Demon Hunter: School of the Wolf.

Chapter 603 Erin, in Danger!

Ottolan's eyes were fixed on the ruby ​​still stained with black blood, and his lips moved slightly.

"and many more!"

Malaki suddenly spoke up, interrupting Ottolan.

Ottolan looks back at the young male wizard of the Ban Ad Ritual.

The young sorcerer's companions tugged at his clothes, trying to stop him.

Sunny also frowned and stared at him.

However, under everyone's gaze, Malaki swallowed hard, ignoring Sunny's stare, and said, "I suspect that the owner of this ruby ​​is the one who created the celestial conjunction..."

Malachi took a deep breath and said solemnly, "He might be an evil god!"

The devastated, withered forest fell silent, save for the mountain wind that swept through the woods, rustling the remaining branches and leaves.

All eyes were on Malaki, who was sweating profusely as he stared directly at Ottolan.

Ottolan narrowed his eyes, sized up Malaki for a moment, then glanced at Sunny, whose face had become even more unpleasant, before bursting into laughter:

"This child is worried about me. I never thought that I, Ottolan, would be worried about by a child one day."

Malachi, who could become a male wizard, was certainly not young, old enough to be a grandfather in the mortal world, but compared to Ottolan, he was naturally insignificant.

Sunny was a child in his eyes.

The wizards from the surrounding Risberg Civil Cooperative immediately joined in with loud laughter.

For a moment, they didn't feel like they were in a withered woodland that had just experienced war; instead, they were as noisy and bustling as if they were in a palace where a party was being held.

At the same time, the male wizard from the Risberg Civil Cooperative changed his previous indifference and showed Malaki a friendly smile.

Sunny narrowed his eyes, gave a forced smile, and his eyes flashed with even more coldness.

“Come here, child, tell me, what’s your name?” Ottoran stopped laughing and beckoned to Malaki with a kind smile.

Senny stepped in front of Malachi first, saying, "Grandmaster Ottolan, his name is Malachi, he is..."

“Let him say it himself,” Ottoran waved his hand dismissively, interrupting him.

Sunny paused, could only clench his fists inwardly, and made way for him.

Under the gazes of his colleagues, some shocked, some envious, and some terrified, Malaki walked step by step past Senni and stood before Ottolan, bowing deeply.

“Grandmaster Ottoran,” Malaki took a deep breath and adopted the most humble expression possible, “my name is Malaki, and I belong to the Ban Ad Ritual Department.”

“I know, I know…” Ottoran stroked his beard, “Ban Ad Ritualist, everything here is your masterpiece…”

Malachi, unsure of Ottolan's stance on the misuse of necromancy, could only lower his head and say, "We failed. Necromancy brought us no victory, only the bitter taste of defeat. We will never again..."

“No, no, no,” Ottolan gently patted Malachi’s shoulder, “you didn’t understand what I meant. You’ve created a true masterpiece, the only flaw is that it’s too late.”

"Not only did we apply necromancy to the war too late, but we also studied necromancy for too short a time and did not fully grasp its mysteries."

Malaki's eyes widened suddenly.

He had considered that Ottoran's attitude towards necromancy wouldn't be so harsh.

After all, although it was Sunny who gave the order, he couldn't force them to use necromancy when faced with opposition from powerful allies in the Risberg Civil Cooperative.

But he never expected that Ottoran's true attitude would be so...so radical.

“Strange?” Ottoran saw through Malaki’s thoughts and curled the corners of his mouth.

Malaki nodded subconsciously.

Ottoran glanced back at his proud genetically modified form and the undead swarming across the mountains, his smile fading.

"The Brotherhood of Warlocks has gone down the wrong path."

“The sorcerers, possessing extraordinary talents, went astray under the leadership of Hen Gedimidis.”

"The convenience brought by supernatural powers should be shared with the general public to promote the overall progress of society, but it should not be in a weak way like that of Henri Gedimidis."

“We warlocks are born to be leaders of those foolish mortals, just as a flock of sheep always needs a shepherd to know where to graze, how to let the pasture rest and recuperate, so that the flock can reproduce and thrive for a longer period of time.”

"Natural leaders do not need to bind themselves."

"All spells, rituals, techniques, and abilities, including summoning magic and necromancy, are the most important tools for improving and modifying the human species, enhancing human living conditions, eliminating disease and disability, and preventing aging..."

"These are the ultimate tasks and goals of magic."

"But sacrifices are always necessary before the ultimate task and goal of magic can be accomplished."

