"Creak—"
Dago pushed open the inn's front door.
The dazzling summer sunlight and the tide-like clamor from outside surged in at once, roughly enveloping him.
Expressionless, Dago passed through the long, dim corridor, brushing past several unfamiliar wizards hurrying along with the scent of blood on them.
At last, he arrived downstairs at the inn, where crowds bustled about and all manner of magical beast mounts whinnied.
This was a prosperous large-scale wizard transit city in the Central Continent of the Destiny Empire.
He and Jason had been lying low here for nearly half a month.
During that time, Dago had stayed indoors, seizing every moment to diligently cultivate his spells and consolidate his strength.
Jason, whose social skills were fully maxed out, had turned into the most industrious hyena. He left early and returned late every day, sparing no effort to gather information in major black markets and taverns about secret channels and hidden methods for joining the Empire's top factions.
Now, Jason had suddenly contacted him so mysteriously.
Most likely, the fellow's underground intelligence network had finally made a breakthrough and uncovered crucial recruitment information.
The meeting place Jason had proposed was a secluded little grove outside the city.
Without alerting anyone, Dago transformed into an inconspicuous gray shadow and smoothly left the city.
As he neared the meeting place, he cautiously slowed down. His immense spiritual power spread inch by inch through the surroundings like an invisible net, silently conducting a carpet sweep.
Only after repeatedly confirming that there were no ambushes or abnormalities nearby did he restrain his aura and continue into the grove like a ghost.
The lightweight ankle boots on his feet, carefully sewn from the leather of high-level magical beasts, made a faint, nearly inaudible crunch as they stepped onto the dew-covered grass