acceleration spells on himself to keep up with the two great magicians. The night was deep, and the Chaos Magic Academy was quiet, yet as they approached the laboratory, they saw a light inside. Moving closer, they heard a voice with a changing pitch inside:

"Look, Mentor, just like this!—Cultivating this mold and injecting it into sick mice, out of twenty mice, ten survived!"

"Hmm..."

"Mentor, please study it! Didn’t you say, when it comes to medicine, our Curse Magic Department’s medical branch is supreme! Those priests and whatnot, they’re just following the path we created. They can’t even draw a spell model! When it comes to researching cures, it still has to be us!"

"..."

Silence fell in the laboratory for a moment. Archmage Carlisle’s brows furrowed, about to kick the door open, but was stopped by Mage Morton raising his hand. This medical branch magician quietly looked ahead, his red hair unmoving in the night wind, like a solidified flame. Garrett felt the air thin around him just by looking at him.

The sound of pouring water, glass clinking, bubbling. Soon, the voice persuaded again:

"Mentor, I think we should prioritize this research. It’s one thing for priests to take over healing, but we can’t let the Energy Shaping Department overshadow us! That magician is only level 3, he can’t compare to you in research!"

"Enough, Kevin." Another voice finally spoke. "This is not right. After all, it’s someone else’s discovery, how can I justify researching it?"

"But Mentor! This mold isn’t exclusive to the outside! It originally comes from various tree roots, grass, soil!—Mentor, didn’t you say, you’re only 200 research points away from leveling up? This project, if completed, is definitely worth more than 200 points!"

"...I’ll think about it..."

"What’s there to think about!" Mage Morton finally spoke up, waving his hand, and the door burst open. Two exclamations sounded in the laboratory, which turned into panic as Mage Morton stepped in:

"Mentor... Mentor!"

Mage Morton, furious, swept his gaze around. His own disciple, Billy O’Gran, stood before him, speechless and flushed;

On the experiment table, green mold dotted the glass bottles;

Standing beside the experiment table was the young man he had seen on the screen not long ago!

Mage Morton glared at his

disciple, his red hair moving as if aflame without any wind. Even though Billy O’Gran wasn’t one of his most valued disciples, and his talent was so mediocre that he had received little direct guidance in recent years, the actions of a disciple could still tarnish the honor of the school.

Even if this kid was just hesitating and hadn’t actually committed the theft, if word got out, even he would lose face at the summit!

"...I truly did not expect, my disciple, to contemplate researching stolen goods!!!"

He spat out through clenched teeth. Without waiting for O’Gran’s defense, he turned solemnly to Archmage Carlisle and Garrett Nordmark, bowing deeply:

"My disciple’s tolerance of theft is a failure of my teachings. —Whatever the punishment or compensation today, I will comply, even if it means compensating with my laboratory, I have no objections!"

He was resolute. Archmage Carlisle scoffed:

"We don’t need the laboratory. Our Garrett also has a Mage Tower, not to mention a laboratory. —What about these two, how will you deal with them?"

"Expel the Mage Apprentice immediately, from both my tutelage and the academy," Mage Morton said without hesitation.

"As for O’Gran, for tolerating his disciple’s wrongdoing and not immediately reporting or punishing it, he is to cease work at the Chaos Academy and be stationed in the New World for five years to reflect. His contributions to the guild will all serve as compensation. What do you think?"

"That’s letting him off easy!"

Archmage Carlisle snorted and turned away. If O’Gran’s actions were reported to the council, the punishment might be lighter, and he would surely be socially dead. For the sake of his mentor, he’ll spare him this time!

Mage Morton then turned his gaze to Garrett. Garrett slightly lowered his gaze, indicating his agreement. He wasn’t much inclined to plead: This one, unlike Aurora who was purely curious or, shall we say, meddlesome, saying "with the intent to unlawfully possess" wouldn’t be unfair to him?

With the teacher already punished, he didn’t need to play the good guy...

Mage Morton breathed a sigh of relief. He stepped forward, slightly bowed, and earnestly said to Garrett:

"Rest assured, whatever this kid stole, I will investigate thoroughly to ensure not a bit leaks out. In the future, if any magician from the medical branch or elsewhere in the council dares to research it without permission, I will hold them accountable—"

"That won’t be necessary," Garrett smiled broadly.

"Actually, these materials can stay with you, and if you need, I can send more over.

—I actually hope that magicians from the medical branch, as well as other departments, can conduct independent research based on my work, and together, we can unravel the mysteries of penicillin."