The legacy of warlocks had disappeared from the South Coast for nearly a thousand years. Leilin didn't think his luck was that good.
Moreover, he didn't want to reveal his trump card so easily!
"This matter would probably have to be left to the Crimson Great Wizard!"
Leilin stroked his chin as he walked, deep in thought.
As a Fourth-rank Warlock who had reached the Morning Star level, the Crimson Great Wizard surely had unknown means of countering warlock emotional instability.
The tranquility potion from before was the best proof!
Leilin planned to seek out some ruins related to the Crimson Great Wizard next, hoping to find something useful.
Having made up his mind, Leilin began heading toward the outskirts of Thorn Iron Gate.
He was desperate to find any intelligence or information about the Crimson Great Wizard, so he could track down his ruins and find a way to combat the bloodline disease that afflicted warlocks.
"Are you leaving already, sir?"
Just as Leilin was about to leave the bounds of Thorn Iron Gate, a strange figure wearing an unusual cloak suddenly blocked his path.
"Who are you? I don't think I know you!" The middle-aged man Leilin had transformed into furrowed his brow, and a dangerous aura began to emanate faintly from his body.
The strange figure opposite him felt it most acutely. At this moment, it was as though he were being stared down by an ancient primordial beast, and his legs began to tremble involuntarily.
"Wait! Wait! My lord! I mean no harm!" The figure immediately waved his hands in a panic. To prove his identity, he pulled out an iron plate and held it up for Leilin to see.
On the dark iron plate, etched in deep lines, was the image of an ancient iron crown. The crown bore no ornamentation whatsoever, filled instead with stark, rigid lines.
"Someone from the Iron Crown?" Leilin's tone softened slightly, and the aura around him calmed. He regarded this figure, who also possessed the strength of a full-fledged Wizard. "Why are you looking for me?"
"My lord! Our Iron Crown maintains a respectful and humble attitude toward all powerful Wizards. In truth, the moment you set foot in our market, we noticed you…"
The figure bowed deeply to Leilin. "Please, follow me!"
Leilin stroked his chin and followed behind the strange figure. Judging by this person's behavior, the Iron Crown had apparently already detected his strength. Come to think of it, as the rulers of this place, if they didn't keep watch over a Second-rank Wizard like Leilin, a single Second-rank Wizard could destroy all the prosperity here. The Iron Crown must have developed some rather covert detection techniques.
"How did you find me?"
Walking alongside the strange figure, Leilin finally couldn't help but ask.
Upon hearing Leilin's question, the cloaked man ahead patted the leather pouch at his waist with a hint of pride. "Squeak!" A dark shadow instantly scurried up to his shoulder.
It was a high-energy creature resembling a mole, with a pair of eyes like blue sapphires that emitted a crystalline gleam. It was now trembling uncontrollably at the sight of Leilin, its tail tucked firmly between its legs.
"Forgive the sight, my lord!" The cloaked man patted the mole's head to calm it. "This is my bonded magical companion — a Keron Mole. They possess extremely keen perception of powerful souls, and it's precisely because of this ability that I serve as the Iron Crown's garrison captain…"
Leilin looked at the mole perched on the captain's shoulder, and a knowing look appeared in his eyes. "To possess such an extinct creature as your magical companion — you're quite fortunate!"
A Wizard's magical companion was no mere mount or steed. A strict soul contract had to be signed, and a Wizard could only ever have one magical companion in their entire lifetime.
Many top-tier magical companions not only possessed formidable combat strength but could also amplify a Wizard's spells or physical abilities. Some legendary and exceedingly rare magical companions were even rumored to help Wizards break through their bottlenecks.
Leilin had always wanted to find a magical companion that perfectly matched him, but such things were priceless and scarce, requiring a certain amount of luck. As a result, he still hadn't made a decision.
The Keron Mole had absolutely no combat ability, nor did it enhance spell power or magical resistance. This sensing ability was somewhat niche — the Wizard had completely sacrificed those other aspects in exchange for superlative detection capabilities. Whether this choice was wise or not remained to be seen.
By now, Leilin had followed the garrison captain into a private club run by a Wizard.
The environment here was very secluded, with few Wizards around, and entry was strictly controlled — it seemed to be open only to members.
"Alright! Now you can tell me why you brought me here. You have five minutes!"
Leilin was growing somewhat impatient, and the garrison captain, sensing this, quickly got to the point.
"If I'm not mistaken, you've already reached the Second-rank?"