pertwk Chapter 54 A Mission You Have to Go
Chapter 54 A Mission You Have to Go
"Will a lot of people be involved in this operation?" Hick pressed.
He naturally cared about the number of people; more people meant more opportunities to take advantage of the chaos, and also a greater guarantee of his own safety.
“Of course,” Mentor Pero nodded, “With our Silent Forest taking the lead, all the dark wizard organizations will participate.”
He paused, a cold smile curving his lips.
"Besides... the once-a-decade 'exchange' is a 'training ground' tacitly approved by the White Wizard. There's an unwritten rule between the two sides—formed wizards are not allowed to participate. Only apprentices can take action."
After a moment's thought, Hickory bowed his head and replied, "Understood, Master."
What can he do if he disagrees? This so-called exchange meeting is just a prelude to the white wizard apprentices' competition; the real undercurrent is the black wizard apprentices' "hunting" and counter-"hunting." He has to go either way.
not to mention……
Meeting Professor Perot's unquestionable gaze, the last glimmer of hope in Hick's heart was extinguished.
He couldn't refuse this task!
"Very good, Hick." Perot's eyes revealed approval and a hint of expectation. "You are in full charge of this operation. All the apprentices in the tower will be under your command."
Hick's heart skipped a beat. All the apprentices? That meant...
"All I care about is the result!"
Perot's voice was resolute, "As for the other apprentices within the organization and apprentices from other organizations... they'll only know that this is yet another 'hunt' for white wizards, only on a larger scale than before! As for the real purpose..."
His gaze suddenly sharpened like a knife, locking onto Hick:
"This is known only to you, me, and Lord Mochamo. Therefore, Hick..."
The unfinished words carried a heavy threat.
Hick's heart trembled; he hadn't expected the level of secrecy to be so high!
He suppressed his turbulent emotions, straightened his back, and spoke with an almost desperate solemnity:
"This disciple will complete the mission! I swear on Hick Lane's life!"
Pero nodded in satisfaction, and with a flick of his sleeve, a dark, shadowy stone capable of storing information slowly floated to Hick's front.
Hick took a deep breath and accepted the Shadow Stone.
When his fingertips touched the cool surface, he trembled almost imperceptibly. He focused his spiritual energy and probed into it—
Instantly, the color drained from his face, and his hand gripping the Shadow Stone tightened violently, his knuckles turning white from the excessive force, almost crushing the hard stone!
Pelosi watched Hick's outburst silently, seemingly oblivious, her tone almost cold and indifferent:
"How is it? No problems, right?"
Hick's mind was in chaos, and a deep reluctance clung to his heart like a poisonous vine.
The target... was him?!
But the moment the thought of refusing arose, Pero's words, "Only you, me, and Lord Mochamo know," pierced his mind like an ice pick.
Now that I know this secret, can I still back out?
He bit his tongue hard, the sharp pain forcibly calming his turbulent thoughts. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he raised his head, his voice strained to remain steady:
"No problem, mentor."
Professor Pelosi, satisfied with the reply, softened her tone considerably and offered words of comfort:
"Don't worry, as long as you complete your mission, the Silent Forest will take care of everything afterward."
Hick remained silent. Block it?
This is clearly gambling his life on Mochamo's unfathomable credibility! Even if Mentor Perot is willing, how much say does he have at this level?
Seemingly aware of the fragility of this promise and the risks Hick was taking, Pelosi did not hesitate to offer her assistance.
"Here, take this. Perhaps... it will come in handy."
Before the words were finished, the air in the center of the hall distorted, and a cold, stiff humanoid magical artifact appeared out of thin air.
It was silent, yet it exuded a chilling sense of oppression—it was a powerful magical creation comparable to a formal wizard!
When Hick's gaze fell upon that lifeless yet strangely familiar face, a chill instantly froze his blood, and his heart felt as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand!
Carlo Bailey!
That "senior brother" who betrayed his mentor!
He was actually... transformed into this!
What does this mean? A blatant warning? Or... a living shackle that constantly monitors you?
"How is it, Hick?"
Perot's voice rang out, seemingly calm and even, yet each word struck a nerve with Hick's taut nerves.
"I promised to let him 'become' a formal wizard... and I kept my word."
Hick felt a chill run down his spine, penetrating to his very bones. Every word from his mentor, Perot, felt like the spit of a venomous snake.
"I'll give you this 'senior brother' position."
Pelosi spoke in a flat tone, as if he were talking about an insignificant tool.
"I think he'll be 'happy' to protect you. Okay, go back and get ready. Don't let us down."
"Understood, mentor."
Hick's voice was dry as he almost instinctively put the cold puppet in front of him, which exuded the aura of a formal wizard but was not a living thing, into his spatial ring.
He bowed, turned stiffly, and just wanted to escape the suffocating hall as quickly as possible.
Just as he was about to step out of the central gate, Perot's emotionless voice came again, carrying a faint reminder:
"Oh, by the way. My private library... perhaps you should take a look. You might find something 'useful' there."
Hick paused, instinctively wanting to turn around—but the two heavy metal doors behind him slammed shut with a dull thud before he could turn around.
This separated him from his unfathomable mentor, placing them in two separate worlds.
"A private library? What does that mean?"
Hick recalled his mentor's last words and couldn't help but feel confused. Unable to figure it out, Hick went straight to his mentor's private library, which he had visited many times before.
"Lord Kerry, I apologize for bothering you again."
Looking at the owl resting with its eyes closed, Hick bowed.
"Oh, it's Hick. There's no need to worry about disturbing you. Didn't I teach you the incantation? Just go in and don't worry about me."
Kerry opened his eyes and saw Hick, speaking lazily before closing his eyes again to go back to sleep.
Hick didn't stand on ceremony. He chanted the incantation to open the door and, somewhat puzzled, walked into his mentor's private library after it opened.
The door closed quietly behind me, cutting off the last ray of light and sound from the outside world.
Only the constant, faint, starlight-like magical light source inside the library casts long, ever-changing shadows on the bookshelves.
Hick kept thinking about his mentor's words: what exactly is useful to me?
What do I really need right now?
"What exactly is this thing the mentor is talking about?"
Looking at the neatly arranged bookshelves and the dazzling array of books, Hick murmured in bewilderment.