Chapter 164: The Quartet

Chapter 164: The Quartet

After a round in the marketplace, the quartet gathered once more, but the atmosphere had turned somewhat oppressive.

"Engle," Louya spoke up.

"I think we should still make a trip to that ruin. The floating stones on the outskirts alone will be enough to make us a handsome profit."

"You saw it too. With the magic stones we have now, we can't even afford a Green Potion."

"That place is too dangerous." Engle was the leader of the quartet and the only senior wizard apprentice among them.

He had been burned by flames, which not only disfigured his face but also left him with a hoarse voice. As a result, Louya often took on the role of their spokesperson during external interactions.

"There are wraiths around the ruins, which are a knight's bane. Even wizards have limited means to deal with them."

"I think..." Engle advocated for caution.

"We should put it off for now."

"Big Brother," Assur shook his head. "The ruins haven't been discovered by others yet. If we seize the initiative and others find out..."

"We'll likely miss our chance!"

"Once you advance to an official wizard, all our investments will pay off."

Grei remained silent.

She had only recently joined this team, and her relationship with the other three wasn't as close. Moreover, she was a newly promoted Great Knight.

For a knight, the ruins were too dangerous!

"I agree with Assur," Louya spoke up. "Those are ruins that have never been discovered. Many people spend their entire lives without getting such an opportunity. If we miss it, we'll surely regret it."

"Engle, don't you want to get the Green Potion?"

"What if there are materials containing the origin inside? Assur and Grei will also have a chance to become Legendary Knights!"

This time, Grei's eyes flickered.

Becoming a legend was the dream of every knight, not only for the increase in strength but also for the extension of life.

Who wouldn't want to live an extra hundred years?

However, compared to a wizard apprentice advancing to a wizard, the difficulty for a Great Knight to become a Legendary Knight was immense.

"What do you think?"

Engle looked at the others. Two of the three had firm attitudes, while Grei was indecisive.

"Then let's do it!"

Gritting his teeth, he made the arrangements.

"Since we've decided to explore the ruins, we need to be well-prepared, especially for items that can counter wraiths."

"Soul Repelling Powder, Light Talisman..."

"These things aren't cheap. We have forty magic stones to use, and I'll contribute an additional ten."

...

The quartet split into two groups for their purchases. Louya, accompanied by Grei, wandered through the marketplace, drawing curious glances from onlookers. They stopped at a particular door, and Louya respectfully addressed the wizard inside:

"Respected sir, I'd like to borrow some magic stones from you."

"Louya!"

Grei was startled and pulled her back.

"Are you crazy?"

"I'm not crazy," Louya frowned. "We don't have enough magic stones. Do you have another way?"

Fifty magic stones were already quite a sum, but for this endeavor, it still seemed a bit tight.

Soul Repelling Powder required one magic stone per packet, and they estimated they would need at least twenty packets.

Talismans were even more expensive.

"Oh!"

The wizard in the room raised his eyebrows and emerged from the shadows, revealing a corpse-like body.

"It's the lovely Louya. I like your natural, untainted body, untouched by those disgusting bloodline magics."

"How much do you want to borrow?"

"Fifty magic stones. I'll repay you within three months."

"Fifty magic stones," the wizard smirked. "You know the rules. If you can't repay the stones by then, your body and soul will belong to me."

"I know," Louya took a deep breath.

"I'll repay you by then."

"I hope you can't," the wizard said as he approached, exuding a putrid, decaying odor.

He leaned close to Louya, his withered hair swaying as he sniffed her, and whispered, "For a mid-level wizard apprentice, fifty stones are a significant sum. Perhaps you should offer some extra compensation to take them from me."

"Compensation?" Louya's face paled. "What kind of compensation?"

"I'm old, but I'm still a man," the wizard said. "When I encounter a pure girl, my desires stir. So... leave her with me for a night."

He pointed at Grei.

The pure girl he referred to wasn't the alluring Louya but the slender-bodied Grei.

Louya's beautiful eyes flashed, and she instinctively looked at Grei, who was pale and shaking her head repeatedly.

Fifty magic stones!

Louya bit her lip and suddenly grabbed Grei's arm.

"Bang!"

The two women pushed open the door and rushed into the street, Louya glancing back anxiously.

"Louya!"

Grei's voice quivered.

"Thank you!"

For a moment, she thought Louya might betray her. If she had to spend the night with that disgusting wizard, she'd rather die.

"What are you thanking me for?" Louya shook her head. "It's my fault you're in this situation. Now isn't the time for that. That madman might not let us go."

Fighting was prohibited in the marketplace, but as far as she knew, certain clandestine methods wouldn't trigger the rules here. Since leaving that room, she had felt a chilling presence pursuing them relentlessly.

Unless...

"Into the shop!"

Every shop had its owner, and that madman wouldn't dare provoke other wizards.

The two women rushed into a shop and suddenly froze.

"Oh!"

Karl, who was cleaning the shop, raised an eyebrow at them.

