Free Web NovelChapter 181: Chapter 179: Aftermath
In the depths of the gloomy hall, three lamps burned with a ghastly green flame on an altar table.
PUFF! PUFF! PUFF! All three went out in rapid succession.
The old man in charge of guarding the lamps snapped his cloudy eyes open, his stooped body stiffening.
He stretched out a trembling hand and touched the cold rim of a lamp, confirming it wasn’t a hallucination.
"Cold Crow... Ashes... and Curse Eye."
A wheezing sound escaped the old man’s throat. He grabbed a pitch-black Bone Staff from beside him and struck the ground forcefully.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
The dull thuds echoed through the vast, silent hall.
Several blurry figures emerged from the shadows, their auras frigid and heavy with the stench of death.
"The pact... is broken?" a hoarse voice asked.
"Broken. Three of them, one right after the other."
The old man nodded slowly, the loose skin on his face trembling, the fury in his eyes practically bursting forth.
"Shadow Moon’s territory..."
Another figure spoke, its voice like the scraping of rusted metal.
"Who did it? Could it be... Shadow Moon Tower has started cleaning out our people?"
"Impossible," the hoarse voice denied.
"That old fox Morton wouldn’t make a move on our Core Stewards unless things were truly falling apart. That’s not his style."
"Then it’s strange. Ashes and Curse Eye were on the verge of Liquefaction. Cold Crow was at his absolute peak, with one foot in the door to Crystalization, and he was carrying the ’Heart of the Dead’..."
’Who could kill the three of them so silently?’
The previous speaker’s tone was filled with confusion and a hint of shocked anger.
"Could it have been that Ian Marcus fellow?"
Someone raised the question, only to immediately dismiss it themselves.
"He was promoted to Level One less than a year ago. He probably hasn’t even learned any Tier One Witchcraft yet. He wouldn’t even be a warm-up for Cold Crow."
A brief silence fell over the hall.
"Investigate!" The owner of the hoarse voice suppressed the rage in his tone.
"First, report to the Council President. Then, on behalf of the Elder Council, send a letter to the upper echelons of Shadow Moon.
The ’Sleeping Underground Palace’ is scheduled to open in half a year anyway, so we can discuss the entry quotas at the same time.
"Also, where is the ’Curse Bearer’ team?"
"They’re already on their way. At their pace, they should reach the outskirts of Shadow Moon’s territory within ten days."
"Tell them the plan has changed. Cold Crow, Ashes, and the others are dead. Cause of death unknown. Their mission has been updated. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
First, find the cause of death and the killer. In the fragmented information Hector left behind before he went to the Withered Forest, he specifically mentioned the existence of the [Eye of the Gazer].
That thing... is key to advancing to Crystalization!"
"Yes, sir!"
The figure in the shadows accepted the order and slowly receded.
Only the old man and the owner of the hoarse voice remained in the hall.
"Do you think... that little Wizard did it?" the old man asked in a low voice.
"I don’t believe so," the hoarse voice sneered.
"But he’s definitely involved. Perhaps... someone inside Shadow Moon helped him."
’Or maybe someone wanted to double-cross us, found a stronger backer... Regardless, the [Eye of the Gazer] must be retrieved.’
’Hector died for it. Cold Crow went after the opportunity for advancement and fell as well...’
’The price is too high.’
A hint of pained regret and icy killing intent finally crept into his voice.
「On the road to Shadow Moon.」
Five people clad in gray-black hooded Long Robes walked silently through the Wilderness.
Their pace wasn’t fast, but with every step they took, the weeds beneath their feet rapidly withered and turned yellow.
The man in the lead threw back his hood, revealing a pale face.
His eyes were sunken, his pupils a pure, unfocused gray-white.
He was holding a cracked Communication Bone Talisman, having just finished reading the message inside.
"Cold Crow, Ashes, and Curse Eye are all dead," he said, his voice dry.
The other four stopped in their tracks. The temperature of the surrounding air seemed to drop by several degrees.
"Who did it?" a female voice asked.
"Unknown. It’s suspected to be related to the target, Ian Marcus, but the probability is low.
The Council has ordered us to determine the cause of death and seize the [Eye of the Gazer], if it exists."
