Those time travelers that year

These black-robed figures were exchanging various items and communicating with each other. It looked like a clandestine transaction, and it would be best if one could ignore the translucent blue figures moving around the room.

However, these translucent figures are not ghosts or anything like that; rather, they are merely lingering images. It is said that hundreds of years ago, some apprentices conducted some kind of magical experiment in this room. The result can be seen from these images. Therefore, few people usually come here, as this place is practically haunted.

But such a place, where few people come, is perfect as a venue for private transactions.

“Very good, a total of twenty-five bottles of minor healing ointment.” One of the men in black robes pointed at the pale green potions in the bag and said with satisfaction to the other man in black robes standing in front of him, “Not bad, as expected of an ‘alchemist’! These minor healing ointments are all of excellent quality or above. If I didn’t know that everyone here was an apprentice, I would have thought you were a full-fledged mage specializing in apotheosis.”

“If I were a proper mage, I wouldn’t need to come here to sell items,” the 'apothecary' replied in a hoarse voice. “If it weren’t for those heartless bastards at the exchange, taking such a huge cut…”

"Heh, what can you expect when they have several high-level mages backing them up?" The man in black shrugged. "That's the rule of the academy. Everyone knows the lion's share of the trading market belongs to those high-level mages, but unless the dean speaks up, who in the academy can check and balance them..."

"Alright, enough of that. Where's the money?" the 'pharmacist' interrupted the man in black.

"Alright, here you go!" The man in black tossed a leather pouch into the 'alchemist's' arms. Then, casually, he said, "By the way, what do you think of the suggestion I gave you before?"

The 'pharmacist' shuddered but did not answer the man in black.

“You should know that Lord Euryd is the son of the city lord of Barokov, and he has a very good chance of inheriting the entire city.” The man in black robes said slowly and deliberately. “You are very talented, ‘Apothecary’! It is clear that you have a great talent for concocting potions. If you join Lord Euryd’s side, he will definitely give you a lot of support when he takes over in the future.”

The 'pharmacist' didn't speak, keeping his head down, and with his robe and hood covering his face, it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

Seeing this, the man in black continued, "Look, you can already create minor healing ointments. As long as you have the resources, you'll definitely be able to create potent healing ointments in the future, even those that hero-level professionals can use. At that time, what won't you be able to obtain? Power? Wealth? Status?"

“…But,” the 'Apothecary' replied hoarsely after a moment of silence, “Lord Euryd is only one of the heirs! How can you be so sure he will become the next ruler of Barokov? You know, the other heirs are not simple, one of them is…”

"Lord Eurydice is about to begin his Hero Trials!" the black-robed man declared arrogantly. Soon, he saw the disbelief on the face of the 'Apothecary' he had anticipated.

"...How...is this possible!" the 'Pharmacist' asked hesitantly. "Lord Euryd...wasn't it just..."

"You're about to address him as Your Excellency!" the man in black robes corrected. "Just recently, Lord Euryd successfully advanced to the rank of High Mage. You should know that the trials for Heroic classes require high-level strength."

“But…” the 'pharmacist' paused, then continued, “…this is no joke.”

“Of course, Lord Euryd is currently preparing for the Hero's Trial!” the man in black said. “Otherwise, why would I have you prepare so many healing ointments? Not only you, but Robin's side has also acquired a huge amount of purifying potions. It's all for thorough preparation…”

"Besides, do you really think Lord Euclid wouldn't pass the trial with the full support of the Lord of Barokov?!" the black-robed man sneered. "To tell you the truth, the Lord has already found a magic bottle containing the Fountain of Life for Lord Euclid. Not only that, he has also spent a fortune to purchase the [Ring of the Eagle] for Lord Euclid."

"Heroic Armor?!" The 'Pharmacist's' voice was filled with surprise.

“That’s right!” the man in black robes advised. “So, what’s your decision?”

"...Um, which trial is Lord Euryd intended to undergo?" the 'Apothecary' asked in a low voice.

