piratefiction Chapter 130 Hick's Arrangements and Anse Academy
Chapter 130 Hick's Arrangements and Anse Academy
Chapter 131 Hick's Arrangements and Anse Academy
He walked slowly to the cold lab bench, his slender fingers unconsciously brushing over the smooth crystal vessels, the shimmering tubes, and the ancient manuscripts and scrolls piled up to the side.
The air was filled with the scent of medicine, old parchment, and a very faint, peculiar aura of shadow energy.
"Sean."
He called out softly to the seemingly empty air, his voice sounding exceptionally clear in the silent cave.
As he finished speaking, the shadow not far beside him rippled slightly, like waves on water, revealing the pure white...
A humanoid figure, without a specific face, silently materialized and appeared, bowing slightly, awaiting instructions.
Two things.
Hick's gaze remained fixed on the lab table, his tone steady and clear.
"First, closely monitor all movements at Evans Manor and Old Evans. In particular, pay close attention to any new information or unusual actions by the Arnold family, big or small, and report back immediately."
"Yes." Sean's mental response was direct and concise, without any unnecessary questions.
"second----"
Hick hesitated for a moment, tapping his fingertips lightly on the cold stone, as if weighing his words.
"Try to use your most covert and elusive methods, under the premise of absolute and absolute safety, to collect all the scattered information related to the 'Sanctuary,' 'World Rift,' and 'Otherworldly Visitors' from all possible channels."
Don't overlook even the most outlandish legends, ancient nursery rhymes, or forgotten fragments from an ancient book. Note:
He emphasized his words.
"The highest priority is to conceal oneself. The entire process must be like a ghost passing through, and must not attract the attention or vigilance of any party, not even the slightest bit."
"Understood, sir! Concealment is the priority; gather information."
Sean's figure trembled slightly, indicating that he had fully grasped the essence of this extremely cautious mission. Then, like ink dissolving in water, he vanished silently from his spot, as if he had never existed.
After arranging these preliminary steps, Hick turned his gaze back to the empty corner in front of him—where a box containing Ralph's remains had been placed not long ago.
Although Lilith and Hughes had taken the body away in a panic as if it were a treasure, there seemed to be a faint, strange fluctuation remaining on the ground and even in the air in that area.
It was different from the dense negative energy permeating the cave, and also different from the shadow power controlled by Hick himself. It was a more unfamiliar and difficult-to-define energy texture, like an aftertaste that did not belong to this world.
It was a residual mark of the "outsider's" original power, so faint that if Hick's mental perception had not been specially honed and exceptionally sharp, and if he had not just learned the truth and consciously conducted a targeted scan, he probably would not have been able to detect it at all.
He walked to that corner, slowly squatted down, and extended his right index finger, touching the cold and rough ground surface with extreme care.
The sensation from his fingertips was still the coldness of rock, but beneath that physical touch, a trace of extremely faint residual energy, carrying an "unfamiliar" aura that could not be defined by existing knowledge, quietly entered his sensory network along his fingertips, like the finest spider silk.
Hick immediately closed his eyes, immersing himself completely in the matter, mobilizing all his mental energy to capture and analyze this faint, strange aura that could dissipate at any moment.
This aura—was completely different from any elemental energy, spiritual power, life force, or even negative energy he was familiar with.
It is more abstract and elusive, seemingly without any attributes, yet at its deepest level it contains some ineffable, almost primordial, strange quality, a pure sense of "otherworld".
"Is this... the aura of power from beyond this world?"
Hick muttered to himself, his voice as soft as if he were in a dream.
At this moment, he was like a child who had discovered a novel toy he had never seen before, his eyes sparkling with pure and focused curiosity, temporarily forgetting all his scheming and danger.
Although there is only such a faint and pitiful remnant, it is undoubtedly a crucial starting point!
He immediately took out several specially made miniature crystal containers from the storage ring on his finger, which were specifically designed to collect and preserve samples of extremely sensitive or special energy.
These containers are covered with fine, stable runes, and their interiors are almost completely vacuum-like.
He began an extremely careful process that required extraordinary patience and precise energy manipulation—guiding and peeling away that faint trace of residual power, and safely sealing it inside.
The entire process cannot tolerate any mistakes. The slightest disturbance to energy or carelessness in operation could cause this already fragile mark to completely vanish without a trace.
But Hick was completely focused, as if the whole world consisted only of the faint otherworldly aura before him and the crystal container in his hand.
Time slipped away quietly as he focused on his work.
After an unknown amount of time, he finally succeeded in completely and stably sealing that strange power aura into a small, uniquely made dark purple crystal bottle.
The runes on the crystal bottle wall glowed faintly before disappearing, ensuring the absolute sealing of the internal energy.
Hick gently lifted the crystal bottle and examined it carefully in the dim green light cast from the dome.
