CHAPTER 501: 08 SOLICITING

"Whether there’s a problem or not, a meeting is still necessary," Carl said, taking an item from his person and handing it to Albert. "Trouble yourself to crush this quietly the next time you meet him, and leave the rest to me."

"Yes."

Albert was initially surprised, then nodded in agreement, carefully stowed the item, and took his leave.

He guessed that this object was likely used for tracking people. But with that person being the best at hiding his aura and sealing stray thoughts, Carl’s methods were unlikely to work.

Little did he know. While it was true that Carl’s own strength was only at the Second Order, he possessed a Divine Domain Fragment left by a Sixth Rank ’War God’ and could employ certain maneuvers of the Divines that might just be able to lock onto the person.

"Master," Evgeny said from outside the door, "someone is asking to see you."

"Enter!"

Carl regained his focus and straightened his clothes. As the owner of the Dream Market and host of the trading convention, most attendees would want to meet him. After all, he possessed quite a few valuable items.

A shadowy figure entered the room. Judging by the stiff facial features, the person seemed to be wearing some kind of mask as a disguise.

"Nice place," the visitor nodded, then looked at Carl. "And the person isn’t bad either."

?

Carl’s expression gradually grew serious. He realized that, even as the market owner, he couldn’t see through this person.

Late Second Circle Stage? No, Third Ring! How could the trading convention possibly attract such a powerful individual?

His fingers trembled slightly. Behind him, the Wizard Tower, the Twelve Star Palaces, and the Dream Treasure Bead were all primed and ready.

Even if it was a Third-Ring Wizard, he feared no one here!

"Mr. Conni, there’s no need to be nervous," the visitor said with a smile, seemingly having noticed something. "I am here for a trade and mean no harm. On the contrary, I’ve come to bring you a benefit."

"Oh!" Carl replied. "I wonder what benefit you are referring to, my friend?"

"A Wizard Tower," the visitor said slowly, pulling over a chair and sitting down. "I have a junior who recently became an Official Wizard, and I intend to buy him a Wizard Tower."

"I heard Mr. Conni has all the materials needed to construct a Wizard Tower, so I came to take a look."

"Indeed," Carl nodded, placing a spatial storage item on the table. "What do you propose for the trade?"

"This," the visitor said, taking out an object. "A Holy Embryo Fruit!"

Holy Embryo Fruit?

Carl’s eyes narrowed, and his heart pounded. The Holy Embryo Fruit was a Third-tier top-grade Curio, said to grow in the Life Hall, possessing miraculous effects for regenerating the body.

The key is... it’s exceptionally suitable for tempering the body of those following the Knight Path.

Carl estimated that if he consumed this fruit, he could most likely advance his Holy Demon Transformation to the Fifth Level. This would elevate his strength to the mid-stage of the Second Circle. Of course, this was because his Holy Demon Transformation had already reached the Fourth Level, and the Fifth Level wasn’t far off.

"An excellent item!" Carl sat up straight, looking directly at the visitor. "It seems you’ve come prepared. However, as excellent as the Holy Embryo Fruit is, it has little use for a Wizard."

"To trade it for a Wizard Tower... it’s not enough!"

"Heh..." the visitor chuckled. "The Holy Embryo Fruit might not be of much use to others, but for Mr. Conni, it is the perfect choice."

"Fine! I’ll add one more item."

Saying this, he took out another object and placed it on the table. It was a jade talisman, its surface showing some cracks.

"A Divine Concealing Jade Talisman," the visitor introduced. "This item can hide one’s aura, spiritual power, Battle Aura, and even certain special presences... For example, the Green family’s method for tracking their enemies."

Hmm?

Carl’s gaze flickered. "Who exactly are you?" he asked.

Both the Holy Embryo Fruit and this Divine Concealing Jade Talisman were clearly prepared specifically for him.

It was as if... they were a specially prepared gift!

"Heh..." the visitor chuckled. "The Magic Forest is situated at the junction between the Eastern Kingdom Continent and the Kaliem Continent. The light of the Divines doesn’t shine here, and the Wizard World has also abandoned us."

"No one wants a behemoth hanging over their head, let alone four of them." His voice carried a boundless wistfulness. "The local Wizards have suffered under these Four Major Forces for a very, very long time..."

Carl understood. There was a faction within the Magic Forest that had always wanted to unite the various Wizards and establish a Wizard Organization for the locals. However, due to the presence of the Four Major Forces from the Kaliem Continent, the Wizards of the Magic Forest could never truly consolidate. Whenever a Third-Ring Wizard emerged, representatives from powers like the Six Rings Tower and the Secret Cultivation Association would come and recruit them. Refusing to leave was an option, but that Third-Ring Wizard would soon mysteriously disappear. Even this resistance organization was branded by the Four Major Forces as a gathering place for Black Wizards, forcing them to hide and operate in secrecy. Discovery meant immediate execution!

