Lynn encountered almost no obstacles. By simply stating his origin, he was able to join the team with ease, just as their sign had promised entry and exit were entirely unrestricted.
"We're still waiting for a few more people. We'll depart in two days."
A chubby blond man chuckled, his eyes gleaming slyly as he casually handed Lynn a communication token, not even bothering with basic identity verification.
Lynn understood the implications and was more than happy with the arrangement.
He nodded slightly, agreed to meet in two days to set out for the Red Marsh, then turned and left, returning to the hotel where he was staying.
With two days left before departure, Lynn had no intention of wasting this time.
His primary goal during this period was to consume the Divine Blood Pill to enhance his mental strength.
His stockpile was sufficient to push his mental power to the limit of a third-level apprentice forty points. Now, he just needed to absorb and refine it step by step.
Even amid his escape, he remained diligent in his training, seizing every moment to strengthen himself.
Meanwhile, back at the underground tavern, the atmosphere remained lively and chaotic.
However, behind the bar, everything was unusually quiet.
The bartender, an impeccably dressed man, continued to polish glasses and cocktail shakers with meticulous precision as if afflicted with obsessive cleanliness. Every glass sparkled, wiped to perfection.
Suddenly, his hands paused, and his gaze flickered.
He slowly set down the glass and reached into his coat, pulling out a palm-sized black wolf-head sculpture.
At that moment, the wolf's eyes flickered with an eerie green light.
A deep voice resonated from within:
"The people from Furnace Stone have sent a message requesting that we lock down the pass for some time...
Additionally, they've provided a list of individuals they want us to intercept anyone associated with the 'Spiritual Eye Furnace' and the 'Falling Star Council'...
Among them, two wizards are top priority. I've transmitted their images to you..."
The bartender remained expressionless, merely flicking a few drops of water off the rim of a glass before speaking indifferently:
"Hold on."
"Is this truly a directive from Furnace Stone's headquarters, or just some individuals acting on their own?"
The voice from the wolf's head hesitated momentarily before responding:
"They claim it's from headquarters... but no proof has been provided. It seems to be orders from some underlings within the 'Aquila' branch…"
The bartender tapped his fingers lightly on the bar counter, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly as he weighed the situation.
After a brief pause, he let out a cold chuckle and said nonchalantly:
"Ignore them… Ha! Locking down the pass? Do they even realize how much revenue we'd lose in a single day?"
"Just send me the list."
A moment later, the black wolf-head sculpture trembled slightly, and streams of data shimmered before the bartender's eyes.
However, upon seeing the contents
Bang!
The bartender slammed his hand on the bar, instantly dropping his refined demeanor. He snapped, cursing out loud:
"They want us to monitor everyone remotely linked to the 'Spiritual Eye Furnace' and 'Falling Star Council'?! Do they know how many people that includes?! How the hell are we supposed to do business?!"
He had initially thought there would be just a few key targets. Instead, Furnace Stone was practically targeting every unfamiliar face in the entire Dark Wizard Territory.
It was pure madness!
However, as his gaze shifted to the only two formally detailed profiles among the sea of names, a smirk crept onto his face. He muttered to himself:
"But then again… these two wizards are worth keeping an eye on."
"If we do catch them, we might just squeeze a fat ransom out of them…"
Turns out, the bartender wasn't uninterested in profit Lynn had simply offered him too little.
"Over the next two days, keep a closer watch on the official wizards… See how much they're willing to pay. Thousands? Tens of thousands?"
He flicked his finger, and two blurry images emerged, slowly rotating in the eerie black light.
Had Lynn been present, he would have immediately recognized them one was himself, and the other was that strange otherworldly entity!
Fortunately, he had been cautious.
After escaping the Landscape, he decisively used the Azure Sky Spirit to suppress his Yfgríd, completely concealing his permanent magical imprint.
Now, he appeared to be just an ordinary third-level apprentice. He had even taken the extra step of altering his appearance, making it impossible for Furnace Stone to match him with their wanted official wizard.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
During this time, Lynn had barely left his room, dedicating all his energy to increasing his mental power.
