Dialogue

"Master Cavo, what brings you to 'Black Wind Territory'?"

With a relaxed smile on his face, Rein asked the question that had piqued his curiosity from the beginning.

Cavo looked at Rein with those wise eyes that seemed to see through everything, and asked in return, "What do you think?"

Rein tentatively asked, "Are you here for the auction?"

Cavo neither admitted nor denied it.

He picked up his glass and took another sip of wine before saying slowly, "Didn't you say before that you sensed a few old friends entering the city?"

"Oh?"

Rein immediately wondered who this person, whom he called an "old friend," could be.

Could it be some important figure from City of Radiance?

Unexpectedly, Cavo said directly, "Bazel, Guy, and Miss Canossa from the 'Black Crystal Merchant Guild.' It seems she has also advanced to the 'Legendary Realm.'"

Upon hearing this, Rein narrowed his eyes slightly, a look of surprise and doubt appearing on his face.

The strange color flashed and disappeared.

What intrigued him even more was something else.

After Canossa advanced to the Legendary level, her control over her battle qi was flawless, and it seemed that no one in the world could see through her cultivation. Unexpectedly, Cavo saw through this fact in a single sentence.

However, the way Cavo referred to him as an "old friend" is quite intriguing.

They are either true friends or out of respect for a peer of equal strength.

It seemed that their movements were all under the control of this legend.

Rein didn't play dumb and asked directly, "How did you tell that Miss Canossa is Transcendent?"

Cavo shook his head. "Miss Canossa's cultivation has now reached the pinnacle of the Transcendent as understood by the world. Her aura is impeccable, and Perception Extraordinary can detect that she is Transcendent. So can I."

Upon hearing this, Rein's eyes flickered for a moment.

Cavo didn't keep anyone in suspense and explained, "It's just that a few years ago, when she was still at the Fourth Tier of the Transcendent, she came to the City of Radiance once. At that time, her concealment technique wasn't as refined as it is now, and I happened to notice some clues back then."

I see

Rein then realized that it wasn't that Canossa had been seen through now, but rather that she had been seen through in the past.

He then tentatively asked, "Do you also know Mr. Guy?"

If Canossa revealed his face, what about Guy? Guy's ability to conceal his aura is no weaker than Canossa's; if he hadn't exposed himself, others probably wouldn't have been able to sense him either.

"Of course we know each other. Mr. Guy is an old friend of mine."

Cavo said, "I also know he came for that Evil Sword. After all, I was the one who told him where the sword was."

Rein finally understood.

When I first met Guy, he said he was in "Black Wind Territory" looking for the Evil Sword. He said it was information from an old friend, who turned out to be Cavo.

As a result, Rein understood even less about Cavo's purpose for coming.

If he's on City of Radiance's side, why would he tell me all this?

But if it wasn't to help City of Radiance, then why would they show up to see me?

Just then, as the two were about to continue their conversation, the sound of conversation from the next table reached their ears.

Having found the topic somewhat interesting, the two of them tacitly fell silent at the same time.

A new guest arrived at the next table.

Judging from their attire, they appear to be high-ranking members of several small Scavenger Gang.

The group spoke in hushed tones, but it still didn't escape the perception of Rein, a High-tier Extraordinary.

"The taxes in Black Wind Territory are getting higher and higher. If this continues, if our harvest in the Wilderness Hunt is not good, we will have been risking our lives for the lords for nothing."

"Yes. I thought there were zombies west of the Alkolon Mountain Range and I could make a fortune, but I didn't expect the Radiant Kingdom's tax rate to be even harsher than the two great empires. After that, there's not much left to earn!"

"I really miss the old 'City of Radiance'. Back then, Master Cavo was still around, and everyone worked together to clear the land. Although there weren't as many opportunities as there are now, at least everything was fair, and the more you worked, the more you got. Now, the Five Great Families have seized power and established their own kingdoms, becoming nobles. They're constantly scheming to exploit us Civilian Scavengers. After all the taxes, our harvest isn't even as good as it used to be."

"Now, both empires are reducing taxes everywhere to prevent the loss of their people, and these guys in 'City of Radiance' are going even further."

"Who told them to be so fearless? There are living corpses here, and so many ancient ruins."

"Ah, if only Master Cavo were still here."

"."

The hunters at the next table had barely sat down when they started complaining about the exorbitant taxes and levies in their territory.

Upon hearing this, Rein glanced out of the corner of his eye at Master Cavo "person involved" sitting right in front of him.

I wonder what the founder of City of Radiance would feel if he heard these words.

Cavo's expression remained calm and composed, and he occasionally took a sip of his drink, lost in thought.