"[Demon Wizard] Ryan's Hero Class Trial!"

"...I'm here, I'll think about it!" After a long silence, the 'pharmacist' replied with difficulty, and then left the room.

"You can come find me anytime you've thought it through!" The man in black nodded and stepped aside to let the 'alchemist' leave the room.

“Follow him, but be careful not to be discovered. Try your best to find out his true identity and residence.” After the 'Apothecary' stepped out of the room, the man in black coldly said, “If he is unwilling to serve Lord Euryd, then…” The man in black made a chop gesture downwards. “...give the piranhas in the moat an extra meal.”

The other two men in black robes nodded and then left the room.

104. The Unlucky Stalker

After leaving the room, the 'pharmacist' walked very quickly, heading briskly towards the outside of the attic.

The Mysterious Annihilation Academy is very large, but it is mainly divided into two parts. The inner layer consists of the attic, which houses the library, classrooms, research labs, and savings bank. Normally, this area is home to teachers or teaching assistants who are formal mages or high-ranking mages. Students are not allowed to live in the attic. The outer layer is where the students reside, and also serves as the commercial street and living quarters. From the outside, the entire academy resembles a miniature city, or perhaps a subordinate town of Barokov.

However, in terms of importance, it is clear that the Secret Annihilation Academy far surpasses Barokov City.

Because the 'Apothecary' moved so quickly, the two black-robed figures secretly following him had to exert considerable effort to keep up. However, the man known as the 'Apothecary' seemed somewhat listless and didn't notice his two pursuers. Thus, the 'Apothecary' walked up the secluded stairs, winding his way out of the attic, through a garden that was almost a maze, and towards the apprentices' quarters.

Seeing this, the two trackers exchanged a glance and nodded, then followed the wolf pack into their territory. It was early morning, not yet time for classes, so most of the apprentices were resting in their houses. Thus, the area was almost deserted. However, this made it easier for the two trackers to follow.

A moment later, the 'pharmacist' disappeared around a corner. His two pursuers, not wanting to reveal themselves, waited a few breaths before approaching. However, they too vanished; the corner led to two different alleys.

"Which way... did we go?" a man in black robes asked uncertainly.

"Who knows!" another complained. "This is really weird, could it be that guy has already discovered we're following him?"

"Let's split up and search!"

"Alright! Let's split up. I don't believe an apprentice who specializes in pharmacy can have much fighting power!"

After they finished talking, they each chose an alley and went inside.

The alleys here are very confusing; if you're not familiar with the area, it's easy to get lost. The winding path nearly made the man in black robes dizzy. After all, he wasn't an apprentice living in this area; even apprentices were divided into different ranks. Those with better conditions could live in better places, while those with worse conditions could only live in less desirable locations.

After navigating several more bends, the man in black robes gave up completely, as he genuinely couldn't see a single person or even a trace of them. Moreover, he wasn't exactly a specialist in divination magic. At least in tracking, he was no match for his accomplice.

"Damn it!" the man in black cursed, then had no choice but to turn and leave. Now he could only pray that his companion could find the target's trail, so he reluctantly turned and left.

But just as he turned back and passed a corner he had passed before, a hand suddenly reached out, grabbed his collar, and pulled him over, throwing him to the ground.

bump!!!

The man in black robes fell to the ground.

"The enemy!!!" He was startled. Without thinking, he hastily activated his force field shield, an invisible barrier protecting him. He immediately prepared to counterattack. However, when he saw a familiar figure also clad in black robes before him, he paused, stunned.

The 'pharmacist', his target...

The 'apothecary' reached out his hand, a layer of dim firelight clinging to it, and then pressed down. The force field shield, perfectly capable of deflecting arrows, swords, and even dwarven muskets, shattered with a crash upon being touched by that hand. Then, to the black-robed man's horrified gaze, the apothecary grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up by the throat.

"Ah...ah...you, oh oh..." The black-robed man, whose neck was being choked and lifted up, looked at the person in front of him in fear, and a pair of dark golden eyes appeared in front of him.