"Just like the soldiers who lost their lives during the ancient human kingdom of Dismode Dynasty's war of national defense, would anyone say that their sacrifice was in vain?"

“Even if Dismo’s dynasty falls, no one will say that; instead, they will sing praises to the loyalty and sacrifice of those soldiers.”

Malaki looked back in surprise.

These shocking remarks did not elicit any dissatisfaction from any of the male wizards in the Risberg Civil Cooperative present, except for Ben Ade and his group, not even in a fleeting expression.

They even looked at Ottolan with fanaticism, as if they were worshipping a god who had descended to earth.

“But this is not permitted by the Brotherhood of Warlocks…” a male wizard from the Ban Ade Ritual Department interjected weakly.

Ottoran glanced at him: "That's why the Brotherhood of Sorcerers needs to change, and that's why the Risberg Civil Cooperative is supporting Ban Ad and standing here."

"We must correct Henry Gedimidis's mistake."

"Alright, let's get back to the main topic..."

Ottolan gently patted Malachi's shoulder again, while raising the ruby ​​in his hand:
"You think that the gem hidden inside the zombie's body and the intersection with the celestial sphere are both the work of an evil god?"

Malaki nodded subconsciously and asked in return, "Isn't that right?"

“I’m not sure,” Ottoran said, not giving a definitive answer, “but why would an evil god want to spy on your battlefield in this way?”

Malaki froze, as if he had just realized something...

“Because he is afraid,” Ottoran said without waiting for his reply, in a tone that did not match his appearance, “Even if he really is an evil god, he is afraid, either of you, or of the Wild Hunt, or both.”

"A lion would not hide in the grass to watch two antelopes fight and then run away."

"and……"

Ottoran retrieved the ruby, raised his head, and smiled contemptuously: "Even if it is a true evil god, so what? He is merely a spy who casts his gaze across the world. He is not qualified to harm me with just a gem."

“That’s right!” the wizards of the Risberg Civil Cooperative echoed loudly. “Even evil gods can only submit to Ottolan’s superb magic, just like the Dijon in Joffrey Monk’s bottle.”

"Even the Witcher could drive the evil god from the northern continent, let alone our King of Magesburg..."

"Moreover, the reason why the Wild Hunt left without hesitation while the battle was in full swing was perhaps to pursue this 'evil god'."

"As long as we find the 'Evil God,' we can find the Wild Hunt, piles of groundbreaking papers, and seats on the High Council..." "And a new future for us, Risberg!"

"That's right!"

"That's right!"

……

"Alright!" Ottoran raised his hand to interrupt the boasting and commotion, waving his hand helplessly. "You all stay away from me. I don't care about the evil god, but I may not be able to protect you."

Upon hearing the sound, the wizards obediently left, leaving Ottolan's bizarre creations to stand between them and Ottolan.

As Malaki retreated, he happened to make eye contact with Senny.

Sunny glared at him fiercely, but didn't say anything.

Once everything was ready, Ottolan glanced around again, then stared intently at the ruby ​​in his palm, chanting a mysterious incantation in a booming voice.

In the blink of an eye, the ruby ​​began to shimmer with a scarlet light.

It floated up shakily from Ottolan's palm.

Then, as if breaking free from some constraint, Ottoran's chanting became increasingly high-pitched.

The wind suddenly howled through the forest, whistling and carrying the unique stench of decay found only in the realm of the dead.

The group paid no attention to the unpleasant smell, their eyes fixed on the ruby ​​floating in mid-air, even through the monster's barrier.

Then, at a certain moment, Ottoran's chanting of the incantation abruptly stopped, and the ruby ​​ceased its trembling, as if the world itself had quietly stopped functioning at that moment.

Everyone held their breath.

"Click~"

With a strange sound, a crack appeared on the ruby, which quickly widened, looking on the spherical gemstone like an eyeball with its upper eyelid closed.

Then there was another strange sound, and the entire ruby ​​shattered into countless dust particles, which scattered and fell in all directions.

Just as everyone thought the spell had failed and was about to offer comfort or change the subject, the scattered gem dust suddenly formed a human-shaped illusion.

Only a skeletal head remained, wearing a rusty helmet, with crimson flames burning in the empty eye sockets, and a tattered cloak billowing in the wind...

"Wild Hunt?!"

A commotion erupted among the many male wizards of the Ban Ade Ritual Department and the Risberg Civil Cooperative, who had witnessed the skeletal knights soaring through the skies and experienced their power firsthand.

