My health recovery is incredibly fast.

Wilson thought for a moment and understood what the boy meant, a bitter smile appearing on his face:

"Yes, little one. You are indeed the only survivor from the villages to the south."

Xia Zuo looked at Audrey and received a "go on" look from her.

"Uncle Wilson, were there children missing in the villages before they were looted?"

This statement simply links the wicked old man with bandits.

The order in which the two appeared may just be a coincidence, lacking many supporting examples.

This is not a reliable basis for concluding that they are definitely in cahoots.

Xia Zuo gazed at the pensive Wilson and added a few words:

"Their parents may not think their child is missing, so they don't put up any notices on the bulletin board to offer a reward for finding the child."

“My roommate Little Nose in the cave once said that he came here to learn alchemy and wanted to gain the old man’s approval by testing medicines and become his alchemy apprentice.”

The three charred corpses flashed through my mind.

If I had acted faster before the crucible exploded, and dragged Little Nose into the aisle as well, maybe...

Xia Zuo lowered his eyes and sighed silently:

"The companions I met underground, even on their deathbeds, all felt that drinking the potion was just a test from the evil old man, and they were unusually obedient to that damned villainous alchemist."

"They never imagined they would lose their lives underground."

Little Nose naively thought that if he couldn't withstand the poison's effects, the wicked old man would send him back to his parents.

Audrey took the boy's hand under the table, comforting him and silently mouthing:

"Stop for a moment. Keep quiet."

Xia Zuo immediately closed his mouth and looked at Wilson again.

The man fell into a strange state of calm, his eyes vacant and unfocused, staring blankly at the plates on the table as if in a daze.

In the quiet private room, only the faint sound of breathing could be heard.

Xia Zuo and Audrey sat in their chairs, not daring to make the slightest sound.

About two minutes later, Wilson took a deep breath, his face regained its stern expression, the dullness between his brows disappeared, and his eyes gleamed.

“I recalled all the casualty reports and compared their death tolls with the village rosters in the fortress archives. In every ruin, some children’s bodies were missing, and their parents never asked the fortress soldiers stationed in the villages for help.”

Wilson stared intently at the boy. "Little one, can you tell me more about that wicked old man?"

"Uh-huh!"

Xia Zuo leaned forward against the edge of the table, dipped a spoon in tea, and drew the approximate layout of the underground cave on the table, listing out everything there in great detail.

Since being digitally transformed by the Golden Finger, all the information he remembers is deeply ingrained in his mind and entered into his knowledge base.

The memories of the underground alchemy chamber remain complete and vivid.

"Is the old man's cane and those three silver coins still with him?" Wilson asked solemnly.

“The cane is in the trunk at the residence, and the silver coins are with the eldest sister.” Xia Zuo looked at Audrey beside him.

“I keep all of Xia Zuo’s coins separately; they’re all lying in a hidden compartment in my suitcase,” Audrey nodded.

A hint of pleasure flashed across Wilson's face. He clasped his hands together on the table and asked again:

"Audrey, do you remember the place where you met Shazo?"

“Of course. I roughly located the burrow on the circus map. Xia Zuo said he walked north for two days, so the burrow must be in the woods northwest of Piek Fortress.”

Seeing her old comrade's expression, Audrey understood that the information provided by Xia Zuo was very important, so she naturally told him everything she knew.

Wilson clapped his hands together, unable to contain his smile any longer. "Ha, I've finally caught these cunning bastards red-handed."

He stood up, pressing his right hand to his chest:

“Audrey, Shazo, Piek Fortress needs your help. Come with me into the castle. I will take you to see the resident mage.”

“It is my honor,” Audrey said, standing up and bowing slightly.

Upon hearing the word "mage," Xia Zuo's eyes widened instantly, gleaming with longing.

Audrey returned to the inn and changed into a leather armor, while Shazo took the silver coins and the broken crutch.

The two boarded a carriage at the inn's entrance and, accompanied by Wilson, entered the castle.

