Chapter 87: Secular Kinship Has No Meaning

Chapter 87: Secular Kinship Has No Meaning

Xie Man and the two others, though intensely curious about the man’s intentions, dared not defy their teacher’s orders. They nodded in unison and turned to walk into the base.

Once the three figures disappeared behind the base’s entrance, Su Nan took a few moments to scrutinize the man, then said coolly, “Since you’re here, there’s no need to hide anymore.”

A peculiar, faint laugh echoed from beneath the man’s long robe.

Then, he removed the robe, revealing a gaunt body clad only in tattered long pants. His upper body was completely exposed, his skin pale and bloodless, his ribs visible as if he had been suffering from a long-term illness.

What was even more shocking was the distinct human face growing on his abdomen. The eyes, nose, and mouth were seamlessly integrated with the stomach, as if they had always been there.

“Pleased to meet you, Lord Su Nan.”

The face on the abdomen spoke, its features unsettling.

“My name is Hebe Jilman. I apologize for meeting you this way, but as fellow wizard apprentices, I believe you can understand my caution, can’t you?”

Su Nan remained silent.

The moment he saw the man, he sensed the strong aura of the undead emanating from him. It was obvious that this person was already dead, and the body standing before him was merely a puppet controlled by someone else.

The wizard apprentice behind him clearly understood the risks of visiting another wizard apprentice’s stronghold alone, hence the unusual method of meeting.

Seeing that Su Nan was unmoved, Hebe didn’t seem to mind. He smiled faintly, though the smile was particularly eerie in this context.

“I come on behalf of the Marquis of Goldrock to discuss a matter with you.”

“I hope you will no longer interfere in the war between the Goldrock Alliance and the Flashhold.”

Su Nan raised an eyebrow.

Indeed, at this point, the only wizard apprentice who would go out of their way to visit him would be the one supporting the Marquis of Goldrock.

“Do you want me to spare the man who killed my father?” Su Nan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Killed your father?”

A hint of derision flashed across Hebe’s face.

“Lord Su Nan, people like us have transcended the life span of ordinary humans, even surpassing that of knights. A third-level wizard apprentice has a normal lifespan of over 150 years, and with physical enhancements or life-extending potions, living over 200 years is not a problem.”

“Given our longevity, secular kinship has no meaning. Personally, I believe you shouldn’t dwell on it too much.”

“Moreover, I come with sincerity. If you withdraw from this war, the Marquis of Goldrock is willing to offer you a satisfactory compensation to make up for his previous disrespect.”

Despite Hebe’s persuasive tone, Su Nan remained calm throughout.

“I’m more curious about why you’re helping the Marquis of Goldrock. Is it to use his resources to gather materials?”

“Exactly, this is quite common among wizard apprentices, isn’t it?”

Su Nan’s eyes flickered.

Hebe’s words revealed two pieces of information: one, he knew many more wizard apprentices; and two, many wizard apprentices collaborated with powerful nobles.

“Was it you who spread the Beastification Plague in the Froststained Province?”

Hebe looked at Su Nan with surprise, apparently not expecting him to know about the Beastification Plague.

“Yes.”

“Do you have original Beastified Humans?”

Hebe frowned. “You have too many questions, Lord Su Nan. Are you trying to extract information from me?”

Su Nan smiled wryly. “I’m just curious.”

Hebe snorted. “Regardless, I’ve shown my sincerity. Now it’s your turn to show yours.”

“You talk a lot but claim to have sincerity. That sincerity is too cheap.”

Su Nan sneered.

“Go back and tell the Marquis of Goldrock to wash his neck and wait for me. I’ll settle all the scores with him.”

Hebe’s face darkened, and his voice turned icy. “So, you’re determined to oppose me?”

“You said it yourself.”

Su Nan didn’t back down, a cold smile on his face.

“This is between me and the Marquis of Goldrock. You’d better stay out of it.”

Hebe stared at Su Nan coldly for a moment, then sneered. “If I’m not mistaken, you haven’t yet advanced to a third-level wizard apprentice, have you?”

“A second-level wizard apprentice, are you sure you want to oppose a third-level wizard apprentice?”

“Being a wizard apprentice, you should understand the gap between levels two and three.”

“I advise you to recognize the situation and not go down this path blindly!”

Su Nan smiled slightly. “You talk too much.”

“You will regret this!”

Hebe almost hissed the words through gritted teeth.

