Wizard: Starting with Dealing with Magical Plants

Chapter 284 The Old Mole's Den

The streets of the sunken town were muddy and narrow, with the leaning buildings on both sides casting heavy shadows that further fragmented the already dim light.

The mixed smells in the air were suffocating.

Ellie stayed close to Rowling, her fingers unconsciously gripping his sleeve, her gaze warily sweeping over the peering eyes and strange figures in the shadows.

Rowling walked slowly, but with steady steps.

His face was covered with bandages, and he was injured, looking weak. But his inner calm and subtle spiritual aura made most people with ill intentions subconsciously choose to wait and see.

They needed to find a place to settle down, a relatively safe place where they could also obtain information.

His gaze swept across both sides of the street.

Most of the shops had strange signs with distorted words or abstract symbols: "Malaria and Bone", "Rusted Metal Recycling", "Secret Knowledge", "Secret Organs and Living Materials" — the names alone exuded an undisguised darkness and danger.

These are clearly unsuitable.

Finally, in a relatively quieter area closer to the depths of the cave, Roland spotted a building that looked somewhat "normal."

A three-story wooden building.

The wooden building leaned precariously against the rock face, and a worn wooden sign hung at the entrance, scrawled in Common: "Old Mole's Sanctuary provides lodging, intelligence, and limited medical services."

It is here.

Rowling gestured for Ellie to follow and pushed open the creaking wooden door.

Inside the door was a small hall, dimly lit, with only a few oil lamps emitting a strange smell.

The air was slightly better than outside, but it was still mixed with the smell of mildew, cheap tobacco, and some kind of pungent disinfectant.

Several tables and chairs missing arms and legs were placed haphazardly, and a few patrons whose faces were obscured huddled in a corner, talking in hushed tones, their voices like rats gnawing on wood.

Behind the counter sat a short, stout old man with thinning hair and a red, bulbous nose, squinting as he absentmindedly wiped a cracked wooden cup with a dirty rag.

Hearing the door open, he raised his eyelids, his cloudy eyes sweeping over Rowling and Ellie, lingering for a moment on Rowling's wounds and the cloth covering his face.

"Lodging? Medical treatment? Or buying information?"

The old man's voice was hoarse, like a broken bellows, and he got straight to the point.

"I want both." Rowling walked to the counter, his voice calm. "A quiet, clean room."

"A highly effective drug for treating internal injuries and promoting the healing of bones and flesh."

"Also—information about the rules here, and information about handling special energy markers."

Upon hearing the term "special energy marker," the old man's eyes opened slightly, a glint of light flashing within them, but they quickly returned to their cloudy state.

He put down the rag and rubbed his greasy fingers together.

"A quiet and clean room, two standard energy crystals a day, or the equivalent in hard currency."

"Highly effective drugs—it depends on what level you want; the price for taking someone from a drug that's only slightly effective to one that kills them can vary greatly."

"The basic intelligence is provided free of charge; for detailed information—the price depends on the question."

"As for the special markings—" he chuckled twice, "that depends on what price you can afford, and also—what the markings are all about."

Without wasting any words, Luo Lin took out five high-quality energy crystals, which were considered mid-range even in the Holy Tower, from his dimensional bag and placed them on the counter.

These were some of the supplies he had accumulated while in the Santa.

When the old man saw the five crystal-clear stones with pure internal energy, his eyes lit up and his bulbous nose turned even redder.

He grabbed the crystal, held it up to the oil lamp for a closer look, and then scratched it with his fingernail to confirm that it wasn't fake. A smile immediately spread across his face, though the smile was hardly flattering given his appearance.

"Oh! Distinguished guest! Please come in, esteemed guest!"

The old man became so enthusiastic, as if he were a completely different person, as he came out from behind the counter.

"The room is at the very back on the second floor, absolutely quiet!"

"I have top-quality Black Soul Ointment and Earth Marrow Powder here, specifically for treating internal injuries and bone and tendon damage. The effects are unparalleled!"

"The intelligence is easy to obtain! Let's settle in and talk things over!"

He yelled towards the back, "Sickly Tom! Where have you been? Take our esteemed guest to room A on the second floor! Clean it up properly!"

A hunched, thin middle-aged man with a noticeably weak leg limped out of the kitchen, silently took the key from the old man, and gestured for Rowling and Ellie to follow him.

The stairs were narrow and steep, creaking as you stepped on them.

The room with the letter "甲" was at the end of the corridor. Pushing open the wooden door, the interior was much better than I had imagined.

