Merchants and the Old Wizard

"Kuit, the Dragon Beast is dead."

The old wizard's opening remarks were the most bombshell news.

The middle-aged man who arrived at the scene was stunned upon hearing this. Then the old wizard continued, "Although the Dragon Beast is dead, there are many Living Corpse spreading in the Black Mountain World. We need to organize manpower to wipe them out and at the same time re-establish contact with the outpost town."

"They have been isolated from the world for too long, this matter cannot be delayed."

Every word the old man spoke contained information, including orders for follow-up actions.

After listening, the middle-aged man licked his lips, suppressing his shock, and continued to ask:

"What about Oma?"

"He's a sensory user hired by our chamber of commerce, how come you didn't find him on the list?"

The old wizard shook his head regretfully:

"Life is unpredictable; he has already stepped into the fog."

"Dead?" The adult man lowered his eyes and said with a self-deprecating tone of disdain, "That's a real mess. Looks like I'll have to adjust this year's budget when I get back."

On the other side, the young man who had just defended Han Si Ke walked up.

He looked at the middle-aged man in front of him, his tone firm:

"Brother Oma had already made preparations before he set off, and we will continue to act in accordance with the contract!"

The middle-aged man shrugged:

"Of course, I also prefer to act in accordance with contracts."

"..."

The group began a conversation about the death of the perceiver.

On the other side, Han Si Ke noticed Linsey's condition, so he walked over, patted him on the shoulder, and whispered an explanation, "This guy's name is Kuit, and he's a Sixth Stage merchant."

"Currently, Courtyard in the Forest has successfully established three cities, among which Remote Yue City is managed by their Chamber of Commerce."

Linsey remembered the three cities in this world: the Black Mountain Underground and the Bo Gong, which had introduced him to them.

Lookout Point City, Nine Bends City, and Remote Yue City.

Of these, Remote Yue City is probably the furthest away.

"Has this merchant traveled across the entire world to get here?"

Han Si Ke shook his head and said, "No, Kuit is stationed at Lookout Point City."

"After all, it is a Seventh Stage Dragon Beast that is preparing to advance."

"If it succeeds, the landscape of several nearby worlds will change accordingly, and businessmen cannot allow themselves to be uninformed."

Linsey nodded slightly.

The changes in the Black Mountain World have affected many unseen details. After the battle began, even the neighboring Courtyard in the Forest was thrown into turmoil.

Just as Linsey was pondering this, the people in front of her stopped talking and suddenly turned their gazes to Linsey.

The businessman, Quiet, gave him a friendly smile and extended his hand in invitation, "Mr. Linsey, right?"

Linsey nodded:

"That's right."

The merchant introduced himself, "I am Kuit, a merchant from the Platinum City, Riverbank Merchant Guild."

"Mr. Oma, whom you met in the Black Mountain World, was a Perceptor hired by us to come here. If you were a witness to his death, we would like to ask you to come back to Remote Yue City with me to explain this matter in more detail."

"..."

Linsey how to respond.

But before he could speak, the usually taciturn old wizard answered the merchant's invitation in advance, "Kuit, Linsey will be staying in Lookout Point City for a while."

"He is seriously injured and needs treatment."

The businessman's smile remained unchanged:

"Then let's wait until he finishes his treatment before we set off together."

The old wizard's answer was inconclusive, but his tone was quite firm. "This matter depends on his own will."

"..."

Kuit squinted.

He gazed at the Seventh Stage wizard before him, pondered deeply, and finally chose to concede:

"Of course I respect the young man's opinion."

"However, a reply to the Guild would be more convincing if it had a first eyewitness account."

As soon as he finished speaking, the businessman didn't wait for anyone else's reaction.

He jumped onto his cargo wagon, turning back to bid farewell to the old wizard:

"In that case, I shall take my leave and inform the city of the situation in Black Mountain."

With that, Kuit started to drive away.

However, as the horse neighed, he made a point of glancing at Linsey: "Mr. Linsey, I look forward to seeing you again."

"See you another day!"

The next second, Kuit drove the carriage away as quickly as he had arrived.

After the carriage passed, the twisted woods returned to normal, as if nothing had happened, and there were no traces of horseshoes or cart tracks on the ground.

They watched the merchant leave.

Linsey then looked at the old wizard beside her.

During their conversation, the old wizard was clearly protecting himself, not wanting him to fall into the hands of the merchant.

"You guys go ahead, I need to talk to Linsey about something."

The wizard noticed Linsey's curiosity and waved for the others to go ahead, leaving himself and Linsey at the back of the group.

The old wizard whispered, "Child, you carry the aura of Dragon Slayer."

"That Dragon Beast didn't perish together with the enemy; you killed it, didn't you?"

"..."

Linsey's prepared questions were completely disrupted.

He never expected the other party to be able to see through this!

The old wizard made no threats or demands of Linsey; he simply whispered his instructions:

"Power that is too great and is wielded by the weak will often attract covetousness. You'd better keep this fact a secret. If the news that Fifth Stage awakener killed Seventh Stage Dragon Beast gets out, it will only bring you endless danger."

Linsey certainly understood the friendliness in the suggestion, and he immediately nodded his thanks. "Thank you for reminding me."

"However, I was only able to kill the Dragon Beast by sheer chance. It's simply impossible for me to replicate it!"

The old wizard nodded slightly, looking at Linsey's left hand. "I can sense a negative energy on you. Is this something left over from the battle with the Dragon Beast?"

Linsey looked at her left arm.

This arm is fine for eating with a bowl, but it's unlikely to be able to lift a weapon and fight.

The state of [Death Erosion] is there.

The power emanating from the Extinction Crown lingered within, hindering Linsey's normal control over her left hand.

He replied with a wry smile:

"After all, it's about killing that kind of enemy; it's impossible to do so without paying a price."

The old wizard didn't say much, but instead asked another question, "Child, why did you challenge the Dragon Beast?"

Linsey explained her initial motivation for embarking on the journey, "If we don't find a way to eliminate it, the people Hidden Borderlands will be constantly threatened. Besides, my hometown isn't here, and I have a reason to go back."

The old wizard nodded approvingly:

"I felt courage in your heart."

"These are valuable qualities, but don't forget to be cautious and thoughtful."

The two walked while discussing.

They rounded a grove of trees and came to a small post station where horses were tethered.

Han Si Ke was walking at the front, greeted the people at the post station.

He then went to untie the horses' ropes. "Everyone, mount up, let's get ready to return to the city!"

"Linsey, if you don't mind, you can share a horse with me. There aren't any really good options right now."

Whoosh—

Just then, a sound came from the forest.

Every tree and every blade of grass around seemed to be responding to some kind of call.

Linsey sensed something was wrong.

He turned to look around, and even the Vines and shrubs in the forest seemed to come alive! The plants rustled and trembled with the sound, and the entire forest, which was already teeming with life, now displayed an unusual vitality! It was as if the whole world was a living being, and it was telling a story.

This change is accompanied by...

Everyone fell silent, and all eyes turned to the old wizard beside Linsey.

The old wizard said calmly, "The forest has also sensed everything in the Black Mountain World and is responding to it."

"Come on, let's calm this wave first."