Chapter 240: The Witch Hunter Corps

Chapter 240: The Witch Hunter Corps

October 18, 2024

Luo Xia City, Bui Tavern.

As the premier tavern in Luo Xia City, Bui Tavern was already bustling with patrons well before dusk. The large doors, which were usually closed, couldn't contain the boisterous shouts and laughter that spilled out.

Jose had just finished serving a dish to a customer and was about to clear another table, which was a mess of empty cups and plates, when he heard the chime of the door opening.

"Welcome, please come in!"

Jose called out reflexively, then paused as he turned to see the newcomer. The visitor was clad in a wide, gray robe that covered them from head to toe, with a mask that concealed most of their face, leaving only their chin exposed. Under the tavern's dim lighting, their skin appeared somewhat ashen.

"Could this be a wizard?"

The thought crossed Jose's mind, but he quickly dismissed it. While Luo Xia City often saw wizards, and the manor was said to have over a dozen wizards in residence, those high-ranking figures would never visit such a noisy place.

"Probably just someone who admires wizards and dresses like them."

Having worked in the tavern for a long time, Jose had seen all sorts of people and wasn't easily surprised. He approached the newcomer with a polite smile.

"Please, have a seat. Our finest barley wine is a specialty of Luo Xia City, crafted from the best barley, with a smooth and exquisite taste. Would you like a glass?"

The gray-robed figure followed Jose to a vacant table in the corner, then snapped their fingers, sending a silver coin spinning toward him with a crisp sound.

"One glass of barley wine and one lamb chop, please."

"Coming right up, please wait a moment!"

Jose caught the silver coin deftly and retreated with a broad smile.

Before long, a golden, clear glass of barley wine and a plate of lamb chop, emitting a mouth-watering aroma, were placed on the table.

"Please, enjoy your meal."

Jose was about to leave when the gray-robed figure called him back.

"Wait a moment, I have a question for you."

Jose turned, and a glint of gold caught his eye. He instinctively reached out and caught it, his eyes widening in surprise.

A gold coin!

Jose swallowed hard, clutched the coin tightly, and broke into a radiant smile, bowing deeply.

"Please, ask away, I'll answer anything I know!"

The gray-robed figure asked, "I hear there are quite a few wizard apprentices in Luo Xia City?"

"Yes, there are. The manor has over a dozen wizards in residence, and more come and go regularly. If you're lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of them riding their black rock leopards through the streets."

"Black rock leopards?"

"They are puppets, I hear, created by the wizards. The army also has many of them."

The gray-robed figure nodded, then changed the subject.

"I've heard that the Star Alliance has wizards. Is that true?"

Jose scratched his head, a bit awkwardly, and said, "That's what people say, but to be honest, sir, we common folk can't really tell the difference between a wizard and an apprentice. To us, they are all high-ranking figures, and we usually refer to them as wizards, so I can't really answer your question."

The gray-robed figure didn't press further, just nodded.

At that moment, the tavern door clanged open, and a group of burly men strode in, their voices booming.

"Landlord, the usual, quick with the drinks and food!"

Their voices were so loud that they momentarily drowned out the tavern's usual din. A few patrons near the door turned to look, but their faces changed when they saw the newcomers, and they quickly turned back, pretending nothing had happened. The other patrons also looked on with a mix of respect and fear.

The tavern owner rushed out from the kitchen, a wide smile on his face.

"Welcome, welcome, Lord McCarthy! I heard your guild's caravan arrived in Luo Xia City this morning, and I've been eagerly awaiting your visit. This way, please!"

Seeing this, the gray-robed figure asked Jose, "Who are those men?"

"They are the guards of the Fire Fox Guild," Jose replied, his face a mix of envy and admiration.

"Is the Fire Fox Guild famous?" the gray-robed figure asked.

Jose's expression turned peculiar at this question, as if to say, "You don't know the Fire Fox Guild?" It seemed like an incredible oversight.

Despite his confusion, Jose patiently explained, "The Fire Fox Guildis thelargestguildintheempire,withshopsandcaravansspreadacrosstheentireempire. It is also the largest of the imperial-appointed royal merchants."

