Star Forge Titan

Chapter 148 Hearing the sound of a pot

Although the Linde National Library is transforming into a comprehensive museum open to the public.

But the most valuable inner area of ​​this collection building is still hidden behind the curtain, just like those wizards wearing robes and holding long staffs of unknown purpose, using mystery to separate the ordinary and abnormal worlds.

At this moment, although the old man with a long white beard in front of him did not introduce himself, Alvin knew his identity very well.

Archmage Ian MacClare, the current president of the Royal Society, is also the greatest alchemist in the world and one of the first six people to invent the formula for converting mana into magic.

But for Alvin, the most familiar thing about Archmage Ian was perhaps the line he shouted loudly after discovering someone was stealing books, blocking the exit of the National Library with a mithril-steel alloy staff.

"Youshallnotpass!"

With vague words coming out of his mouth, the great wizard Ian roared with his hair and beard standing on end, and at the same time, his hands suddenly made a gesture as if he was swinging a weapon vigorously, causing the young people watching nearby to worry that he might sprain his waist.

Now, at the invitation of the great wizard, Alvin and others came with him to the inner library, which is also the research office of the Royal Society, to enjoy the National Library's special afternoon tea with the old gentleman.

The so-called library-style afternoon tea, in addition to the various snacks and desserts commonly found in Lind's afternoon tea, the most critical component is the hot water boiled in the magic steam engine boiler.

Lindt black tea brewed with boiling boiler water will have a unique flavor for extraordinary people because of the magic mixed in the water.

Therefore, this kind of added black tea can be regarded as a special drink that visitors to the inner museum must try.

In addition, it's a bit funny to say that the guys who originally wanted to trip up Evan, after seeing the great wizard Ian personally bring them in, immediately secretly put away their wands, stood there awkwardly and whistled, trying to act like they just accidentally wandered to the door.

Most of the conservatives in the Royal Society are not young, but considering the situation of Master Ian, there are probably no other members of the society who are older than him, so they naturally cannot put on the authority of an elder in front of this old gentleman.

But then again, it's not certain whose face the wizard actually saved with this action.

"Then, I acted decisively and smashed the demon's head with just one blow of my staff." As he said this, the great wizard took a breath and sat back in his chair, holding up his teacup with a smug look on his face.

He looked like a child bragging to his friends, lacking any of the dignity and seriousness expected of a great wizard. Little did he know that he had already told this story five minutes ago.

Despite this, Alvin did not have any contempt for the great wizard.

Because he knew that the other party was too old and had not yet broken through to the fifth level, so the strength in all aspects of his body was constantly declining, even the brain was no exception.

Simply put, the great wizard is gradually developing a disease similar to Alzheimer's disease.

In the game, players often encounter the situation where the Archmage blocks the door and suddenly forgets how to recite the spell, so he waves his Mithril Alloy Steel Staff with a confused look on his face, knocking out the naughty players who are incarnated as Robinson of the Library one by one.

Even so, Ian McKellen is still a fourth-level crown wizard.

Moreover, he seemed to be quite open about it, and was even joking about these two young people he had just met.

"Hey, actually the reason why I chose to use a staff instead of magic is because I suddenly forgot what spell to use." At this point, the great wizard started laughing so hard that his beard stood up, not taking his own embarrassment seriously at all.

"..." Diana's mouth twitched and she forced herself to suppress her smile.

"Uh, hahaha." Galar laughed dryly, looking like he didn't know what to do with his hands and feet.

Are you kidding? This is the leader of the six sages who triggered the Magic Revolution. To most young people in Linde, he is a character who came out of a textbook.

"Indeed, from this we can see that even spellcasters should not neglect physical exercise." Alvin said with a smile, looking like a senior high school student doing reading comprehension related to famous quotes.

"Yeah, oh, what a shame! Nowadays, all the mages only know how to read books and do experiments. They don't even think about exercising their hands and feet. They're not even worried about not being able to lift their staffs when they go into battle."

As if remembering something bad, Master Ian couldn't help showing an expression as if he had a toothache.

Afterwards, the old wizard with white hair and beard showed some curiosity towards Alvin and others.

"By the way, young people, are there any books you want to check out in the library?"

"I'm not bragging, old man. Although my memory isn't as good as it used to be, I'm confident that I'm as familiar with this library as anyone else." The old wizard patted his chest and said,

"Oh, it's mainly to understand the latest development level of the magic industry." In response to the above question, Ivan's eyes did not change, and he directly stated the purpose of his trip in an extremely calm tone.

"Is that all? Then there's no need to come to the inner hall." The old wizard raised his eyelids slightly, and a gleam of light appeared in his eyes that were narrowed into slits.

In fact, the reason why Alvin wanted to investigate this information was not complicated.

As a future man, he was no stranger to the entire magical industry. However, to demonstrate outstanding potential worthy of cultivation in the Youth Magic Car Competition, Alvin needed to carefully assess the appropriate level of excellence.