They had considered countless possibilities, but none of them had imagined that it would be a Wild Hunt, watching its own kind wage war against the warlords.

Wild Hunt?

How could it be Wild Hunt?

Most of the male wizards are political creatures, and countless melodramatic scenarios flashed through their minds in an instant.

Just as the Risberg Civil Cooperative and Ban Aard, though both warlock organizations, were outwardly united but inwardly divided, the Wild Hunt, which has also displayed wisdom no less than that of warlocks, should naturally also have internal disagreements.

The prince flees, treasures are stolen, a treacherous minister usurps the throne, political purges...

Considering the two celestial conjunctions within a single day, and the fact that the Wild Hunt army, despite having a slight advantage in strength, retreated without hesitation when facing them.

All the wizards' eyes lit up, their gazes fixed on the monster whose bone sockets flickered with scarlet will-o'-the-wisps.

Ottoran noticed the wizards' restless intent and glanced at them:
"Don't worry!"

"It's not over yet!"

After speaking, Wild Hunt glanced at the core of the battlefield, then silently ran off in the opposite direction.

A group of people followed closely behind.

They arrived at a cave at the edge of the withered woodland, where they found traces of a ritual and fragments of gemstones similar in material to rubies on the cave floor, which was covered in a thick layer of dust.

The people of the Ban Ade Ritual Department carefully observed the traces of the ritual, looked at each other in bewilderment, but knew nothing.

“I have never seen such a ritual before. Its structure, symbols, and emblems are completely different from any existing system on the Northern Continent.” Malaki looked at Otolan.

Ottolan remained silent, staring intently at the illusion formed from ruby ​​dust.

“The ritual comes from the Wild Hunt, so of course it’s different from our ritual system!” The speaker was the sorcerer in charge of the Risberg Civil Cooperative, who had just humiliated Sunny. He smiled at Malaki with a fanatical expression.

Or perhaps it wasn't just him; everyone wore the same fanatical expression.

The possibility of manipulating the convergence of celestial spheres is certainly one reason for the fervor, but more importantly, it is the knowledge system that this ritual subtly reveals, completely different from that of the Northern Continent.

After all, even if they obtained the treasure that could control the convergence of celestial spheres, it certainly wouldn't end up in their hands.

However, the knowledge that might be gleaned from the Wild Hunt could be shared among them. Considering the Wild Hunt's near-perfect spellcasting abilities, the illusion made of ruby ​​dust was far more tempting than a seat in the High Council.

Unfortunately, although the illusion could make out the Wild Hunt's image, it became increasingly blurry over time, and it was no longer clear how he constructed the ritual before him.

Otherwise, since everyone is a master in their respective field, they would surely learn a lot from the methods of constructing the ritual.

While the wizards were eyeing the wealth of knowledge in the Wild Hunt, the illusions continued their actions.

It left the cave and sped toward the edge of the withered woodland, quickly leaving the valley, passing through the camp that Ban Ade had set up at the valley entrance, and entering the Pasolon Forest.

Everyone else followed with difficulty.

But apart from Ottolan, Sunny, and a few male wizards skilled in physical enhancement spells, many others gradually fell behind.

However, this did not discourage the wizards; on the contrary, it further fueled their joy and fervor, especially among the wizards of the Risberg Civil Cooperative.

They discovered that despite traveling such a long distance, the Wild Hunt neither summoned their skeletal horse mounts nor cast a single spell.

“Grandmaster Ottoran,” the wizard Risberg, who had caught up, said, his voice trembling with excitement, “the Wild Hunt is practically the ultimate template for the 'Superman' project; this is what humanity should ultimately become—”

"He possesses magical abilities far surpassing those of an average male sorcerer, and also boasts an extraordinary physique like a witcher!"

"We absolutely must get it..."

Before he could finish speaking, the wizard Risberg's expression suddenly changed drastically.

The illusion formed by ruby ​​dust was running right before their eyes, running and running, when it suddenly disappeared.

"Grandmaster Ottoran!" the wizards of the Risberg Civil Cooperative shouted anxiously.

Ottoran, however, calmly stopped, squinted, and gazed into the distance in the direction where the Wild Hunt had disappeared.

Bathed in the glow of the rising sun, beyond the lush, verdant forests lies a colossal city with hundreds and thousands of towering buildings.

They were all very familiar with the place.

The City of a Thousand Towers, the City of Mages, once the most powerful gathering place of extraordinary humans on the Northern Continent, and the future capital of the first kingdom belonging solely to warlocks—

Ban Ad!
(End of this chapter)