CHAPTER 40: CHAPTER 37: THE WARRIOR’S SILHOUETTE

From the perspective of the townspeople, it was truly bewildering.

They were unaware of the arrival of the delegation from the Warm Fire Commerce Association led by Barbara.

Unaware of the bloody ambush and betrayal in the laboratory.

Unaware of the encounter between Andrew and Barbara.

Unaware of Hubert’s pursuit of Barbara.

—Naturally, they also had no idea where the recent riot came from.

The riot came suddenly but ended abruptly.

Yet, An Ya, Alpha, and other cemetery residents, as well as the townspeople of Wildfire Town, did not relax.

Instead, they felt an even greater panic: What on earth is going on? What exactly happened?

A little boy whispered, "I think I heard them say when they were retreating that they received ’new orders’ to gather those bad guys at a temporary camp in the northwest of the town." His voice trembled, "Seems like they’re going to catch someone."

Temporary camp? Catch someone?

The cemetery residents couldn’t help but whisper among themselves. At this time, the thugs had already left, yet they still subconsciously kept their voices low. Eliminating an Aiken is one thing, but facing all the thugs is entirely different.

Visible in the northwest direction of the town, toward the temporary camp, indeed a red glow could be seen, appearing to be a large number of torches lighting up the night sky.

"Hey? An Ya, where are you going?"

Suddenly someone called out.

"Sister An Ya?"

"Boss An Ya?"

They saw An Ya suddenly move with determination, ignoring the potential dangers that might still be on the streets, heading straight towards the temporary camp in the northwest—the direction where Andrew’s temporary camp was located.

She had already responded quickly: "Temporary camp... temporary camp?! After Andrew’s house was burned down, isn’t he living in the temporary camp now? But I’m not sure if it’s the camp in the northwest?"

There are several temporary camps in Wildfire Town, after all, every year there are townspeople who lose their homes to fires and have no choice but to take refuge in the camps. One camp is not enough. At their peak, temporary camps were established in all directions of Wildfire Town.

"Anyway, I must find out what’s going on!" This was the only thought in An Ya’s mind now, "If it really was Andrew who healed everyone, then... then I..."

An Ya wasn’t a professional, just an ordinary person.

She might seem as fragile as water, yet she was as resilient as water!

Turning, she said, "You don’t need to come with me, I’ll be back soon, I’ll be careful—huh?"

Only to see the crowd from the Living People Cemetery, in a magnificent display, all gathered beside her.

They were unaware of what An Ya knew.

If An Ya was doing it for Andrew and to figure out what exactly was happening,

These residents were doing it for An Ya.

Still, Alpha spoke on behalf of everyone: "Together."

Very soon, except for the oldest one left to take care of the smallest boy, all the cemetery residents followed alongside An Ya.

The riot had ended abruptly, and many of Wildfire Town’s townspeople were still shaken, yet to recover from the recent riot, either sobbing quietly or cursing under their breath. Then someone suddenly gasped, seeing—

A silent procession, led by An Ya and Alpha, heading towards the northwest.

...

...

Temporary camp, inside the tent.

Andrew chuckled faintly, thinking, "So... I’ve been discovered."

By now, footsteps coming from all directions could be clearly heard. Not only from the direction of the town, approaching in a fanned-out pattern. Even from behind, beyond the camp’s quicksand terrain, searchers were coming around.

Andrew knew the owners of the footsteps, those were the magic thugs who had recently terrorized the countryside. Because through "Water Spirit Sensing," he had already seen them.

"Where was the oversight, where did I slip?"

Andrew didn’t know.

However, with things as they were, he steadied himself instead.

No retreat, so... all that’s left is to fight!

Although "shadow hunting" and "facing directly" are completely different concepts.

There’s no other choice.

"Brother Andrew..."

Little Sophie spoke softly.

No matter how nonchalant, she could still feel the heavy and uneasy atmosphere in the air now, "What happened after all? Will... will we die?"

Andrew smiled, "Of course... not."

Indeed, at this point, there’s no other choice.

But on the flip side, he didn’t intend to give the opponent any other choice either. A glint of a dark gleam flashed in Andrew’s eyes, filled with the most intense murderous intent so far. There is still some confidence, after all, after advancing to an advanced magic apprentice, the only possible threats in Wildfire Town are Hubert and his top subordinates, Cook and Sally.

Offering Little Sophie a reassuring and encouraging smile, Andrew pointed at Aunt Sofia and Barbara on the bed, smiling, "Next up, can Little Sophie help take care of Mom and this sister? Brother Andrew is going out to fight the bad guys, can he entrust this to you?"

Hearing that she had a task to do, Little Sophie’s fear diminished slightly, nodding obediently, "Okay, leave it to me! I... I can do it."

"Little Sophie is the bravest!" Andrew smiled.

He got up and drew a circle with a two-meter diameter on the ground by the bed.

With the aid of "Invisible Enchantment," the water element magic no longer appeared in a water-blue shade, but became colorless and shapeless.

The invisible water element magic flowed out from his fingertips, inscribing itself on the ground by the bed, forming mysterious symbols.

This was a new combat magic acquired upon becoming an advanced magic apprentice: Fingertip Series: Long-range Water Needle!

He completed the circle clockwise with his right hand, then used his left index finger to draw an identically sized circle counterclockwise. Afterward, he drew another one.

Three invisible circles, each housing three water needles.

The moment someone approached, the concealed water needles would instantly activate, protecting the three women inside the circle.

After completing all this, Andrew looked at Little Sophie again, "Good, stay inside the circle."

Then he turned, lifted the door curtain, and exited the tent.

Little Sophie watched Andrew’s back, somehow dimly aware in her young heart that it wasn’t the back of a magic apprentice, but that of a warrior.

...

...

Outside the tent.

The residents of the temporary camp were all frozen in shock.

Like An Ya and others from the Living People Cemetery, the camp’s crowd didn’t know what was happening either.

They saw a large number of individuals clad in Hubert Laboratory apprentice attire, silently arriving outside the camp.

It was already night, and there wasn’t much light around the camp, so one was expected to use moonlight and starlight for illumination.

Yet, looking all around, there was a blazing brightness akin to daylight that was so glaring that even the moonlight and starlight in the night sky seemed dim in comparison!

Every silently arriving magic apprentice was holding a torch in their hand.

These weren’t ordinary torches; they were soaked in special magic reagents, igniting them would produce fierce magic flames, becoming magical torches.

Seeing an array of these brightly flaming torches line up around the camp, many people within quickly remembered the terrifying fire they encountered two days prior!

They couldn’t help but feel alarmed, "What’s going on? What’s happening? What are they planning to do? Damn it, we already lost our homes due to the fire and have no choice but to reside temporarily in this cursed camp. Are they planning to utterly wipe us out?!"

The strongest man in the camp mustered his courage and stood up, "Um, excuse me, what exactly is happening? Is there some kind of misunderstanding—ugh!"

A dull grunt, and before he could finish his sentence, he was beaten to the ground with a fierce punch.

A magic apprentice clad in robust attire (a Flame Warrior among magic apprentices) coldly withdrew his fist, deeply inhaled, then suddenly roared out, "Where’s Andrew?! Which tent is Andrew’s! Let him get out here by himself!! Otherwise..."

Viciously swinging the magic torch held in his hand towards the terror-stricken crowd within the camp, the magic apprentice sneered cruelly: "Otherwise, I’ll torch this rat’s nest of yours, this foul cockroach-infested temporary camp to smithereens!!"