Neighbor

"Dr. Quill, he seems to be trying to escape."

"Oh?"

At Floris Hospital, a caregiver pushed open the office door and reported Sean's movements to Dr. Quill.

"He contacted the Crobel Club and found out where patient C1445 had been before."

"Where is that?"

"The Black Berry Rainforest."

"Interesting."

Dr. Quill, wearing a white lab coat, stood by the window, playing with the crows in a birdcage. The blue glass of the window reflected his smiling face as he asked with great interest, "He wants to find the Spring of Enlightenment?"

"He should." The caregiver paused, then hesitated, "Actually, I've never understood why the Vice Dean let him go. All the admission procedures were completed."

Although for the sake of stability, and to demonstrate the doctrine's tolerance and mercy, they generally wouldn't proactively apprehend people without Magic. Even if such a person had awakened their awareness, as long as they didn't become a true Wizard, they would be given a chance.

But Sean had walked right into their hands, so he wouldn't be violating the Lord's commandments.

Besides, they weren't going to kill Sean, just change his living environment. This didn't conflict with using Sean's novels to find more potential Wizards. With their personal supervision, Sean's writing efficiency might even increase.

No matter how he thought about it, there was no reason to let Sean leave and lose a performance metric for nothing.

Dr. Quill chuckled lightly, "Do you really think the Vice Dean let him go?"

The caregiver blinked slightly, "Wasn't it?"

Dr. Quill smiled and shook his head, not continuing the topic.

"If he wants to find the Spring of Enlightenment, let him go find it... After all, it's his freedom."

"Aren't we going to stop him?" the caregiver asked.

"Why should we stop him?"

Dr. Quill said gently, "You, you need to learn to let go of your desire to help and respect others' destinies."

Knowing that becoming a Wizard would lead him into an abyss, yet still choosing to follow in the footsteps of his good friend... If nothing else, his courage was commendable.

Did Sean perhaps think that having Magic would allow him to escape his grasp?

He was a bit too naive.

And...

"The Spring of Enlightenment isn't that easy to find," Dr. Quill said.

The Black Berry Rainforest was one of the largest primeval forests in the world, covering an area of about 1.1 million square kilometers. It had always been a sacred place in the hearts of adventure enthusiasts passionate about wilderness survival. Every year, many people set out from various places to find excitement in the Black Berry Rainforest, but not many were known to have actually become Wizards.

The Spring of Enlightenment was deep within the rainforest. The first thing they would have to face was the magnificent and dangerous natural world.

Sean was just a frail shut-in writer. In his eyes, his physical fitness was no different from that of a minor girl. Whether he could survive in the primeval forest, or how many days he could last, was unknown. They might not even have to lift a finger; Sean might die on the way. It was almost a shame to think about.

"He's not going alone."

The caregiver said, "He bought a lot of wilderness survival gear for safety and signed up for a tour group departing in two days."

Dr. Quill's hand paused as he played with the crow, "For example?"

The caregiver: "Condoms."

Dr. Quill: "?"

The caregiver earnestly explained to his superior, "These are very useful survival items. They're cheap and portable. You can hold water in them, or use them for waterproofing. You can also tighten them and use them as bandages to stop bleeding. If you fill one with water and tie it into a ball, you can use it as a magnifying glass to start a fire, or blow it up and wrap a towel around it to use as a pillow. It's more comfortable to sleep on than a regular pillow."

Dr. Quill turned to look at him with some surprise, "You seem to know a lot about them?"

The caregiver replied with a straight face, "I learned last time I went on vacation. My wife found a box of them in my pocket when I got home."

Dr. Quill: "..."

Whatever.

It wasn't important.

"What else did he buy?"

"A new handgun and a bulletproof vest."

"A bulletproof vest?"

Dr. Quill asked curiously, "Didn't Burg's gang put him on a blacklist?"

