Wizard: Adventures in Two Worlds
Chapter 51 - 051 Parties
CHAPTER 51: 051 PARTIES
Hordes of enormous rats surged out of the darkness, quickly piling up into a mound before the siblings’ eyes. Once the rats dispersed, a graceful and charming silhouette appeared before them.
"Mei!"
The rat woman locked eyes with her brother, smiling as she spoke, "We meet again."
"Hmph!"
The sister snorted coldly and took a step closer to her brother, subconsciously blocking the rat woman’s gaze.
"What are you here for?" Archer ’Mei’ asked with a frosty expression, "Our dealings are over."
"TSK, TSK..." The siblings’ attitude caused the rat woman to shake her head and click her tongue. "So heartless. Have you forgotten the days we spent together, how lovely they were?"
"Pah!" Without waiting for her brother to speak, the sister’s face turned sour. "Shameless!"
"I didn’t find it lovely," the brother spoke. "I just felt disgusted!"
As he said it, his gaze turned to the corner where the rats were, as if recalling some unspeakable scene, and his expression darkened terribly.
"A lover can never compare to a sister, but a sister can never become a lover either." The rat woman looked at the affectionate demeanor between the siblings, her voice dropping slightly. "That is not necessarily the case..."
"Rat woman," the brother frowned, "Out with it, what are you really here for?"
"Business," the rat woman shrugged. "I want you siblings to help me assassinate someone."
"Hmph!" The sister pouted. "Do you think we would agree?"
"There will be a reward," the rat woman said. "I know you’ve always wanted to leave the Black City, and now the opportunity has come. Kill that person and you can exchange for the qualification to leave the city with the City Guards."
The siblings exchanged glances, both noticing the eagerness in each other’s eyes.
"We want black stones!" the brother demanded. "I don’t trust the City Guards. Give us black stones, and we’ll take Madame Butterfly’s caravan to leave the city."
"Smart choice," the rat woman clapped her hands lightly in praise. "However, there are only a thousand black stones. The rest you’ll have to figure out on your own."
A thousand? That wasn’t enough to send one person away.
The brother’s eyes flickered as he estimated the savings between him and his sister. A sense of relief washed over him, and he then said, "Pay half upfront!"
"No problem," the rat woman nodded. "The man’s name is Carl."
* * *
「In a certain ruin.」
The original buildings had long since collapsed. Dozens of half-dead creatures wandered nearby, their moans filling the air as they occasionally lifted wooden planks from the ground to check underneath.
Under a collapsed dirt wall, Eve Donne, with her long hair in disarray, held her breath. Even with a broken arm, she dared not make a sound. The breathing technique she practiced was quite unique, able to conceal the life force within her body to the greatest extent. Otherwise, the bones on the ground outside would have been her fate.
Hurry up! Move faster!
THUD!
The distant ground shook, the sound traveling from afar. The half-dead creatures foraging in the ruins paused, then slowly turned, ’looking’ in the direction of the sound.
The next moment, "WOOF!"
Accompanied by a low growl, the once slow-moving half-dead creatures leaned forward, shooting out like arrows.
SWOOSH!
SWOOSH, SWOOSH!
Figures flew past, two of which even stepped on the dirt wall, causing Eve below to tremble slightly.
A moment later, BANG!
The dirt wall exploded, and Eve burst out from beneath it, gasping for air and calling out, "Mark!"
"Over here."
Not far away, the earth loosened, and a person struggled to crawl out, gasping for air and speaking with relief, "Any later and I might’ve been suffocated to death."
"We need to move," Eve said quickly, surveying her surroundings. "If the half-dead come back, we’re done for."
"Yes." Mark nodded and stumbled over.
"This time when we return, I’m going to take back Family Head Don’s Dharma Seal." As the two supported each other, Eve said, "It’s about time old Lev returned it to me."
