Chapter 5: Being Targeted

Carlos had no intention of putting his life on the brink of death. Right now, he faced a second order snake ghost with a human face, and his sole purpose was to run faster than Tucker without hindering him.

Turning back would mean confronting even faster and more dangerous creatures of the crypt, which was quite a bad idea.

"I guess we're going home empty-handed," Carlos said with a touch of helplessness as he glanced over his shoulder.

Tucker, however, had a different perspective. He examined the crypt passage leading to the Demon Lord's seal and stated seriously, "In fact, we've gained quite a lot."

Carlos raised an eyebrow. "We?"

"Indeed," Tucker emphasized. "We also teamed up to defeat a second-order extraordinary creature."

Carlos, still a bit miffed, responded, "You never told me we were this powerful."

Tucker, speaking slowly, explained the potential consequences of opening the Demon Lord's seal as two unknown thieves and how they'd be wanted. But then, he introduced another scenario.

"But if it's your sister, the distinguished student of the wizard Count Larmore, 'Miss Hiroel,' was the one who opens the Demon Lord's seal, the announcement would be different. It would depict her as the heroic steam knight 'Hiroel' who unlocked the treasure sealed by the devil and contributed greatly to the city-state of Larmore Tower."

This revelation left Carlos somewhat taken aback. "Could it be possible?"

Tucker remained calm. "It's not a matter of possibility; it's a certainty."

He continued, "There's still about a week of the Ash night period. During this time, it's highly unlikely that any adventurers will venture deep into this cave to explore the seal. When we go back, we'll inform your Sister, and she'll know how to handle it."

As Tucker explained the plan, Carlos's eyes lit up. The treasure of the Demon Lord was an enticing prospect. Carlos could almost see the wealth coming to him.

Tucker took a deep breath and turned his attention away from Carlos. He had invited Carlos to collaborate for a reason. Carlos possessed a remarkable bracelet that could hold "rune stones," and his formidable background would help mitigate the risks of tampering with the Demon Lord's seal.

The outcome exceeded their expectations. First, Tucker successfully secured the Demon Lord's seal area. The system played a crucial role, and this marked the anticipated turning point. Second, they managed to partially open the seal, and with Carlos's sister reporting to the authorities, it was likely to result in a rewarding outcome.

In the abandoned stone tower area, under the tranquil glow of the "Moon of Ashes," Tucker and Carlos ascended from the crypt passage one after the other, just as Tucker had planned. They deliberately chose the "Ash Night Period" for their operation to maintain secrecy.

While walking through the desolate stone corridor, Carlos raised a concern, "Tucker, I've heard rumours of people hunting young wizards. Apprentice wizards and many first-level wizards have recently mysteriously disappeared."

Tucker acknowledged, "I've heard whispers too. We'll have to be more cautious from now on."

Larmore, being on the border of the Land of Ashes, had a harsh environment and was home to various mysterious organizations and even followers of dark gods. Tucker often felt uneasy in this place.

As they reached the main road, Carlos bid farewell and hurried to the "Tower District" to report their significant find to his sister, leaving Tucker to head back to the "Earth Nest Area."

In the dimly lit street, bathed in the cold moonlight, Tucker massaged his throbbing temples. His extraordinary talent, S-level [Accuracy], granted him deep insight into the world's essence and trajectories through vision, sensation, touch, and spiritual perception. While this ability was powerful, it came with a heavy burden.

Tucker was learning to control his [Accuracy]. As he honed his mastery, the overwhelming influx of information began to subside. The world he saw returned to normal, although he retained a portion of the context and trajectories, allowing him to examine the world from this unique perspective.

He contemplated the benefits of S-class extraordinary talents, realizing they exposed the secrets and intentions of others, making the management of expressions and reactions a delicate task.

"The changes brought about by S-level [Accuracy] are immense," he mused. "It has completely revolutionized my combat style. Rebuilding a new fighting method with [Accuracy] as the core will require time and effort."

He considered how to make the most of this talent without revealing his capabilities. Tucker was confident that with the right method and his S-level talent, even a novice wizard could become remarkably powerful. Moreover, he was on the verge of being promoted to a first-level wizard.

Tucker's thoughts shifted to the second-order core material, the "Human Faced Snake Crystal," obtained during their harrowing adventure.

It holds significant value as a second-order core material.

"If you visit the underground mall tomorrow, you can not only exchange it for the materials needed to advance to the first-level wizard but also have a surplus," Tucker mentioned with a slight narrowing of his eyes.

"First-order wizards..." Tucker thought. "It's finally within reach."

In this perilous world, Tucker had two main objectives. The first was to confirm the system's effectiveness, and the second was to attain the status of a first-order wizard. In this extraordinary world, one's level and in turn their strength were the most important aspects of their existence.

If Tucker were a "fourth-order wizard" today, he could have easily faced the second-order human faced snake, who had been chasing him through the underground tunnels, sitting before it,

It wouldn't be able to do anything

The system had now stabilized, and Tucker's promotion to a first-level wizard was imminent.

As he arrived at the "Crypt Tavern" under the deserted night, Tucker pushed open the door. The tavern was livelier than when he left, with a dozen adventurers in small groups, animatedly sharing stories fueled by alcohol.

"Black horn beef bread soup, please," Tucker ordered from the bartender.

As he waited for his order, Tucker observed his surroundings, using his context-capture ability to gain insight into the world. The world started to appear peculiar through his eyes.

Ordinary adventurers' levels, sequences, and even their life conditions became clear to Tucker through context capture.

"The three adventurers over there exude strong auras and appear to be at levels 18 and 19. They're seasoned," he noted. "Those adventurers by the fire seem low on energy and sluggish."

"In the grey night period, many idle adventurers indulge themselves," he reasoned.

Then, his attention shifted to something more unusual. Tucker held his breath, and his gaze became intense. When he and Carlos had been discussing things earlier, a mysterious figure had been lurking in the shadowed corner, near the window and fireplace, seemingly eavesdropping on their conversation. However, this time, from the moment he pushed the door open to sitting at the bar, the hidden extraordinary individual's focus had remained on Tucker, making him uneasy.

"Is he an enemy?" Tucker pondered. "It's unlikely. If someone had a grudge, they'd usually confront me right away, not linger in the shadows."

As he considered various possibilities, he contemplated whether this might be a long-lost relative seeking him for a strange reason. However, Tucker found the idea too abstract.

"In that case..." Tucker's thoughts turned to the recent disappearances of wizards. "Could they be targeting me, the group that is hunting novice wizards?"

comment 4 comment

Vote

SEND GIFT

Load failed, please RETRY