Extermination

"We can't let him live."

Ian made his decision in an instant. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes as he resolved to kill the other man as soon as possible.

An enemy hiding in the shadows and investigating his background was far too dangerous.

He had quite a few secrets. He absolutely could not allow the man any further chance to investigate him.

He assessed the situation. The other man was skilled at concealment, but what about his strength?

Judging by the energy fluctuations, he was not an Advanced Apprentice. However, he was a Bloodline Wizard, so he might still possess the strength of an Advanced Apprentice.

Ian himself had only just advanced to Advanced Apprentice. His shield had undergone a Limit Break and gained the "Reorganization" effect, allowing him to cast it instantly. He had no worries about protecting himself.

As for offense, he had a Mastery Level Scorching Ray, as well as instant-cast Twin Frost Rays. He held the advantage of striking first.

Most importantly, they were inside the camp. The other man would not dare cause too much of a disturbance either.

A rough plan swiftly took shape in his mind.

Pretending that he needed to dispose of waste after sorting his materials, Ian picked up an inconspicuous clay jar and pushed open the door.

He walked naturally toward the edge of the camp, toward a relatively secluded spot near the waste pile of the newly built workshop.

The shadows cast by the clutter there were deeper, and few people passed by at night.

He did not walk quickly, but his mental perception remained firmly locked onto the presence behind him—that shadow-like aura that followed him while believing itself hidden.

The other man had indeed followed him, constantly using the terrain for cover as the distance between them gradually narrowed.

When he reached the area near the waste pile, Ian stopped and bent down, pretending to empty the clay jar.

At that very instant, he silently exerted force beneath his feet, his body abruptly closing in on the other man.

At the same time, his thoughts moved, and his Mental Power connected with the shield rune.

There was no chant, not even an obvious burst of energy.

The Crystal Energy Barrier's "Reorganization" effect instantly formed a translucent, sealed Silent Barrier roughly three meters in diameter around him!

The light on the barrier's surface was restrained, locking all energy fluctuations and sounds firmly inside.

This was one of his advanced applications of the "Reorganization" trait. It instantly changed the shield's form and function, turning it from a defensive measure into a concealed prison.

Almost simultaneously with the barrier's formation, Ian turned around. Two icicles had already appeared before him—"Frost Ray: Twin"!

Two deep-blue rays shot out soundlessly!

Extreme cold tore through the air, carrying tiny ice crystals with it.

The figure in the shadows was greatly alarmed, his reaction even somewhat sluggish.

He had never expected Ian not only to discover him, but also to launch an attack so swiftly and silently.

What truly terrified him was Ian's almost domain-like control and instant-cast attack.

He rolled awkwardly to the side and back, and a passive enchanted protective item on his body activated automatically.

The shield was struck by a weakened Frost Ray and rapidly became covered in frost, slowing his vision for an instant.

That instant was enough!

Ian had already raised his right hand. Two rays were poised in his mind, but he did not fire them. Instead, he continued exerting force beneath his feet.

The physical qualities of an Advanced Apprentice, combined with the formidable physique nourished by the [Rock Bear Potion], erupted all at once.

His figure closed in like a ghost!

Meanwhile, the other man was still resisting the cold, trying to activate some sort of bloodline spell.

Ian raised his somewhat thin fist and, guided by powerful Mental Power with perfect precision, "lightly" struck the vital point at the side of the man's neck!

With a soft pop, the shield shattered. Then came an extremely faint crack! as bone fractured within the Silent Barrier.

The tremendous force and precise blow instantly destroyed his cervical vertebrae and neural connections.

The stalker's eyes bulged, his pupils filled with incredulous terror and confusion.

He seemed to want to say something, but only managed a brief, hoarse gasp before his body went limp and collapsed, his life force rapidly fading.

From beginning to end, the entire process took no more than two seconds.

There had been no violent energy clash, and no patrolling guards had been alerted.

Even the sound of Craftsmen hammering metal in the nearby workshop drowned out the barely perceptible commotion here.

Ian calmly crouched down and quickly searched the corpse.

Inside the man's close-fitting clothes, he found a concealed compartment.