“Back when the Firefox Trading Company was just a small outfit, they were already acquainted with the empire’s founding emperor, His Majesty Koy. Their friendship led to rapid growth, and they eventually became the empire’s premier trading company.”

“More than half of the mana engines in Sunset City are sold by the Firefox Trading Company.”

“Mana engines?” The gray-robed man’s previously flat tone suddenly carried a note of curiosity. “What are those?”

Jose’s expression grew even more peculiar.

It was one thing not to have heard of the Firefox Trading Company, but not knowing about mana engines?

After all, even the villages in the countryside used mana engines now. Could this person have just come out of some remote mountain village?

Jose grumbled to himself but, for the sake of the gold coins, still explained:

“A mana engine is a machine that, when fed a lesser mana stone, can provide immense power. Mana-powered carriages, airships, and even the army’s cannons are all made with mana engines.”

“According to the nobles, this is called something like ‘lesser mana technology.’ Sounds pretty impressive.”

“I see.” The gray-robed man seemed to be in deep thought.

Bang!

A wine glass suddenly slammed onto the table, spilling golden liquid that splashed onto Jose’s sleeve, who had been too slow to dodge. The gray-robed man’s robe also had a few wet spots on the chest.

“Hey, kid, we want this table. Clear out!”

The speaker was a burly man with a rugged face, thick muscles, and a pair of beady eyes that glared at the gray-robed man.

Behind him stood four or five other men, all with mocking grins as they sized up the gray-robed man with ill intent.

Seeing the scene, the experienced Jose immediately understood. He scanned the tavern and, sure enough, every other table was occupied, leaving only this one with a lone guest, standing out in the crowded place.

Realizing his mistake, Jose cursed himself for his lapse in judgment. He should have led the guest to the counter, where single patrons usually sat.

But he had initially felt the gray-robed man was no ordinary person, so he had specifically arranged a table for him, never expecting to run into a table-grabbing situation.

In a rush, Jose was about to speak to ease the tension when he saw the gray-robed man, without even lifting his head or glancing at the burly man and his group, simply said in a low voice:

“Scram!”

Jose’s heart skipped a beat, fearing the worst.

But what happened next left him speechless.

The burly man and his group actually listened to the gray-robed man, turning and walking toward the door without a word.

Under the light, their faces seemed oddly dazed.

Only when the burly man and his group disappeared through the door did Jose come to his senses, swallowing hard. When he looked at the gray-robed man again, his eyes held a newfound respect.

He wasn’t stupid. Connecting the rumors of the various powerful and wondrous abilities of wizards, he naturally deduced that the person before him had just used a legendary spell.

This guest was actually a powerful wizard!

“S-Sir.”

“Thank you for the information.”

The gray-robed man cut off Jose’s stammering, picking up the fine wheat wine on the table.

Jose immediately understood and hurriedly said, “Please enjoy. If you need anything, feel free to ask me.”

With that, he tactfully withdrew.

The gray-robed man leisurely savored the wine and food, his movements graceful yet quick. Before long, he had cleared the table.

Leaving a gold coin on the table, he left the tavern without looking back.

Outside, the night was deep and dark.

The vast night sky enveloped the entire city.

A silver moon hung high, its light casting a thin, gossamer-like layer over the streets.

For some reason, after leaving the tavern, the surrounding figures gradually thinned out, until the broad street was left with only him.

The surroundings were eerily silent, as if the whole world had been reduced to just him.

The man in the grey robe, keenly aware of the unusual atmosphere, halted and surveyed his surroundings.

With soft footsteps, two figures emerged from the shadows, one after the other, blocking his path from both sides.

Bathed in moonlight, the gray-robed figure quickly made out the shape of the approaching person.

Two men in grey robes approached, each with a star-shaped badge pinned to their chest.

"What's the matter, you two? Why are you blocking my path?" the man in the grey cloak inquired.

