CHAPTER 1728: CHAPTER 472: OTHER CHOICES

A petite skeleton, about the height of Mi-go, stood between the Wandering Wizard and the Rat Immortal, looking left and right, seemingly a bit at a loss. On its forehead, a red gemstone the size of a fingernail glowed brilliantly in the hazy light.

Behind the skeleton stood a tall and robust man draped in coarse burlap. He leaned on an iconic oak Magic Wand of the Druids, his entire face hidden under a wide hood.

To the left of the Druid was a fully grey Corpse Witch, with dry hair dangling in strands from its shoulders, covering its hunched shoulders and emaciated skin and bones; On the Druid’s right floated a Ghost with a blurred face, shimmering with healthy pearlescence, though compared to the Upper House Member of the Moon Council, Silent Souls, this Ghost was somewhat smaller in stature.

At this moment, the Dark Councilors were all observing the Wandering Wizard and the Rat Immortal with probing eyes, seemingly evaluating which of the two Big Wizards was more reliable.

"Plan."

The Rat Immortal echoed the word just mentioned by the Wandering Wizard, still staring motionlessly at the seemingly thick but actually very thin wall remains in front of him, murmuring and answering very softly:

"Plans are always just plans... It’s naive for us to think we can act according to the plan honestly in front of so many Great Divinors at the school. Perhaps they know more about our plan than most of the people here."

"That’s not a reason to break the plan," the Wandering Wizard firmly reiterated his point.

"Heh heh."

Out of nowhere, a few harsh laughs pierced the air. The Wandering Wizard frowned, glancing towards the corner of his eye, seeing a ghostly light appearing at the corner of the dilapidated wall, followed by a light and airy remark: "...The Old Mouse may be verbose, but this insight is quite to the point."

The Wandering Wizard slightly squinted his eyes: "Bartke... you are not yet a Dark Councilor."

By implication, that ghostly light had no right to speak.

"Alright, stop arguing!"

The towering Druid stomped heavily on his Magic Wand, a hoarse and rough voice resounding: "The Rat Immortal took early action for private reasons, we all know that, which one of these councilors doesn’t have private intentions?... But he also isn’t wrong... Acting strictly according to the plan, the Great Divinors at the school will not let us succeed."

"Master Sekber."

The Wandering Wizard gave a slight nod to the Druid—he could question the temporarily joined Rat Immortal, but he had to respect the attitude of this Druid High Priest—and cleverly deflected the problem:

"So, what should be our next step?"

"When soldiers come, use generals to counter them; when water comes, use soil to stop it." The Great Druid Sekbo answered word by word, lifting his head and lowering his hood, revealing a face full of thick hair, gazing at the grey sky above:

"The council came to the Black Prison, never intending to peacefully take the spoils from the Wizards."

Crack!

Rumble rumble!

As if the sky was torn apart, heavy and urgent impact sounds echoed endlessly, reverberating across the sky. Ten massive green-grey pillars pierced the grey barrier, forcefully prying it open, revealing two enormous green-grey giant hands and a dispassionate Giant Ape face.

The massive ’Grey Snake’ coiling in mid-air narrowed and shrank in an instant the moment the Giant Ape’s face appeared, as if a startled loach, promptly retracting below.

Yet the barrier propped up by the massive Grey Snake still firmly hovered in mid-air, seemingly not about to disappear anytime soon.

The Giant Ape’s gaze swept past a Mi-go bending over, shielding the Little Witch, raising its numerous appendages to the sky; past the Black Cat and several young students from the First University; finally landing on the collapsed prison cells.

Boom!

The dilapidated walls collapsed under the heavy gaze, yet not a speck of dust rose. Among the ruins, six figures of varying heights and sizes all looked up, directly meeting those two descending eyes.

"Wanderer."

Professor Yao’s thunderous voice pierced the shattered barrier, resounding through this ruin, making the young Wizards’ ears buzz: "...Leaving you on Buji Island was the school’s biggest mistake."

The Wandering Wizard took off his pointed hat, pressed it against his chest, and gave a slight bow to the enormous face in the sky, replying in a polite but crisp voice:

"Honored by the hospitality, I’m deeply grateful."

The Giant Ape’s gaze shifted again, falling on that human-sized chubby mouse: "And you? Rat Immortal? Do you intend to forsake the Mouse Clan beneath the school as well?"

Before the Rat Immortal could respond, outside the ruins, the Mi-go that was initially howling upward suddenly turned its head, looking at the chubby Big Mouse, the spots between the forehead’s wrinkles flashing violently:

"Buzz... Creak... Buzz Buzz! No... Buzz... Melon... Buzz!!"

The Rat Immortal ignored the Giant Ape’s questioning, retracting its gaze, looking tenderly at that peculiar insect, at the bewildered Little Witch beneath it, speaking in an exceptionally gentle voice:

"I know, I know, it’s all my fault, all my fault... It has nothing to do with you all. You are all innocent. It’s all my fault... That’s good... Don’t worry, I will handle everything."

Raising its hand, it wiped the corner of its eye, a touch of warmth on its ugly face.

"Buzz... Get lost!! Buzz!!" The antennae on the Mi-go’s forehead abruptly stiffened, its elytra vibrating intensely behind it, wielding dozens of wind blades, fiercely hacking toward the Big Mouse among the ruins.

The figures around the Big Mouse couldn’t evade, cursing as they raised their hands to extinguish the wind blades. Instead, at the focal point of the attack, the Rat Immortal remained motionless, allowing the wind blades to lash its body, gouging deep, bone-revealing scars on its glossy fur.

Blood dripped down along its disheveled fur, trickling onto the ground.

The Rat Immortal seemed utterly unconcerned about its injuries, instead, it looked contentedly at the nearby Mi-go: "You still look as good as you did when you were angry..."

The light spot between the wrinkles on the Mi-go’s forehead jerked suddenly to a halt, then it angrily withdrew its gaze, once again guarding the Little Witch beneath it, bellowing toothily at the Giant Ape face in the sky.

The Giant Ape remained silent for a few seconds.

Then it shifted its gaze to the other figures: "Druid High Priest Sekbo, Great Witch Lin Chi, Ghost Tribe’s Anlafel... and Magic Assassin Bartke. The uninvited Dark Councilors, do you intend to stand against the First University?"

"No."

The Great Druid took a step forward, standing before the Dark Councilors, raising his head towards the enormous face in the sky: "In the war between Wizards and Demons, the Dark Council remains neutral... We came here to tell this world."

"Aside from Wizards and Demons, this world has other choices."