Besides several magic stones, it contained a small section of blood-red bone used for communication or tracking.

There was also an old piece of animal hide marked with a map of the surrounding area.

There was another sheet containing simple records about Ian. The more Ian read, the uglier his expression became.

It was marked with important information such as, "Suspected connection to Nolan's disappearance, relationship with Starleaf Apothecary, sales-time records for [Rock Bear Potion], requires further confirmation..."

"So it was them." Ian's gaze turned colder.

He quickly froze the bone fragment into powder with a Frost Ray, then put away the animal hide.

Next, he gradually shrank the shield's range, greatly increasing the barrier's strength.

He carefully controlled the power of the Frost Ray, freezing the corpse into a solid block of ice before crushing it bit by bit with brute force.

He then cast Cleansing Spell, gathering up the "debris" and dust on the ground and removing all traces.

Then, using the Spirit Infusion Wizard's Hand, he scattered the "debris" throughout the refuse pile within thirty meters and erased every trace of the fight.

After finishing everything, he dispelled the Silent Barrier and calmly walked back to the potion room with the empty clay jar, as if nothing had happened.

The night remained unchanged, and the light of the watchtower in the distance flickered.

No one knew that a clean, decisive elimination had just taken place in the shadows.

Inside the camp, in the hall of a stone house.

Leon sat at the head of the room, with several apprentices seated below him. They were all wizards of the Osborne Family.

"Why hasn't Kari returned yet? Did he find something else?"

The speaker was an elderly Wizard Apprentice seated below. His tone was blunt. His seniority was likely considerable, though his strength was only at the intermediate level.

Leon frowned slightly. "Perhaps something held him up. It isn't as if this has never happened before. I leave tomorrow. After I'm gone, keep a low profile and don't cause trouble for me."

After speaking, he glanced at the elderly apprentice who had just spoken, a hint of disgust in his eyes.

This old bastard had poor talent. He had only come along this time by relying on his seniority, all because he wanted to obtain a [Rock Bear Potion] to extend his life.

This man usually acted without restraint by relying on a little of the family's influence. He had caused Leon plenty of trouble. Leon truly wanted to burn him to death with a Fireball.

Seeing Leon's unpleasant expression, the other apprentices lowered their heads and remained silent.

They had come here not only for the High Tower's official mission, but also to investigate the [Rock Bear Potion] formula that had leaked from the family.

About three months ago, they learned that someone was actually selling [Rock Bear Potion] on the market, and that it had appeared not long after Nolan's death. They immediately began investigating in secret.

Following that lead, they traced it all the way to Starleaf Apothecary, where they discovered a Potion Master with a somewhat unusual history.

At the time, they had been wary of the Formal Wizard behind Starleaf, so their investigation had been exceedingly covert and slow.

Once the great war erupted and the family needed greater strength to deal with it, they set their sights on the potion again and intensified the investigation, tracking it all the way here.

Ever since the Osborne Family's ancestor became a Formal Wizard, no one else had successfully advanced. They had only barely maintained their strength through several [Rock Bear Potion] supplies left behind by their ancestor. Unfortunately, no one in the family had been able to brew another vial.

If they could control this Potion Master and have him brew potions exclusively for the family...

As the people in the hall thought of that wonderful prospect, the greed in their eyes grew ever stronger.

Ian returned indoors, his expression still calm.

The crisis had been temporarily resolved, but the pressure had not eased.

Crimson's threat was imminent, and someone in the camp was watching him from the shadows.

He looked at the materials in the corner. Refining Rock Bear Blood Essence, further mastering his shield, accumulating Contribution Points, breaking through in offensive spells... none of them could wait.

The "Forge" camp, this logistics base, had already been stained by the flames of war and was blazing fiercely within the forge.

And he himself had to grow quickly within those flames and obtain enough strength to protect himself.

Suddenly, the eye on his roof saw a figure gradually approaching his residence.

The newcomer was small in stature and nearly invisible in the darkness.

Ian linked his Mental Power to the eye and inspected the figure carefully. He froze for a moment.

"Why is it him?"