Piek Fortress is divided into two areas.

One is the urban area where ordinary people live.

The other is the combined castle area, which is a military camp and a fortress.

The two areas were separated by a low wall, a moat, and a large iron gate.

A pass or invitation is required to enter the castle area.

Wilson's carriage was inspected by the castle guards in front of the drawbridge.

The soldiers in gray chainmail knew Wilson's identity, but still used their halberds to stop the carriage.

Beneath the steel-colored helmet, a smile forced onto the soldier's poker face as he checked Wilson's pass and scrutinized the tall Audrey and the unassuming-looking Shazo with a critical eye.

"Open the door! It's Lord Wilson back!"

The soldiers stepped back a few paces to clear the way and waved their arms at the figures above the city wall.

Behind the gate is a low hill with a relatively gentle slope.

The castle sits at the end of the hillside.

With its five stories and the terrain, Piek Castle became the tallest building in the entire fortress.

Patrolling soldiers marched past in formation beside the bustling training ground.

In front of the low sheds in the military camp, the resting soldiers gathered in twos and threes, playfully fiddling with the chessboard and pieces.

Wilson and his party went straight to the castle hall.

The floor here is covered with a luxurious deep red carpet, soft in texture and able to absorb the sound of footsteps, making the castle quiet and solemn.

The candlesticks on the wall emitted a gentle flame, and the guards in the corner remained silent like statues.

The three of them walked up the spiral staircase and paused briefly on the fourth floor.

Wilson stepped into the corridor, went inside, and spoke briefly with the fortress commander.

A minute or two later, he led Xia Zuo and Audrey to the fifth floor of the castle.

This floor is spacious, but it's cluttered with many things, making it feel unusually crowded.

Apart from a few load-bearing columns, there are no corridors or room walls; it is a completely open-plan floor space.

The walls are adorned with oil paintings of profound content and intricate lines.

Xia Zuo cast detection spells at each of the picture frames, receiving the exact same response:

"We did not know of any formula derivation diagrams. Due to insufficient knowledge and perception, we were unable to obtain more detailed information."

Below the oil painting is a bookcase crammed with books, the spines of which are covered in incomprehensible language.

"Unknown alchemical texts; due to insufficient knowledge and lack of perception, more detailed information could not be obtained."

Xia Zuo pouted in dissatisfaction; there was nothing here that he could understand.

There are still quite a few.

In a small area enclosed by curtains, there was a soft couch and a wardrobe.

The area covered by the wooden partition is the washroom.

In the central area stands an elaborate alchemy table, where two common crucibles gently heat liquids with the aid of an automatic stirring arm.

The shelf next to it was piled with metal parts of various styles.

The person in charge of this floor was facing away from everyone, lewdly rubbing something in front of him, occasionally letting out excited laughter:

"Ah, I've found another bandit stronghold. A few more, please, then I can finish my mission. Wahaha, the ladies of Starry Night City are waiting for me."

"Ahem." Wales coughed awkwardly a few times.

The sleazy figure waved his hand behind him without turning his head and said casually:

"Wales, please find a seat. I'll be done in a bit."

"Lady, what would you like to drink? There are dried fruit and beverages on the coffee table."

"And that little brat with the shifty eyes looking around everywhere."

"I smell the spiciness of a solvent on you. Can you tell me later how someone as small as you manages to handle this potent potion?"

The sleazy figure's robe was covered in grease, and every time he rubbed his hands together, his body would reflect a glistening sheen of oil.

This resident monk is dressed even worse than me! I thought a resident monk would be a long-bearded, hermit-like old man.

Xia Zuo silently grumbled to himself, standing there expressionless, and used his detection technique on the other party.

..

Character's name?

Identity: Piek Fortress Garrison Mage

Blood volume? Health?

force 3

Agility 6

Stamina 4

vitality3

Perception 9

Willpower 3

Spirit 15

Charm 4