Chapter 89
Garrett Nordmark stared blankly at the oak staff in his hand.nove(l)bi(n.)com
He turned it sideways, weighed it, then held it upright and gave it a poke on the ground. The staff felt heavy in his hand, and the smooth, verdant trunk he grasped felt like a young tree, untouched by wind and rain.
From the trunk to the treetop, there were no visible branches, only two tightly closed green leaves at the top. At first glance, it looked more like a decorative item carved out than a functional staff.
Is this... my oak staff?
Garrett turned to ask, but when his gaze fell on Elder Elwin Wilkinson, he was immediately shocked. "Teacher!"
The old man seemed like he had just emerged from water. The color drained from his face, wrinkles deepened, and sweat covered his beard. Using the oak staff as support, he stood unsteadily in place, as if a gust of wind could blow him away.
How much did Elder Elwin sacrifice for his oak staff during the process of inducing the sprouts earlier?
"Teacher..."
Garrett rushed to support the old man. His fingers were brushed away when he tried to help, but Elder Elwin Wilkinson burst into laughter, grabbing Garrett's wrist in return. Though exhausted, he was exuberant, proud to the extreme:
"You don't know! Little Garrett, you don't know! Only the most outstanding apprentices can use this spell! Old Hiss boasted for so long after using it once! Now it's finally my turn!Come, try it!"
His fingers were as hard as iron hoops. Garrett struggled for a moment but couldn't break free, nor did he dare to force his way out. Following the teacher's guidance, he silently focused his mental power into the oak staff, releasing a healing spell. A faint white light emanated from the green leaves at the staff's tip. Garrett carefully felt it and reported softly:
"Casting is smoother... and the consumption is lower... It feels like at least a ten percent reduction..."
"Anything else?"
The elder urged. Garrett frowned, allowing his mental power to circulate within the oak staff, and suddenly he was surprised:
"This is alive?!"
"Yes! It's alive!"
Elder Elwin Wilkinson stroked his beard and smiled. Turning to gaze at the wooden staff in his hand, he looked gentle, as if he was looking at a trusted comrade:
Garrett swallowed a bite of the barley cake with his head held high, ready for the second bite. Suddenly, he turned his head and saw a three or four-year-old girl standing beside him, sucking on her fingers, eagerly eyeing the barley cake in his hand.
The little girl, dressed in rags, with the hem of a coarse linen cape hanging down, revealing her bare legs. She looked pale and thin, her arms as skinny as a twig, but her little belly protruded upwards, a clear sign of prolonged hunger. Garrett's heart softened, tearing off a piece of barley cake for her:
"Little sister, are you hungry?"
The little girl's eyes lit up instantly, swaying back and forth, reaching out. Before she could take it, a voice came from behind:
"Eva! No, you can't!"
Eva immediately pulled her hand back. Garrett turned to look and saw a woman in her thirties sitting not far away. She was thin, covered in dust, and her clothes were patched everywhere. Little Eva glanced at her, then reluctantly looked back at the barley cake in Garrett's hand and turned to run back.
Garrett quickly grabbed her. With his left hand pulling Eva, and his right hand raising the oak staff next to him, he shouted, "It's okay, ma'am. The little sister is hungry, and I'm just sharing some food with her!"
The woman carefully examined Garrett, her gaze shifting between him and Elder Elwin Wilkinson's oak staff. Finally, she lowered her head, folded her hands, and made a somewhat awkward praying gesture:
"Thanks to the grace of the God of Nature."
"Thanks to the God of Nature." On the open space, seven or eight men and women responded unevenly.
Garrett took advantage of the situation and stuffed the barley cake into Eva's hand. Watching her take small bites, her eyes curved
into a smile, he felt that the barley cake in his hand also tasted much better. Well, fortunately, he was wearing the Natural Sect's priest robe today. If he were in a wizard's robe, he probably couldn't give away the barley cake.
After Eva cherished every bite of the barley cake, she looked left and right, then hopped to the other side of the mountain path. Standing on tiptoe, she strenuously plucked a wildflower, turned around, and raised it toward Garrett:
"Big brother!"
Garrett responded with a smile. He smiled as he watched Little Eva run towards him happily, the white flower in her hand swaying. However, as he watched her running joyfully, the smile suddenly turned into a look of shock:
"Be careful!"
In the distance, a carriage rushed towards them at an alarming speed.
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