The lead man put away the Bone Talisman. His gray-white eyes shifted, looking in the direction of Shadow Moon Tower.
"A couple of good-for-nothings," a burly man in the group spat.
"Couldn’t even handle a newly promoted Level One and got themselves killed in the process."
"Don’t underestimate Shadow Moon. People die there," another tall, thin man said sinisterly.
"No one who manages to get a foothold there is a simple character.
Still... investigating a little guy at the Initial Stage of Vaporization shouldn’t be hard for us ’Curse Bearers’.
Ashes and the others were too careless."
The lead man said nothing, merely pulling his hood back up.
"Pick up the pace. Once we arrive, we’ll scout the battlefield first, then make a plan."
The five figures began to move again, their speed suddenly increasing as they shot across the wasteland like five gray phantoms.
「Shadow Moon Tower, Starlight Magic Pharmacy.」
The shop door, which had been closed for a long time, was pushed open with a CREAK.
Kenna took a cloth and began wiping down the shelves.
Robert and Wade carried in boxes of Potions, restocking the counter.
Monica took out the ledger and sat behind the counter. The female Apprentice who used to work there had also returned.
The sign was the same deep blue one. The words "Starlight Magic Pharmacy", written in five Silver Runes, gleamed in the sunlight.
Passing Wizard Apprentices stopped in their tracks, whispering amongst themselves.
"Huh? It’s open?"
"Didn’t they say it was closed for renovations? It’s finally open! I’ve been waiting for ages."
"Look, it seems they’ve restocked! Concentration Potions! And Rock Bear Potions!"
"Quick, go tell Boss Jason! He’s been talking about this for a long time!"
The news spread quickly, and customers gradually started trickling into the shop.
Most were regulars, but there were also new faces who had heard the news.
Kevin squeezed his way in again, leaning familiarly on the counter.
"Wizard Marcus, you’re finally open! Is there really no chance for a Starlight Potion? I’ll pay more! Thirty percent more!"
Ian sat in his usual spot behind the counter, still holding his book on Rune analysis. Without looking up, he said, "None."
Kevin was rebuffed but didn’t get angry. He chuckled, bought some Tier Zero Potions, and left.
As he walked out the door, he glanced back at the quiet figure inside the shop.
’I wonder what he was up to these past few days,’ he mused. ’Was he really just holed up doing Alchemy?’
He wasn’t the only one thinking that.
「In Shadow Moon’s most magnificent Wizard Tower.」
Morton put down an official letter and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
It had come from the Withered Council’s President through a special channel, its tone polite but with an underlying accusation.
"Men from the Withered Council died on our doorstep... two Core Stewards."
Standing before him was the captain of the Law Enforcement Team, a Level Two Crystalized Wizard with a stern expression.
"Have you seen the scene?" Morton asked.
"I have. It was clean. The methods used to clean up weren’t exactly professional, but the residual Energy traces... are astonishing."
The Law Enforcement Team captain said in a low voice, "There are signs of a high-intensity burst of Death Energy, likely from one of the Withered Council’s sacrificial summoning trump cards.
And... another type of residual Energy, one with extremely concentrated destructive power. The area of effect was small, but the Annihilation was absolute.
A section of the ground in that area was ’erased’ in a perfect hemisphere, its inner walls vitrified."
Morton’s fingers tapped on the desktop.
"Can you tell whose work it is? Did one of the old-timers in our Tower get restless and make a move?"
The captain shook his head. "It doesn’t seem so. The nature of that Energy is unfamiliar, and there were no telltale signs of a Level Two Wizard’s Power left at the scene.
It was more like... some kind of powerful Talent Witchcraft, or a special Compound Witchcraft."
The two looked at each other, seeing the confusion in the other’s eyes.
Morton was silent for a moment, then a mocking smile appeared on his face as he waved his hand. freёwebnoѵel.com
"Forget it. Send a reply to the Withered Council. Just say we’re aware of the situation, are currently investigating, and will inform them as soon as we have results.
As for the candidates for the ’Sleeping Underground Palace’, we’ll stick to the old rules: everyone gets to fight for their own spot."
The Law Enforcement Team captain paused for a second, then understood.
A cold smirk touched the corner of his mouth. "Yes, Tower Master."
’The Withered Council dares to send a letter of inquiry? How absurd.’