"The little mouse's tracking skills are pretty good! But it's a pity, it's still a bit lacking..." The owner of the dark golden eyes said with a smile, "I was worried that you wouldn't catch up and would just give up. But now it's all right..."

“Now, tell me everything you know! Imperio…”

The Soul-Stealing Curse

The man in the black robe gradually went blank, and then he remembered nothing at all.

——————————Divider Line——————————

"This is truly a case of finding something without even searching for it," Charles thought, a relaxed expression spreading across his face as he looked at the apprentice who had become respectful and answered Charles's questions readily. "Originally, I just didn't want to reveal my identity, but now, thankfully I chose the right person!"

After learning about this world, Charles originally planned to find an opportunity to seize the heroic profession's legacy within the academy. However, he knew the chances were extremely slim. On their home turf, they had a large group of allies and an entire defensive system in place. If Medea had come to this world with him, he might have infiltrated the area for a while, allowing Medea to gradually analyze and dismantle the academy's defenses. Then, with both of them working together and making thorough preparations, there might have been a slight chance of a successful assault. But who knew how long that would take!

But now things are much better; it's like a pillow has been delivered to someone who's sleepy! He genuinely thinks these idiots are a godsend, because this way, he doesn't even need to carry out the crime he's already mentally planned.

If the opportunity to inherit the hero's legacy is unavailable, then the solution is to directly instigate a war between the two factions. Judging from the way Sharl manifests his power, he clearly belongs to the 'Nightmare' side. All it takes is to provoke conflict on the borders between the factions, such as by secretly ambushing and killing both armies…

As long as you don't encounter any heroic professionals, it's not really that dangerous. However, without a detailed understanding of the magical level of this world, if its magical civilization possesses spells like those in D&D, then concealing oneself wouldn't be an easy task.

But it seems Lady Luck is still on his side!

"Lion, the Demon Wizard! He's just a support hero in DOTA, but he's good at both control and burst damage."

"And also, the [Finger of Death]!"

"That's really lucky!!!!"

105. Replace (above)

Five days later.

Euryd, a genius who had already reached the rank of high-level mage at the young age of twenty-five, was lounging comfortably among a group of beautiful girls. These were all slaves he had purchased, mostly impoverished noblewomen. Each of them had grown up in privilege, but their families had fallen on hard times, or natural disasters and human calamities had reduced them to this state. Some were even girls he had plundered from the 'Radiant Sky' through war.

Slavery, this system has been explicitly banned on the Radiant side of the world, yet on the Dire side, where strength reigns supreme, a blatant system of slavery still exists. As for the potential dangers of slavery? Do you really believe that in a world where magical civilization prevails, there could be a slave rebellion—something so un-magical?

These girls, enslaved by him, all wore collars around their necks. These collars symbolized their status as slaves and were also something that could kill them. Moreover, even after becoming slaves, these girls had already been thoroughly trained, their will erased through magic and potions, turning them into completely obedient 'pets'! Don't call it cruel; this is the rule of 'Nightmare': the survival of the fittest, the strong rule.

'What a pity! There aren't any of the finest quality elves here!'

Euryd thought to himself with a touch of regret. The elves, a race renowned for their beauty, didn't live on the 'Dark' side. Instead, they all lived on the 'Radiant' side, and were a major part of it. Elves that could be captured as slaves were extremely rare, and it was impossible for a slave-hunting team to cross such a vast area and risk venturing into the heart of the 'Radiant' side to poach elves. Even if they did go, it was uncertain who would hunt whom…

Elves have never been a weak race. Their long lifespans result in a large number of skilled professionals, including many heroic ones. If it weren't for their consistently low population and reproductive rates, the elves would likely be the rulers of this world. Venturing into elven territory to capture slaves is akin to challenging an ancient dragon.

'Once I officially become a hero, I absolutely must go to the battlefield and personally capture an elf beauty for myself.'