"What's up?"

"So soon, and you've brought the Floating Stones?"

"No, not exactly," Louya replied with an awkward smile. After a moment's thought, she clenched her teeth and said, "Honored Wizard, we have a way to obtain the Floating Stones you need, but we require some support."

"If you can provide support, we can offer you the stones at the lowest price."

"Heh..." Karl understood, "You want me to loan you money, and you're using uncertain future profits as collateral?"

"..." Louya forced a smile, "We will get the Floating Stones, and I can sign a contract with you, witnessed by the gods."

"Interesting," Karl narrowed his eyes, "For a wizard, invoking the gods isn't a wise choice, even for a god of contracts."

"You've given me an idea!"

He stroked his chin and took out a piece of Magic Paper from his storage tool. With a thought, words appeared on it, and at the end, a Taiji symbol.

God, he's one too! This is perfect.

"Sign this, and I'll loan you one hundred Magic Stones."

Louya's eyes lit up. She stepped forward and took the paper, but the dense agreements made her frown.

The Magic Forest's commercial development was quite primitive compared to the Eastern Kingdom Continent, which had already developed a capitalistic economy.

Moreover, Karl recalled more advanced commercial contracts from his memories.

"One hundred Magic Stones. If they aren't repaid by the agreed time, everything you own will be mine."

"Remember that," Karl emphasized, "everything you own!"

"Half a year, with an interest of twenty Magic Stones?" Louya finally understood the contract's terms, and her eyes flickered, "The interest isn't too bad."

Indeed, it was quite reasonable.

It was almost twenty percent lower than the rates in other places.

"I'll sign!"

"No." Karl waved his hand, "Both of you will sign, and not with a pen, but with your blood."

Grei's hands tightened as she glanced at her companion with a complex expression. Then, she nodded and stepped forward, "I'll sign too!"

"Good," Karl smiled as both women signed their names, "As one party to the agreement, I should ensure you're undisturbed here."

"So..."

"Get out!"

He opened his eyes wide and glared at a corner of the house, sending forth a mental attack like thunder.

"Swoosh!"

The air in the corner trembled, and a shadow darted outside rapidly.

Louya and the others felt a release, and the oppressive aura that had been clinging to them moments ago disappeared.

"It seems you have some trouble," Karl shrugged, "I hope my investment doesn't fail."

He placed one hundred Magic Stones on the table and took the contract, storing it within the Divine Domain Fragment.

The next moment, two faint auras appeared in his 'Perception'.

There's a door!

Although not as capable as devout followers who could freely browse others' memories, he could still perform a certain degree of probing.

For Karl's concentrated life potion, almost everyone in Swift City, a city of several hundred thousand, was mobilized.

The ingredients were available in the Foreign World.

The challenge was that several of them were extremely rare, with only a few plants or sources to be found, making bulk procurement difficult.

Fortunately, they only needed to supply Karl, so even a small quantity was acceptable as long as they could collect consistently.

Meanwhile, Old Blin also brought news.

"A wizard who wishes to remain anonymous has approached me, seeking someone to help him kill his enemy."

"As a token of gratitude, he's offering his half-completed Wizard Tower."

"This Wizard Tower has a Starglow Disk and a complete foundation, engraved with two Control spells."

"An enemy?" Karl asked, "What's their strength?"

"A mid-Rank 1 Wizard," Old Blin replied, "Don't worry. Even though they're mid-Rank 1, the target hasn't fought anyone in nearly twenty years and lacks vigilance. With your strength, a surprise attack has a high chance of success."

"Hmm?" Karl raised an eyebrow, "You have high hopes for me."

"Precisely because I've lost my eyes can I see more clearly," Old Blin chuckled, "Your body emanates an astonishing life energy, a mark of a 'Legendary Knight'."

"Impressive," Karl praised, "But even if I'm a Legendary Knight, dealing with a mid-Rank 1 Wizard is too risky."

"You can find help," Old Blin suggested, "With the network of the Sixth-Rank Tower, finding a couple of wizards to assist shouldn't be difficult, or you could hire assassins for a few Magic Stones..."

"But it's a Wizard Tower!"

With a complete foundation and a Starglow Disk, they only needed the Insight Eye to acquire a basic Wizard Tower. It was worth spending a few thousand Magic Stones.

"Never mind," Karl decided after a moment's thought, "I'm a kind-hearted person. I can't bring myself to kill someone for no reason. You'll have to find another way."

Old Blin was speechless.

What he had 'seen' in Karl wasn't just life energy; there was also a palpable killing aura, so dense it was almost tangible.

This was the aura of someone who had killed countless others.

"Alright, then!"

Sighing, Old Blin nodded, knowing when not to push further, "I'll ask around for you."

"Thank you."

Karl stood up to take his leave, but as soon as he returned to his room, his expression changed. He quickly moved to the Divine Domain Fragment.

In his perception, Louya's aura, which had been strong a moment ago, suddenly became faint.

