Chapter 23: Little Cutie

Zohan straightened his palm, curling his index finger toward his thumb until the gap between them was a mere two or three millimeters.

This gesture meant "small, yet cute."

It was a perfect description for Bobur’s "thing."

Zohan sealed the glass bottle containing Bobur’s prize. He applied a layer of solution mixed with ground grey crystal powder—a specialty of the Isle of Ye-Lantis—to minimize the loss of vitality in the severed organ.

"What... what have you done to me?" Bobur’s tears flowed freely, his heart filled with remorse.

When he had woken up this morning, he had felt a surge of masculine vigor. To possess such morning vitality at his age was truly something to be proud of. Had he simply grabbed any woman to vent his desires then, he wouldn’t have been blinded by lust and pursued Gwen all the way here.

"Oh, do you want it back?" Zohan calmly cleaned his tools and hands. "You should know by now how skilled I am in medicine. If I can perform such a clean amputation, I can certainly reattach it without a flaw."

"I do, I do! I’ll agree to anything you ask!" Bobur blurted out, desperate.

If he were eighty or ninety, it wouldn’t have mattered. But he was in his prime, with so many women waiting for his affection and amusement. Losing this was no different from losing his life.

Zohan had not spent these past few days solely immersed in the study of "clam-cleaning techniques." "I’ve learned a bit about the Aldous family. I know you are the second master, and I hear you have many men under your command?"

Lady Aldous was, after all, his bedfellow. To help her secure her position, she had been forthcoming with information about the family, and she certainly hadn’t omitted Bobur, a key figure in their ranks.

"Are you asking me to send men to help you move your things?" Bobur asked hurriedly.

Zohan couldn't help but glance at him. A sort of innocence, born from overwhelming grief and anxiety, had surfaced on Bobur’s fat, bloated face.

"While Master Aldous is away, cooperate fully with the Lady. Ensure she can smoothly take control of the family," Zohan commanded in a tone that brooked no argument.

"This—"

Bobur regained his senses and realized the conditions would not be simple. He just hadn't expected this mage to be in league with his sister-in-law, plotting something extraordinary.

Bobur was not stupid; he was quite shrewd. It was only his lust that had clouded his judgment, and combined with encountering a mage he could never hope to rival, he had been reduced to a lamb for the slaughter.

He eyed Zohan. Compared to his older brother, who resembled a wild boar king, this tall, handsome, fair-faced man would surely make his sister-in-law’s heart flutter with desire.

*Adulterers!* Bobur spat internally.

Zohan picked up the glass bottle and shook it, making a gesture as if to toss it into the snow.

"I agree! I agree!" Bobur scrambled to accept. If he hadn't been magically restrained, that single motion from Zohan would have triggered enough hidden potential in Bobur to make him pounce like a starving tiger to save his manhood.

"Good." Zohan released the binding spell. "Go back now... and don't try to take someone else's and attach it to yourself. This thing is better in its original form."

He had to issue this warning; in Red Hazel Town, such ignorant and absurd practices were entirely possible. Local tyrants were lawless, and Zohan didn't want innocent people to suffer collateral damage.

"Of course," Bobur replied. In truth, he had always been a bit envious of the stable hand; he didn't know if it was from spending too much time with the horses, but that guy’s "thing" had grown to be the size of a horse's.

"No one else’s medical skills are as good as mine. If you end up with complications—rot or complete failure—don't blame me for not warning you," Zohan cautioned sternly.

Bobur shivered, hurriedly picking up his trousers and pulling them on, regardless of the stench and the filth.

"You don't feel anything now, but once the anesthesia wears off, it won't be pleasant. Get back, lie down, and take care of yourself during this time."

With that, Zohan waved his hand in disgust. He had plenty of healing potions, but he wouldn't waste a single drop on Bobur. A rapist was a lower form of existence than an adulterer; his relationship with Lady Aldous was mutual, and Bobur didn't even belong in the same category.

Bobur fled in a panic.

"Gwen."

Gwen turned around obediently and ran excitedly to Zohan’s side, standing straight. The terrifying Master Aldous was temporarily gone, and she had heard that Master Bobur, who wanted to devour her, would be bedridden for quite some time. For now, Gwen could be as carefree as the mountain sparrows she had heard chirping outside the window this morning.

"Wait for me a moment. I need to check the surroundings for anything unusual." Zohan hadn't forgotten his original purpose.

Gwen hopped away to help tidy up the camp.

The snow in front of the camp was trampled with messy footprints. Melting snow trickled into streams, carving a path through the deep drifts and revealing the dark brown rocky ground beneath.

Zohan scanned the area and discovered an alarming number of beast tracks, densely scattered all around the camp. If he had stayed in the camp and seen countless beasts circling, their eyes glowing red, he would have worried about being overwhelmed.

Ordinary beasts were no match for a cautious and combat-proficient mage. However, these tracks, which even Old Ding-Dang couldn't identify, were more likely from magical beasts.

Faced with the evidence, Lady Aldous's claim that magical beasts wouldn't approach Red Hazel Town due to the altar’s suppression didn't seem so reliable anymore.

Zohan summoned his staff, letting it hover before him. He unfurled his mage robes and removed his hood, his silver hair flowing in the mountain wind.

He closed his eyes. Magic surged, and his mental power expanded, pulsing outward from the camp in waves.

[Mental Amplification]
[Mana Perception]
[Track Magical Beasts]
[Emperor Edmoner’s Fractured Spacetime]—a Tier 5 spell.

After Zohan cast the spell, the mountain wind howled and trees swayed. A faint rustling sound emerged from the snow. Four pillars of light descended from the sky, connecting to form a cube that enclosed the camp.

Mana rippled between the pillars, creating light screens that reflected the surrounding scene. On the dense tracks of the magical beasts, points of white light gradually appeared, forming the rough outlines of the creatures.

As Zohan continued to channel mana into the [Fractured Spacetime], the outlines became clear and lifelike. They had the fierce, stoic faces of wolves and tall, upright humanoid torsos, with muscles in their limbs like those of a human, and sharp, dagger-like claws on their toes.

Most shocking of all was that they were clad in white, military-style uniforms. They were not just a pack of wild magical beasts, but a highly disciplined and formidable army!