Wizard: My Skills Can Infinitely Break Through

Chapter 206: Chapter 200: Return and Shock (2)

He didn’t think much of them, but he could sell them at a Magic Pharmacy later.

There were also a few pieces of Witchcraft Equipment: a Bone Scythe, a string of Skulls, and a few pieces of Inner Armor.

Ian picked up the Bone Scythe and weighed it in his hand. It felt heavy, and a faint trace of Death Qi still lingered on the blade.

’This thing... I’ll take it apart later and see if any of its materials are usable.’

Time flowed by quietly. From the next room, the sounds of Gaga and Lucy bickering could be heard from time to time.

In the evening, a knock came from the door.

"Ian? Are you there?"

It was Malena’s voice.

Ian got up and went to open the door.

Two people stood outside the door.

Malena and Alevia.

Malena had her usual capable appearance, her long hair tied in a ponytail, and she wore a Deep Blue Wizard Robe, but her expression was somewhat complicated.

Alevia stood beside her, her long golden hair draped over her shoulders, her deep eyes fixed on Ian.

Her gaze held a probing look, and also a hint of... disbelief.

"Come in." Ian stepped aside.

The two entered the room. Malena glanced around the living room, and her pupils contracted slightly when her eyes landed on the pile of loot on the table.

Alevia saw it too, but she didn’t say anything, simply finding a chair to sit down in.

"Sit." Ian gestured to the sofa and sat back down in his original spot.

Malena didn’t sit. She stood there, watching Ian for a long moment before speaking, her voice a little dry.

"About the Sleeping Underground Palace... we heard."

Ian nodded but didn’t speak.

"Blood Slaughter... Did you really kill him?" Malena asked.

"Yes."

"And Samael? Theodore?"

"Yes."

The living room was silent for a few seconds.

Malena took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.

She walked to the window, her back to Ian, and looked outside.

Outside the window were the wide streets of Shadow Moon Tower, where a few Apprentices were hurrying past, clutching books.

"I still remember..." Malena suddenly said, her voice soft. "The first time I met you was at the Star Leaf Magic Pharmacy."

"Back then, you were still a Middle Level Apprentice. You first came to buy materials. Your gaze was calm, and you didn’t say much."

"Later, you were hired as a Magic Potion Apprentice and worked under me. You were fast at making potions and made few mistakes, but you still didn’t talk much."

She turned and looked at Ian.

"After that, the war with the Deep Red Royal Court broke out. You were promoted to High Level Apprentice, and then you vanished without a trace."

"Not until the Demon Hunting war did your name spread... I thought that was your limit."

"But how long has it been?"

Malena gave a bitter smile.

"Half a year? A year? And you’ve killed Blood Slaughter from Deep Red, Samael from the Withered, and Theodore... all of them."

"I heard from Hogan that you even managed to wound that thing deep in the Underground Palace in a head-on confrontation."

She shook her head, as if she didn’t know what to say.

Alevia sat in her chair, her fingers gently stroking the armrest.

"Ian," she said, her voice very soft. She tried her best to sound calm, but Ian could hear the turbulence beneath the surface.

"Your current strength... what level have you reached?" This was actually a very presumptuous question.

But Alevia seemed to ignore that. The information she had heard was just too outrageous.

Ian lowered his gaze and thought for a moment.

"Dealing with a few Level One Wizards shouldn’t be a problem."

Alevia: "..."

Malena: "..."

His tone was nonchalant, but both of them could feel the immense confidence radiating from him.

’Not a problem? Those are Level One Wizards! Not Level One Apprentices!’

The two exchanged a look, and both saw the same emotion in the other’s eyes.

Shock, and a hint of... helplessness.

They had personally witnessed this young man’s meteoric rise from Apprentice to Wizard.

They had thought his progress was already outrageous, but now it seemed they had still greatly underestimated his potential.

It wasn’t just them; everyone had underestimated him.

"As for the High Tower..." Alevia changed the subject. "The Tower Master already knows about you."

"I see." Ian’s expression remained calm.

"Your authority will be raised to the Core Elder Level."

Alevia’s expression was solemn. "The Star Library will be open to you, and resources will be allocated in your favor."

Ian raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.

’He knew of the Star Library. It was the most central resource vault of Shadow Moon Tower, and it contained truly valuable items.’

’He had only heard of it before and had never been inside.’

"I don’t believe I’ve signed a contract with the High Tower," Ian reminded her.

"I know," Alevia nodded. "But the High Tower is willing to take a gamble."

’A gamble on what?’

On Ian’s future, of course.

A prodigy who could kill someone at the Peak of Liquefaction and wound a Level Two in a direct confrontation right after reaching Level One—what would his future be like?

Shadow Moon Tower was willing to place that bet.

"Also..." Malena hesitated for a moment. "Deep Red and the Withered have already put out bounties in the underground."

"A bounty on me?"

"Yes." Alevia took a piece of parchment from her robes and handed it to Ian.

Ian took it and glanced at it.

On it was written in deep red letters:

[Bounty: Ian Marcus]

[Reward: Five thousand High Level Magic Stones, or materials/knowledge of equivalent value]

[Issued by: Blood Hand]

There was another one below it. It was obviously from the Withered Council, with a similar reward.

Although the two factions hadn’t explicitly stated their identities, Ian knew it was them.

"Quite a generous offer," Ian said with a smile, tossing the parchment back onto the table.

"Aren’t you worried?" Malena frowned.

"Would worrying do any good?" Ian retorted.

Malena faltered.

"They wouldn’t dare make a move within Shadow Moon’s sphere of influence," Alevia said. "But if you leave..."

"Then let them come," Ian said, his voice calm.

"Oh, one more thing. Douglas and Baal didn’t return. Hogan said Baal might be a traitor."

Ian was stunned for a moment. "Douglas is dead?"

’Still, it’s for the best. It saves me the trouble of doing it myself. But Baal...’

The three of them fell silent again, as if there was nothing left to talk about.

After a while, Malena sighed. Ian had changed so much.

The rapid rise in his strength and status had, contrary to expectations, created a kind of barrier between them.

She felt a pang of sadness in her heart as she experienced this subtle shift in their dynamic.

She walked over to the table and looked at the loot, her gaze finally landing on the string of Skulls.

"Is this... from the Withered?"

"Yeah. I don’t remember whose it was. I just stripped it off one of them."

Ian weighed the Skull in his hand. "The material is good. I’ll take it apart later and see."

Malena: "..."

She shook her head and said no more.

"We’ll be going now. You just got back, so get some rest," Alevia said, standing up.

Malena nodded as well, and the two of them walked toward the door.

When they reached the door, Malena suddenly stopped and looked back at Ian.

"Ian."

"Yes?"

"It’s good that you made it back alive."

After saying that, she opened the door and left with Alevia.

Once again, Ian was the only one left in the living room.

He leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes.

Images from the Underground Palace flashed through his mind: Blood Slaughter’s savage grin, Samael’s Bone Scythe, and that massive main Tentacle...

And then, what Malena had just said.

The corner of Ian’s mouth twitched slightly.

’Yeah... it’s good to be back alive.’