As his thoughts shifted, his consciousness, aided by the divine domain fragment, landed on Grei, revealing a scene from a distant place.

...

The ancient ruins.

A group of four stood back-to-back, their faces tense as they surveyed the enemies gathering from all directions.

The area around them was in disarray, indicating they had endured a fierce attack.

Louya and Assur, in particular, were covered in blood, and it was only with the support of their companions that they could stand.

"Hol!"

Engle, seeing a young man in front of him, exclaimed in surprise:

"How did you get here?"

These ruins were discovered by chance, and from the surrounding conditions, it seemed no outsiders had been there before.

They had just begun their exploration when they were ambushed, and the attacker was someone they knew.

A traitor!

Engle's mind stirred, and he instinctively looked at his three companions, especially Grei, who had recently joined the team.

"It wasn't me!"

Grei clenched her teeth.

"I never mentioned the ruins to anyone else."

"Haha..." Hol laughed heartily:

"I thought it was just a joke, but I never expected there to be an undiscovered ruin."

"Assur, thanks to you!"

Assur?

Engle's expression changed, Louya and Grei quickly retreat, isolating Assur from the others.

"It wasn't me!" Assur's face turned pale as he shouted at Hol:

"Hol, I haven't seen you in a while!"

"I believe you." Engle spoke softly:

"We've been together for so many years, and I can't believe anyone would betray us. Don't fall for his trick."

"Big brother!" Assur was agitated, then glared at Hol:

"You bastard, how did you find this place?"

"Tsk tsk..." The young man named Hol shook his head and sighed:

"Such deep friendship, to trust each other so much. But Assur... your choice in a wife is not as good as your choice in friends."

"Lina?" Assur's face stiffened.

"Yes, indeed. Hol, with his hands behind his back, strolled leisurely:

"Your beloved wife revealed this secret to me in my bed, and I thought it was a joke..."

"I never expected it!"

"Assur!"

He looked at Assur sincerely:

"I should really thank you. Not only did you raise my son for so many years, but you also told me such a big secret. Once I become a full-fledged wizard and a pillar of the family, I will commemorate you."

"Son?" Assur's body trembled, his face turning ashen, and his eyes filled with despair.

"Of course!" Hol shrugged:

"Neither you nor Lina have wizard talents, so the possibility of having a son with wizard talents is extremely low."

"But I'm different."

"My ancestors gave birth to a Second Circle Wizard, and even though the bloodline is now thin, the possibility of having a son with wizard talents is still very high."

"Assur!" Engle called out softly:

"Don't listen to his nonsense; he's deliberately provoking you."

"Deliberately?" Hol laughed:

"What I say is true, and you should know that. Unfortunately, you've never been able to see it clearly."

"..."

Assur clenched his teeth.

Of course, he understood.

The impatience his wife showed towards him, the dissimilarity in their son's appearance, and various unusual details in their daily lives flashed through his mind.

He thought he hadn't done enough, so he diligently trained, earned money, and even took on odd jobs to supplement their income, all to improve their family's conditions and marital relationship.

To help his son acquire magic stones for future cultivation, he not only hunted with Engle but also took on side jobs.

To reassure his wife, he even told her about the ruins, wanting her to know that he was about to strike it rich, and their family would no longer suffer.

But...

"Ah!"

Resentment, anger, and despair rose in Assur's heart as he roared towards the sky and charged at Hol with his sword.

"Die!"

"Die!"

"Hmph!" Hol waved his hand dismissively:

"Kill him!"

"Swish!"

As soon as Hol gave the order, the surrounding wizard apprentices unleashed a barrage of defensive wizard tools and reinforced soft armor, turning Assur into a pincushion riddled with a thousand holes.

His body stiffened, and his life force faded, but he still glared at Hol, mustering all his strength to roar:

"Die together!"

"Boom!"

Assur's body suddenly exploded, releasing a burst of vital aura that also attracted the wraiths roaming the ruins.

"Damn!" Hol's expression changed.

For some reason, this ruin was surrounded by many wraiths, some even posing a threat to full-fledged wizards.

Fortunately, the wraiths lacked intelligence and merely wandered aimlessly. However, they would be drawn to sources of life energy.

As expected.

"Wooo..."

Accompanied by the howling of the wind, numerous shadows appeared one after another, pouncing on Assur's corpse and devouring the dissipating life energy.

But there were too many wraiths, and the life energy was limited. Naturally, the other wraiths turned their attention to the other people in the area.

"Let's go!"

Engle suppressed the sadness in his eyes and waved to the two women:

"Let's get out of here while we can!"

...

The connection severed, and Karl shook his head slightly.

Due to Hol's interference, Engle and his companions could only retreat deeper into the ruins, a decision that likely sealed their fate.

"When the contract signer is injured, the connection to the divine domain fragment is severed..."

"That Assur fellow really got the short end of the stick!"

"Looks like my hundred magic stones are down the drain."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end