Wizard Sunny Rain set down his cup. Without any nonsense, he swept his right hand across the stone desk.
Five gray storage bags appeared on the tabletop.
"Inside are the materials for constructing the Wizard Tower and the teleportation array. Each bag contains five sets, which should theoretically be enough for your task."
He paused, his blue-green gaze sweeping over the faces of the five apprentices one by one.
"Now, you may ask any questions you have."
Ethan was the first to speak. "My Lord, are there blueprints for the Wizard Tower? I haven't learned how to set one up."
Wizard Sunny Rain's gaze landed on him. "There are."
He pointed toward the storage bags. "Every piece of material inside is meticulously numbered, and the assembly methods are included. As long as you aren't an idiot, you should have no problem installing them by following the numbers."
Ethan nodded.
Before the other four could speak, he continued, "My Lord, if we are discovered, should we flee immediately, or can we continue construction if we manage to eliminate all witnesses?"
Wizard Sunny Rain's eyebrows twitched. "That's up to you. As long as you're confident you can kill everyone who saw you."
Ethan nodded and asked again, "In the process of construction, if I cause massive casualties to the target world, will I be punished?"
Wizard Sunny Rain set down his cup again, his blue-green gaze scanning Ethan from head to toe.
"Heh, you've got a big mouth, kid." He leaned back in his chair, a smirk playing on his lips. "You're just a Third-Tier Apprentice; you think you can cause massive casualties?"
Ethan didn't say a word. He simply stood there, his gaze calm as he looked at Wizard Sunny Rain.
The atmosphere in the room shifted subtly.
The gazes of Atherton and the other three landed on Ethan almost simultaneously.
Wizard Sunny Rain stared at Ethan for several breaths before laughing. "Fine. If you have the ability to wipe out every living thing in the target world, that's fine too. In fact, you'd be heavily rewarded."
"My Lord, is there a distance limit between the five sets?"
"No. If you're capable of it, it doesn't matter if you put all five sets in the same place. Regardless, these are meant to assist the main army in a surprise breakthrough."
"Then the World Will should detect us the moment we descend. At that time..."
Ethan didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear.
Against a Tier 3 World, the five of them combined—even multiplied by a hundred thousand—would be utterly useless.
"You don't need to worry about that. Before you depart, Command will provide you with concealment Wizardry Tools. As long as you don't actively expose yourselves, there won't be an issue."
"What about our physical appearance?"
"The concealment Wizardry Tools will automatically alter your appearance. No creature below the second tier will be able to see through it."
Ethan placed his right hand over his chest and bowed slightly.
"Thank you, My Lord. I have no more questions."
Wizard Sunny Rain waved his hand and turned his gaze toward the other four.
"What about you?"
Atherton stepped forward. "My Lord, how is the interference resistance of these materials? The energy particle frequency of the target world is different from the Wizard World. Will it affect the stability of the Wizard Tower?"
"There are adapters in the storage bags," Wizard Sunny Rain replied casually. "Just connect them according to the numbers during installation, and they will automatically adjust the energy frequency."
Vera spoke up. "My Lord, what is the effective range of the teleportation array?"
"A single teleportation array has an effective coverage radius of five thousand kilometers. As long as one is established, it counts as a success."
Cole scratched his head. "My Lord, what if the materials break?"
"If they break, they break," Wizard Sunny Rain said flatly. "The five sets of materials are there to provide a margin for error. If they all break, the mission is a failure, and you'll be on your own."
Marcus opened his mouth to ask something, but his gaze swept over Ethan, and he closed it again.
Wizard Sunny Rain waited for a few breaths. Seeing that no one else spoke, he took a stack of parchment from under the desk and pushed it forward.
"This is the Task Contract." His voice returned to a business-like flat tone. "Once signed, the mission officially begins. If you cannot complete it, you will be dealt with according to the contract terms."
The five of them stepped forward.
Ethan picked up the top piece of parchment and scanned the terms.
The mission description was concise.
Infiltrate Amons World, and construct a Wizard Tower and a teleportation array.
The mission deadline was one month from now, before the fortress descends.