After all, being half a step ahead of the times can be considered a genius, but being one, two, or even three, four, five, six, seven, or eight steps ahead of the times will be regarded as a madman.

For example, if a modern person who is familiar with medicine travels back to the Middle Ages and wants to become a genius doctor based on the medical knowledge he has mastered.

Then, those who only want to be half a step ahead can choose to "invent" the syringe and then announce to the public that they have invented a precise bloodletting method based on the ancient and wise theory of the balance of four liquids.

As long as the patient wears a long skirt, dances the cancan and prays loudly, and then receives bloodletting treatment using this new medical device, the disease can be eliminated with minimal physical exertion.

However, those who are one step ahead of the times will say that praying to God is useless, drinking more hot water and chewing some herbs are far more effective than bleeding yourself, and then they will come up with a bunch of drug formulas accurate to milligrams.

In this way, although the former's treatment scene is funny and ridiculous, and to some extent comparable to shamanism, this person will become a genius and famous doctor who can freely enter and leave the courts of various countries in a very short time.

Although the latter can actually cure some diseases, it is more likely that the frightened people will directly tie the person to the stake and barbecue him.

As a person from another world who only wants to get Linde's confidential scientific research results for free, Alvin doesn't want to add extra work to himself.

Although, if any villagers really wanted to tie him to the stake, they would just be knocked down with one punch...

Getting back to the topic, hearing the old wizard's meaningful question, Alvin smiled slightly without showing any panic.

"Having said that, if you want to get real cutting-edge scientific research information, the National Library is indeed the most reliable."

"That's true." The old wizard nodded.

In just a few words of casual chat, although the old man acted childish like an old naughty boy, there was a hint of temptation in his questions.

On the other hand, although the young man's answer seemed sincere and sounded like he was sincerely praising the National Library's rapid and efficient collection of information, his few words only revealed the part of the information he wanted others to know.

While thinking, the two looked at each other, still with smiles on their faces, but secretly cursing "old (little) fox" in their hearts.

Soon, this unexpected tea party ended in a weird atmosphere.

Before leaving, the old wizard suddenly stopped and asked a question seemingly casually.

"I almost forgot. The old man heard some rumors when he was bored."

"It seems like quite a few participating teams were attacked by gangsters last night. Fortunately, no one was injured in most teams. I wonder if you, young man, encountered a similar incident last night?"

"That's another thing? Thank you very much for your concern, but my journey home yesterday was quite smooth." Ivan replied in surprise.

In fact, the old wizard's words made the black-haired boy's heart tighten, and his eyes showed a thoughtful look.

It appears that the attack was more complicated than it appeared.

Chapter 149: The Price of Kindness

This feeling, this feeling is like a pot falling from the sky.

The sudden emergence of new information immediately made Ivan feel a sense of danger.

However, although the sense of crisis in his heart became more and more obvious, he had actually foreseen such a situation long before he received the news, and the seemingly unintentional words of Master Ian directly confirmed the correctness of those guesses from the side.

The reason is actually not complicated.

Firstly, not all of the players who were attacked were attacked by cultists. Compared to the players who were attacked by ordinary militants, what was it about him who was attacked by extraordinary people that made him so specifically targeted?

Moreover, the other party's state at the time was obviously somewhat unnatural and insane, although that level of insane might not be abnormal for a cultist.

You know, even for those who believe in Narwhal, they shouldn't casually use a Level 3 character, who is the backbone of any supernatural organization, in a mere ordinary assassination of low value.

If it was the previous action against Emperor Conrad of Lind, it would be fine, but his public identity was just a small first-level alchemist from abroad with limited strength and slight ambition.

Normally speaking, even if enough trainees were sent out, such low-level transcendents would likely be exhausted to death.

But what he faced was a third-level transcendent who had fallen into madness.

According to the concepts before the rise of various countries, such extraordinary people can already be preliminarily classified as upper-level extraordinary people.

Therefore, when he killed the high-level evil wizard who mastered twisted magic without getting into a hard fight, Ivan sensed something unusual hidden beneath the surface. That's why he made a decisive decision to leave the scene to avoid being involved in the enemy's next round of conspiracy.

Looking at the smiling old wizard, the black-haired boy's expression did not fluctuate at all.

The enhancement from the Death Angel's Mystery allowed him to precisely control his facial muscles and not have many subconscious reactions, properly and completely concealing his thoughts in a calm and peaceful state.

After a while, Alvin put down the clean and elegant white porcelain teacup and let out a breath.

Although he concealed the fact that he had been attacked at the first moment, the black-haired boy did not continue to explain. Such behavior of deliberately separating himself from the incident would reveal his guilty conscience.

Instead, he chose to go out and attack, facing this sudden and suspicious incident head-on.

The teacup and saucer made a crisp sound when they touched each other, and at the same time, Ivan's serious and earnest words were heard.

"Did any contestants die in this attack?"