In the next second, the man’s body suddenly swelled dramatically, like an inflated balloon, and then exploded, showering the surrounding stone golems with a rain of blood and flesh.

Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!

The spots on the stone golems that were splattered with blood and flesh immediately began to smoke, rapidly eroding into numerous pits.

The blood and flesh that splashed toward Su Nan were blocked by an invisible force field.

He released his mental senses and found no residual aura in the surroundings.

"Is that all?"

Su Nan was slightly puzzled.

Was this wizard apprentice, Hebe Jilman, only here to meet him? Did he have no backup plan after the negotiation failed?

"Or perhaps—"

Su Nan glanced in the direction of Flashhold, pondered for a moment, and then retrieved a communication crystal.

This item was a magical artifact crafted to mimic the effects of the 0th-level spell, "Message." It allowed for long-distance communication within a straight-line distance of up to one hundred kilometers.

Moreover, it didn't require mental energy to activate, making it very convenient to use.

Su Nan had specially crafted several of these, giving one to Koy and the three others, so they could contact him in emergencies.

After activating the communication crystal, Koy's voice quickly came through.

"Su Nan?"

"Is everything alright on your end?"

Koy seemed taken aback, apparently confused, and then replied, "No, why do you ask—"

His words were interrupted, and after a moment, his voice came through again.

"Someone has invaded!"

Sure enough!

Su Nan's eyes turned cold, and he said sternly, "I'm on my way. Be careful."

With that, he leaped, and as he landed, Yulong appeared out of nowhere, catching him.

Su Nan cast a Feather Fall spell on Yulong to reduce his weight, and then the two of them raced toward Flashhold.

"Waiting near the lord's residence, ready to attack once the negotiation fails, and luring me out of the base. What a well-laid plan."

Su Nan sneered, his eyes filled with cold determination.

Lord's Residence.

The once-peaceful estate was now in chaos, with shouts and cries of battle echoing throughout.

At the entrance to the council hall, Koy stood solemnly, surrounded by over a dozen knights, watching the fierce battle in the courtyard.

The enemies were three half-human, half-beast men, more accurately described as Beastified Humans.

Each of the three Beastified Humans possessed the strength of a peak Grand Knight, and they fought without fear of death. Even with hundreds of Black Rock Leopards and stone golems surrounding them, they still held their ground.

However, what Koy feared most was not these three Beastified Humans, but the gray-robed man standing nearby.

The man didn't appear particularly strong, yet he had effortlessly killed three knights who tried to ambush him, using the same methods as Su Nan—manipulating lightning and fire.

Clearly, he was a wizard apprentice!

"Is this the wizard apprentice behind the Marquis of Goldrock?"

Koy's expression was heavy.

No one else would attempt to assassinate him at this time except the wizard apprentice backing the Marquis of Goldrock.

No, to be more precise, the wizard apprentice's target wasn't him.

Since the man hadn't made another move after killing the three knights, he seemed to be waiting for someone.

It was clear that he wasn't interested in attacking Koy, and his true target was undoubtedly Su Nan.

At that moment, Koy saw the gray-robed man's expression change, and he turned to look at the courtyard entrance.

A figure flashed, and Su Nan appeared in the courtyard.

His eyes scanned the scene, taking in everything at a glance, and then he focused on the gray-robed man.

Hebe Jilman!

Seeing Su Nan, a flash of triumph crossed Hebe's eyes, followed by a cold, murderous intent.

"I told you, you would regret it!"

"Today, you will taste the bitterness of death!"

With that, Hebe spread his fingers and reached into the air. A crackling sound filled the air as countless bolts of lightning appeared, quickly converging into a long, azure spear in his palm.

In the next second, the spear shot out like a bolt of lightning, piercing the air and heading straight for Su Nan!

Boom!

The lightning spear struck the invisible shield in front of Su Nan, and both vanished in an explosion of energy!

Energy Runes!

Su Nan's pupils constricted slightly.

This was the power of a third-level wizard apprentice.

A third-level wizard apprentice, who had mastered the manipulation of energy particles, could unleash attacks with the destructive force of rune gems!

Even a Grand Knight would be easily dispatched by a third-level wizard apprentice.

While the Shield spell was a first-level spell, it could only barely withstand one of the opponent's attacks.

Just as Hebe threw the lightning spear, he quickly recited a spell and pointed at Su Nan.