Meanwhile, the people at the next table were still talking.

"All the nobles in the world are the same, they're all worthless! This so-called 'City of Radiance' is more like a 'City of Darkness'."

"If this continues, it will become increasingly difficult for us small Scavenger Gang to survive. I really don't know how long we can hold on."

"Where else could we go? We can barely make a living here, but if we find some ruins, we'll be rich. The group that survived the 'Tehersen Desert' last time all became incredibly wealthy. It's truly enviable."

"Envious? I heard that tens of thousands of people went there, and only a few hundred came back alive. You dare to try and earn that kind of money?"

"I've heard there was some 'shady dealings' involved in that last exploration of the ruins. Many more of those hunters could have survived, but they were tricked by those noble lords."

"Shh, spreading rumors is forbidden now, or you'll be sent to the gallows."

"."

The group whispered among themselves, talking about their previous hunting trip to the desert ruins.

If all those tens of thousands of people had died, the news probably wouldn't have gotten out; but by chance, several hundred survived. The news quickly spread among the Civilian Scavengers, reaching far and wide.

But upon hearing this, Rein felt he should give Master Cavo a boost.

After all, he had personally experienced that desert hunting operation. "Master Cavo, have you heard about what happened in the 'Tehersen Desert' last time?"

Cavo glanced at him and said casually, "I've heard some things."

Rein said, "I happened to be exploring that ruin at the time and witnessed that scene. The Rosas Family really did something unethical. Not only did they take the lives of tens of thousands of people, but they also forced people to their deaths. That's why Mr. Guy killed that 'Prince Harper'."

He briefly recounted the events that had transpired.

Cavo listened, his expression unchanged, but he remained silent for a long time.

In the old City of Radiance, even the closest of friends would have committed such a heinous crime punishable by death.

By this point in their conversation, many things had become clear.

Rein didn't mince words any longer and decided to test the waters, so he said, "Master Cavo, do you think Prince Harper, who disregarded human life, deserved to be killed?"

"He deserves to die."

Cavo responded crisply and decisively, without the slightest hesitation because the Rosas Family had once been one of his disciples.

Then, he looked at Rein and asked, "It seems that young friend Rein has guessed why I've come?"

"Are you trying to persuade us to leave Black Wind Territory?" Rein said.

Cavo smiled slightly, neither confirming nor denying.

He said, "Before you invited me for a drink, I was planning to persuade you to leave. I knew that there were many top experts lurking in this territory, enemies that even Bazel, Guy, and Miss Canossa together couldn't defeat. But now, it seems my concerns were unnecessary. You seem to understand the current situation better than I do."

Rein raised an eyebrow, neither confirming nor denying, waiting for what would follow.

Cavo's intention was "to be a friend, not an enemy," which is a good thing.

He was also curious to see just how much the wise old man could guess.

Cavo continued, "Although I still can't imagine what your chances of winning are in this situation, since you've come, you must have your own reasons for being confident."

He paused, a glint of light flashed in his cloudy eyes, and he glanced at Rein before suddenly smiling, "Besides, seeing your calm and composed demeanor, I understand that no matter which side this old man sides with, it won't affect your plans."

Rein's expression changed slightly.

But even now that Cavo has guessed this far, it doesn't have much of an impact.

Both sides are now on the verge of war; a battle is inevitable. Neither side will give up without a head-on clash.

Moreover, he didn't think Cavo knew the true strength of their "Black Dragon City".

Now that the matter was out in the open, Rein said bluntly, "We will definitely rescue the captured Kolman Warrior, and we will definitely get back the stolen Divine Power Totem, Master Cavo. Do you think we are doing the right thing?"

"I have no stance, so I won't discuss right or wrong."

Cavo said something very profound.

He naturally understood that Rein's words were a test of his "stance," so he smiled and said, "But as I said, the current Radiant Kingdom has nothing to do with me. What they want to do is their own choice. What you want to do is also your choice."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Rein's eyebrows lifted in delight.

Cavo's stance of not taking sides means that he will not intervene in the battle.

Experts at this level have no reason to lie.

Of course, even if it's a scam, it's not a big deal.

This is icing on the cake for tonight's big game.

The glass was already more than half empty, Master Cavo seemed to enjoy the taste of alcohol, like a little old man with a penchant for a drink. He smiled and said to Rein, "Young friend Rein, could you have another glass? This 'Supreme Jack' is absolutely delicious!"

"Certainly."

Rein casually called the bartender to order a new drink, then raised his glass, "Cheers!"

The two clinked glasses and drank the last bit of wine in their glasses.

"Clam"

Master Cavo let out a satisfied sound.

