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Chapter 151: Preparing to Go to the Forest

“Shouldn’t you verify their training in actual practice?”

Jeryd replied to Ethan’s comment with a grim expression. 

“The current situation is not good.”

Today was not just about checking on the new inquisitors.

“It’s a dangerous situation. I’ll explain quickly.”

Jeryd briefly explained the current situation.

The Misty Forest operation should have ended quickly originally. 

Although resistance was fierce, many veterans had been deployed, and all that remained were those guarding the magic stones containing moon’s aura.

Jeryd had said he would deploy the new recruits if possible, but he had planned to assign them elsewhere, expecting the situation to be resolved before then.

“Several of our mid-level inquisitors have been killed.”

It was beyond mere fierce resistance.

Jeryd was still in shock since receiving the report.

“How did this happen…?”

“It seems reinforcements arrived.”

“Reinforcements?”

“Yes.”

“Then have they all escaped from Misty Forest now?”

“Actually, that was the plan. The inquisitors who were blocking them securely were broken through. But upon checking, they are still in the same place. Even though we created an escape route for them, they didn’t flee.”

Jeryd sighed.

“It will be difficult to deploy the new recruits. Thank you for your hard work in training them, Sir Ethan. I ask for your continued efforts for the remaining period. Although I likely won’t be able to check personally.”

The Inquisition was currently in a state of emergency.

Jeryd also planned to head straight to Misty Forest as soon as this schedule was finished.

“It seems you intend to go yourself.”

“Yes, the inquisitor who died this time… was no ordinary inquisitor.”

Kazinska.

He was an inquisitor who had left quite a mark in the long history of the Inquisition.

From his first day as a new recruit until now, he was a key inquisitor who had left countless marks and achievements, making the Inquisition worthy of being called the Emperor’s Mace.

His nickname was Heretic Destroyer. As the name suggests, he possessed overwhelming power and skill.

And now he had died.

For Jeryd, it was shocking.

The fact that Kazinska, who seemed unlikely to die to anyone, had died meant that the Followers of the Moon had sent a powerful figure deliberately.

Unable to send only subordinates in this situation, Jeryd decided to go to Misty Forest himself.

“They say the pointed mace he used was found stuck in his own body. Normally, he’s not someone who would so easily have his weapon taken from him.”

Jeryd’s expression remained grim.

The Heretic Destroyer Kazinska had his weapon taken and was killed?

This meant that the Followers of the Moon figure who came as reinforcement clearly held a very high position.

Moreover, they came as reinforcements but didn’t flee.

Jeryd needed to lead the inquisitors himself to handle this matter decisively.

Otherwise, he would have nothing to say to not only the Order but also the Emperor.

“I apologize, but it seems I won’t be able to provide practical training. If you have anything you wish to tell me, please relay the message to Retoma. Retoma will remain at this Erant branch.”

“Director.”

Ethan stopped Jeryd as he was about to leave immediately.

‘This is an opportunity.’

The Followers of the Moon who didn’t escape when they could.

This meant there was certainly a Moonforce temple there.

Additionally, there was only one reason why they wouldn’t flee.

‘There must be something even more extraordinary there.’

Ethan briefly recalled his memories.

Right now, the Followers of the Moon were essentially taking an extremely dangerous gamble.

Even though they killed a veteran inquisitor, their opponent was the Inquisition.

‘They could even borrow the power of the Holy Empire’s Emperor. Yet they’re taking such a risk right now.’

This meant there was something there that they absolutely wanted to secure.

‘The top priority would be a sacred artifact.’

They needed sacred artifacts to strengthen the power of the Moon, their Moon Mother, and for their purposes.

Objects containing the power of various gods existing on the continent – securing these objects was their top priority.

‘Ruins, tombs, caves. One of these three must be there. After all, things with powerful energy are ultimately their goal.’

This meant that if he defeated them, such objects would become his.

‘But it’s dangerous. The fact that they gave up on escaping means there’s something incredible there, which could mean the Followers of the Moon reinforcement might be Apostle-level.’

It could mean one of the Twelve Apostles, the most powerful in the Followers of the Moon, had come as reinforcement.

Nevertheless, Ethan thought he had to go.

‘It’s dangerous, but you have to take risks to gain big things.’

What if the thing there was a sacred artifact of the Holylight Order?

‘I could return it to the Order and receive their boundless gratitude.’

In any case, this was an opportunity Ethan couldn’t miss in his current situation.

Furthermore, if he obtained a comparable sacred artifact, it would help Ethan’s survival in various ways.

Paradoxically, to escape a deadly crisis, one must enter into crisis.

“If you need my help, don’t hesitate. I came here as an instructor for the Inquisition. At this moment, I too am part of the Inquisition.”

Jeryd’s eyes widened.

An expression that showed he never expected Ethan to say such a thing.

Currently, Ethan was an instructor for the Inquisition, but this was essentially a contract position.

In reality, he was in a state of having taken a step back from Inquisition affairs.

Therefore, Ethan didn’t need to participate in this matter.

A very dangerous affair with lives at stake. As Ethan, with a bright future as an academy teacher, it was something he should naturally avoid.

Jeryd was certain about one thing in this matter: that the reinforcement from the Followers of the Moon side was an Apostle.

An Apostle is a master from the Followers of the Moon whose power limits are unknown.