With his eyes half-closed, Euclid enjoyed the female slave's service, thinking to himself with a smug look.

'Ideally, she'd be an elven heroine, hahaha...'

dong dong...

Just then, a knock on the door interrupted Euclid's thoughts.

"Who!?" Frowning, Euclid pushed aside the wine glass the slave girl was offering and asked. "What is it?"

“Yes, Lord Eurydice!” A respectful voice came from outside the door. “It’s about the ‘apothecary’ who has been providing the minor healing ointment.”

Upon hearing this, Euryd became slightly more serious. This was something he had previously instructed others to do. As someone who aspired to become a revered hero through the Hero Trials, Euryd was deeply concerned about anyone and anything that could help him pass the trials. Although he was now quite confident in his ability to pass, having acquired a hero's weapon and increasing his chances of success, this didn't prevent him from continuing to safeguard his chances. Whether it was a purifying potion to restore his magic power or a healing ointment, these were all guarantees of his success.

Therefore, he had to take it to heart. After waving away the female slaves around him, Euclid straightened his clothes and ordered the people outside to come in.

"Come in!"

With a creak, the door opened, and a person completely shrouded in a black robe respectfully entered the room, bowing deeply to Eurydice, who was sitting on a bench.

"Greetings, Your Excellency Eurydice!" the visitor said respectfully. "Your brilliance and power are like the sun in the sky, may your prestige be as eternal as the sun..." This was flattery, and it wasn't the first time someone had said this to Eurydice. Ever since those who knew he planned to undergo the Heroic Profession Trials had learned of his plans, this wasn't the first time someone had flattered and fawned over him, so he didn't care.

"Enough with the nonsense!" Euryd waved his hand arrogantly. "Stop with the empty flattery and get to the point..."

“Yes, Your Excellency Eurichid!” The visitor, his face hidden beneath a black robe, nodded and bowed. “It’s like this, we’ve already contacted the ‘Apothecary,’ but it’s clear that the fellow is still hesitant and hasn’t given us a clear answer yet!”

“What! Didn’t you explain it to him clearly?” Euryd said with a sneer.

“We have already said that, Your Excellency, but…” The man in black hesitated for a moment, then continued, “However, that 'apothecary' is still somewhat hesitant, probably because he is afraid.”

"Hmph!" Euryd snorted coldly, then said, "Never mind him. As long as I pass the trial and officially become a hero, let's see if he still has the guts to refuse me!"

"Your Excellency is wise!" the man in black flattered, then continued, "However, although that 'alchemist' is still hesitant, he also dares not offend you, sir. And look, we've extracted a fine item from him!"

"What!" Upon hearing this, Euryd leaned forward.

“Yes…” The man in black robes stepped forward and extended his hand from inside his robes. “Your life!” Green light rapidly spread from his palm.

"You!!" Euryd nearly jumped up in shock, instinctively activating his magical items. However, it was to no avail, because the green light spreading from the attacker's hand was not the kind of deadly magic used to kill. The green light completely ignored Euryd's magical defenses and instantly enveloped the entire room.

The room fell silent the next moment. Euryd, the high-ranking mage, collapsed to the ground, his face frozen in horror, like a zombie, his movements still.

"Mass paralysis!" At this moment, the man in black robes lifted the hood that concealed his face. His dark golden eyes looked at Euryd, whose gaze had flashed with fear. "Sometimes, simple destruction may not be as effective as other methods, especially when the target is someone who is unprepared."

"What a pity! If you hadn't obtained the [Ring of the Eagle], but instead the [Cloak of Glimmer] or the [Challenge Headband], no, even the [Cloak of Magic Resistance]..." the attacker said, looking at Euryd lying on the ground, "that would have easily rendered this attack ineffective. But, in reality, there are no 'ifs'!!!"

Charles bent down and placed one hand on Euryd's neck. Looking at the high-ranking mage who had been caught off guard and ambushed by him, Charles couldn't help but shrug.

"Feel sorry!!!!!!"

Click!