The Wizard: Starting as a Corpse Collector Apprentice and Paying for a Monthly Subscription

Deep in the dense forest, the stench of blood, like fermenting rust, seeped into the nostrils on the damp, cold wind.

Lens, carrying a blood-dripping longsword, strode through the bushes.

As a level four warrior, he was all too familiar with this smell.

"These idiots have gone too far."

Lens frowned, cursing inwardly.

The city defense soldier beside him glanced at the increasingly crimson sky above and urged in a low voice:

"Captain Lens, the ceremony has begun."

"Your superiors have ordered your men to take care of that little girl, Hoffman, as quickly as possible, ensuring she doesn't suffer any harm."

"understood."

Lens waved his hand and quickened his pace toward the location where his three men were lying in ambush.

However, as he parted the last layer of dense ferns, his steps suddenly halted.

There was no girl bound and crying as expected, nor were there any subordinates enjoying their "spoils of war".

There were only three bodies.

They all died from having their throats slit.

The blood had already seeped into the soil, and the body wasn't even completely cold yet.

In an instant, Lens's face turned deathly pale, and cold sweat streamed down his temples.

"This...how is this possible?!"

Just then, a chilling magical power emanated from the shadows of the dense forest, transforming into a cold, piercing voice:

"Damn good-for-nothing, can't even handle this simple thing."

Pfft!

Lens's legs buckled, and he collapsed to his knees on the muddy ground covered in decaying leaves, his head banging repeatedly against the ground.

"My lord! My lord, spare me! Things have changed!"

"Shut up."

The voice was devoid of any emotion, as if it were talking about a dead ant:

"By the time you realize it, it will be too late. I've already sent Tal to catch up."

Upon hearing the name "Tahr," Lens shuddered, then let out a deep sigh of relief, as if he had been spared from the brink of death.

"Now that she's made her move, those two brats are doomed..."

"Go back and preside over the outer ceremony; the bishop's ceremony is about to begin."

"Yes! Yes! Thank you for your kindness, sir!"

……

On the other side, Tyron was dragging Cathy's wrist as they ran wildly through the tangled primeval forest.

The surrounding trees were tall and twisted, like countless ghostly hands reaching towards the sky.

Cathy was panting heavily, her glasses were already askew, and there were several red marks on her once fair face from the twigs.

She stared blankly at the identical scenery around her, her voice trembling noticeably:

"Ty... Tyron, can you figure out where we're going?"

Without turning his head, Tyron calmly said, while using his other hand to chop aside the branches blocking his path:

"I can't tell."

"ah?!"

Cathy let out a terrified gasp, her steps faltered, and she nearly fell.

Getting lost in this deep forest full of monsters and traps, what's the difference between that and suicide?

Just as she was in despair, Tyrone suddenly stopped, pulled a neatly folded parchment from his pocket, waved it in his hand, and a mocking smile appeared on his lips:

"Just kidding, I have a map."

This map was the thank-you gift that Sickle had given him before he set off.

Tyron quickly glanced at the markings on the map, then looked up at the outline of the distant mountains.

"We are now on the left edge of the map."

"Just follow this animal trail forward and run for about 6 kilometers, and you will reach the secret stronghold left by the scythe."

Cathy patted her ample bosom and let out a long sigh:

"You scared me to death! Joking at a time like this!"

Tyron didn't reply, but his gaze fell thoughtfully on Cathy.

The rapid march just now was so fast that an ordinary first-level apprentice would have been exhausted long ago.

But this seemingly delicate and fragile noblewoman, who was prone to tears, was breathing somewhat rapidly, yet her steps remained steady, showing no signs of falling behind.

"I didn't expect your physical condition to be so good?"

Tyron raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over the stunning curves beneath her loose robe.

Cathy blushed: "I...my father is, after all, a cavalry captain."

"It is a family tradition that both men and women must undergo rigorous physical training from a young age."

"Don't let my small size fool you, actually... actually my constitution is 2.1."

A hint of surprise flashed in Tyron's eyes.

2.1 physical condition?

This is close to the peak for an average adult male.

How did this introverted bespectacled girl with a baby face and huge breasts become so physically strong?

"Very good, since you can run, let's go even faster."

Just as Tyron was about to continue on his way, the bushes ahead suddenly began to shake violently.

Whoosh!

A disheveled figure stumbled out.

That's a woman.

