novel bin Chapter 119 Arnold's Visit and the Uninvited Guest
Chapter 119 Arnold's Visit and the Uninvited Guest
Chapter 120 Arnold's Visit and the Uninvited Guest
Meanwhile, deep within Evans Manor, in a heavily guarded underground meditation room filled with layers of barriers.
Grandpa Evans sat cross-legged in the center of a complex meditation circle, his face flushed, steam rising from his head, and the energy fluctuations around him rising and falling like the tides, yet carrying an unprecedented vitality.
He had already taken the Dragon Blood Enhancement Potion with utmost care.
At this moment, he was fully guiding the molten and powerful medicinal energy within his body to cleanse the meridians that had long since withered and shriveled due to old age and injuries, and to nourish the nearly dried-up source of life.
The two completely opposite feelings of pain and comfort intertwined, causing the veins on his forehead to throb and sweat to pour down his face, but his old eyes shone with an incomparably excited and thrilling light!
He could clearly feel that his wizard level barrier, which had been stagnant for decades, was beginning to loosen under the impact of this domineering and pure dragon blood energy!
Years of hidden damage are being rapidly repaired, and aging cells are regaining their vitality!
This feeling—it's like being reborn!
"Hick—my dear grandson—you have truly given your grandfather a tremendous gift!"
The old man was filled with mixed emotions, and he felt an indescribable pride and a deep-seated worry for his exceptionally talented grandson.
The fact that Hick could produce something like this suggests that his current level and environment are far more complex and dangerous than Hick imagined.
But he has no time to think about that now; the key is to absorb the medicinal power with all his might.
Inside their manor room, the Ryans were enjoying a rare moment of tranquility.
Rico stood by the window, looking at the orderly servants in the manor, and couldn't help but sigh, "Father—he really seems different now."
He was referring to the subtle change in the old man's attitude towards him. Although it was still not exactly friendly, at least he was no longer hostile. He even allowed them to stay in the guest rooms of the main house, which was unprecedented.
Kaina sat at the dressing table, a relaxed smile on her face: "Of course, it's all thanks to us kids. That potion—although I don't know exactly what it is, it must be incredibly precious. Father—he actually understands everything."
She paused, her tone tinged with pride and longing.
"That Hick kid always manages to create miracles."
Just then, the manor's old butler gently knocked on the door and announced respectfully, "Master Ryan, Madam. Guests have arrived at the manor. It's Young Master Kyle and Miss Sena from the Arnold family in the south, who have come to visit and wish to stay overnight. The master is currently in meditation and has instructed that no guests be received. What do you think—?"
In the past, such reception arrangements would not have required Rico's opinion; the butler would have handled them directly according to usual practice.
But now, the old butler's attitude is clearly different, carrying a hint of seeking instructions.
Rico was stunned for a moment, not reacting immediately.
Kaina immediately understood the butler's meaning—her father was tacitly approving, or even intentionally allowing Rico to begin to get involved in some of the family's external affairs; it was a subtle form of recognition and cultivation.
She quickly and secretly nudged her husband.
Rico then realized what was happening, feeling somewhat flattered, but trying to maintain a lordly demeanor, he coughed lightly and said, "The Arnold family are friendly business partners. Since they have come to visit, we should naturally treat them well. Please invite them in, arrange the best guest room, and make sure they are well taken care of."
"Yes, Mr. Ryan."
The old butler bowed in agreement and withdrew.
Rico watched the butler leave, still somewhat incredulous at what had just happened. He, Rico Lane, had actually been issuing orders at Evans Manor?
And he was even addressed as "Master"?
Kaina couldn't help but chuckle at his silly expression: "Look at you, so pleased with yourself! Hurry up and get ready, you might have to meet some guests later. The Arnold family isn't a small family, and we can't afford to be impolite."
"Yes, yes, yes!"
Rico nodded hurriedly, frantically starting to straighten his robes, his heart filled with an unprecedented sense of accomplishment and gratitude towards his son.
