Dark Wizard: Rise! My undead army!

Oleg was unaware of the tragic fate of his predecessors, such as Hoy, or perhaps he subconsciously believed himself to be smarter than others.

He began his operation cautiously, daring to steal only a little at a time, convinced that he would not be discovered.

But what he didn't know was that from the moment he stepped into the Shadow Mine, his every move was completely exposed to Lynn's view.

Hundreds of shadowy flying insects, almost blending into the shadows, have woven an omnipresent surveillance network.

His furtive actions, his supposedly secretive hiding, the greed that flashed in his eyes...

All of this was faithfully recorded by countless "eyes" and fed into Lynn's consciousness in real time.

Lynn wasn't completely indifferent; he simply delegated these monitoring-related tasks to more efficient "tools."

Anyway, these loyal undead are tireless, emotionless, and incapable of making mistakes.

Lynn focused his main efforts on analyzing the vast traces of truth in the sky and on refining the "Meditation Method of All Things".

Oleg's actions did not initially attract much attention, and he completed his daily work very well.

But... the moment he reached into Lynn's "money bag," his fate was sealed.

Three months passed quickly, and it was time for the monthly summary report again.

Inside the stone hall, Lynn sat in the main seat, while Arya stood quietly to the side, preparing to take notes. Baal stood a little further away and stayed behind after reporting on the inspection.

Holding the ledger, Oleg reported in a steady and clear voice the total amount of ore mined this month, its classification, storage status, and the expected share of "extra output".

His performance was impeccable; his numbers were accurate, and his tone was sincere.

"...In summary, mentor, all outputs from the Shadow Mine this month have been verified and deposited into the inventory, and the records match the actual output."

"Additional output includes thirty-seven standard boxes of Netherweave Iron Ore, and a total of..."

Oleg recited the numbers fluently, then closed the ledger and bowed slightly.

"My report is complete."

The room fell silent, save for the soft tapping of Lynn's fingers on the armrest of his wooden chair.

The dull knocking sound echoed throughout the stone hall, as if carrying some strange power, making the hearts of the three apprentices pound.

Feeling guilty, Oleg felt as if a heavy boulder was pressing on his heart, making it hard for him to breathe.

At that moment, the knocking stopped abruptly, and Oleg's heartbeat slowed down.

Lynn's gaze fell on Oleg's lowered face; his voice was calm, revealing neither joy nor anger.

"That's it?"

Those two simple words made Oleg's heart tighten. Lynn... he had never asked such a question after a report!

He knew? What did he discover?

Impossible! I was so discreet! I did it all by myself every time!

He was gripped by immense fear, but a sliver of hope and a strong will to survive led him to choose the most foolish course of action—to tough it out.

Oleg forced down the tremor in his voice, raised his head, and forced a perfectly balanced mix of confusion and certainty onto his face:

"Reporting to the supervisor, all output for this month has indeed been registered and entered into the inventory. The accounts are here for your review."

He handed the ledger forward a little further, but his fingertips trembled slightly uncontrollably.

Lynn looked at him but did not take the ledger.

There was no anger in his eyes, not even much surprise, only a very faint layer of disappointment.

But this disappointment filled Oleg with immense fear, and his heart nearly stopped beating.

"You know what?" Lynn's voice was as calm as if she were recounting a distant past.

"Before becoming a wizard and stepping into the Bone Spire... I was a street hustler, causing many families to be torn apart and lives lost."

Oleg looked up abruptly, his pupils dilating in astonishment.

He didn't understand why Lynn suddenly brought up the past.

"I've seen the dirtiest deals and done the most fraudulent accounting. I wasn't exactly clean either, in my pursuit of climbing the ladder."

Lynn's tone contained neither self-defense nor boasting, but rather an almost indifferent statement.

"But even then, I always remembered two things—"

His gaze fell on Oleg's pale face, and he spoke each word with perfect clarity:

First, never treat others as fools.

"Second, always maintain a sense of awe towards those who are far more powerful than you."

The air seemed to freeze, and Baal and Arya seemed to realize something, feeling a heavy pressure.

"I gave you a chance." Lynn sighed softly.

The sigh was very soft, yet it weighed heavily on everyone's heart.

"Why..." He shook his head slightly, the last trace of disappointment in his eyes finally fading away completely, leaving only pure coldness.

"You apprentices are always ridiculously greedy and recklessly... courting death?"

"No! Mentor! I didn't! I've been loyal to you and devoted to my duties; I've never done anything to betray you!"

Oleg knelt down with a thud, his voice shrill with extreme fear. He was still making a last-ditch effort, trying to fool everyone with his acting skills and so-called "loyalty."

Lynn stopped arguing with him.

He raised his right hand and made a vague gesture with his five fingers in the air.

The grayish-white death energy surged with subtle spatial ripples, instantly coalescing into a clear image of light and shadow in the center of the stone hall—

The scene depicts a corner of a mine shaft late at night.

Oleg peered furtively, then quickly picked out a few pieces of the darkest-lustered Netherworld Iron Ore and a few fragments of the Wailing Core from a pile of freshly mined ore, and stuffed them into a specially made leather bag.

Then, he slipped out of the mine shaft with practiced ease, weaving through the shadows, and finally crawled into the abandoned ventilation shaft, stuffing the leather bag into a hidden crevice deep within...

The images flashed continuously, showing the theft process at different times.

Every detail, every glance, even the mixture of tension and excitement on his face, all betrayed him!

"No--!!"

Oleg let out a desperate roar, then collapsed to the ground, his face ashen.

All excuses and all wishful thinking were shattered in the face of this irrefutable evidence.

"Mentor! Spare me! Spare me!" Oleg cried, tears streaming down his face, and kowtowed frantically.

"I was blinded by greed! I was just greedy! I only wanted to gather some resources to try and become a third-class apprentice!"

"I'll never do it again! Please, for the sake of my hard work these past few months, even if I haven't achieved anything significant, please forgive me this time! I'm willing to be your slave..."

His pleas for mercy were shrill and desperate, echoing through the stone hall.

Lynn's eyes had returned to their usual calm and serene state; he felt no pity for this betrayal that crossed the line.

"Greed blinds the heart, leading to theft and deception of the teacher."

Lynn's voice was icy as she pronounced, "According to my rules, all of them deserve death!"