Blind Spot
Chapter 660 - 606 Looting 2

Chapter 660: 606 Looting 2

Half an hour later.

Experiment ground’s stone house.

Four people were bound together in pairs, with rags stuffed in their mouths. Paliya slowly woke from her unconscious state.

In the dimly lit room, lights flickered, and tables laden with various experimental tools stood before them, stained with copious dark red blood traces.

Paliya heard one voice asking another.

It was a young male voice.

"Why are there only three rules to meditation?"

"I... I don’t know, I only know that if I do as our mentor says, I can feel the fluctuations."

"What are the fluctuations? Some kind of vibration?"

"I don’t know, I really don’t know, please let me go! I’ve told you everything I can!! I’ve said everything!!" The male mage who was being questioned cried bitterly, letting out a wail of despair throughout the room.

"No, I have a greater interest in you," Li Chengyi was still smiling.

"You said earlier that you like music?"

"Yes...yes! I like...damn it, I like music, I love the harp...! Please don’t do that!!" The male mage sobbed and cried out.

"How did the harp originally appear, do you know?" Li Chengyi shifted topics, asking seemingly irrelevant questions.

"It is said to be made from a piece broken off the World Tree’s branches..." The male mage explained intermittently.

Then, the two of them discussed everything from famous harp pieces, to its development history, and various notable masters.

Had the location been different, Paliya might have thought that this was a solemn music exchange.

But after the mysterious figure finished extracting the last answer, he slit the throat of the male mage, and Paliya, trembling all over, finally awoke in terror.

This place was not any kind of conference; it was a devil’s torture purgatory!

"Next, Mage Wengan. Please tell me your story of when you studied to become a mage. I am very interested."

Li Chengyi continued with his gentle smile, asking questions.

The queried mage felt an icy chill through his body as he shakily recounted his own history.

Next, their conversation covered spellcasting, to the interests of mages in carving, the details of carving, and the feelings of producing fine carvings.

Li Chengyi seemed interested in everything, as long as it was knowledge.

Soon, the second mage was also killed with a swift cut.

Then came the third.

By this point, Paliya was nearly suffocated with anxiety and fear.

Her mind raced, trying to discern his true intentions.

Suddenly.

An image of a strange and mysterious powerful creature irresistibly surfaced in her mind.

The Brass Dragon!!

Just like the person before her, that type of dragon that also pursued knowledge, and was particularly talkative, was incredibly powerful.

Many years ago, she had seen a Brass Dragon that lived reclusively in a distant valley. His Highness had a mild temperament, but was equally interested in any knowledge and did not hesitate to chat with all beings.

Apart from being talkative, they had no real shortcomings. Their strength was among the strongest of the dragons.

’If this person has a character like the Brass Dragon, then... by offering him a vast and varied amount of interesting knowledge, I could capture his interest!’

Paliya instantly determined what he wanted and thought of a perfect plan to save herself.

Quickly, the third mage was also finished questioning.

Li Chengyi dispatched him with a cut and finally turned to look at the elf they had accidentally captured.

"Next, I..."

"I can trade you a vast amount of knowledge! Just let me go. We elves have long lifespans and possess plentiful knowledge, which is sure to satisfy your needs!" Paliya spoke as quickly and clearly as she ever had, uttering a phrase that could sway him.

Li Chengyi, feeling the Sword Furnace within him increase by another section of flames, looked at the elf before him whose eyes twinkled with fear.

After a moment of thought, he suddenly showed a sincere smile.

"Of course, that would be acceptable."

A new perspective to view the world and nature, along with a wealth of diverse information accumulated by a long-lived species, all of this was enough to intrigue him.

And so, he agreed.

Thus, Paliya was left safely behind, staying in the experiment area’s stone house, becoming Li Chengyi’s assistant and consultant.

Meanwhile, the team of mages that the White Tower had sent to investigate Tyga’s case also mysteriously vanished in the dense snowy forest.

From that day on, every day Paliya would recount to Li Chengyi a wealth of elf history.

How they lived, how they harmonized with nature, how they dealt with other races, how they handled birth, aging, sickness, and death.

And as Paliya explained, the flames of the Sword Furnace in Li Chengyi’s mind began to spread slowly outwards, seeping out like flowing water from the platform where the Sword Furnace was.

Still, with nine-tenths to go before filling the entire Primordial Spirit Sword Palace, Li Chengyi could feel his flesh becoming tougher under the expansion of the Sword Furnace flames.

His physical condition, driven by this change, began to undergo new enhancements, reaching eight times the strength of a Milton Knight.

But at this moment, the disappearance of the three new mages once again caused a stir throughout the Eastern region and among the White Tower Mages.

The White Tower was enraged.

If the previous two mages’ disappearances could be considered accidents, the latest incident involving three mages, despite the clear announcement of their investigation, meant a deliberate attack.

It proved that the culprit did not fear the White Tower’s deterrence.

In light of this, the White Tower finally dispatched a true White Tower Mage to lead a formidable team composed of thirteen high-ranking mages for a thorough investigation.

*

*

*

Black Castle.

"Is Carlos still fussing with his research?" Melissa sighed softly after lunch, noticing her son had yet again missed the meal.

"Yes," Old Buck nodded slightly.

"I heard he even misappropriated military funds for his latest experiment?" Melissa continued to inquire.

"...Yes," Old Buck replied helplessly once more.