He knew that all these changes stemmed from the magical potion that Hick had sent.
However, whether it was old man Evans diligently absorbing the dragon blood's medicinal power, the Ryan couple immersed in the joy of improved family relations, or Kyle and Sena, who had just moved into the manor and were looking forward to meeting the old hero—
Unbeknownst to them, an extremely tiny, almost imperceptible milky-white spore was silently attaching itself to the crevice of one of the Arnold family's luggage carts, and was entering Evans Manor with the group.
Deep within the dark canyon chamber, Sean, who sensed the keywords "Arnold Family" and "Evans Manor" through spores, slowly opened his eyes, his brows furrowing slightly.
"They actually went to Evans Estate?"
He muttered to himself, sensing that things seemed to be getting a little complicated.
Lord Evans' family—this is not a target that can be dealt with casually.
He immediately wrote down this information, preparing to report it as soon as Hick finished the current phase of the experiment.
An impending storm seemed to be quietly enveloping this once tranquil riverside manor.
Meanwhile, deep within another secluded forest at the border between the Kingdom of Sant and the Kingdom of Bill.
"Why is this navigation pointing more and more towards the core area of the Silent Forest? Is this piece of junk malfunctioning again?"
Lilith's expression turned grim as she looked at the tracking compass in the black-robed man's hand, which was flashing an unstable green light, and her tone was filled with distrust.
Her previous experiences left her with lingering fear, especially the time she was mistakenly led to the lair of a terrifying monster that was almost at level four, which nearly cost them both their lives.
The fact that Vidis later explained it as a "temporary malfunction of the sorcery" only made her question the reliability of the thing even more.
The Silent Forest is not some small force that you can easily mess with; it is one of the two overlords that dominate the Aikar region!
If this magical artifact malfunctions again and allows them to trespass into each other's sensitive areas without warning, the lightest consequence will be a severe beating and being thrown out.
But should I say hello?
Lilith glanced at her companion beside her, who exuded a strong aura of negative energy and whose skeleton was faintly visible—a typical necromancer who was unwelcome in any orthodox wizarding faction.
She couldn't help but sigh. This pair of them, going to report to the entrance of the Silent Forest?
They'll probably be treated as provocateurs.
"This time it should be right!"
The man in black robes spoke with barely suppressed excitement and certainty as he repeatedly calibrated the compass in his hand.
"I just confirmed again through special means, and Vidis clearly replied that the artifact is functioning normally! That guy, or something closely related to him, is definitely near the Silent Forest! The error rate is no more than fifty miles!"
He raised his head, and two points of green light flickered intensely beneath the shadow of his black robe.
"This time, we will definitely be able to—"
Before he could finish speaking, the two of them suddenly turned their heads almost simultaneously to look at an ancient oak tree that appeared to be perfectly normal behind them!
"Huh? There's a mouse!"
A cold, fierce glint flashed across Lilith's charming face.
"A very subtle form of surveillance—the energy fluctuations are almost completely assimilated into the environment, but they cannot escape my sense of death."
The man in black robes' voice also became low and dangerous.
"Hehe~"
Lilith let out a series of ambiguous laughs, but her eyes sharpened.
"This little thing's ability to hide is quite unique~ Interesting."
As soon as she finished speaking, without any incantation or spellcasting, she simply glanced lazily in the direction of the oak tree.
A strange, powerful, yet extremely subtle and alluring spiritual force, like an invisible spider web, instantly enveloped that area!
squeak-!
A faint, almost inaudible hiss rang out.
Sean's milky-white, fungal-like spore clone was forcibly ripped from the wood grain by an irresistible, eerily alluring mental force, and floated in mid-air.
It has no facial features, but the main consciousness conveys through it two completely different yet unfathomably terrifying auras!
Especially that woman, whose mental power was strange and powerful, was able to directly interfere with and control his spore structure!
"Ugh—"
The spore clone emitted a muffled, painful hiss that indicated the connection was being severely disrupted.