Even Jeryd couldn’t guarantee whether he could defeat an Apostle or not.

Ethan must have fully understood Jeryd’s words. How dangerous this was.

Nevertheless, Ethan said he would join.

This sense of responsibility.

This shining sense of duty stirred Jeryd’s heart.

“I will never forget this favor. Please help us, Sir Ethan.”

Jeryd said, grasping Ethan’s hand.

-Survival probability increases!*

***

Before departure.

‘I should prepare before going to Misty Forest.’

Before coming here, Ethan had purchased S-grade herbs through the Garnet Merchant Guild.

‘I should start by raising the proficiency of Heo’s Decoction with that.’

“Hmm, high quality.”

Ethan looked at the set of holy water before him. This set of holy water was promised as payment for working as an instructor for the Inquisition this time.

A total of twelve bottles.

It was the highest grade holy water made by the Holylight Order.

Ethan opened his spatial pocket in front of the holy water and took out the herbs he had brought.

‘The holy water is high quality, but these herbs are all S-grade too. At least I can’t blame the ingredients.’

Just using S-grade ingredients doesn’t mean you can make an S-grade decoction. At the S-grade level, Ethan’s skill was more important.

“I need to approach this with the mindset of making all S-grade decoctions.”

To do that, he needed a better understanding of the decoction technique, just like when he mastered Heo’s Acupuncture.

Ethan gained Pulse Diagnosis while mastering acupuncture, and through Pulse Diagnosis, he was able to greatly increase his proficiency and understanding of acupuncture.

‘Thanks to that, I was able to master it.’

Heo’s Decoction technique was the same.

He needed to upgrade the current decoction technique to the next level.

‘Whatever it takes, I need to understand and develop the decoction technique a bit more.’

Currently, Ethan had two types of knowledge.

One was the decoction technique, and the other was the potion-making method for creating potions.

‘I need to combine these two.’

That way, he could gain even more definite skills.

“And one more thing.”

In addition to that, mindset.

‘I need a clear mindset.’

To completely make the gods’ techniques his own, he needed the right mindset to properly receive the power bestowed by the gods.

‘Understanding and mindset.’

Ethan began making decoctions while focusing on these two things.

First, he used holy water as a base.

Simply mixing high-quality holy water and S-grade herbs doesn’t guarantee a high-grade decoction, but it could increase the chances.

Above all, this holy water contained the power of the gods.

“Hmm.”

Ethan immediately used both potion-making skills and Heo’s Decoction technique.

The process of using two techniques simultaneously and combining them into one was so complex that it made him frown involuntarily, but it was worth trying.

-You have created a Dooridle Decoction sprinkled with holy water!

-Determining grade…

-Dooridle Decoction sprinkled with holy water [A+ grade]

The first attempt was A+ grade.

A+ grade was also a high grade, but what was needed now was only S grade.

Ethan continued making attempts without minding.

When mastering Heo’s Acupuncture.

Ethan had used Heo’s Acupuncture on monsters to meet the required number of uses.

At that time, the only thought filling his mind was that he had to save these monsters.

‘Of course, I was saving them in order to kill them, but.’

In that moment of inserting the needle, he became Heo Jun, called the Eastern Physician of All Things in the New World.

‘It’s the same with decoction. The foundation of potion-making is also the same.’

Ethan raised his concentration to the maximum.

As his consciousness slowly sank, a memory surfaced in his mind.

A very old memory of Yedam.

When he was in high school, he had a close younger friend.

A friend just one year younger than him, whom he cherished like a real younger sibling.

That child fell ill.

By the time they found out about the illness, it was already at a stage where nothing could be done.

-It’s nothing serious.

The child said it was nothing serious while crying.

It wasn’t nothing serious.

-If you think it’s nothing serious, it will surely become nothing serious.

So that’s what he said.

-You’ll get better.

-I’ll definitely get better.

-You know that game that’s supposed to come out? The one you’re really looking forward to, oppa. I want to play it together too. We’ll definitely play it together.

‘Since we said we’d play together, I cleared it to the end. I cleared it quickly and did it over and over again.’

Wanting to teach various things when the day came to play together, he had mastered the game perfectly.

But that day never came.

A visit like any other day.

Loud noises.

Urgent voices.

All Yedam could do at that moment was imagine.

If he had the power to create a panacea right now, he would have cured them immediately.

Back then, he had no ability and could only watch, but now he had the ability.

Ethan poured such wishes into his work.

He wanted only one thing.

‘To not be in pain.’

-You have created a Silver Sage Decoction dyed with holy water!

-Determining grade…

-Beginner’s Decoction [S grade]

S grade.

-You have created a Silver Bell Flower Decoction dyed with holy water!

-Determining grade…

-Beginner’s Decoction [S grade]

S grade once again.

Ethan didn’t lose his focus. At this moment, he was an alchemist who believed he could cure all diseases himself.

“Haaah-“

-Hero’s Breathing activates.

-Your body fills with vigor!

-Your mind becomes clear.

-Hero’s Breathing proficiency greatly increases!

And Ethan continued to create decoctions.

* <<Maker of Cure-All Medicine>> quest cleared!

-Heo’s Decoction technique 10 / 10

-Heo’s Decoction technique proficiency has reached 100%!

-Heo’s Decoction technique has been completed.

-The technique has been perfected.

-True Heo’s Decoction technique [MASTER]

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