The room wasn't big, but it was fairly tidy. There was a wooden bed with a thick animal hide cushion, a table, two chairs, and even a small washing area with a simple drain, separated by a curtain.

A piece of fluorite, emitting a steady, faint glow, is embedded in the wall.

For a place like a sunken town, this is already a "luxury suite".

"Right here." Rowling nodded to Tom.

Tom put down the key, then silently went out and closed the door.

Ellie immediately helped Rowling sit up on the bed and then began to check the room.

The window was actually a ventilation hole in the rock face, but it was sealed off. The door lock was intact.

She breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Soon, the old man himself brought up the tray.

On the tray were two rough but clean earthenware jars, containing dark [Black Soul Ointment] and grayish-white [Earth Marrow Powder], along with a pot of hot water and two cups.

"The medicine's efficacy is absolutely guaranteed!" the old man patted his chest. "I, Old Mole, have run this shop here for thirty years; my reputation comes first!"

"Please take your medicine and rest first. I'll come back later to tell you about the rules here and — anything else you might be interested in."

""

His gaze then glanced, almost imperceptibly, at Rolin's left hand, which hung naturally at his sides but remained clenched into a fist.

Luo Lin nodded without saying anything more.

The old man tactfully withdrew.

As soon as the door closed, Ellie immediately got to work.

She mixed the medicine powder with hot water and fed it to Luo Lin.

The medicine entered the abdomen, transforming into a warm and thick current that slowly spread throughout the body, complementing the power of [Quiet Dust Star] and the effects of the previous [Earth Vein Blood Stasis Ointment], repairing the damaged internal organs and body.

Next, she carefully unwrapped the old bandages from Rolin's arms and body, cleaned the wounds, and applied new [black ointment].

The ointment, with its cool, tingling sensation, covered the wound, instantly relieving most of the burning pain.

After treating his wounds, Luo Lin felt much better.

He told Ellie to rest as well, while he sat cross-legged on the bed and began to focus on guiding the medicinal power and the power of [Quiet Dust Star] to repair his body.

Two rainbow finches sat quietly on the windowsill, preening each other's feathers.

Baha, meanwhile, crouched atop the cabinet by the door, like the most loyal sentinel.

Time passed quietly as she healed.

The sunken town outside seemed to have no distinction between day and night, forever shrouded in a constant dim light emanating from the artificial and natural light sources at the top of the cave.

About two hours later, there was a knock on the door.

"Guest, did you rest well? May I come in?"

It was the sound of the old mole.

Rowling opened his eyes and gestured for Ellie to open the door.

The old mole walked in carrying a plate of rough but steaming food, which seemed to be some kind of mushroom stew and black bread, with his usual smug smile on his face.

"Come on, try our local specialty: swamp rock mushroom stewed with spiny loach meat. It may not look fancy, but the taste and nutrition are absolutely amazing!"

Rowling and Ellie didn't stand on ceremony.

I was really hungry after the long journey.

The food tasted strange, but once it entered my stomach, I could feel a solid warmth spreading out, replenishing my energy.

After taking a few bites, Rowling put down his wooden spoon and looked at the old mole.

"Now, we can talk."

The old mole rubbed his hands together, sat down in the chair opposite him, his smile fading and replaced by a more shrewd, businessman-like expression.

"The customer was very helpful."

"Then I, the old mole, will be frank."

"The rules of the sunken town are simple: First, fighting is forbidden anywhere in the town except in designated resolution areas. Violators will be captured by the Shadows, and as for their fate—hehe, nobody knows, and nobody has ever seen them again."

Second, trade is free, but don't try to force a sale or try to fool people with counterfeit goods; there are plenty of eyes watching here.

Third, pay protection fees on time, which are the fees for your lodging, stall, etc.

"Pay the money, and the Hand of Shadows will guarantee your basic safety within town."

"The Hand of Shadows?" Rowling asked.

"They're the ones who maintain order here—well, you can think of them as the law enforcement team." The old mole lowered his voice. "They're very mysterious, very powerful, and supposedly have several really big shots backing them up."

"No one dares to mess with them."

Rowling nodded and made a note of it.

"So, what do you know about special energy markers?"

"Is there any place, or any person, who can handle this?"

The old mole's expression turned serious. He leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice even further: "Guest, the mark on your hand—though I am not good with eyes, I can sense something unusual about it."

"Cold, orderly, with a kind of inhuman sense of logic."

"I've only ever seen this style in extremely old or extremely foreign things."