Sean's main body, deep within the dark canyon chamber, shuddered violently, his face turning deathly pale. He sensed that his connection with the spore clone was being eroded and broken down by a terrifying force!
"This is not his true form."
The black-robed man, the necromancer, flickered the will-o'-the-wisp in his eye sockets and concluded in a hoarse voice.
"A very peculiar method of long-range reconnaissance. The structure is very fragile, but the stealth is extremely high, and the energy fluctuations are almost integrated with the environment."
Lilith observed the struggling spore clone with great interest, extending her slender fingers as if to touch it, but was stopped by the necromancer's gaze.
"Be careful, Lilith. The unknown is often the most dangerous," he warned.
"Okay, okay, you're such a spoilsport, all skin and bones."
Lilith pursed her lips, but still withdrew her hand and instead used her powerful mental energy to scan the spore clone more carefully.
"Hmm—the structure is quite peculiar, like some kind of—activated fungus? But it also contains a spiritual imprint. An interesting little thing~"
Her mental energy, like the finest tendrils, attempted to dissect the core of the spore clone.
Inside the canyon chamber, Sean's forehead was beaded with cold sweat.
He realized that the opponent's strength far exceeded his imagination, especially the female wizard, whose mental power was extremely subtle and penetrating. If this continued, his spore clone might be completely broken by the opponent, and might even track back to his main body!
"We can't wait any longer!" A resolute glint flashed in Sean's eyes.
He immediately sent a final command to the spore clone through the remaining weak connection: self-destruct!
The spore clone suspended in the air trembled violently, its internal structure instantly becoming extremely unstable. Countless fine cracks appeared on its milky-white surface, emitting dangerous energy fluctuations!
"Huh? Trying to self-destruct?"
Lilith raised an eyebrow, seemingly somewhat surprised by the other party's decisiveness.
The spore clone briefly broke free from Lilith's restraints and instantly disintegrated. Everything within it, along with the complete annihilation of the spore clone, turned into an invisible cloud of dust and vanished into the air.
"Disappeared."
Lilith withdrew her mental energy and frowned.
"The self-destruction was thorough; nothing was left behind. The method was very professional."
The necromancer did not speak immediately; he simply looked down at the tracking compass in his hand that was pointing in a certain direction.
"No, it's not that nothing was left behind."
The necromancer slowly raised his head, his gaze beneath his black robes becoming incredibly sharp. He looked toward the last direction where the spore clone's spiritual power had vanished—the edge of the deeper, core region of the Silent Forest.
"That fleeting aura just now—though very faint, it was definitely related to our target! Moreover, the appearance of this little thing itself proves that we've found the right place! Someone doesn't want us to go any further and is using this method to warn and mislead us!"
His tone carried a hint of excitement and certainty.
"It seems Vidis's compass was right this time! He—or someone closely connected to him—is nearby! Most likely hiding in some corner of the Silent Forest!"
Upon hearing this, Lilith also dropped her playful expression, her eyes turning serious: "The Silent Forest—this is going to be a bit troublesome. Forcing our way in definitely won't work."
"Of course we can't just barge in," the necromancer said in a deep voice. "We need a suitable reason, or—a way to sneak in quietly without disturbing the Lord of Silence."
He looked once more at the lush, verdant forest that seemed to hold endless secrets, his eyes burning with a fierce, ghostly light.
"This time, I won't let you get away again!"
In the dark, secluded chamber of the canyon, Sean let out a long sigh of relief; his robes were soaked with cold sweat.
Although a valuable remote spore clone was lost, it was enough to temporarily fool the enemy and divert their attention to the Silent Forest.
He dared not delay for a moment and immediately recorded the thrilling encounter and the physical characteristics of the two terrifying experts in detail, preparing to report it to Hick as soon as possible.
These two suddenly appearing, unfathomably powerful trackers pose a far greater threat than the Arnold family's "hidden hands"!