At this point, he added, "My initial thought in meeting you was simply that I didn't want to see Rein and a few old friends in danger. Now that you know, I won't say any more."

Rein sincerely said, "Master Cavo."

Regardless, the other party's intentions were good.

Cavo shook his head dismissively and said, "Of course, that's not actually why I came to Black Wind Territory."

"Um?"

Hearing this, Rein looked puzzled and glanced over.

At this moment, Cavo's gaze became somewhat profound, like that of an ancient well, allowing one to glimpse the deep, dark depths beneath its surface. There, light and shadow flickered, and one could not fathom what lay within.

He sighed softly and slowly uttered a seemingly pointed remark.

"Power and desire are the most terrifying monsters; they can twist the human mind and plunge it into the abyss of sin."

At this point, Cavo revealed his true purpose for coming to Black Wind Territory, his tone becoming somewhat serious. "I came to see if those guys have truly been blinded by power; I also want to see how ruthless they can be for power."

Then, Cavo revealed a "purpose" that made Rein's expression grow increasingly serious.

Only then did he realize that the Five Great Families had such a ruthless and insidious backup plan.

More than an hour later.

The table was filled with more than a dozen empty glasses with white foam still remaining at the bottom.

It's rare to find such generous customers in such a small tavern, and the tavern girls enthusiastically refilled their drinks again and again.

Master Cavo, however, seemed quite pleased with his drink, much like a slightly tipsy, Red Nose wandering mage.

"Oh, is that little bird on your head the [Immortal Thunder Raven]? My goodness, it's a rare elemental creature that only exists in mythology. Young friend Rein, where did you find it? You're so lucky."

"I never imagined that in just over a year, you, who had just advanced to the [Awakened] level at the 'Plague Base', would now have stepped into the High-tier Extraordinary realm."

"In the past hundred years, I have seen countless people of extraordinary talent. But young friend Rein, your physical body is the strongest Third Tier Extraordinary I have ever seen."

"."

As Rein and Cavo chatted, they became more and more familiar with each other.

After getting to know him, he found that the old man was actually quite kind and approachable, and didn't have any of the airs of an "invincible" master.

He was like a college teacher or a library administrator—wise, composed, and knowledgeable, able to chat about anything.

Rein doesn't speak in such a formal way, and he can even crack jokes from time to time.

"Master Cavo, just how powerful are you now?"

"Me? It's been many years since I've used my full strength."

"Is it because your Transcendent power touched that boundary, causing a 'spatial rift'?"

"Oh, you even know that?"

"Master Cavo, you are a senior I greatly respect. May I ask if you crave power above the fifth rank?"

"You understand the path to awakening power above the fifth rank?"

"Actually, have you ever considered that this Misty World is actually restricted by some kind of 'restriction,' preventing all creatures from exceeding the fifth rank? But the path to Transcendent is far from over."

"You even observed this? Actually, over the years, through research in various ancient books, I have indeed discovered this fact, but the number of people in the world who can access this level of knowledge is definitely no more than a handful. How did you know this?"

"What if I said that I am now certain that there are beings at the Sixth-tier Extraordinary Beyond the Mist?"

"."

Upon hearing this, Cavo's usually impassive expression finally softened.

In fact, ever since Rein learned that Cavo was "a friend, not an enemy," he couldn't suppress a thought in his mind.

Cavo was once the lord of City of Radiance, but now this "Number One Under Heaven" expert is a lonely wandering mage.

Since they are not enemies, wouldn't it be better to be "allies"?

Even if we don't ask him to deal with City of Radiance, at least in the Karatva Basin where Black Dragon City is located, a dangerous place where dragons actually exist, having such a powerful expert will provide greater security in the future.

Besides, Master Cavo doesn't represent just one person.

He represents the highest "spiritual leader" of the Free Mage lineage. Gaining his support means gaining the support of the entire "Mage Guild".

Black Dragon City also needs a complete magician training system.

Rein began his lobbying efforts.

Cavo was already shocked by what he heard.

"Master Cavo, if there is a city that was built according to my original ideas, but it still needs to be developed, would you be willing to offer some guidance?"

"In the current situation, building a new city is not easy."

"What if there is?"

"If there were such a city, I think I would definitely want to go and see it. Being a magic teacher or a librarian would be nice too."

"."

Although Rein didn't explain, Cavo guessed what it was, and the two exchanged knowing smiles.

A few hours later, "Black Dragon City" will suddenly appear, shocking the world.

This is an unstoppable trend!

Thanks to 'Xiaoyao Thirty Six Heroes' for the 5,000 coins and 'leo627' for the 5,000 coins. Thank you both for your rewards.