He didn't even step downstairs for meals, instead having them delivered to his room.
Each time, the charming maid who served him cast him wistful glances, as if longing for something more.
Lynn couldn't help but feel a little guilty under normal circumstances, he wouldn't mind indulging in a dalliance or two.
But alas, now was not the time for such distractions. With the looming threat of Furnace Stone, he had no time for frivolities.
Over these two days, through diligent effort and ceaseless refinement, his mental power had risen from 30 to 32 points.
He was now one step closer to the third-level apprentice limit of 40 points!
At the same time, the moment of his departure from Rock City had arrived.
................
At midnight, Lynn checked out of the hotel and made his way back into the underground tavern.
As soon as he entered, he spotted the team he had arranged to meet and walked toward them.
"Good, everyone's here, not a single one missing. Let's set off now."
The team leader, a chubby blond man, grinned from ear to ear upon seeing Lynn produce the token.
Lynn then realized he was the last to arrive. He scanned his surroundings and saw that the team consisted of roughly a hundred people a rather large group.
However, the quality of the members varied greatly. Most of them appeared aloof and withdrawn, barely engaging with others.
The only exception was the chubby blond leader, who didn't seem to mind at all. He just kept laughing foolishly.
Lynn picked up his crystal sphere and gave it a quick scan, immediately noticing that nearly all the members were apprentices.
This was expected. Although there were some official wizards in the tavern, they tended to stick together and would never mingle with apprentices.
Within this team, apart from those who concealed their aura extremely well, the majority were second-level apprentices. There were fewer third-level and first-level apprentices.
It might seem like third-level apprentices were common in the Furnace, but that didn't mean they were easy to come by.
Reaching the third level required an immense amount of time, effort, and natural talent.
All those who had entered the Furnace had passed an aptitude test, eliminating those with poor potential from the outset.
For many, just having wizard aptitude was already a rare gift. Some might only ever reach the second level in their entire lifetime.
The third level was a crucial threshold. Those who managed to break through could even secure noble status in some mortal kingdoms. Naturally, they weren't common.
As for first-level apprentices, their numbers were even lower. Any sane first-level apprentice wouldn't risk their life in such a dangerous venture.
Most first-level apprentices in this team had come along under the protection of second or third-level apprentices.
However, as Lynn observed the team, his eyes narrowed slightly.
Among the group, he spotted an ordinary "mortal" who seemed completely out of place, glancing around nervously.
Venturing along the border between black and white wizard territories was already dangerous for a third-level apprentice, let alone a powerless mortal.
Many of the second-level apprentices weren't planning to traverse the entire Atlas Mountains.
Most were only entering to search for treasures, hoping to take advantage of the team's journey for their own benefit.
Only around twenty third-level apprentices were truly planning to cross the Atlas Mountains and enter the Red Marsh.
Yet, this mortal didn't seem like a treasure hunter. His presence felt out of place.
Lynn watched as the mortal eagerly tried to chat with others, only to be completely ignored.
The sight amused him, and he chuckled to himself.
"This team is quite interesting..."
It seemed their leader, Dieter, was as straightforward as he had claimed. The team was indeed open and flexible so much so that even a mortal had managed to join.
The blond, chubby team leader, Dieter, introduced himself enthusiastically.
"My name is Dieter. Let's take care of each other from now on..."
However, the others showed no interest in responding, not even Lynn.
Yet, Dieter wasn't the least bit annoyed. He simply chuckled and led the team forward, pushing open a heavy black wooden door.
Beyond the door lay a wide underground passage. Dimly glowing crystals lined the walls, casting a faint light along the path.
After about ten minutes of walking, a swirling silver vortex appeared ahead of a teleportation gate.
"Hold onto your tickets and pass through one at a time."
Dieter coughed lightly, adopting a commanding tone as he assumed his role as team leader.
Most of the team members remained indifferent. Only the mortal reacted with visible anxiety, clutching his ticket tightly as his face tensed.