The law clearly stipulated that individuals with a record of serious felony convictions or higher were permanently prohibited from purchasing and using bulletproof vests. In their country, bulletproof vests were regulated even more strictly than ordinary firearms and ammunition. They weren't afraid of your offensive capabilities, but of you not being able to kill someone with a single shot.

"He had someone in his reader group buy it for him," the caregiver said.

Dr. Quill was speechless and chuckled.

This Mr. Sean was truly cautious.

Going with a tour group and finding someone online.

He had a beautiful, passionate neighbor who was clearly interested in him, yet he chose to go the long way around, afraid she might give him a fake bulletproof vest?

It was evident that Sean was diligently preparing for the Spring of Enlightenment, considering every aspect, even thinking about the possibility of getting shot after he became a Wizard.

It's a shame it's useless.

Most of the time, effort doesn't guarantee success.

Because they have armor-piercing rounds.

"If Sean really found the Spring of Enlightenment and became a Wizard..."

"Then kill him."

This was their bottom line, not to be trampled on.

Quill opened the cage and extended his right hand, letting the Smell Crow, whose feathers were as black as ink, perch on his finger. He handed it to the attendant, "I'll give them a heads-up later. You take it with you, and it'll help you confirm if Sean has Magic."

Many people, after drinking from the Spring of Enlightenment, saw colorful crows and thought they had touched the true colors of this world, becoming more excited than anyone. Little did they know, the Smell Crow's feathers only changed color when it detected sufficient Magic fluctuations.

So, when they saw the Smell Crow, it was time for them to become prey.

No one could escape.

Time passed, two days later.

Ten in the morning.

The outskirts.

Sean, who had woken up early and skipped breakfast, arrived punctually at the agreed-upon meeting spot with the club members.

Since the location for this outdoor adventure was a primeval forest, everyone had brought some dangerous "contraband" with them, such as firearms, compound bows, and large animal traps. These wouldn't pass security checks unless they paid extra.

Clearly, everyone wasn't that wealthy. They had two options: one was to bring nothing and buy what they needed after arriving in the town near the Black Berry Rainforest. This might mean facing a situation where a box of 50 low-quality pistol bullets sold for an exorbitant price of 450 yuan, nearly ten times the normal price, and could only be used for close-quarters self-defense.

After all, it was a "scenic area."

The other option was to drive themselves, bringing whatever they wanted.

Considering their personal safety and their wallets, after discussing in the group chat, they chose the latter, pooling money to rent three large off-road vehicles with ample capacity from the club.

The journey from Holkodo to the Black Berry Rainforest was about 980 kilometers. If the road conditions were good, they could arrive within two days.

"Are all the people here?"

Gennardo was the captain for this expedition. He had extensive outdoor survival experience, having once lived alone on a deserted island for eighteen days without any tools. He seemed unfazed by the cold autumn air, wearing only shorts and a vest, revealing his muscular and sturdy arms, covered in light, pale scars.

"Those in the cars, come down first and introduce yourselves," Gennardo called out. His skin had a bronze hue from prolonged sun exposure. When he grinned, a row of strikingly white teeth was visible, making him quite likable.

However, Sean had been deceived by appearances twice already. Now, he found such a smile off-putting.

He instinctively took two steps back, maintaining a relatively safe distance.

Gennardo noticed his movement and his apparent wariness, assuming they had met before but couldn't recall when. He then studied Sean's handsome face for a moment and tentatively asked:

"Did I chase you before?"

Sean: "?"

This time, he took three steps back.

The people resting in the cars gradually got out, and the middle-aged man smoking nearby also walked over. Including Sean and Gennardo, there were a total of seven people. Sean recognized one of the women.

She had elegant, curly hair like golden waves. Her languidly colored long dress and tight waistband accentuated her hot figure. Two thin straps hung from her shoulders, holding up the dress along her collarbone. Below the low-cut neckline was her impressive "career," her abundant knowledge seemingly hidden within, ready to spill out.

The woman removed her sunglasses, tossed her hair, and winked at Sean.

"What a coincidence, handsome boy. You like outdoor sports too?"