A man standing in front of him eyed him suspiciously and said calmly, "You're a wizard apprentice, aren't you? We are the enforcement team of the Star Alliance. According to the Star Alliance regulations, all wizard apprentices must register before entering the town. Please come with us to get registered."

"Relax, as long as you haven’t committed any crimes, we won’t harm you."

The gray-robed figure's eyes flickered with uncertainty.

How did the Star Alliance discover his identity?

He had been careful not to reveal any flaws!

Wait, could it be because of the spell he cast in the tavern just now?

Seeing the gray-robed figure remain silent, the law enforcement officer frowned and said sternly, "Please come with us!"

The gray-robed figure continued to remain silent.

Noticing this, the two law enforcement officers exchanged a glance and quickly reached an understanding. In the next moment, they both acted simultaneously.

Acid Arrow!

Scorching Ray!

The two second-level spells struck the gray-robed figure one after the other.

Luo Xia City, as one of the key cities for housing secondary star cores, had a much larger garrison force than ordinary towns.

One of the most notable was the permanent presence of a law enforcement team.

The Star Alliance Law Enforcement Team was well-known throughout the Starlight Continent, especially among wild wizard apprentices, who feared them greatly.

Over the years, countless wild wizard apprentices had fallen to the law enforcement team.

The primary requirement for joining the law enforcement team was to be a third-level wizard apprentice.

The two law enforcement officers surrounding the gray-robed figure were both third-level wizard apprentices.

They had worked together to defeat many wild wizard apprentices without ever losing, and they were confident in this operation as well.

However, in the next instant, the two spells hit the gray-robed figure and vanished without a trace, leaving no reaction.

What’s going on?!

Both of them wore expressions of shock.

Before they could react, the gray-robed figure raised his hands, and two bolts of lightning erupted, piercing the night sky like arrows and striking the two law enforcement officers.

Instantly, the sound of sizzling filled the air as their protective fields and energy particle shields were shattered, and electric sparks danced over their bodies.

Thud!

Both of them were paralyzed instantly and fell to the ground, taking a while to recover.

When they finally looked up, the gray-robed figure was already gone.

"What was that spell?"

"That wasn’t a spell, it was just pure energy particle manipulation!"

"How is that possible?!"

To use energy particle manipulation to instantly incapacitate two third-level wizard apprentices could only be done by a wizard!

Could it be that the gray-robed figure was a wizard?

Realizing the severity of the situation, one of them immediately took out a book and flipped it open. Numerous thin beams of light emerged from the pages, weaving together to form a human-like apparition, vaguely resembling a middle-aged man.

"What happened?" the middle-aged man asked sternly.

"Captain, we didn’t capture the target."

The law enforcement officer quickly recounted the events.

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man also realized something was amiss and said, "Return immediately. The target is beyond our team’s capabilities. I will request reinforcements from above."

With that, the apparition vanished.

The two law enforcement officers exchanged a bitter smile.

"Who would have thought we’d encounter such a difficult target? Where did that person come from?"

"Regardless of where he came from, once his life force is recorded by the Eye of the Stars, he won’t be able to escape, no matter where he goes!"

After incapacitating the two law enforcement officers, the gray-robed figure decisively left Luo Xia City and ventured into the secluded mountains.

"Star Alliance, huh."

"I didn’t expect this plane to be under the control of wizard forces, and it seems they have a significant presence. I encountered two third-level wizard apprentices in just a random city."

"Looks like I need to find a place to lie low for a while."

Just as this thought crossed his mind, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

From the shadowy woods ahead, two tall, slender figures slowly emerged.

The moonlight illuminated their faces, revealing two exquisitely identical features and nearly indistinguishable figures.

"Who are you?" the gray-robed figure asked sternly.

Unlike the previous two, these beautiful women gave him a dangerous feeling, shattering his previous sense of ease.

"Star Alliance Witch Hunter Corps," the woman on the left said.

"Surrender," the woman on the right added.

The gray-robed figure’s eyes twitched.

What’s happening?

How could the Star Alliance lock onto his position and send people so quickly?

This level of efficiency is outrageous!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end