Chapter 155

Chapter 155

Garrett Nordmark finally returned to the academy, clad in his bird-beaked coat.

Well, ancient wisdom had its merits. At least Garrett lacked the skill to craft medical-grade protective masks. It wasn’t something he could patch up with needle and thread. Just take a look at the melt-blown fabric; even China Petrochemical Corporation had to roll up its sleeves and urgently deploy production lines.

The sixteen-layer gauze mask, also known as the Wu Liande mask, wasn’t something Garrett dared to rely on. Sure, it worked against bacteria, like that time with Mr. Wu Liande. But against viruses? Well, everyone had seen the bloody lesson.

Later on? Later on was, "Back in the day, we were poor and had only gauze masks. Now that we’re rich, we’ve also gained more knowledge – enter the N95 mask!"

Garrett also considered magical means. He cast a Bubble Spell, encapsulating his forehead. Theoretically, this could isolate the exchange of air between inside and outside, allowing the recipient to breathe only the air inside the bubble. In other words, if lucky, it could be used to block droplets.

Then came the experimental phase. Bernard lifted a cup of water laced with ink and took a big sip. Then, he took a deep breath, unleashing his full lung capacity at Garrett.

"Pfft!"

Garrett Nordmark blinked his eyes, revealing two clear whites. His face, however, was now covered in ink spots, a complete mess.

Alright, he couldn’t withstand the water spray, and naturally, he couldn’t resist sneezing. The Bubble Spell was the most reliable defense magic Garrett had come up with.

So, the conclusion was that Garrett had to choose between the bird-beaked suit and the gas mask. However, after assessing his crafting abilities and consulting Bernard, he voluntarily gave up the latter.

The gas mask, also known as the pig’s nose, was a simple enough craft. It had a mask body, a filtering canister, and needed to fit the face tightly. Involving skills in leatherworking, blacksmithing, and various other miscellaneous crafts, Garrett couldn’t handle it.

So, in the end, Garrett mournfully brought back the ancestors of the complete set of medical protective equipment. Then, he changed his clothes, grabbed his wallet, and hit the streets to find a place for experiments, also a place for the barbarian to stay.

No choice there; the Magic Council provided accommodation for trainees, but followers didn’t get such treatment. In fact, even if someone dared to ask, the council could retort:

"Why should a Level 1 Mage take on a follower?"

"Oh, relying on family?"

"One gold coin per month, excluding meals. You can keep small animals in the house, but you must clean up properly. If I catch a whiff of any unpleasant odors, both you and the animals will be out immediately!"

Garrett nodded vigorously. The courtyard was sufficient for residents and small animals; large experimental animals could be accommodated elsewhere. He tentatively asked, "Can I build a few sheds outside the back door?"

"Whatever you want!"

"Deal!"

Three days later, Wood Elder’s disciple, Level Four priest Matthew, arrived at the small house with a group of pigs and sheep.

Garrett slowly opened his mouth.

"How much... do these cost?" he asked tremblingly. Matthew shrugged nonchalantly.

"What money? These are borrowed. Just return them when the time comes. We’re responsible for providing feed, feeding on behalf of the owner, and in case of death, we compensate— the church will handle it, they’re not afraid of not getting paid."

He muttered a few words while holding the oak staff, and a ring of shrubs sprouted up behind the house, enclosing all the pigs and sheep. Then, he began unloading things from the carriage: a cage of rabbits, another cage of rabbits, yet another cage of rabbits... a cage of bats, a second cage of bats...

"Are you going to tell me that these rabbits are borrowed too?"

"Of course not!" Matthew looked at him strangely. "Servants of the God of Nature, borrowing a few rabbits? Just catch them in the woods. Oh, there’s also a cage of white ferrets here; you mentioned last time that white ferrets are the best, so we brought a few. Couldn’t get any monkeys, sorry about that."

Garrett carefully observed; the cages for the animals were all made of vines, intricately woven, showing no signs of any chopping or tying. No need to ask, these were conjured by divine magic, and it probably didn’t cost a single penny.

"Then... the bats...?"

"The teacher personally caught them!"

Garrett: "..." I thought I was good at getting something for nothing, turns out there’s someone even more skilled than me. Brother Matthew, with so many experimental animals, you didn’t spend a penny, did you?

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