"The White Tower is still investigating, the Barbarians are eyeing us greedily, and the Milton Knights have already repelled two of their raiding attacks. And he still has the mind to misuse military funds for his experiments?? He said before that he wanted to go to the frontline, so how..."

Melissa wanted to be angry, but when she thought about her son conducting experiments near Black Castle, it seemed much safer than facing Barbarians on the battlefield.

So she suppressed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

"He’s already sixteen... Ms. Mina from Pars Territory, representing the youth association, has come to see him again. Is he still not meeting her?" Melissa asked somewhat tiredly.

"No, Baron saw her this time. Perhaps they’re having a detailed talk right now; the youths joining forces actually makes up a not-so-small power. The elders are pleased to see their next generations connect." Old Buck nodded.

"Do you think there’s a possibility between Mina and him this time?" Melissa’s hope flickered anew.

She had met Mina Pars, the second daughter of Baron Pars, a perfect match for Carlos.

Beautiful and well-proportioned, suitable for bearing children.

"This... Not likely this time. Miss Mina didn’t come alone; she brought a friend with her," Old Buck coughed, catching the implication.

The old lady seemed to want to play cupid and hasten the relationship.

After all, Mina appeared quite enamored with Carlos.

But such matters could not be rushed...

"However, I think the youth association’s visit to Carlos might be about the recent rumors in Pars Territory, concerning the Cedar Forest Abyss," Old Buck reminded, "The rumor says a mysterious and terrifying creature appeared in the Cedar Forest which easily killed the Griffons that roamed there, as well as the White Tower Mages and their followers who were sent in two separate groups."

"The Cedar Forest Abyss?"

Inside the experimental stone house.

Li Chengyi washed his hands and greeted the visiting Mina and another girl named Havina.

Both girls were of noble birth and had received knight training. Mina had a better figure, with ample curves, while Havina’s features were even more stunning, and her demeanor exuded an even stronger aura of nobility.

"Yes, our youth association has connected with the genius Mage Dila from the White Tower," Mina smiled, "Together, we’re collecting all intelligence on the Cedar Forest Abyss, even rumors, and gifting them to Dila as a favor."

"Not interested. I’m busy," Li Chengyi said casually.

"Alright, I knew you wouldn’t be interested. Your turn, Havina," Mina said with a smile, making room for the platinum-blonde girl to sit in the main seat.

"Hello, Baron Carlos, I am Havina Elston. I heard you want to collect a large number of books and have amassed a considerable collection yourself. Would you be interested in joining our Tower of Knowledge to exchange and share books of knowledge?"

"Tower of Knowledge?" Li Chengyi raised an eyebrow. After reading a vast number of books, he was no longer as ignorant about many things as he had been before.

"Yes. We are a large exchange organization formed in connection with three peak Mages, separate from the White Tower, focused on the sharing of knowledge, not monopolizing it. Hearing about you from Mina, we all agreed that you would be a perfect fit for the Tower of Knowledge," Havina said with a smile.

"Are there any restrictions on joining? What are the obligations and what are the privileges?" Li Chengyi inquired. He was very interested.

"The privileges were just mentioned, and the obligation is to pay an annual fee of a thousand Gold Coins to the Tower of Knowledge, since many of our internal liaison institutions and book exchange and preservation institutions require funds for maintenance," Havina explained with a smile.

"Acceptable. A very reasonable request." Li Chengyi nodded.

"That’s settled, then. Next, you just need to attend one of our organization’s internal exchange meetings once a year, participate in the nearest location and that will fulfill the conditions," Havina added.

"No problem."

"Then let’s agree on that." Havina took out a Black Book with an odd cover and handed it to Li Chengyi.

"This is a welcoming gift from the Tower of Knowledge, and it is also a special Mage book that is used to test for any unfavorable traces you may have."

She approached Li Chengyi with the book in hand.

"It can test whether you have engaged in any activities that violate the Mage covenant..."

Havina had not finished speaking when she saw the surface of the Black Book begin to release wisps of dark red glow.

Her smile suddenly ceased.

A red light from the test Mage book generally had only one explanation.

That the person in front of her had recently committed particularly egregious acts of murdering Empire Mages...

"May I ask, what’s happening? Why is it emitting a red light?" Li Chengyi asked, curiously looking at the book.

Havina watched the red light on the Black Book grow brighter and even start to turn black.

Her heart sank rapidly.

Because a blackening red color meant that the person in front of her, not only had the guilt of killing Mages, might have committed other, more troublesome wicked deeds... such as conspiring with evil races, committing crimes against humanity, etc...

And considering the various rumors circulating nearby, one very likely possibility suddenly surged into her mind—conspiring with Elves!

Cold sweat slowly seeped down her back.

"This... it’s because it always shows this phenomenon at the start of authentication," Havina maintained a smile on her face, but inside, she was becoming increasingly tense.

"But why do you look scared?" Li Chengyi looked up and gazed into Havina’s lovely face.

"I..."

Swish!

In an instant, a heavy blow landed on Havina’s neck, knocking her out cold.

Mina rose abruptly, but Li Chengyi appeared instantly by her side, covering her mouth and nose with his hand.

"Don’t worry, I’m just trying to protect you."

"Protect...me?" Mina’s voice was muffled as she struggled.

"Yes... because if you were to call out and attract others, I would have to deal with one more person..." Li Chengyi murmured.

Mina’s body tensed up, as an uncontrollable fear quickly climbed up her spine.