The red, tight-fitting leather armor was torn in several places, revealing large areas of snow-white skin. Her body was covered in mud and blood, her hair was disheveled, and her face was filled with terror.

It was Tar, the level 6 apprentice leader of the Sunfire Wizard Tower.

Upon seeing Tyron and Cathy, Tal's eyes shone with excitement, as if he had seen saviors.

"It's you?!"

"Magnus of Cairn Tower! And Miss Hoffmann!"

Seeing that it was an acquaintance, Cathy immediately breathed a sigh of relief, and her instinctive kindness made her want to step forward and help him.

"Senior Tal? What happened? Are you alright?"

Tal staggered over, his voice trembling with tears, looking utterly pitiful.

"Run... those damned cultists are performing a sacrifice!"

"Those mercenaries are insane...they tried to rape me...I fought tooth and nail to escape..."

"We need to regroup quickly and get the message out..."

As she spoke, she moved closer to the two men, her pitiful appearance enough to arouse any man's protective instincts.

Tyron watched this scene with a sneer in his heart: "You didn't need those mercenaries to use force back then!"

But his face immediately lit up with a look of surprise and delight, and he hurriedly waved and said:

"Great! Team Leader Tal!"

"We were just worried about not having a leader! With you here, we feel relieved!"

"Come quick, let's fight our way out!"

As he spoke, he went to meet them, seemingly having completely let down his guard.

Just as the three were about to meet, with less than three meters between them.

boom!!

A blazing orange-red fireball appeared out of nowhere and struck Tal's unsuspecting chest at such close range!

The shockwave from the explosion was like a compressed air bullet, instantly sending all three people flying.

Because Tyron was prepared, he turned sideways to protect Cathy behind him the moment he was activated, and used the recoil to roll backward to dissipate the force.

The two of them simply took a few steps back and sat down on the ground. Apart from some tinnitus, they were not seriously injured.

But the opposing team's Tar was in a terrible situation.

"ah!!"

A piercing scream echoed through the forest.

She was blasted seven or eight meters away like a rag doll, and crashed heavily into a big tree.

His once alluring chest was now charred black, the leather armor melted by the high temperature and stuck to his flesh, emitting a nauseating burnt smell. He looked like a demon who had just crawled out of hell.

Cathy was stunned by what she saw. She stared wide-eyed at Tyron, her voice trembling.

"What...what are you doing?! Magnus!"

"How can we have internal strife at a time like this?!"

Tyron had no intention of explaining. He grabbed Cathy's wrist and ran away.

"Shut up! Run!"

As he ran, he muttered coldly:

"There's something wrong with this woman!"

"Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free!"

Cathy was startled when she heard this.

Having just experienced a life-or-death crisis, her mind is maturing rapidly.

She stopped her overly compassionate questioning and silently nodded, trying her best to keep up with Tyrone's pace.

However, just as the two stepped over a huge tree stump...

Whoosh whoosh!

Suddenly, the dead leaves on the ground burst open, and more than a dozen thick green vines shot out like predatory pythons, instantly wrapping around the ankles of the two people.

Pfft!

The two fell heavily to the ground.

Before they could struggle, more vines surged in from all directions, trying to completely bind them.

Although Cathy was terrible in actual combat, her theoretical knowledge was extremely solid, and she recognized the spell at a glance:

"Level Two Magic - [Activate Vines]!"

"Don't worry! This is just a normal plant growth promoter!"

"Use your magic spikes! You can cut them open!"

Without her prompting, the bone sword in Tyron's hand had already begun to glow with a ghostly blue light.

Brush brush!

The sharp bone blades flashed through the air, slicing through the tough vines like tofu, splattering juice everywhere.

But at that moment, a chilling magical fluctuation came from a dozen meters behind them.

Tal, who had just been on the verge of death with his chest charred black, was now slowly rising from the ground.

The jade bracelet on her wrist was flashing green light wildly, and a rich life energy enveloped her wound. The charred dead skin quickly peeled off, and new flesh grew at a visible speed.

In her other hand, a crooked, ancient vine wand about 30 centimeters long was radiating a powerful life-elemental magic.

With a wave of the magic wand, the vines that Tyrone had just cut off began to grow again, in greater numbers and at a faster pace, completely blocking their escape route.

Cathy immediately pointed out, "That's a premium magic wand! It doesn't have any extra effects, but it increases magic control and casting speed by 30%!"