Ethan's mouth twitched.
"You've certainly gathered their intel thoroughly, Dean."
"No kidding," Blood Fury scoffed. "Making a bet without doing your homework is just asking for death. You think I've survived this long on luck?"
Ethan didn't respond to that. Instead, his mind was busy calculating something else.
Specifically, how to make the most of these ten days.
Yes, how to enjoy himself.
With the strength of the opponents described, Ethan could easily overpower them even with one hand tied behind his back.
What he really needed to plan for was how to maximize his gains.
After a moment of deliberation, Ethan asked, "Dean, how is the loot verified when we exit the secret realm? If the other side brings a massive storage Wizardry Tool and stuffs it with materials they gathered beforehand, wouldn't the results be whatever they say?"
"Oh, don't worry about that. Before you enter, we will provide each of you with a one-hundred-cubic-meter storage Wizardry Tool. You must leave your own storage tools behind. Of course, your personal belongings will be transferred to the designated storage tool under our supervision. You get to keep ten percent of everything you acquire during the mission."
"Then, Dean, how large is the secret realm? Is there any chance a high-tier combatant could just slaughter all the magical beasts?"
"Heh, high-tier combatant? Slaughtering all the beasts? If someone actually has the ability to wipe out every magical beast in a secret realm spanning over a hundred thousand square kilometers, the academy will just accept its bad luck."
Ethan nodded. "Understood, Dean. When do we leave?"
"Now. Any other questions?"
Ethan fell silent for a moment before finally asking the question he had been holding back.
"Why did you choose me?"
Blood Fury stared at him for two seconds and then laughed.
The smile held a hint of amusement and a touch of mockery. "Kid, do you really think I'm incompetent at my job? With the strength you showed during that Human-Faced Wolf mission, who else would I pick? Besides, if you have strength, show it. Hiding and sneaking around all day—do you think the academy is trying to cheat you or harm you? You brats always think we old fogies who've lived for centuries would actually care about your little scraps of junk."
Ethan's mouth twitched again.
The man really didn't pull any punches.
However, with a record of over four hundred Human-Faced Wolves and eight Lost Forest apprentices—six dead and two survivors—it would be more surprising if a freshman didn't get noticed for such a feat.
"Alright, stop standing there dazing off." Blood Fury stood up. "Let's go."
Ethan followed Blood Fury out of the room and stepped onto one of the academy's teleportation arrays.
When the light dissipated, his feet met soft soil.
They were in a valley.
Surrounded by mountains and dense vegetation, the valley floor was open and flat, roughly the size of two or three football fields.
The teleportation array was situated in the center of the valley. By the time Blood Fury led Ethan out of the circle, over a dozen people had already arrived.
Ethan scanned the area.
Seven academies, seven Wizards, and seven apprentices.
Blood Fury led Ethan to one side of the valley and gestured with his chin toward the others. "There, we've arrived. Seven academies in total. Put on a good show."
Ethan withdrew his gaze from the others and lowered his voice. "Dean, if I kill them all, will it cause trouble for the academy?"
Blood Fury, who was about to step forward, paused and turned back, his crimson eyes fixing on Ethan for a few seconds.
Then, he laughed.
The laugh was filled with surprise, a bit of admiration, and something else that was hard to define.
"You've got a bigger bloodlust than I do, kid." He shook his head. "You're almost as bad as that crazy woman, Jade Blood."
After a pause, his smile faded, and his voice turned cold. "Forget it. All that matters is the bet. As for whether they live or die?"
He paused again, his lips curling into a smirk.
"Heh."
It was just one syllable.
But Ethan understood perfectly.
As long as the goods were secured, the method didn't matter.
If people died, that was someone else's problem. Blood Bone Tower didn't care.
Ethan nodded, now fully aware of his boundaries.
He wasn't a bloodthirsty person. As long as the other six academies obediently handed over their materials, there was no need to kill them all.
Herbs, beast parts, Wizardry Tools—all those supernatural items just needed to be 'donated' to him.
What? They won't hand them over?
Then he would just have to give them a little 'tough love.'
As for whether they could survive it?
That had nothing to do with Ethan Leo.
It was their own fault for being too weak.
The seven Wizards gathered in the center of the valley, forming a circle and conversing in low voices.
Ethan couldn't hear what they were saying, but judging by their expressions, the atmosphere was relatively peaceful, with no signs of hostility.
After a brief discussion, the white-robed woman from White Bird Academy turned to face the seven apprentices.
"Everyone, come here."
The seven apprentices stepped forward and stood behind their respective Wizards.
The white-robed woman's gaze swept across their faces. "The rules of the secret realm. I will only say them once."
"First, for the first nine days, you may only gather materials and kill beasts. You are forbidden from attacking each other. Whoever strikes first will be immediately ejected by the rules of the secret realm."
"Second, after the ninth day, all methods are permitted, and life or death is irrelevant. Bringing the items out alive is your own responsibility."
"Third, before entering, each person will be assigned a one-hundred-cubic-meter storage Wizardry Tool. You must leave your own storage tools behind. Upon exiting, only the contents of the assigned tool will be counted as your total haul."
"Fourth," she paused, her eyes lingering on the seven apprentices, "if you die in the secret realm, you are dead. The academies will not seek revenge on your behalf."
"Alright, begin preparations."
Each of the seven Wizards pulled a palm-sized crystal from their robes. They formed a circle and pressed the crystals into the ground.
The moment the crystals touched the earth, the ground began to vibrate.
Runic lines carved into the stone slabs lit up one by one, spreading from the center of the valley to the periphery.
The light grew brighter, shifting from pale blue to a blinding white, as an indescribable energy fluctuation began to permeate the air.
Soon, a blue teleportation gate roughly five meters in diameter opened on the ground.
"Come over and swap your storage Wizardry Tools." Blood Fury beckoned Ethan and tossed him a pale gray ring from his sleeve.
Ethan caught it.
The ring's surface had no decorative engravings; it was as plain as a simple iron band.
"Transfer everything from your own ring into this one."
Ethan nodded and immediately began pulling items out without a word.
"Good grief, I really had to swap it after all."
Over a dozen bottles of Spirit-Refreshing Potion were pulled from his ring, lined up one by one at his feet.
The amber liquid swirled inside the bottles, with silver specks glinting under the light.
The gazes of the other six apprentices were drawn over, their eyelids twitching at the sight.
Ethan ignored them and continued pulling things out.
Various Wizardry Tools emerged—short spears, bracers, rings, pendants, bracelets... a messy pile began to grow.
The corners of the six apprentices' mouths began to twitch.
A tall, thin youth in a dark green robe couldn't help but mutter, "Is this guy running a Wizardry Tool shop?"
Ethan kept pulling.
Food came out—white bread, dried meat, salt, spices... it looked more like he was preparing for a picnic than a dangerous mission.
The expressions of the six apprentices shifted from twitching to utter numbness.
Ethan kept pulling.
Throwing knives, rope, daggers, a sewing kit, a first-aid kit...
The other six were completely speechless.
The tall, thin youth in the dark green robe swallowed hard. He looked at the meager supplies at his own feet, then at the mountain of gear in front of Ethan, and silently nudged his things further behind him.
Finally, Ethan finished.
He slid his empty storage ring off his finger and handed it to Blood Fury, then slipped on the pale gray ring and began packing his belongings into it.
Spirit-Refreshing Potions, Wizardry Tools, food, spices, tools... everything was stowed away one by one.
Rate on N.U.
