Funding an Upgrade, Killing Ross

Elsewhere.

As the results came out, Chris Silver Moon Lake invited Ian to dinner.

"Ian, you've really become famous this time."

Chris swept up her long red hair, propped her chin on both hands, and looked at Ian.

Who could have imagined that the little guy she hadn't thought much of at first would actually rank fifth among his peers?

Even Roger, stripped of his family's halo, could rank fourth.

That was already astonishing, considering the top three all possessed Second-class Talent.

"Luck, luck."

"Luck doesn't make someone improve again and again." Chris leaned back, her chest trembling slightly.

"This time, my family has brought me a new contract."

Ian looked up.

"There are two in total. The first is the same as before: you only need to provide some help when the family needs it in the future. But there are only ten Magic Stones, with an additional two if you enter a core division." Chris grew more serious.

"And the second?"

Ian asked.

He had guessed that today had something to do with a contract, but he hadn't expected there to be two prepared.

"The second offers twenty Magic Stones, plus five more if you enter a core division. But once the family encounters trouble, you'll have to take action. The chances are low, though. Honestly, I suggest you sign this one. If you really choose the Potions Department, you'll be terribly short on Magic Stones."

Chris had selfish motives in saying this, but it was also absolutely sincere advice.

One offered fewer Magic Stones, but carried less responsibility.

The other offered more Magic Stones, but carried more responsibility.

An ordinary commoner Wizard would most likely choose the second.

Because Magic Stones were truly difficult to earn.

"The first." Ian did not hesitate and answered directly.

"I knew you'd pick this one. You're only thirteen, yet you don't have a shred of a young man's drive." Looking utterly bored, Chris flung the first contract at Ian.

After checking that there were no problems with the contract, Ian signed his name.

After dinner, it was already very late.

Because of the war, the School enforced a nighttime curfew.

Chris blinked and said with a smile, "You can stay the night tonight, you know?"

"This...?"

Ian nodded.

There was really no helping it with the curfew.

That night, Chris wore a sleeveless nightgown that revealed her fair chest and long legs, giving off a faint fragrance.

"Little Ian, don't sneak into my room in the middle of the night!"

Her fingertips brushed across her collarbone as Chris winked and left.

Ian's mouth twitched.

So this was what it meant to stay the night.

Still, at least his goal had been achieved, and his sponsorship had improved.

As for Chris, later...

He was staying over this time already. Would entering her room be far behind?

The next morning!

Before the sky had fully brightened, beneath the hazy sunlight, Ian left Maple Leaf Avenue.

As he walked along the road, he saw quite a few Wizards heading out of the School, and quite a few returning.

Most of the Wizards returning were from the Combat Department.

As they passed by, Ian could smell the bloodiness that had yet to fully dissipate—a faint scent of rust.

"Wizards' battles are still very dangerous!"

Ian surmised.

The School's territory was not small, but it would still take some time to travel from the war zone at the edge to the School.

Yet from such a distance, the smell had not completely dissipated.

Its intensity was easy to imagine.

"No wonder the houses in the Residential Area have never been fully occupied."

Ian sighed.

A First-class Apprentice Witch's strength was indeed decent in the mortal world, but here, they were only at the bottom.

That was why he did not want to go to the front lines. That was an environment beyond his control.

The Academy was better.

At least, the interior of the Academy was relatively safe.

With that thought, Ian rounded a corner.

His house had already come into view.

It was still early, and no one was around.

Tap!

His foot landed on the stone-paved road, but when he was a dozen meters from the house, he stopped.

The expression on his face instantly froze.

His right hand unconsciously reached for his pocket, where the feather Mickey had given him was kept.

"Someone went inside?"

Ian tensed, and his heart began to race.

The house before him looked peaceful.

So did the front door.

But the door was definitely somewhat different from when he had left, and the ground seemed to have sunk slightly as well.

It was extremely subtle—something an ordinary wizard would never notice.

But Ian possessed an eidetic memory. Details like these were stored in his mind like slides.

One comparison was enough to reveal an enormous difference.

Perhaps he would not notice changes that had occurred days ago, but after only one night, there was no way he could have forgotten.

In the space of a breath.

A faint ripple of mental power spread outward—Mental Power Detection.

There seemed to be one more obstruction behind the door.

There really was someone inside.

Ian turned and left, opening his mouth to shout loudly.

Whoever it was, this was the Academy. Once the patrol arrived, he would be safe.

But in that instant.

Everything before his eyes suddenly seemed to be covered by a thin film.

He shouted.

The moment his voice struck the film, it came to an abrupt halt.

"You actually noticed. Then I'll deal with you quickly—ten seconds."

Ross burst through the door, his gaze vicious as he looked at Ian more than ten meters away, his movements practiced.

