Leilin looked at the several guarded faces and rubbed his nose.
In the wizard world, Dark Wizards and Light Wizards had always been synonymous with mortal enemies, and here on the Henghe Plains, the fact that these people hadn't attacked the moment they heard Leilin was a Dark
"I left the Dark Wizard Domain years ago. I'm living in Polar Night City now!"
After a moment's thought, Leilin fed them a half-truth. "And I'm also studying at the
"See! I knew it! Someone as brave and kind as you, Leilin, could never be one of those cruel Dark Wizards!"
George burst into hearty laughter.
Siri and the others also looked considerably more at ease.
One had to wonder what all those wizards who had died at Leilin's hands would think of George's words — would they be furious enough to die all over again?
"By the way, Leilin, are you here because of the secret realm too?"
The Henghe Secret Realm was such a massive event that it had triggered an earthquake across the entire South Coast wizard world, and some of the basic knowledge surrounding secret realms had spread rapidly. George and the others were far from ignorant about it.
Leilin met George's concerned gaze, along with the faint, probing looks from the other apprentices, and felt a brief moment of恍然.
It seemed George had written him off as one of those naive apprentices who didn't understand the danger, hoping to strike it rich inside the Henghe Secret Realm.
It was hardly surprising. Ever since word of the secret realm had gotten out, apprentice wizards dreaming of sudden fortune had been streaming in from every direction toward the Henghe Plains.
Some died outright on the journey. Others struggled around the entrance, unable to find a way in. Still others were forcibly conscripted or tricked by major factions into serving as cannon fodder.
But a tiny fraction of apprentices had luckily obtained some resources and made it back safely to Polar Night City and other wizard gathering points, which only fueled greater excitement and drew ever more apprentices into the adventure.
Clearly, George and his group had mentally filed Leilin into that same category.
"Leilin…" George paused, seeming to organize his words. "The dangers inside the secret realm are far beyond what apprentices like us can handle. Only the official wizards — the adults — are the real main force in there!"
"Many of my friends have already fallen in there. You're still young… there's no need to…"
"Let him go!" Besta suddenly spoke up from the side.
"Maybe Leilin is really lucky and will score a ton of resources. He might even succeed in his advancement!"
George's brow furrowed. How could anyone count on luck? Besides, Besta was being far too casual about it.
"Actually… I received an academy mission. That's why I have no choice but to go to the secret realm!" Leilin said with a wry smile.
"Oh… that explains it. I was wondering how someone like you would do something so reckless…" George clapped his friend on the shoulder, his expression a mix of sympathy and resignation.
"Now the two of us might really be in the same boat — we could even get assigned together. After all, inside the secret realm, the Light Wizards have formed a unified alliance…"
Hearing that Leilin's situation was roughly the same as theirs — also being forced to head to the secret realm — Siri, Alexander, and the others showed expressions of shared misery. Leilin's story had clearly struck a chord.
This kind of mission ranked just below death missions within the academy. Only apprentices with no backing or those who had offended someone important ever got sent on them.
But in that fleeting turn of his head, Leilin's keen eyes caught a flash of barely concealed satisfaction on Besta's face.
"Is this woman still hung up about what happened last time?"
Leilin chuckled inwardly, finding it somewhat novel.
At his current level, he had left Besta far, far behind.
He had killed more than a few official wizards. What waves could a mere apprentice possibly make?
No matter how much Besta bared her claws and fangs in front of him now, to Leilin it was like teasing a little tabby cat.
"…We're heading the same way anyway. Leilin, why don't we travel together?"
George made the suggestion.
"…Sure!" Leilin considered it. He still had plenty of time, and at George's group's pace, they would reach the Henghe Secret Realm well before the deadline. He agreed.
He and George had been on good terms before — might as well help where he could.
And as for Besta, there were a few matters worth settling with that woman as well.
"Great! Leilin, you're a Third-rank Apprentice too, so our team just got a lot stronger. We won't even have to worry about bandits!" George was visibly excited.
The other apprentices didn't object either.
"Bandits? You're actually worried about that?" Leilin asked, somewhat taken aback. In his experience, so-called bandits were nothing more than farmers with pitchforks and fishing spears.
"You really don't know?" George looked even more shocked than Leilin. "I'm genuinely amazed you made it this far knowing so little!"
