A Wizard Has Arrived?!!

That night, after using the latrine, Lynn was cornered in the narrow alley leading to the woodshed.

Two of Ghost Fox's trusted men approached with savage expressions, daggers gleaming coldly beneath the moonlight.

"Kid, blame yourself for being too smart!" One of them spat, then thrust his blade forward!

Lynn's heart pounded wildly. He hadn't expected Ghost Fox to be this bold, actually making a move within the gang's compound!

Wasn't he afraid One-Eyed Wolf would fly into a rage and wipe them all out?

But with One-Eyed Wolf currently outside the gang's compound, they probably had nothing to fear.

The woodshed where he lived was some distance from the area where the gang members stayed. By the time anyone came running, he'd probably have already said goodnight to this beautiful world.

As the assassin lunged, he hurled the parchment ledger he carried at the man's face and rolled sharply to the side, narrowly avoiding the dagger.

"Skinny Monkey! Save me!"

Lynn shouted at the top of his lungs.

Skinny Monkey, who had been in the woodshed all along, hesitated for a moment upon hearing the commotion, but still grabbed a short club and charged over.

He had received One-Eyed Wolf's orders to ensure Lynn's safety.

Two against two!

Lynn's side was clearly at a disadvantage.

Skinny Monkey could barely handle one of them, but Lynn hadn't trained this body for long. His strength and speed were far inferior to these desperate criminals.

One thug moved in to tie up Skinny Monkey while the other pounced on Lynn again, intending to end things quickly.

As the dagger was about to plunge into his lower abdomen, a flash of ruthlessness crossed Lynn's eyes. Rather than retreat, he surged forward and pressed himself close to the man.

At the same time, he gripped a sharpened charcoal pencil in his right hand and, with all his strength, viciously drove it into the armpit of the arm holding the dagger!

From now on, I'll carry a weapon with me at all times!

"Ahhh!!"

A piercing scream tore through the night sky.

The thug loosened his grip from the pain, and the dagger clattered to the ground.

Without pausing, Lynn kicked him hard in the groin, then grabbed Skinny Monkey, who was still locked in a bitter fight.

"Run!"

The two fled in disarray toward the members' quarters and ran into guards who had rushed over after hearing the cries.

The guards immediately pursued the thugs, while Lynn took Skinny Monkey toward the gang leader's room.

Lynn's arm had been slashed by the dagger, and blood was streaming from it.

But he ignored the pain and immediately had someone wake One-Eyed Wolf.

One-Eyed Wolf was dragged from his sleep, his face brimming with murderous intent.

Clearly, he was not a pleasant man to wake up.

"Boss! Ghost Fox sent people to kill me!"

Lynn tore open his sleeve to reveal the wound, his voice filled with panic and lingering fear.

One-Eyed Wolf looked at Lynn's injury, then at the panting Skinny Monkey. The killing intent in his lone eye deepened.

"Wake all the brothers! Grab your weapons! Tonight, we're cleaning house!"

After giving the order, a cruel grin appeared on One-Eyed Wolf's face.

"Ghost Fox, do you really think I'm some useless gang leader?"

That night, Lynn hid in the gang leader's bedroom and enjoyed the teasing of the blonde girl.

He had to admit, the girl had guts.

Mm... and she was equally well-endowed...

But Lynn remained unmoved, forcibly suppressing little Lynn's excitement as he struggled through the night by reading through the books in his mind.

If that little temptress hadn't been there, he really would have wanted to search the gang leader's bedroom and see if he could find some hidden stash or secret manual.

The next day, Deputy Leader Ghost Fox and more than a dozen of his core confidants were found dead at the mass grave outside the city.

The ordinary gang members who had "rebelled" were forgiven and allowed to return to the gang.

The bloody purge within the gang was complete, and One-Eyed Wolf's rule became even more secure.

After that incident, Lynn's status rose rapidly. He moved out of that shabby woodshed and into the deputy leader's luxurious suite.

The gang members who had once believed he wouldn't survive Ghost Fox's suppression now acknowledged his position.

One-Eyed Wolf trusted him more and became even more dependent on his "efficient" methods of making money.

With the deputy leader gone, Lynn grew bolder as well.

Using gang funds, he became even more brazen in lining his own pockets.

At the same time, he began using the money he embezzled to secretly gather homeless orphans and little beggars from the streets.

Lynn gave them money and food, had them serve as his scouts and enforcers, and sent the cleverer children to investigate any rumors about Wizards and collect old books.

With ample food, the orphans grew healthier and stronger, secretly training with the weapons Lynn had prepared for them.

This hidden force was another escape route he had prepared for himself.

If he wanted to leave the gang, he would need people to help him.

The days flew by amid schemes, money-making, training, and study.

Lynn's hidden stash of gold coins grew larger, as did the number of books the panel had analyzed. Unfortunately, they were all ordinary books sold on the market.

During this time, Lynn frequently visited major bookstores and antique shops, hoping to discover some ancient book that had been gathering dust for years.

Maybe it would contain a Knight Breathing Method or a Wizard Meditation Method. Failing that, even a Potion Sequence would do.

Unfortunately, it was all just wishful thinking. The orphans and beggars under him had collected plenty of old books too, but they were still useless.

However, after all this time spent scanning and Analysis, he had become thoroughly proficient in the common language and all kinds of basic knowledge. His body had also grown much stronger.

Then one day, explosive news swept through the entire city like a whirlwind.

A Wizard had arrived in Black Marsh City and was openly recruiting Apprentices!

The city residents buzzed with discussion.

Didn't the Wizard Academy only recruit once every five years? Why had they moved it up this time?

Lynn, who was checking accounts in a casino, felt his heart pound violently upon receiving the news!

An opportunity! The opportunity he had dreamed of!

As for his original plan to attend a knight academy, he had long since tossed it to the back of his mind.

Knight? What a trash profession!

Not even a dog would do it!!

He immediately summoned a little beggar he trusted and confirmed the truth of the news, as well as the testing location.

The test would be held at the City Lord's Residence two days later and would last for three days. Anyone between ten and fifteen could participate, but they had to pay one gold coin as a testing fee.

One gold coin!

It was an astronomical sum for commoners, but it was nothing to the current Lynn.

The problem was, how could he shake off Skinny Monkey's surveillance and go take the test?

Skinny Monkey was utterly loyal to One-Eyed Wolf. If word got out that he was taking the test, Lynn would likely be in deep trouble as well.

Remembering the lecherous look Skinny Monkey wore whenever they passed Nightingale Hall, Lynn immediately came up with an idea.

That evening, while One-Eyed Wolf listened to Lynn's report on the accounts, he casually brought up the Wizard recruiting Apprentices.

"Lynn, you know about the news spreading all over the city today, right?"

One-Eyed Wolf's lone eye casually swept across Lynn's lowered face, trying to read something from it.

"Boss, you mean... the Wizard recruiting Apprentices?"

Lynn's heart tightened. He didn't understand why the gang leader had brought this up.

"That's right. This Wizard's recruitment is a great opportunity. Anyone chosen would rise straight to the heavens. You're exactly the right age. Don't you plan to give it a try?"

Rather than feeling delighted, Lynn felt as though a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head, instantly clearing his mind.

Alarm bells blared in Lynn's heart as his mind raced.

Would this bastard really be so kind?

Would he so easily let go of a cash cow like me?

What a joke!

He was obviously probing Lynn's thoughts, trying to see whether he had developed disloyal intentions and wanted to use the Wizard's power to escape his control.

If Lynn showed any intention of taking the test, he probably wouldn't have a moment of freedom for the next few days.