Danger Is Safety

"Sean? Why haven't you left yet?"

After Elvily and Iris came out of the sanctuary, they intended to stroll around the plaza, clear their heads, and perhaps buy some Witch Potions. However, they ran into Sean again after only a few steps.

Sean said honestly, "Waiting for you."

Elvily: "?"

Waiting for me?

The girl's eyes immediately became wary. "What are you waiting for me for?"

Sean gave the same reason, "I don't know other people. You know, I'm a shut-in."

Shut-ins are generally socially awkward.

"As if I know you well," Elvily retorted. If Sean hadn't had such a good-looking face, she wouldn't have bothered with him right now.

A misunderstanding, tinged with ambiguity, flickered in Iris's eyes. "You were waiting for her on the street before, and now you're waiting for her again... I say, great writer, could you possibly have feelings for our Miss Flame Crow?"

Elvily: "?"

Sean calmly explained, "I wanted to ask you for some advice."

Neither admitting nor denying it was a very common conversation technique.

An admission would be inappropriate. Regardless of what Sean thought, Elvily would definitely resist. Even if said jokingly, it would still be awkward. Directly stating it was a misunderstanding would, to some extent, deny Elvily's charm. The girl might not mind, but it certainly wasn't the best answer.

After all, Sean genuinely wanted to be friends with the girl.

As for what kind of friend...

That might depend on what story she had with Black.

"What do you want to ask? Go ahead," Elvily said.

Sean stated directly, "I've been wandering around the plaza for a long time. It's lively, but not suitable for Meditation. I couldn't find a quiet place. The houses seem to have soundproofing, but they're occupied. Is it the same as outside, where I have to pay to use them?"

"No, first come, first served," Elvily said as she walked. "It's just that there are many people in the plaza. Unless you're lucky, there usually aren't any vacant rooms for you. You can go to North Street."

The northern area of the Void Arts Space was specifically designated for Wizards to cultivate. Although there weren't many houses, the atmosphere was quiet, and no one made noise casually. Even if you found a spot in the middle of the road to meditate, no one would bother you.

"Which way should I go?" Sean asked, looking at the crowded plaza, a little lost.

"Over there... never mind." Elvily thought that since she had to walk around anyway, it didn't matter where she went for a stroll. She changed her mind and said, "Wait for me to buy something, and I'll take you there later to save you from getting lost."

The structure of the Void Arts Space couldn't be called complex, but its area was considerable, comparable to a second-tier city. For Sean, a newcomer, taking the wrong path could waste a lot of time.

And time was the most precious thing for Wizards, especially Newborn Wizards, as it was directly linked to their survival.

"Okay, thank you, Miss Flame Crow." Sean obediently followed behind the girl, which made Iris chuckle.

She found this man rather interesting. He claimed to be socially awkward, yet he perfectly played various appropriate roles. She didn't believe Sean's true nature was that of a "puppy" – puppies don't kill people, at least not so cleanly, not even letting a Smell Crow escape.

Iris was more inclined to believe that Sean's mind was as sharp as his face. He was good at acting... or rather, good at disguising himself. If such a person were an enemy, they would be very difficult to deal with. She hoped Sean wasn't, otherwise it would be a shame about his face.

As the three walked, they attracted a lot of attention.

Sean kept his head down the entire time to avoid being recognized.

But the girl seemed to have a high status here. Sean noticed many people secretly looking at her—just like when they touched the statue earlier, they only dared to look and not approach. Occasionally, a brave young man would only dare to pretend to pass by and say, "Good evening, Miss Elvily."

The girl would nod slightly and continue walking.

After buying some Witch Potions at a shop, the three left the plaza. Elvily didn't speak much during this time. Instead, Iris chatted more with Sean. This mature and beautiful older sister treated Sean like a complete novice and told him a lot of basic knowledge about the occult, such as spell branches, development directions, and the pros and cons of ranged versus melee combat.

Sean actually knew all of this, but he still listened attentively, not wanting Iris to waste her breath.

When Iris was tired of talking, he pretended to have processed the information and found an opportunity to talk to Elvily.

"You seem to have something on your mind?" Sean asked knowingly.

Elvily glanced up at him but didn't answer. Iris, however, chuckled, "I forgot to tell you, something big happened at our meeting tonight."

Sean showed an expression of extreme interest, then hesitated slightly. "Is this something I can listen to?"

"There's nothing you can't listen to," Elvily said this time. "Karl Black, whom you've been very concerned about, might not be dead."

This news would spread soon anyway, so there was no harm in telling Sean in advance.

"Not dead?" Sean exclaimed. "Then how many years has he lived?"

Elvily: "Perhaps he's dead, just not completely dead."

Sean detected a hint of resentment but still said, "Isn't that a good thing?"

"It is a good thing, and I hope he's not dead, but..." Elvily anticipated Sean's next question. "Don't ask about the rest. I don't want to talk about it. If you need material, find someone else."

Sean: "..."

Others can't get it.

Not everyone has the privilege of having a story with the great Mr. Karl Black.

North Street was almost here. They couldn't talk once they entered, so Elvily stopped at the intersection and said to Sean, "It's just ahead. However, I suggest you'd better go back first, find an absolutely safe place, ensure you won't be in danger, and then come to the Void Arts Space for Meditation."

The time flow here was the same as the outside world. From the annihilation of the witch-hunter team to her meeting Sean on the street, at most a few hours had passed. This meant Sean's main body was still in the Black Berry Rainforest and hadn't gone far. If the main force sent to investigate stumbled upon him, she feared she wouldn't see this face tomorrow.

Sensing the girl's concern, Sean couldn't help but smile. "Don't worry, they won't find me."

Elvily found the man to be always so confident. "Have you already left the Black Berry Rainforest?"

Sean: "No."

Not only had he not left, he hadn't even left the small grove. He found a spot with good feng shui nearby, dug a deep pit, buried himself in it, covered himself with branches and leaves, and then entered the Void Arts Space.

Elvily: "?"

"You're really bold."

"The most dangerous place is the safest," Sean said. "I can't be sure when they'll receive the news and rush over here. Going out directly like this might actually lead me to run into them."

He would have to leave eventually, but he had used too much energy releasing the True Formula. His body needed to rest. Once he recovered, he would leave from another direction.

The only thing he needed to worry about during this time was the Smell Crows. So, he impaled the corpses of dozens of Smell Crows on trees. The tragic deaths of their companions would startle the later Smell Crows, causing them to lose control. Unless their heads were pressed onto his "grave" to sniff, no one would be able to find him.

Upon hearing this, Iris's beautiful eyes revealed a hint of admiration.

She admired men like Sean who dared to think and dared to act.

"What about next? What do you plan to do?" Elvily asked. "Quill won't let you go."

Floris Hospital, backed by a powerful family, held immense influence. Killing a squad of witch hunters could indeed temporarily evade their attention, but completely hiding himself would be extremely difficult for Sean at his current level.

"It's fine, I don't plan on letting him go either," Sean said.

From the moment Quill made a move against Chris and attempted to keep him there as well, the situation between him and Quill had become one of mortal enmity. Even if Quill didn't come looking for him, he would go find Quill.

This wasn't just about avenging Chris. The best way to solve a problem was to eliminate the person causing it. If Quill wasn't dead, Sean wouldn't be able to rest easy.

And then there was that Police Officer, Burg.

He figured they must be very surprised to learn that the people they sent out had been killed in return.

This was just the beginning. They would soon be even more surprised.

"On the first of next month, I have a book signing event. Do you two want to come join the fun?"