A Hospital in Another World? Chapter 1055: Garrett, You Silly Leopard! Don't Bump Your Head!

"I'm really sorry for the trouble... it's been too much of a hassle for you..."

Mrs. Molly, carrying a large canvas backpack, anxiously thanked Garrett.

"Because of my father's matter, you had to go so far out of your way..."

Beside her, Mr. Hawthorn, standing at an impressive 1.9 meters, bent slightly. He even crouched a bit, trying to make himself more level with Garrett's height, nodding repeatedly.

After receiving a letter from Miss Moon Song, the couple closed their small shop and hurried to the research institute. Under the watchful eyes of four healers, Mr. Hawthorn successfully completed his advancement—

Monitoring vital signs to ensure a safe advancement process, Garrett also had his small snake conduct a thorough examination of Mr. Hawthorn's knee joints:

Confirming that the knee, which had suffered from ice spikes, along with its bones, muscles, ligaments, meniscus, and synovial sac, had all recovered to the best condition—

"It's no trouble at all; I wanted to take a stroll anyway," Garrett smiled at them.

"Without you, I was already planning to explore the southern part of the New World. With you, it's just perfect to have company along the way. Besides—"

"Sister Molly, if I get a craving on the way, I'll be counting on you!"

"No problem, no problem, leave it all to me!"

Mrs. Molly agreed without a second thought. Beside her, Aishe Moon Song chuckled softly.

"And me as well! When it comes to using ingredients from the jungle, I'm not worse than anyone!"

Garrett smiled at her somewhat awkwardly. Bernard silently pouted: Elven food was delicious, yes, but it was always in small portions. Hmph, if he wanted to fill his stomach, it would have to be done by Bernard himself.

Cirilla crossed her arms, watching with a mischievous smile. The Silver Dragon girl didn’t care who cooked, as long as the food was delicious.

Of course, if the quantity was sufficient on top of being tasty, that would be even better...

Finally, Garrett set off. He slung his backpack over his shoulder and embarked on the long journey, leaving the entire research institute and all the unfinished projects behind in the Black Crow Swamp.

Cirilla, Bernard, and Appa naturally followed him. Cirilla wanted to see more of the fascinating world, Bernard didn't think much—he would follow the boss wherever he went. As for Appa...

"Appa, I heard there are deer in the rainforest! Beautiful Silver Moon Deer! Beautiful female Silver Moon Deer! And unicorns! Do you want to come along?"

"Rooo—"

The Silver Moon Deer bobbed its large head, creating a streak of silver light. Yes! Yes, yes! Must follow the boss!

Nevis was fine, except there were no powerful magical beasts! None strong enough or beautiful enough to match him, the great Lord Appa!

The rainforest, that distant rainforest capable of nurturing such strong spirits, surely must hold beautiful female deer!

Lynn stood at the research institute's entrance, smiling as he saw them off. As a mage specializing in necromancy and bone magic, plagues and viruses didn’t inspire him much, but the newly discovered cells gave him a strange feeling...

"Well then, Brother Lynn, be careful here." Garrett gave a final word of caution, then turned to Mr. Baronessimo.

"I'm leaving Brother Lynn's safety in your hands. When he needs to return to Nevis, you’ll ensure he makes it back safely, and then the commission will be over. As for the payment..."

"You've already given it to me."

The middle-aged warrior responded calmly, without much change in his expression.

Armor, weapons, protective gear, various herbs, and spell scrolls. Before departing Nevis, Garrett had invested enough resources in him to hire him for three to five years.

Not to mention, along the way, they hardly encountered any danger, never needing him to risk his life. Whatever spoils they found, Garrett always shared a portion with him...

"I'll stay with him until he safely arrives back in Nevis. Rest assured."

Garrett nodded with a smile and turned to leave. The group strolled along the lakeside. The scorching sun of the Eagle God's Kingdom beat down on their heads, gradually moving westward, stretching their shadows long and thin.

"That Plague Lord has finally left."

In the temple, a pale golden shadow swayed gently, emitting a sound inaudible to mortals. On the other side of the temple hall, a mass of black mist quietly gathered, hissing in response:

"Yes... finally gone... His scent was so fragrant... so fragrant... though not as strong as when I first smelled it, still so fragrant..."

"Restrain yourself!" The pale golden shadow fluttered once, then quieted down, suddenly adopting a stern tone.

"He has two experts with him! Two! Though not as strong as us, together they could barely hold us off... And if we start a fight, it'll alert those White Ghosts!"

"Those White Ghosts are such a nuisance... so troublesome... hisss... my temple, my gold, the gold on my servants..."

"Forget it, the most troublesome one, the Plague Lord, has already left." The pale golden shadow paused atop the statue, its voice soft and persuasive.

