Chapter 232: 016: Advice

A similar age, both possessing the Eye of Death God?

A name that had vanished from Lynch’s life for a long time quietly resurfaced.

Could it be… Alfred?

Philis continued, “Because of this, I tracked all the way here and found you in this human city. But the moment I saw you, I realized the Wind Elves had made a mistake—you two are not the same person.”

Pausing, he picked up Lynch’s wineskin, took a sip, and said, “I originally planned to leave, but I was surprised to find that you also possess outstanding swordsmanship. That’s truly rare among Wizards. My hands itched to test your skill in the arena. Not bad, not bad.”

Lynch shrugged, “Thanks for the praise.”

Philis asked, “To achieve such remarkable swordsmanship, you must have undergone consistent Knight training, right? What’s your current level? Have you reached Great Knight?”

Lynch replied, “Not yet, just High-level Knight.”

“I see…”

Philis sounded slightly regretful, “That’s really a shame. Otherwise, I hoped we could have a proper spar. It’s rare to find someone in the Wizard ranks who shares the same passion.”

Lynch said, “If it’s swordsmanship, we can do it now.”

Deep down, Lynch still felt dissatisfied about losing in the arena earlier due to the limitations of his worn-out puppet body.

Philis shook his head, “Swordsmanship and Fighting Spirit are integrated into one. A match of pure swordsmanship isn’t very meaningful. Once you advance to the Great Knight stage, let’s settle who is superior then.”

Lynch nodded, “I’ll be ready anytime.”

Philis chuckled, “By the way, we’ve talked for so long, but I still don’t know your name.”

Lynch said, “Lynch Valen. Pleased to meet you.”

Philis replied, “A pleasure.”

After a brief pause, he asked further, “Which area of the West Ruins are you a Wizard from? Dawn Wizard Academy?”

Lorent and its surroundings fell under the jurisdiction of Dawn Wizard Academy.

Lynch shook his head, “No, I’m from the northern Dark Forest—Shadow Tower.”

“Shadow Tower?”

Philis furrowed his brow as if he’d just heard something unpleasant.

Lynch asked curiously, “What?”

Philis remained silent for a moment before asking, “Is your Witch Master named Erodion?”

Lynch nodded, “Yes, Scholar Erodion? Why, do you know him?”

Philis let out a cold laugh; his tone shifted distinctly, “Know him? I do, to say the least!”

But he abruptly stopped there, not elaborating further.

There must be some kind of grudge between the two, Lynch guessed.

This entangled resentment between powerful figures wasn’t something Lynch dared to pry too deeply into. He could only speculate.

Philis continued, “Be wary. That man isn’t right in the head. His danger level can rival those of madmen or lunatics. And your entire Wizard Family over there—what a joke! Letting someone like him rise to a high position…”

Lynch was baffled.

Such blatant slander clearly revealed that their feud was far from trivial…

Philis glanced at him and added, “Don’t think I’m fear-mongering or merely spouting malice. Yes, I have personal enmity with him, but my words aren’t driven by that. They’re an honest assessment of the man himself!”

“If you don’t believe me, investigate his past carefully. Pay special attention to his origins and bloodline.”

“In any case, this guy is no good! Allowing him to take charge of an entire Witch Domain is the greatest misfortune for that region. Sooner or later, this entire domain will be destroyed because of him. When that time comes, the whole area will be turned into a living hell!”

Could it be… that Erodion truly has some grim secret?

Judging from Philis’s detailed and compelling words, Lynch couldn’t help but feel a flicker of doubt.

“Leave this place! The sooner, the better!”

Philis advised, “You’re young and have already advanced to Wizard. Your future holds immense potential. It would be a pity if you were torn to shreds in this oncoming storm. Instead, leave early and truly explore this world.”

“This world is vast—so vast that the West Ruins are nothing more than an insignificant backwater. Only when you step out will you realize how truly rich, magnificent, and turbulent it is.”

But to ask him to abandon his relatively comfortable and stable life because of a few words from some random old man? Lynch wasn’t fully convinced.

That said, he already had thoughts of exploring the outside world, so he still nodded and said, “Thank you for the advice. I’ll consider it.”

Philis reached into his pocket, pulled out an emblem, and handed it to Lynch, “Take this. If you ever make your way to the Truth Church, this will help you find me. Then we can spar over swordsmanship again.”

What luck! Was this a stroke of fate?

Lynch accepted the emblem, “Alright. Thank you.”

Philis shook his head, “No need for thanks. Being this talented and advancing to Wizard at such a young age—someone like you will be highly sought after no matter where you are in this world.”

After a pause, he cast a glance at the increasingly dark night sky and returned the wineskin to Lynch, “It’s getting late. I need to continue chasing after that damned man. Let’s end today’s chat here. Thanks for the barbecue.”

With that, he picked up his sword, rose to his feet, and bid farewell to Lynch, “Until next time.”

Lynch also stood and responded, “Until next time.”

Philis turned and departed, quickly vanishing into the darkness of the night.

Watching Philis’s departing figure, Lynch couldn’t help but feel a trace of envy. A single Cross Sword, the freedom to go wherever one pleased—this was the life he yearned for.

But all of it hinged on strength.

Though Lynch traveled freely now, seemingly carefree, his activities were confined to the Ancient Ruins region and, at best, the Seven Kingdoms. And even these movements were safeguarded by established rules.

This world was vast beyond measure, filled with countless powerful beings. While Lynch’s current strength might suffice in this corner of the map, in the grand scale of the Wizard World, it was far from exceptional.

The Wizard’s Road is long and infinite. Becoming a Wizard is merely the first small step on this endless journey…

…

Meanwhile, in the forest.

“Thud!”

A sharp arrow pierced through Harak’s chest; the spray of blood splattered onto Lilith’s cheeks, dyeing her eyes red and blurring her vision.

In that instant, time seemed frozen.

In this blood-drenched world, everything moved unbearably slow.

Lilith could see the bandits slowly opening their mouths, revealing sinister grins. She saw Harak slowly collapsing with a guilty expression. The entire world appeared to decelerate at that moment.

“No!!!” A heart-wrenching scream echoed through the forest.

Harak fell to the ground.

Lilith hurriedly supported him, trying to lift him back up.

The bandits, sneering viciously, advanced, yanking her arms and legs, tearing at her clothing.

Her fragile dress was shredded in an instant, revealing large swathes of her pale skin.

Yet Lilith seemed utterly indifferent; she kept struggling forward with all her strength, extending her hand as far as she could to grasp Harak’s.

Amidst the chaos, her expression softened into a strange tranquility.

Seeing Harak coughing blood in anger nearby, she forced out a faint smile, as if to say: It’s alright. It’ll all be over soon.

In this moment, it was the only comfort she could offer them both.

Disaster seemed inevitable, but just as it was about to strike—

“Ahhh!”

“Wh-what’s biting me… Ugh…”

“Spiders—there are spiders!”

Suddenly, amidst panicked screams, a commotion broke out among the outer ranks of the bandits. Shadows flitted amongst them, leaping from figure to figure; several bandits clutched at their spurting necks, collapsing to the ground.

The bandit leader, ready to berate his men for interrupting his moment of indulgence, froze in terror as he raised his gaze. His previously fervent mood evaporated instantly.

“Whoosh—” The sound of fierce wind swept in from all directions, followed by dark clouds gathering above the forest canopy.

In the next moment—

“Crack!” A deafening boom.

Several massive lightning bolts descended from the heavens, ripping the forest apart in an instant…

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