He paused, carefully observing Rolin's expression. Seeing that Rolin remained calm, he continued, "There are quite a few talented people in the sunken town, including a few who specialize in dealing with various curses, contracts, and tracking marks."

"But dealing with your style—I can't guarantee anything."

"However, there is one person who might be worth a try."

"Who?" Rowling became interested.

"Glen the Skinner." As the old mole uttered the name, a clear hint of apprehension flashed across his face. "He's a madman, but also a genius."

"Specializing in the disassembly and reconstruction of various energy structures, runes, and markings."

"He lived deep inside the town, near the undercurrent."

"He has an eccentric temper, charges extremely high fees, and—he has his own rules and doesn't play by the rules."

"Of those who sought him out, half solved their problems, while the other half—reportedly—became new materials in his laboratory."

Rowling silently memorized the name and location.

"Understood. Is there anything else I need to be aware of?"

"And then there's trading," the old mole said. "The open space on the east side of town is a free market. There are stalls every day, selling all sorts of random things. Whether you can find a treasure depends on your eye and luck."

"There are a few permanent shops at the foot of the western cliff. The items are a bit more expensive, but they are relatively reliable."

"For example, the dwarven blacksmith's shop with its rust and sparks, the whisperers' herb and poison shop, the old bookstore with its forgotten scrolls —"

"By the way, if you have something you want to sell, or want to buy any hot items, you can go to the middleman Walker. That guy has a lot of connections, but he's ruthless, so you have to haggle the price down to the bone."

The old mole went on and on about some things to be aware of in the sunken town, such as which areas to avoid at night, which people to avoid messing with, and where to get clean drinking water, etc.

Rowling listened patiently, then asked, "If I need to leave the swamp and travel to a nearby human kingdom, are there any safe routes or methods?"

"Leaving?" The old mole asked, somewhat surprised. "Where would the guest like to go?"

"The most recent, relatively stable sphere of human influence."

"That should be heading northeast, through another branch of the Sighing Mountains, into the Dustwind Plains, where there are several small human principalities and city-state alliances." The old mole thought for a moment, "As for the route—the sunken town has a special smuggling fleet that runs business outside, using underground rivers to avoid most of the dangerous areas of the swamp and directly reach the foot of the other side of the Sighing Mountains."

"However, the shipping schedule is not fixed, and the price is shockingly expensive."

"Moreover, after getting off the ship, you still have to climb over mountains and valleys on your own, and that road is not easy to walk."

He looked at Rolin's injuries: "Given your current condition, I'm afraid you'll need to recuperate here for a while."

"Furthermore, if I may be frank, if you don't resolve that mark on your hand, it could be a problem wherever you go."

Rowling nodded.

The old mole is right.

The immediate priority is to heal the injury and remove the mark before considering the next step.

"Thank you." Rowling took out two more energy crystals and pushed them towards the old mole. "This is the consultation fee. Also, I need a map as detailed as possible of the northeastern side of the Sighing Mountains and the Dustwind Plains, as well as detailed markings of the area surrounding the sunken town."

"Is there any way to get it?"

The old mole's eyes lit up again. He quickly pocketed the crystal and patted his chest, saying, "Leave it to me! The map may be valuable, but I have some connections! I'll deliver it to you by tomorrow night at the latest!"

"Also," Rowling added, "I'd like to meet Glenn the Skinner."

"Can you help me arrange this?"

The old mole's smile froze for a moment, but for the sake of the crystal, he nodded: "I'll give it a try—but that guy is hard to talk to, and I can't guarantee he'll see you."

"I'll inquire about his current situation and the opening fee for you tomorrow."

"Can."

The old mole chatted for a few more minutes, then tactfully took his leave, reminding them to lock the door at night and not to open it unless he knocked.

The door closed, and the room fell silent again.

Ellie looked at Rowling with concern: "Mr. Rowling, that skinner sounds very dangerous—"

"Dangerous, but it may be the only hope to resolve the marking," Rowling said calmly. "We can't live with this time bomb indefinitely."

"Focus on healing your injuries and wait for news about the map and the old mole."

He closed his eyes again and began to circulate his star power to accelerate the absorption of the medicine's effects.

The milky-white pebbles were once again held in my palm, and the warm, stable feeling continued to nourish my mind and body.

Ellie knew that Rowling's decision wouldn't change, so she didn't say anything more. She simply cleaned up the dishes in silence, then sat down in another chair and began her own energy circulation cultivation.

In this perilous place, every bit of improvement in strength is crucial.

The first night in the sunken town was spent peacefully in this relatively safe little house, healing and cultivating myself.