Sss!

A blinding crimson beam of light appeared at his fingertip and shot out like an arrow!

The air seemed to recoil as the beam passed, creating visible distortions, a testament to the incredible heat it contained.

After casting the spell, Hebe's face lit up with a self-satisfied smile.

The Scorching Ray was one of the most powerful spells in the second circle, and a mere Shield spell would stand no chance against it.

However, the next moment made Hebe's smile falter.

The crimson ray, just a few centimeters from Su Nan, seemed to hit an invisible barrier and vanished without a trace, like a stone sinking into the sea.

How is this possible?!

A look of shock flashed across Hebe's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.

A defensive magic item?

And it must be a Glowing Tier magic item!

An Alchemical Tier magic item couldn't silently block a second-circle spell!

"This guy actually has a Glowing Tier magic item!"

Hebe's eyes lit up with greed.

It was incredibly rare to find intact Glowing Tier magic items in the current Starlight Continent. Most were relics from hundreds or even thousands of years ago, and even if they could be repaired, their power would be reduced to the Alchemical Tier.

As for manufacturing one, that was out of the question.

Not only was the technology lost, but even if it existed, finding the necessary materials would be impossible.

Because of this, even as a third-level wizard apprentice, Hebe didn't possess a single Glowing Tier magic item.

"Killing you means this item will be mine!"

The murderous intent in Hebe's eyes grew stronger.

Su Nan, watching this, remained calm and released a prepared Magic Missile, but it was deflected by Hebe's invisible barrier.

Seeing this, Su Nan wasn't alarmed. He had known that a first-circle spell would have little effect on a third-level wizard apprentice.

He threw a few rune gems to stifle Hebe's attack and then shouted, "Fall back, leave the courtyard!"

A battle between wizard apprentices was not something knights or grand knights could interfere with.

Koy clearly understood this and immediately gave the order.

"Everyone, retreat from the courtyard!"

The guards responded immediately, protecting their lord as they withdrew.

The Black Rock Leopards and stone golems also abandoned their enemies and retreated without hesitation.

The three Beastified Humans, about to pursue, were suddenly faced with a massive figure.

A colossal metal construct, its body gleaming coldly in the sunlight, exuded an overwhelming presence.

Su Nan had already placed the Iron Golem in the synthesis cube when he sensed the intruders, and it was now put to good use.

"Iron Golem!"

Hebe was taken aback, never expecting Su Nan to have such a powerful construct.

He couldn't tell if it was crafted by Su Nan himself or obtained from a wizard's legacy.

Facing a legendary knight-level Iron Golem, the three Beastified Humans lost their earlier ferocity and were quickly driven back, their heads down and tails between their legs.

Hebe's face darkened as he watched this. He coldly hummed and pulled out a scroll, tearing it open.

A flash of light, and a massive bear over five meters tall appeared.

This beast had long limbs, sharp claws, and a skin that seemed to be a mix of sturdy, heavy muscles and metal armor.

"Roar!"

The bear immediately lunged at Su Nan.

"A magical pet."

Su Nan recognized the scroll Hebe had torn. It was a Pet Scroll, a one-time-use item for storing and releasing a magical pet.

It allowed the pet to be carried in the scroll and released during battle.

The bear pet before him was clearly enhanced, with a presence indicating at least a high-level grand knight's combat prowess.

However, when it came to magical pets, Su Nan was not intimidated in the slightest.

Without a word, Yulong launched an attack.

The charging bear pet seemed to hit an invisible barrier, flying backward and smashing through a wall with a loud crash.

Dust and debris filled the air, followed by the sound of wild roars as the two massive beasts engaged in a fierce battle.

Hebe was filled with shock and uncertainty.

He had been informed by the Goldrock Marquis's intelligence that Su Nan possessed a magical pet capable of invisibility.

But he hadn't taken it seriously.

Invisibility was rare and troublesome for ordinary people, but for a wizard apprentice, it was easily countered with numerous methods.

However, when he saw Su Nan's pet in action, Hebe realized it was far from ordinary invisibility.

No form of invisibility could eliminate sound, scent, or even the physical presence, yet this pet moved almost undetectably.

Even as a third-level wizard apprentice, Hebe could only barely track its movements.

"Glowing Tier magic items, an Iron Golem, and a bizarre magical pet—this kid is seriously off the charts. How many more tricks does he have up his sleeve?"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end