A cargo ship had moored early at the shore, and as he approached, the boatman unloaded boxes of supplies.
"Mr. Karl, this is this month's..."
"I'm fine," Carl waved his hand, "Just sleep-deprived. A bit of rest will do."
"That's good." The boatman was also a Wizard Apprentice, albeit one with a very low Level of Wizard Talent, hence he took up the delivery job within the Swamp Alliance.
Assuming Carl's lack of rest was related to the recent news, he casually said, "Deep in the Black Swamp, there lives a group of ancient toxic crocodiles, including two mutants. They're said to be formidable Legendary Creatures. Many explorers have fallen victim, and even an Official Wizard died at the jaws of a toxic crocodile before the trouble was finally resolved."
He sighed, "Sometimes having too great a Wizard Talent isn't necessarily a good thing. Doing honest work like me keeps me out of danger."
Carl's mind was filled with experiments. The boatman's words made him hesitate before he slowly came back to his senses.
Even an Official Wizard had died!
Carl opened his mouth, his voice hoarse, "When did this happen?"
"Just yesterday," the boatman replied, "Now the entire Swamp Alliance is alarmed, but for some reason the Grey Robed Wizards haven't intervened."
Before he finished speaking, he saw a blur, and Carl's figure had already disappeared.
Carl knew few people here. Old Arthur was the only one he knew who held a significant position in the Alliance. Crucially, Old Arthur had already left the Alliance to retire in his hometown. For a moment, Carl realized he could only go find young Payne first.
Payne, dressed in worker's clothes and wearing a round hat, was gradually growing out of a child's frame. He was munching on a piece of soft bread, his big eyes blinking, "Tutor Hibell hasn't been to the depths of the Black Swamp lately. She's rented a room in the Alliance, saying she's constructing a Magic Model."
"..." Carl gave a bitter smile, feeling a sense of relief internally. "I've been researching a witchcraft lately, and it's been almost a month since I last went out. I really didn't know."
His eyes flickered slightly. "Is it a Wizard Tower?"
Wizard Towers are towers built by Official Wizards, within which it is easier to make contact with the Star Realm. Ordinary Wizards also benefit greatly from training inside. However, the price is steep! It seems to cost one Magic Stone per day. This is already the internal price within the Alliance. After all, building a Wizard Tower requires resources that are an astronomical figure for Wizard Apprentices. Maintaining the operation of a Wizard Tower also consumes Magic Stones. Only Advanced Wizard Apprentices or others in special circumstances would opt to rent a Wizard Tower.
Payne nodded, "The tutor has been in there for five days already."
Carl pondered thoughtfully. He had a good idea why Hibell rented the Wizard Tower.
Payne laughed, "The tutor is fine. Uncle Karl, you don't need to be so concerned."
At that moment, a familiar voice rang out from behind.
The newcomer was the Bloodline Wizard, Bach.
Bach stepped forward and grabbed his arm, insistently saying, "Let's go sit in the tavern."
"..." Carl was a bit taken aback by Bach's enthusiasm. He struggled for a moment before nodding, "Alright then."
"You needed me for something?"
"Yes," Bach nodded, "It's urgent!" Discover more novels at novᴇlfire.net
The dim light flickered, casting mottled shadows on the wooden walls. Several ancient paintings hung on the wall. Their colors had faded, and one could barely make out the figures of several Wizards. The private room's window was half-open. A gentle breeze blew through, bringing a chill and causing the old tablecloth on the long table to curl slightly.
Bach rubbed his hands together, his face excited. As he looked at Carl and was about to speak, he suddenly changed the subject, "Why do you look so haggard?"
He had been too excited to notice it before, but now he suddenly realized how terribly haggard Carl looked. It was as if he had suddenly aged a dozen years.
"...Don't ask," Carl sighed. "I've been researching a witchcraft for months now with no progress. You just mentioned something urgent."
"With witchcraft, you can sometimes get stuck on certain things. In such cases, it wouldn't hurt to spend some money consulting an Advanced Wizard Apprentice." Bach wasn't in a hurry to talk about his own matter, "Working alone, no Wizard Apprentice can become a Wizard. You should know that knowledge is infinite. Perhaps something you find difficult might be easily resolved once someone else explains it."
"Yes," Carl nodded. "I'll give it a try."
Even though he said that, there was no way he would actually try it. Bloodline Wizards were already rare, and there wasn't a single Official Wizard among them he could consult. Who could he ask? Besides, his problem was how to analyze a Second Order Abyss Creature. Revealing this would only bring trouble upon himself. Even an Official Wizard, when faced with a Second Order Creature, might become greedy.
"As for my matter..."
Bach rubbed his hands together, appearing a bit embarrassed as he began, "Could you lend me some Magic Stones?"
"Lend Magic Stones?" Carl looked up. "Aren't you always helping people modify their bodies? With your skills, you shouldn't be lacking Magic Stones."
"Not for me," Bach shook his head. "I'm borrowing for my tutor."
"Your tutor," Carl frowned. "That's even less likely."
Bach's tutor, Jin, was one of the few in the Swamp Alliance who had cultivated Bloodline Magic to the Advanced Wizard Apprentice Level. His prices for flesh modification were several times higher than Bach's.