Farewell

Dago returned to the Wizard Inn and found Selena, telling her about his decision.

Selena did not put on any airs over his decision, nor did she indulge in sentimental attachment. It was the respect one ought to have for one's own life.

In a wizard's battles, I really am just Dago's burden. It was a cruel truth Selena had buried deep in her heart, unwilling to admit it.

Once or twice might have been luck, but what about three or four times? If it had been her group resting at the watchtower back then, perhaps she would have been the one who died instead of Mariko.

She had never lived a peaceful life in her brief years, always wavering between "almost" and "should have." Some might have found that tragic, but she did not.

Because she had encountered the two most dazzling lights to appear in her bleak life.

She bit her lip. After a long silence and much thought, she finally nodded gently.

Dago let out a breath. He had no desire to go through some melodramatic romance scene.

Noon arrived quickly. On the airship platform behind the academy castle, a massive airship lay stretched across the platform like a mining truck.

The other four had probably gone out to sweep the Black-Robed Wizards from the forest.

Dago took out his storage pouch and personally handed it to Selena.

He had already erased his spiritual imprint from the pouch. Inside were quite a few Mid-Grade Magic Stones, along with another exquisite rune robe.

"This is my early investment in you. Whether you make it big in the future will depend on you, Selena," Dago said with a smile.

"I will, boss." It was a new word Selena had learned from Dago.

She then took a sheet of paper from her clothes and handed it to Dago. "Boss, this is my home address. Remember to come find me once you're done with your business."

Dago took the paper still warm with Selena's body heat, placed it in his storage ring, and waved without saying anything.

He led Selena to an entrance beneath the airship. The two of them looked so tiny beneath the enormous vessel.

Dago handed his gold card to the stern-faced middle-aged wizard guarding the airship entrance.

The middle-aged wizard inserted the gold card into a testing device beside him. After it let out a long beep, he said to them, "One ticket per person. Get aboard quickly."

Selena did not enter right away. With her head lowered, she seemed frozen in place, as though searching for a reason to go inside.

Seeing this, Dago simply pushed her through the entrance. She turned back and looked at him reluctantly.

Dago's heart softened. He spoke quietly, "Boarding the airship doesn't mean we'll never see each other again. I promise I'll come find you. I won't be by your side from now on, so you need to become more independent. Do you understand what I mean, Selena?"

Only then did Selena nod. Without looking back, she entered the cabin, as though she had made some kind of resolution.

"Whoosh—whoosh—"

The power of the rune array on the airship whipped up fierce winds, making the exquisite robes of the academy wizards on the platform flap loudly.

Judging by their robes, they were all wizards of relatively high status and strength within the academy, here to see off their family or friends.

As the silver patterns on the airship grew brighter, it slowly rose from the ground.

On the airship's deck, Selena's gray hair was blown into disarray by the wind, adding a touch of liveliness to her features.

She waved goodbye to Dago below with all her strength.

It was also the first time Dago had truly looked closely at Selena's eyes. They were like stars glittering in the night sky, bright and deep, their clear gaze seeming to hold a pool of spring water.

Dago waved back as well, wondering if he had just raised a death flag.

Only after the airship became a tiny black dot and vanished completely into the clouds did Dago turn and leave the airship platform, slowly heading back the way he had come.

With Selena gone, it felt as though a stone had been lifted from Dago's heart, leaving his entire body relaxed and at ease.

Mariko's death had deeply affected Dago, and that was one reason he had sent Selena away first.

As for what came next, Dago could finally let go and boldly cultivate, improving his wizardry.

He had nearly forgotten that before coming to the town, he had been a hunter in the forest.

Dago walked briskly through the snow-covered streets, occasionally analyzing which spots would be best for lying in ambush.

As his Meditation Technique improved, his memory had become vastly better. He could easily memorize every ambush point and escape route throughout the town.

Street fighting in towns had always been a nightmare in war. Detection-type wizards could not see through stone walls, and who knew which corner might produce some opportunistic attacker to launch a surprise attack and cast wizardry right in one's face? Not even immortals could save someone then.

As he passed the notice board outside the Wizard Hall, Dago stopped to take a look.

There were not many wandering wizards gathered around it now. Only a dozen or so remained, their discussions rising and falling as smiles filled their faces. It seemed there was good news.

There were no major changes to the recruitment orders above. Considering that many hired wizards could not even last a month, all wages had been changed to daily Magic Stone payments.

However, practically no foolish wizard would choose to sign an employment contract anymore. The Apprentice Wizards in town who could be deceived had basically all died out.

Many bounty notices issued as missions had appeared beneath the notice board, open to all the remaining wizards in town.

In order to win the war, the academy had mobilized every resource it had to rally the town's wizards. It was truly prepared to bleed heavily.

A wizard like Dago, half academy-affiliated and half wandering, had no mentor in the academy. Ever since Vissel died, no one at the academy had paid any attention to him, so he could naturally accept bounty missions as well.

If he had been an official academy student, there was a very high chance that an academy mentor would have assigned him those high-risk combat missions where he could lose his life at any moment.

The rewards listed after every mission were written in bold, eye-catching fluorescent paint—potions that increased spiritual power, low-grade magical tools, Magic Stones, tickets to leave the academy, and even the chance to become a Formal Wizard's apprentice.

Dago's gaze lingered briefly on the first reward. On this notice board, it was the only thing that truly attracted him.

Most of them were kill missions concerning Black-Robed Wizards from the Duskblood Council. One Black-Robed Wizard could be exchanged for three bottles of spiritual power-enhancing potions.

Combined with the spoils the Black-Robed Wizards possessed themselves, greed stirred slightly within Dago.

My spiritual power has already undergone Metamorphosis. I'm only short of accumulated spiritual power before becoming a Half-Step Wizard. Potions that increase spiritual power can greatly speed up that process.

On the other hand, the most tempting rewards for wandering wizards are the most useless to me. Setting aside whether the rewards are real, I already have a path to becoming a Formal Wizard.

Thinking of this, Dago once again thanked Vissel in his heart for his selfless gift.

In order to reach Formal Wizard faster, Dago was willing to take risks.

But whenever he thought of the Destruction Night in the northern part of town yesterday and the battle between the two Formal Wizards he had witnessed, lingering fear still remained in his heart.

Although hunting Apprentice Wizards was easy for him, if he encountered a Formal Wizard, he would probably be reduced to ashes.

I still need to be more cautious. I'll wait until I'm stronger—at the very least, until I have the ability to escape from a Formal Wizard.

That was what Dago thought.

Only once both the Ice Crystal Technique and Ice Crystal Cannon had advanced through Metamorphosis would his combat power undergo a qualitative transformation.

I still need to cultivate and improve more. I need to develop both my spiritual power and wizardry, and neither can fall behind.

Dago shook his head and withdrew his gaze from the notice board.

Now, he was alone once more. He had fewer attachments, yet his mind had become even more focused.

His next priority was to improve his cultivation progress. While ensuring his absolute safety, he would hunt the Black-Robed Wizards entering the town in exchange for mission rewards from the Wizard Hall.