With a wave of his hand, a huge blood-red palm slammed toward Ian without the slightest restraint.

The Blood Hand carried a thick stench of blood. Ian felt as though even his mental power was about to congeal.

Killing intent.

This man wanted to kill him.

And the attack was immensely powerful.

Ian did not even know the man before him, yet he swiftly took out the Sorcery Feather.

Triggered by mental power, the feather released a vast, flowing wind element. With a single sweep, it transformed into an explosive tornado.

Boom!

The tornado collided with the Blood Hand, tearing it apart before flying onward and slowly dissipating.

"A Second-class Wizard-tier method. Not bad. Unfortunately, it's just a dead object. No wizard would be stupid enough to stand there and let you hit them."

With a trace of surprise, Ross leered as he arrived before Ian, one hand clamping around Ian's throat.

"Ghk—ghk!"

With his neck gripped, Ian could barely make a sound.

The man before him possessed immense arm strength, and his mental power far surpassed Ian's.

"Don't count on anyone coming. I set up a little something on the other side; the patrol should have gone over there.

"I've set up a soundproof zone here. At least for the next few minutes, no one will notice this place."

Witch's Hand snapped both of Ian's arms, and Ross dragged him into an alley.

He looked Ian over with great interest.

Enduring the agonizing pain, Ian struggled to look at the man before him.

He didn't know him.

He had never seen him before, either.

Yet something about his brows and eyes felt vaguely familiar.

But he apparently had no intention of killing him. No—it was that he had no intention of killing him immediately.

That meant there was still a chance.

Ian's entire body trembled as he desperately focused his mental power.

Though he was capable of casting wizardry instantly, he still had to ensure that his mental power was focused.

At that moment, the man loosened his grip slightly, but only enough for Ian to barely speak. Forget about shouting wizardry incantations.

"Who are you?"

By now, Ian had more or less gathered his mental power and asked.

"You don't need to know that. I have a few questions for you. If I'm satisfied, I can let you go." Ross bared his teeth in a vicious grin.

It was an obvious lie.

Yet Ian still played along. He also wanted to know why this man had targeted him.

"Fine!"

"I want to know the secret behind your rapid growth. I investigated you, so you'd better not try to fob me off." Knowing time was tight, Ross got straight to the point.

Ian's eyes widened.

So that was it?

Thinking back over the past few months, although he had more or less adhered to keeping a low profile, it seemed he really had been becoming more and more conspicuous.

At that moment, Ian instantly understood his mistake.

He had always regarded the School as a safe place.

But was this place truly safe?

It was not.

So that was how it was.

He would have to be more careful in the future. He could not reveal his circumstances so easily.

Ian came to a sudden realization.

But first, he had to survive the crisis before him.

His trump card was instant-cast wizardry, something the man before him would never anticipate, because it was simply not something a First-class Wizard could possess.

It was also something he had never exposed.

Still, the distance between them did not feel safe enough to him. He needed to get closer.

So, gritting his teeth, he spoke with difficulty. "Last year, I obtained a wizard's book. After reading it, my talent kept getting better and better."

Ross's eyes lit up.

There were indeed many wondrous treasures in the wizard world, but this guy had actually been lucky enough to obtain one.

Now it was his.

"Where did you put it?"

He continued questioning him. There was no wizard's book on Ian, much less at his home.

"I put it..."

Ian's voice grew softer and softer. Ross unconsciously leaned closer, never imagining there could be any danger.

Now.

Ian's eyes suddenly gleamed as his mental power finished gathering.

There was no incantation, yet the aura of magic instantly converged.

"Wind Blade Spell!"

Violent wind blades formed in an instant. Enduring the excruciating pain, he activated nearly half of his Mental Power Runes.

Wizardry with an Energy Intensity of twenty-four erupted in an instant.

Ross's eyes filled with shock.

But there was no time to react at all.

At such close range, there was almost no difference between a Second-class Wizard and a First-class Wizard.

He had only managed to gather a faint layer of magical power around his neck before it was instantly torn apart by the razor-sharp wind blade.

His head flew high into the air, and his blood was turned into a crimson mist beneath the wind blade.

Bang!

Ross's head landed off to one side, his eyes still filled with deep incomprehension and confusion.

He seemed unable to understand how a wizard who had enrolled only a few months ago could instantly cast Wizardry of such power.

"So this is why I have to hide my strength!"

Ian slumped on the ground, enduring the headache brought on by his Mental Power.

Looking at the corpse before him.

He was grateful that he had still kept some methods hidden.

"This was the first time, and it will absolutely be the last."

Ian struggled to his feet, enduring the pain coursing through his body as he headed outside.

In the distance, the patrol squad happened to arrive.