NABC Chapter 136 Hick's Plans and His "Old Friend"
Chapter 136 Hick's Plans and His "Old Friend"
Chapter 137 Hick's Plans and His "Old Friend"
Let's rewind a little while—
The city of Sel City, which prospered thanks to Anse Academy, is bustling with people and full of energy and noise.
Apprentices dressed in colorful robes, along with merchants and travelers from all over, created a bustling scene.
In the bustling crowd, Sean perfectly disguised himself as an ordinary-looking, plainly dressed, and inconspicuous young apprentice, blending in without attracting any extra attention.
He turned slightly to the side and whispered to his two equally carefully disguised companions, his voice just loud enough for them to hear, yet drowned out by the surrounding noise: "Look, that area ahead is the core area of Anse Academy, Lady Lilith."
He raised his finger and subtly pointed to the edge of the city in the distance.
There, a magnificent cluster of wizard towers rises from the ground, soaring into the clouds. The towers shimmer with a soft magical aura, exuding an awe-inspiring sense of order and power, a stark contrast to the hustle and bustle of the city.
Lilith beside him had suppressed all her innate allure, wearing a common gray-brown traveler's cloak with the hood slightly pulled down, obscuring most of her striking face.
She looked in the direction Sean pointed, her gaze complex. She suppressed the surging excitement, the anxiety from the long pursuit, and a hint of unease about the unknown, and replied in as calm a tone as possible, "Hughes has already confirmed it repeatedly; the compass's latest direction is very clear and stable. Our ultimate target is now, most likely, hidden within that tower area!"
Hughes, on the other side, also disguised himself similarly, looking like a taciturn middle-aged attendant.
He gripped the compass hidden in his sleeve tightly, feeling both excited and pressured by the steady fluctuations it emitted.
"Hehe, Lady Lilith, there's really no need to be so nervous."
Looking at Lilith, who was trying hard to control her emotions, Sean let out a barely audible chuckle, lowering his voice further, his tone carrying a hint of reassurance.
"To be honest, before we set off, my family members did some calculations based on the precise location and distance parameters you provided, and we already had a preliminary guess about the ultimate target you were looking for."
"Where?! Where exactly is it?!"
Upon hearing Sean's words, Hughes, unable to contain his excitement, suddenly stepped closer and asked.
Their voices rose involuntarily due to extreme urgency, sounding somewhat shrill, which drew a curious glance from a nearby fruit vendor.
"Lord Hughes, please calm down."
Seeing that Hughes was about to lose his composure, Sean quickly whispered to comfort him, while also glancing around cautiously out of the corner of his eye to make sure that he hadn't attracted any more attention.
"My lord has already devised a preliminary action plan based on this! I believe that as long as the plan is executed smoothly, it won't be long before you can truly complete this task that has troubled you for so long, and you won't have to suffer like this anymore."
Sean maintained a calm demeanor on the surface, but inwardly he was thinking:
My Lord Hick's strength is unfathomable, and he is not afraid of these two level three wizards, but I, a mere formal wizard, am afraid!
If a fight really breaks out, I can't withstand the wrath of either of them.
Didn't you see that even someone as powerful as Lord Hick, out of concern for these two, canceled his original plan to come in person? Why should I come?
Once outside the Silent Forest's territory, the adults' authority is somewhat diminished, and they must act with even greater caution.
"What plan? What are the specific details?"
Lilith couldn't help but ask eagerly.
For the past six months, she has been running around, enduring wind and rain, living in fear and trembling, all for this damned mission. She even had to bow down and compromise with a wizard whose energy level was far lower than her own. She had had enough of this torment!
If it weren't for the contractual bond between him and Hick, and the fact that they were currently under the watchful eyes of the many powerful figures at Anse Academy, they would have been able to avoid the situation.
She couldn't hold back any longer. Together with Hughes, she forcefully activated the compass, locked onto the target, and immediately took action to arrest them. There was no need for such sneaky tactics!
"The plan is—"
Sean gestured for the two to come closer, almost head to head, and then, in an extremely soft, whispering voice, he laid out the bold and direct plan that Hick had given him remotely, every step crystal clear.
After hearing the entire plan, Lilith and Hughes exchanged a glance, their faces showing a strange, incredulous expression, as if they wondered if they had misheard.
"This—this plan—"
Hughes couldn't help but be the first to question, his voice filled with confusion and uncertainty.
"Doesn't it sound a bit... too simplistic and crude? Almost no technical skill involved, just... can this really work? This doesn't seem like the kind of plan the unfathomable Lord Hick would devise?"
The plan sounded like a street thug's extortion scheme, completely unlike his image of the meticulous wizard who controlled terrifying black flames.
"Of course it can!"
Sean, however, appeared unusually confident, as if he had blind faith in Hick's plan, his tone utterly certain.
"My lords, please trust my master's judgment. This plan may seem simple, but it hits the nail on the head and makes full use of the target's identity and the current environment."
"If it weren't for the speculation that the target possessed some kind of special protective power and shield, requiring the combined strength of you two level-three wizards to ensure the operation's success and prevent any unforeseen circumstances, I could have handled her myself!"
Lilith and Hughes exchanged another glance, both seeing deep hesitation and doubt in each other's eyes, but even more so, a sense of helplessness and resolute determination born of being forced by circumstances and having no better choice. The arrow was on the bowstring, and there was no turning back.