The completion reward was the qualification to purchase a designated High-Level Meditation Method at a 90% discount.
Furthermore, for every set successfully established, there was an additional reward of 100,000 magic stones.
What if all five attempts failed?
Well, then they would essentially be sold to the Star Wizard for the rest of their lives.
Ethan finished reading quickly, looking completely unconcerned. He picked up the quill, dipped it in ink, and signed his name at the end of the contract.
The other four signed one after another.
Wizard Sunny Rain collected the contracts. "Very well. The fortress will reach the outskirts of Amons World in one month. That will be the day of your departure. A Treant will notify you before you leave."
...
At the door, Wizard Jade Blood was still standing there, her eyes fixed on Ethan as he walked out.
"Director."
The other four also bowed. "My Lord."
Jade Blood waved them off. "Go on, get out of here."
The dismissed Atherton and the others looked at each other and turned to leave.
However, their departing figures carried an unspeakable silence.
After all, even though they were the cream of the crop among Third-Tier Apprentices, no Wizard had ever treated them this way.
Especially since this was a Second-Tier Wizard.
Jade Blood strode up to Ethan and patted him twice on the shoulder. "Heh heh heh, good lad, I knew it."
She pulled out the manual. "This belongs to you now."
She stuffed the manual into Ethan's hands and turned to leave.
Her dark red hair whipped through the air in an arc, and the sound of her footsteps gradually faded on the stone path, quickly disappearing around the corner of the Command building.
Ethan looked down at the manual in his hands.
The cover was a dull yellow, made of some kind of beast hide, with faint red patterns flowing across the surface.
《Elemental Torrent Body Refinement Technique》
"Phew, are all Body Refinement Wizards like this? So casual?"
Shaken by Wizard Jade Blood's casualness, Ethan shook his head and turned to walk toward the living quarters.
His mind was still spinning with thoughts of the Elemental Torrent Body Refinement Technique.
A Second-Tier Wizard handing over a body refinement technique just like that—no matter how he looked at it, something felt unusual.
But now wasn't the time to ponder that.
Descending into Amons World was the priority.
He didn't need to worry about the language.
The fortress exchange had ready-made knowledge crystals for Amons Common Tongue, priced at five magic stones each.
With his current learning speed, he could use it the moment he got it.
Meanwhile, deep within the fortress.
Inside a building constructed entirely of dark red wood.
Wizard Jade Blood strode through the threshold, her dark red hair trailing behind her.
Sitting in a wide chair directly across from the door was a man.
He looked to be in his forties, of average build, wearing a dark red robe.
His face was ordinary, the kind that would disappear in a crowd.
Only his eyes stood out—his pupils were a shade of blood-red that seemed almost solidified, and when he looked at people, it was as if he were looking at a somewhat interesting object.
Blood Bone.
A Third-Tier Wizard, and the Headmaster of Blood Bone Tower.
Suspended in the air to his right was a figure wrapped in red light.
It was Wright.
The old man was wrapped tightly by the red light, dangling three feet off the ground.
Jade Blood walked up to the chair. "Senior Brother, I'm back."
Blood Bone lifted his eyelids. "Did you deliver the item?"
"I did." Jade Blood plopped into a nearby chair and crossed her legs. "That brat took it and didn't say a word."
Wright's eyes rolled in his sockets, and a series of muffled, indistinct grunts came from his throat.
Blood Bone's finger twitched.
The red light over Wright's mouth dissipated, and the old man immediately spoke up: "I told you, that kid Ethan doesn't know the meaning of being polite. You old geezer, you—"
Before he could finish, the red light sealed his mouth again, and not a single sound could escape.
Jade Blood cleared her throat. "Ahem, Senior Brother, anyway, I'm leaving."
She stood up from the chair and turned toward the door.
She had only taken two steps when Blood Bone's voice came from behind her.
"You're not even going to ask me why I had you give him that secret technique?"
Jade Blood's footsteps faltered.
She stood there, her expression freezing for about half a second, before she turned around with a grin spreading across her face.
"Hehe, since you didn't want to say it, Senior Brother, I wasn't going to ask."
Rate on N.U.