About an hour after Lynn and his team departed, the doors of the underground tavern were suddenly slammed open by an overwhelming force!
"Bang!"
A deep, resounding noise echoed throughout the tavern, making the candles on the walls flicker.
Instantly, the lively atmosphere fell silent. Countless eyes turned toward the entrance. Even the official wizards seated in the private booths couldn't help but glance over.
Clad in black wizard robes, a group of figures stepped into the tavern, their presence exuding a chilling aura.
As soon as their chest emblems were revealed, the entire tavern seemed to freeze those emblems belonged to one of the top forces in the Black Wizard Domain: The Furnace of Stone!
At the forefront of the group was a particularly imposing wizard. His eyes burned with intensity as he strode toward the bar, exuding an air of authority as though he had come to settle a score.
Even the official wizards who recognized their identity quickly averted their gazes, unwilling to get involved.
"Boom!"
The wizard slammed his hand onto the bar counter. His silver-gray metallic palm left a deep imprint on the wooden surface.
His voice rang out in fury:
"Sirius, what's the meaning of this?!"
Behind the counter, the bartender frowned slightly but remained calm.
First, he glanced at the nearby patrons and casually remarked:
"Esteemed guests, please step aside for a moment."
The wizards at the bar immediately got up and hurried away, fearing they might get caught up in the confrontation.
Within moments, only the black-robed wizard and the bartender remained by the bar.
With a flick of his finger, the bartender conjured a shimmering light, forming an invisible barrier that sealed off their conversation from prying ears.
Only then did he respond in a leisurely tone:
"Silver Ash, you're being rather unreasonable. Are you referring to that order? But that wasn't issued by the headquarters…"
"Without the approval of the higher-ups or an official document, do you expect us of Sirius to follow your commands?"
"We're not your subordinates, after all."
His tone remained light, even carrying a faint smirk. Yet, beneath his words lay an unmistakable chill.
Silver Ash's fury intensified. He abruptly pulled back his hood, revealing his true face.
A face entirely forged from silver-gray metal!
His eyes, nose, mouth, and cheeks all gleamed with a metallic sheen, radiating an eerie, lifeless mechanical aura.
When Silver Ash spoke again, his voice resembled the grating clash of metal, carrying an icy menace.
"This is a serious matter!"
"You may deny involvement in the Spirit Eye Furnace incident, but hunting down members of the Falling Star Council is an official order from headquarters!"
"We've already informed you that members of the Falling Star Council are highly likely to pass through this checkpoint, yet you Sirius lot still refuse to cooperate?"
His gaze was sharp as if trying to pry a weakness from the bartender's expression.
However, Sirius merely narrowed his eyes and smirked faintly, his tone remaining indifferent.
"Informed us? You mean those two vague descriptions?"
"Do you have any concrete intelligence beyond that?"
"Or are you suggesting we detain every unfamiliar wizard we come across?"
His tone was calm, even nonchalant, but his words carried an underlying edge.
Silver Ash's face darkened further, his metallic fists clenching tightly, faintly trembling with frustration.
Before he could retort, Sirius continued at an unhurried pace:
"Silver Ash, you don't understand the rules."
"If you want us Sirius members to cooperate, you need either an official directive from headquarters or a direct order from the central command!"
"Otherwise, if this issue reaches the Eagle Seat, you will be the one at fault."
The emphasis on rules carried an unmistakable warning.
Silver Ash's expression grew even uglier. His fists trembled slightly.
"Slap!"
Suddenly, he raised his hand, revealing a shimmering card brimming with magical energy a transaction card worth a hundred thousand magic stones!
"Now, can we talk?"
His tone remained cold, but his barely contained rage was evident.
At that moment, Sirius's demeanor shifted completely.
His lips curled into a radiant smile. With a flick of his fingers, he deftly caught the card and spoke with genuine warmth:
"Now that's more like it!"
"We're businessmen, after all. We always follow the rules."
His cheerful tone carried an unmistakable sense of amusement.
Silver Ash, on the other hand, merely sneered inwardly.
"Sirius? Hah, more like Greedy Wolf."
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