"As for the gold, haven’t those White Ghosts been bringing us gold? An endless supply, much more than what was previously offered..."

"But that's our gold... hisss... our gold mine..."

"That's gold buried underground. My Golden Eagle Warriors can't dig deep into the earth, and though your serpent spirits can enter, they can't dig either... Let them dig, we’ll end up with more..."

If the mages of the Council overheard this conversation, they would surely sneer: The natives' mining and smelting techniques were so poor. Only surface-level deposits could be mined, with no means to reach slightly deeper ones...

It's worth the effort to bring people from home! Steam engines from home, all sorts of mining machinery from home, smelting facilities from home, mining experts from home...

Gold!

Silver!

Rubies, sapphires, tourmalines, opals, gold obsidian, sunstones...

For the mages, gold and silver were precious spellcasting materials, and various gemstones, with minimal processing, became direct combat power!

The Radiant Church once had the Black Continent, providing a constant supply of high-quality gems, while the Council could only obtain a few high-priced, low-quality smuggled goods. Thanks to the Plague Lord, they now had a stable supply of gemstones too!

Riding on his Phantom Steed, gently swaying, Garrett, the one thanked by the Council and ridiculed by the Eagle God and Serpent God, enjoyed the journey.

Thanks to magic and the Phantom Steed, this mount moved over mountains and rivers as if on flat ground, without any jostling, allowing him to read while on horseback—

He could only read while on horseback. After a day’s journey, reaching the campsite, Uncle Hawthorn busied himself setting up tents, digging drainage ditches, and establishing a perimeter; Mrs. Molly cooked; and Garrett began his special training:

"A leopard doesn’t run like that! Look at what you’re doing! One paw moves, while the other three cling to the ground! Even a cat runs more smoothly than you!"

"Meow~~~" The silver-furred Lightning Cat rolled over nearby, licking its fur, softly meowing in mockery. Afterward, it leaped up, darting forward nimbly. It turned back, once again darting past Garrett.

Garrett: t_t Now I believe you’re a cat. Even if the teacher watched me with your eyes, he wouldn’t keep darting around like a cat…

But complaining about the Lightning Cat didn’t solve the problem. After a moment of sulking, Garrett resumed his awkward running. Aishe Moon Song continuously guided him from the side:

"Forget how you 'want' to run! You’re a leopard! Your body is a leopard’s! Follow your instincts, they will guide your actions! Your body will tell you how to run!"

Garrett: t_t

He tried to meditate, focusing his mind, immersing himself in nature. After a while, he started running again, though still stumbling:

"That’s not how a leopard runs! Front paw! Back paw! Front paw! Back paw!—Forget it, follow my cues! Front paw! Back paw! Front paw! Back paw!"

Garrett: ...

It’s so hard… Even though I’ve watched Animal World and many documentaries in my previous life, it’s really difficult when it comes to doing it myself…

Humans walk on two legs; even crawling babies use alternating limbs to move. Asking me to extend my left front paw and right front paw, then my left back paw and right back paw… How does that even work? I can’t figure it out…

"Move your spine! Move your spine! When extending your front paw, stretch your spine forward! When extending your back paw, contract your spine as much as possible! Imagine your four paws pulling your body forward!"

Aishe Moon Song transformed into a giant black panther, running smoothly beside Garrett, continuously giving instructions. Garrett tried to recall the videos from Animal World, comparing them with her movements, and attempted to run like her:

"Rooaaarrrr..."

He tried to roar, trying to display his majesty, but only produced a series of low coughs. Front paw, stretch the spine, back paw follows, contract the spine... Then front paw, then back paw...

In an unseen direction, his two paws

tangled, and he fell... Fell... Fell...

"Where’s your tail? Move your tail! A leopard's tail moves while running to balance the body! Your tail is sticking up like you're sleepwalking!"

Garrett lowered his head, changed direction, and reluctantly started running again.

This time, he at least managed to keep his tail flat, and his running speed improved a bit. After running back and forth a couple of times, Aishe Moon Song suddenly changed direction, pressing her body against him, pushing him toward the woods—

"Roooaaarrr..."

I'm going to hit a tree!

I'm going to hit a tree!

I'm going to hit a tree!

Garrett the Leopard Nordmark's tail whipped like a windmill, and finally, at the last moment, he narrowly changed direction, brushing past the tree trunk. Behind him, Aishe Moon Song roared loudly:

"Garrett, you silly leopard! Don’t bump your head! Can’t you climb a tree?!"

"Meow..."

The leopard running ahead tripped over its four paws and fell to the ground. This time, he skillfully rolled twice before standing up, lifting his two front paws one after the other, showing them to Aishe Moon Song in grievance:

"Garrett, retract your claws! When not climbing trees or running, don’t extend your claws! Look, now they’re broken..."