"Once you’ve used the Dharma Seal, it will be very difficult to become a Knight." Mark turned his head and said, "Moreover, given old Lev’s age, removing the Dharma Seal will cause his life essence to fade, and he likely won’t survive."
"I can’t worry about that much." Eve’s expression was stern. "With the Dharma Seal, our chances of survival are much higher."
"Sigh!" Mark sighed, yet said no more.
* * *
「At a place near the surface.」
More than ten members of the Betty family were launching an attack on a group of beetles as large as human heads. The beetles had hard shells that could withstand swords and knives, and their mandibles and antennae were sharp enough to even crush black rock with a fierce clamp.
But the people of the Betty family were also exceptional. More than ten people turned out to be all Knight Attendants. Several were fully armored, their weapons, mixed with black rock, swung with a mighty force.
PUFF!
BANG!
One by one, the beetles were smashed and flattened, their juices splattering everywhere.
However, the beetles emerging from the cave ahead seemed endless. As soon as one wave was killed, another appeared; they seemed impossible to eradicate completely.
At the back of the group, the Betty family Clan Leader’s brows furrowed, then he gently waved his hand.
"Pete!"
"Yes!"
A man stepped forward in response, took a deep breath, and charged towards the swarm of beetles, simultaneously exhaling sharply.
HOO...
An extreme chill blew through. Ice crystals rapidly formed in the tunnel, spreading outward at a visible pace and instantly encasing beetle after beetle in ice.
Dharma Seal—Frost Breath!
This was a special Dharma Seal, different from ordinary ones, bestowed only on Knights. The vast Betty family had only one such seal; it was even uncertain if there was a second one in the entire Black City.
In an instant, as the swarm was frozen, the Betty family’s charge became strikingly smoother. Taking advantage of the situation, the group rushed into the cave, cleared the blockade, and the sight of the queen beetle, as large as a house, came into view.
"Good!" the Clan Leader said with a smile on his face. "Thanks to the anomaly in Pit No. 2, these beetles were willing to move their nest; otherwise, it would have been really difficult to get our hands on it."
"Yeah," someone spoke up. "Every day the queen can ’produce’ two elite soldier beetles, and their bodies contain Exotic Beast Meat."
"With it, we’ll essentially have an endless supply of Exotic Beast Meat!"
"Clan Leader," a woman in the crowd spoke, "what exactly happened at Pit No. 2? The City Guards have prohibited anyone from getting near, including us."
"Don’t worry about it," the Clan Leader’s eyes narrowed. "Tell our people to stay away from the underground for the time being. Wait until things settle down."
"And..." he continued, "don’t even think about exchanging Dharma Seals or Life Potions from Hal. Not if they don’t want to die."
"Yes."
The group responded in assent.
* * *
"Uncle!"
When Carl appeared again, Ayala greeted him with a happy face, "I exchanged for a Dharma Seal from the Shadow Alliance and plan to try to integrate it into my body; I might need to rest for a few days."
"Dharma Seal?"
Carl nodded, "Congratulations."
"I’m still not sure if it will work," Ayala looked concerned. "Xiaonan is also going with me, partly to prevent any disturbances, and partly so that if I can’t do it, he can have the Dharma Seal."
"Big sister will definitely succeed!" Xiaonan spoke up.
"I hope it works," Ayala smiled, then said, "While Xiaonan and I are away these next few days, please take care of Dana and the others, Uncle, and maybe don’t explore too deep."
"Hmm."
Carl nodded, "I understand."
The Dharma Seals that could be exchanged through the City Guards were not of high quality, like Iron Arm, Bee Ear, Light Body... offering only weak enhancements to the body. If Fire Mark and Steel Frame were considered Zero-Circle Magic, then the Dharma Seals given out by the City Guards were mere tricks, far less powerful than those leaked from the Shadow Alliance.
The reason Ayala managed to get her hands on one so quickly was that she borrowed exchange materials from others.
Carl couldn’t. He was still some way off from being able to exchange for a Life Potion. But not by much.