He then gave Leilin a thorough explanation.
"If they were bandits made up entirely of ordinary people, we wouldn't even need to lift a finger — Siri alone could handle as many as they sent. But the Henghe Plains are different. With so many apprentices traveling alone out here, specialized bands targeting wizards have popped up. Some say there are even official wizards among them…"
With the surge of wizards heading for the Henghe Secret Realm, and law and order in complete disarray, certain rogue Dark Wizards had naturally turned their sights on the area.
Most of these Dark Wizards were apprentices as well, and their strength was nothing in Leilin's eyes.
They wouldn't dare touch official wizards, but a handful of apprentices couldn't withstand the assault of greedy Dark Wizards. Compared to the sheltered, greenhouse-flower education of Light Wizards, Dark Wizard apprentices who had grown up under the law of the beasts from childhood were clearly superior in combat power — and in terms of battle instincts and seizing the right moment, they left Light Wizards far behind.
Moreover, the apprentices heading here, especially those leaving afterward, might well be carrying precious resources from the Henghe Secret Realm! Encountering even one such apprentice would be enough for a massive payday.
Plenty of Dark Wizard apprentices surely harbored exactly that thought.
Thus, the road to the Henghe Secret Realm was riddled with danger at every turn.
Many apprentices chasing the gold-rush dream never even reached the secret realm, dying on the road instead.
Leilin reflected — his own journey had actually been remarkably uneventful. He hadn't run into any major bandit groups.
The occasional petty thief or two that crossed their path had been dispatched by Number Two and Number Three without incident. For those two, who had successfully advanced to the incomplete Marked Swordsman stage, whether it was ordinary people or apprentice wizards, they were all finished in a few sword strokes.
"So that's how it is. Looks like I was lucky…" Leilin scratched his head and gave a somewhat sheepish grin.
"I have to say, your luck has been extraordinary! But that was only the outer regions. The deeper we push into the Henghe Plains, the more of these bandits we'll run into. The Light Wizard大人s have all their attention on the secret realm — apart from heavy security at a few entrances, they don't bother patrolling anywhere else…"
George actually understood Leilin reasonably well. He knew this traveling companion was sharp and calculating, and almost certainly had some hidden trump cards.
But George had one saving grace: he knew when to read the room and knew how to behave.
The stronger Leilin was, the safer the whole team would be. Pushing further would only drive Leilin away — a losing proposition.
In George's mind, Leilin had advanced to Third-rank Apprentice so quickly, accepted an organizational mission, and dared to travel alone, which meant he had to possess some powerful hidden card. Poor George never even considered the possibility that Leilin had already advanced to official wizard.
After all, the gap between Third-rank Apprentice and official wizard was practically an abyss!
Even the most gifted wizard apprentices who managed to advance before the age of thirty were considered extraordinarily fast!
And George, who knew that Leilin's soul talent was only Third-rank, would never have thought along those lines.
"Alright! Now that you're joining my team, you'll be living the good life!" George very familiarly threw an arm around Leilin's shoulder and thumped his chest in assurance.
"At the very least, fine wine and beautiful women won't be in short supply. See that woman in red by the bar? The way she's looking at you is very interesting! I bet if you go over and say a couple of words, she's yours tonight, and then—AHHH!!"
George had barely said two sentences before reverting to his pervert nature, and was promptly pinched hard by Siri beside him, letting out a piercing shriek as he begged for mercy.
"Haha…"
Watching this scene, not only the Marsh Garden apprentices but even Leilin couldn't help but crack a smile.
…
Leilin, of course, never went over to flirt. George had only been joking around to liven up the mood anyway.
And the effect had been quite good. At the very least, after seeing the Four Seasons Garden emblem Leilin produced, Alexander and the other apprentices grew noticeably friendlier toward him.
Even Besta — that woman — put on a cheerful face and welcomed Leilin's inclusion on the surface.
The group rested in the small town and set out again early the next morning.
The missions from the Nine-Ring White Tower and the Marsh Garden both had time limits. George and the others had to reach their designated locations before the deadline, or they would be immediately placed on the academy's wanted list.
They were still apprentices! If that happened, their lives would be over!
So, once they had received their missions, no matter how unwilling they were, they had no choice but to obey the organization's orders and head for the Henghe Secret Realm to face whatever awaited them.