"Alright!"
Lilith gritted her teeth, a desperate glint in her beautiful eyes, and made up her mind.
"Let's go with your plan! We need to start preparing the necessary things immediately and find the right opportunity!"
Meanwhile, a different scene unfolded inside Anse Academy.
Nia has been living a very comfortable and carefree life lately.
His biggest rival, York, who had caused him countless troubles, had been thoroughly nailed to the pillar of shame for colluding with dark wizards and had become a traitor despised by everyone in the academy.
Even York's family, under pressure, couldn't wait to publicly sever ties with him. Although he had died in that dangerous canyon, this also allowed Nya to completely eliminate a major threat.
He himself became a formal disciple of Mentor Stern as he wished, his status rose accordingly, resources were allocated to him, and he became the envy and object of flattery of many students in the academy. He was unparalleled in his popularity and shone brightly!
What pleased him even more was that, thanks to his "outstanding" performance in the previous canyon incident, he had even established a fairly good personal friendship with several of the most distinguished apprentices in the Tower of Eternity.
This relationship has caused his already dazzling net worth and future potential to soar even higher!
It can be said that Nia is currently the most sought-after rising star in the entire Anse Academy!
The future looks bright and promising; it's as if I can already clearly see the wonderful picture of myself holding power and being highly respected.
His family was overjoyed and poured a great deal of resources into him without hesitation.
Those family elders even personally promised that as long as he needed to cultivate or cultivate relationships, the family would spare no expense to meet his needs!
"Hello, Senior Nia!"
A young female apprentice carrying thick books walked by and greeted him with a blush.
"Good afternoon, junior. How did today's elemental resonance sorcery practice go?"
Nia stopped, a warm, spring-like smile on her face, and responded gently, appearing approachable.
"Hello, Senior Nia!"
On the other side, a slightly shy male apprentice bowed respectfully.
"Oh, it's Hank, my junior."
Nia nodded, her tone carrying just the right amount of concern.
"I heard your grades in the ancient runes class haven't been very good lately. This course is fundamental, so you'll have to work harder."
If you have any questions, feel free to ask me.
"Hehe, thank you for your concern, senior. I will definitely work hard!" Hank said, flattered and quickly made a promise.
Walking along the wide, clean, and tree-lined main road of Anse Academy, Nia calmly responded to the younger students who greeted him respectfully along the way, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of being the center of attention and respected.
Every slight nod and every gentle inquiry was carefully crafted, perfectly maintaining his image as a humble, outstanding, and helpful senior.
However, just as he left the academy area and arrived in the city of Sel, intending to visit the family's contact point to see if any new messages or resources had arrived—
A cold, familiar, and nightmarish voice suddenly rang out from very close behind him, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue. Instantly, he felt as if struck by lightning, his spine went cold, and all his pride and comfort vanished!
"Nia, it's been a long time!"
Upon hearing that demonic voice, Nia almost instinctively turned around and immediately shouted for the nearby academy patrol guards!
This place is right under the nose of Anse Academy!
However, the next sentence that followed the voice was like a cold shackle, locking his throat tightly and forcibly blocking the cry for help that he was about to utter, causing his face to turn red instantly!
"Shout as loud as you can, with all your might. If you want the entire Anse Academy, from top to bottom, from instructors to the lowest apprentices, to know the true details of your glorious deeds in that canyon!"
The scene fell silent, as if the air itself had frozen. The hustle and bustle of the surrounding streets seemed to be shut out.
After a moment of deathly silence, Nia's face turned from red to white, then from white to green, and finally became incredibly ferocious.
He turned around extremely slowly, looking at the figure that had appeared in the shadows behind him without him noticing. He forced out a low, threatening yet barely concealed voice through clenched teeth: "You—what do you want?! This is Anse Academy!! How dare you cause trouble here?!"
The figure simply looked at him calmly; the shadow under the hood obscured his face, but it couldn't hide the composure that showed he had him completely under his control.
Nia's chest heaved violently as she forcefully suppressed the urge to act immediately.
He knew that since the other party dared to show up here, they must have something to rely on.
He took a deep breath, trying to steady his voice, but the coldness and wariness in it were unmistakable: "I don't think this is the place to talk."
Sean didn't answer, but tilted his head slightly, gesturing for him to lead the way.
Nia gave him a dark look, said nothing more, and turned to walk in one direction: "Follow me."
After saying that, Nia silently led the way, passing through several less crowded alleys, and finally arrived at a secluded property in the city of Ser, which the Moreno family had specially prepared for him.
This house was a place he used to handle some private matters or for quiet meditation, and it was rarely open to outsiders.
He took out his key, opened the door with slightly stiff movements, and before going in, he looked around at the pedestrians on the street with extreme vigilance to make sure that he had not attracted any attention or been followed before quickly slipping inside and slamming the door shut, as if to completely shut out the outside world.
With a click, the door locked.
Immediately afterwards, Nia activated the preset silencing array and simple protective barrier in the house. A barely perceptible energy fluctuation instantly enveloped the entire room, ensuring that no sound from inside could be transmitted outside.
Having done all this, Nia suddenly turned around, leaning against the cold door, her eyes sharp as knives, staring intently at the figure who was already standing in the middle of the living room, looking around at the furnishings, as if they were old friends. She forced out the cold words through clenched teeth: "Now, it's safe enough here. We can talk—Sean!"