Yet, where there is oppression, there is resistance. For tens of thousands of years, Wizards opposing the Four Major Forces have always existed, and this organization has persisted.

They’ve taken an interest in me, Carl thought. Among the existing Third-Ring Wizards in the Magic Forest, apart from those allied with the Four Major Forces, this faction is likely the only one to have any.

"Can you help me resolve my troubles with the Green family?" Carl’s eyes lit up. "If you can, I’m willing to join you!"

"Uh..." the newcomer said, hesitating. "The Green family has a Five-Ring Wizard. If you truly provoke them, no one can escape."

"You’ve only killed a First-Ring Wizard so far, so it’s not too much trouble yet. You can just hide."

"Hide," Carl sighed. "I’m afraid I won’t be able to hide forever!"

"We can provide a demiplane where you can hide. After a few decades, when the Green family has forgotten about this matter, you can come out," the other person said. "You probably don’t know yet, but Barn and Badden from the Green family have already left their demiplane. They reaped significant rewards on this trip. Barn is very likely to use this opportunity to become a Third-Ring Wizard, and Badden can also solidify his foundation for advancement. There isn’t much time left for you."

Carl’s face darkened.

"If you’re willing, contact me." The visitor left a contact method, then stood up and said, "The Divine Concealing Jade Talisman’s effect will only last for a little over ten days. Once it expires, the Green family will be able to lock onto you. If Barn becomes a Third-Ring Wizard... even hiding in the Dream Market won’t save you!"

「* * *」

"It’s fraught with peril!" Carl sighed, pacing towards the Wizard Tower.

Given the personalities of Barn and his nephew, they most likely wouldn’t let him off and would probably come looking for him soon. In the past, Carl wasn’t afraid. If he couldn’t defeat them, he could always hide in an Otherworld; spending a few decades there wasn’t a big deal. But now, that was no longer an option. He couldn’t go to an Otherworld. The Divine Domain Fragment was also not a solution; staying there for an extended period would erode his humanity.

Join the ’resistance force’?

"Mr. Conni!" an ecstatic voice rang out. "There’s been new progress in the research!"

"Hmm?" Carl’s spirits lifted. "What progress?"

"Come and see." A disheveled Paul led him to the experiment table and pointed to two sealed boxes. "I’ve merged the Wizard’s Book with the Star Palace runes and recombined them into something that can achieve long-distance teleportation. Although this teleportation still has many limitations, its energy consumption has been significantly reduced. As long as they can be activated simultaneously, a portal connecting to a location hundreds of miles away can be opened."

He scratched his messy hair and continued, "There are still a few problems that haven’t been solved. One is how to synchronize a location hundreds of miles away with this place—quantum synchronization and spiritual frequencies are involved, and these all relate to Third-Ring witchcraft. Also, this teleportation is one-way; it cannot be used for round trips... The runes are also somewhat unstable, and if something goes wrong..."

Carl rested his chin on his hand, his eyes flickering rapidly.

A moment later, he waved his hand grandly.

WHOOSH!

Twelve cylindrical pillars appeared out of thin air in the area.

Carl soared into the air, positioning himself in the center of the twelve pillars. His hands rapidly formed Seal Techniques, and streaks of Spirit Light shot out one after another. As time passed, the initially unresponsive twelve pillars gradually began to flicker with various lights.

BUZZ...

The light suddenly intensified.

Carl’s figure abruptly vanished, then reappeared in front of one of the pillars. In the next instant, he was in front of another. This rapid switching continued.

"Haha..." Carl laughed boisterously. "It’s truly like finding an unexpected path when all seems lost! To think I’d preliminarily master this Fourth-order Artifact at such a time!"

"Paul," he said, putting away the Twelve Star Palaces and looking at Paul. "Pack your things. It’s time for you to return to your family."

"Ah?" Paul looked stunned.

"You can take everything from the lab. Consider my research notes a gift as well," Carl said. "Further research is unlikely to yield any significant progress in the short term. If you’re truly set on dedicating your efforts to this... it’s best you become an Official Wizard! An Official Wizard has a lifespan of two hundred years. You’ll have plenty of time for research then; otherwise, you won’t achieve much."

"..." Paul opened his mouth, various thoughts flickering in his eyes before they settled into a look of firm resolve. "Yes! Then I’ll be going."

"Alright." After seeing Paul off, Carl briskly walked to the second floor of the Wizard Tower, took a deep breath, and retrieved the Holy Embryo Fruit.

Now... I’ll advance the Holy Demon Transformation to the Fifth Level!

The Fifth Level of Holy Demon Transformation could withstand many Second Circle Magic spells. When that time came, even if Barn and his nephew came knocking, he would have a greater chance of survival.

CRUNCH!

After checking that there were no issues with the Holy Embryo Fruit, Carl bit into it. The rich juice flowed down his throat and into his stomach.

Simultaneously, the Second Circle Magic, Water of Life, was activated at full power, and his Holy Demon Transformation began to operate rapidly.