Master Ian nodded. At this moment, his eyes were scrutinizing and sharp, and there was no sign of old age at all.

"Unfortunately, those contestants who were from civil groups or qualified as individuals were all seriously injured last night and unable to participate in the competition. Some even died." At this point, the old wizard's tone immediately became heavy.

"From the traces at the scene, it seems the attackers concealed their identities, but their methods of operation were similar to those who attacked players from other factions. They were armed individuals with the style of gangsters or mercenaries."

"Coincidentally, according to the informant planted by the Public Security Bureau in the downtown area, the chaotic downtown area, which was originally divided into different factions, was just unified by a rising young force some time ago, and their leader seems to be called..." The great wizard showed a subtle expression on his face.

"Dear 'Don'."

In an instant, the reception room fell into an unbearable silence.

In the inner hall outside the room, a mage apprentice who kept coughing was walking underground, holding on to the wall.

Mage apprentices like these often haven't yet undergone the promotion ceremony to become official Transcendents. However, they are familiar with Transcendents and related information, as they themselves are Transcendent candidates. As long as they complete their studies and work for their teacher for a sufficient period of time, they can graduate smoothly like ordinary craftsmen apprentices.

However, when a mage apprentice graduates, he or she will also get a rare opportunity for promotion.

Of course, not everyone can successfully become a mage. Many people often choose to give up during the difficult learning process. Those who truly complete the full course are usually those with strong will and outstanding talent among ordinary people.

However, even such people may encounter unsolvable problems.

"Damn it..." In between coughing, the mage apprentice Smile looked at the conspicuous pool of blood on his palm and couldn't help showing despair.

"Why me? There were so many people on the scene assisting with the investigation, why did I get this strange disease?"

The unknown wizard apprentice now only felt his vision blurred, the air was filled with sour and bitter tastes, and there were bursts of low humming in his ears from time to time.

As members of the Royal Society, mages and their apprentices within the society are obliged to assist the Public Security Bureau in investigating special cases involving supernatural powers.

But ever since the incident in the factory area, the mage apprentice began to notice something strange about himself.

He was in charge of recovering the remains of the mutated creatures at the time, and initially thought that it was just insomnia caused by witnessing the disgusting twisted flesh and blood.

After all, before coming into contact with such contaminated items, all mage apprentices would don a complete set of isolation suits and wear an amulet with an "anti-evil" effect. This entire process, which had undergone numerous improvements and repairs, could almost 100% ensure that those who came into contact with the contaminants would not be corroded or infected.

But after experiencing several bizarre nightmares, Smiler's will was greatly shaken, followed by sleepless nights, declining eyesight, taste disturbances, and even continued mental weakness.

As Smiler's consciousness gradually became blurred, he sought help from a priest and a doctor, but neither of them could figure out what was wrong with him. They could only assume that the heavy workload had put too much pressure on the young apprentice, leading to neurasthenia.

Apart from a few sedatives and a few soothing spells that were more comforting than effective, Smiley could be said to have gained almost nothing.

And so, day by day, Smiley continued to waste away in despair.

Until one day, the unbearable humming noise in his ears suddenly turned into low whispers.

"Kid, go...open that door."

"Then, the loving Father will show His mercy and accept you as one of His family. You will understand your suffering and gain eternal happiness and liberation from it."

Recalling those words that seemed vague but unforgettable as if engraved in his soul, Smiler's face, which was originally shrouded in despair, showed a trace of morbid joy.

"Go...open...the door, mercy...liberation...happiness!"

When the smiling wizard apprentice touched the surface of some rough object with his hands, he found that the blurry scene in front of him suddenly became clear.

It was as if nothing had happened, both the blurred vision and mental weakness disappeared, and Smiler felt like he had been reborn.

However, the joy was followed by fear, because he found that the place he was in was not where an ordinary mage apprentice should be.

Looking at the heavy stone door in front of him with intricate crimson magic circles engraved on it, Smiler gradually realized what he had done.

While he was in a daze, he passed through the heavily guarded downward passage and came to the most dangerous restricted area in the entire inner hall - the sealed place.

Behind the heavy door in front of him, which was more than ten meters high, was imprisoned a bloodthirsty, brutal and extremely powerful fire demon!

The process of imprisoning this demon was extremely difficult, and the Royal Society even paid a bloody price for it. But releasing it only required a secret word, a short secret word that was not supposed to be mastered by a wizard apprentice.

"Jah·lad·kurd..." An unknown secret code came out of Smile's mouth, and he was horrified to find that he had completely lost control of his body.

Two tears flowed from the eyes of the mage apprentice who was chanting the secret words, but the twisted smile on his face seemed even brighter and more sincere.

As the last ancient word was spoken, the intricate magic circle engraved on the stone gate disappeared quietly like snow in the sun.

Immediately afterwards, a deafening and terrifying roar came from inside the door.

The sound was like an erupting volcano, a roaring tsunami, and a screaming storm!

It makes those who hear it want to turn around and run away.