The faint, almost invisible aura, flowing slowly like fine dust particles, was contained within the bottle.
Although Lilith and Hughes took the body they considered most important, it was something they never expected.
Hick was able to capture and preserve the most crucial trace of the original power aura from the place where a corpse that had been taken away for a long time had been briefly stored, thanks to his keen senses, perception, and familiarity with many people!
After carefully placing the dark purple crystal bottle into his ring, Hick stood up, his gaze becoming deep and sharp once more, regaining his usual composure.
"Let's put the matters of the Sanctuary and the outsiders aside for now. Lilith and the others shouldn't bother me again anytime soon."
He muttered to himself, his thoughts drifting in another direction.
"Well then—next, it's time to deal with this fly that's been oblivious to its own mortality and came crawling on to me—Arnold, are you just ignorant and fearless, or do you have some ulterior motive? Why do you insist on provoking me?"
Hick had been paying attention to the Arnold family's recent unusual activities in the border region, but he had temporarily held back in order to prioritize dealing with Lilith and Hughes, the two uninvited guests from the "Sanctuary," and had only had Sean conduct routine surveillance.
But now, the Arnold family's behavior seems rather strange.
They seemed uninterested in the smokescreen about the "Men in Black" that he had Sean spread, instead sending out young apprentices led by Kyle to "gather information," a move that was unusual in itself.
It's more like a deliberate attempt to keep a low profile and avoid attracting attention.
You should know that people from both the Eternal Tower and Anse Academy have died at the hands of those so-called "men in black"!
How could they be so calm?
Unless the Arnold family's intelligence gathering is a pretense, and their real intention is to use this opportunity to secretly contact certain forces!
"And also, Kyle, the one leading the team—"
A cold glint flashed in Hick's eyes.
"The anxiety and urgency hidden deep in his eyes are not as simple as just attending a social gathering. What is he so anxious about? What is he secretly plotting or hiding?"
Kingdom of Saipu, Anse Academy.
The towering, greyish-white wizard towers cast long, clear shadows in the afternoon sun, their ancient, rough surfaces covered with vibrant, enchanted vines and protective runes that occasionally shimmered with light.
The air was filled with the bitter scent wafting from the potion garden, and the ever-present, gentle yet undeniable energy fluctuations—a unique field formed by the interplay of countless magical experiments, the operation of barriers, and the wizard's own power.
In stark contrast to the primitive eeriness of the Silent Forest and the desolation of Evans Manor, Anse Academy is filled with the unique, orderly, and vibrant atmosphere of an academy.
Apprentices and mentors dressed in colorful robes hurried along, some carrying heavy books, others discussing academic issues in hushed tones, creating a bustling scene.
After several more days of travel, Kyle, his sister Sena, and the Arnold family finally arrived at their ostensible destination—Anse Academy.
At the academy's magnificent gate, several wizard apprentices dressed in light green or gray-blue robes representing different grades stood to the side of the gate.
He was polite yet vigilant, checking the identity documents of each visitor with a respectful but not arrogant attitude.
Kyle walked at the front of the group, having long since buried the anxiety he had occasionally been unable to completely conceal at Evans Manor deep in his heart.
His face once again wore that impeccable, gentle smile befitting the heir of an ancient wizarding family, and he calmly presented the guard leader with the ancient crest of the Arnold family and the exquisitely crafted invitation to the social gathering.
"Welcome to Anse Academy, Master Kyle, Miss Sena."
After carefully and quickly checking the credentials, a young male wizard, who seemed to be the leader, gave a perfunctory smile and bowed slightly.
"The academy has prepared a quiet resting area for everyone in the Arnold family. Please follow me."
"Thank you for showing me the way."
Kyle nodded in acknowledgment, his manners elegant and impeccable.
Sena followed obediently behind him, her bright eyes unable to resist curiously looking around at everything.
She was still young, and it was her first time leaving the sphere of influence of her family to participate in such a large-scale event, so she found everything in the academy very new and exciting.
Especially those heavy books that floated steadily past her head, seemingly possessing their own consciousness!
There are also tiny magical creatures that occasionally peek out from the murals in the corridor before quickly retreating!
The faint elemental fluctuations emanating from the training ground in the distance made her eyes light up; she could hardly take it all in.
But she also remembered her brother's repeated instructions along the way and tried her best to maintain the dignified demeanor befitting a noble lady. However, her eyes kept wandering, revealing her inner excitement and curiosity.
The other family members followed silently behind, seemingly relaxed but actually slightly tense, their sharp eyes scanning the surroundings discreetly, assessing potential routes and risks.
Their mission is far more complex than simply attending a social gathering.
Guided by the academy apprentice, they crossed the wide central square paved with white flagstones.
In the center of the square stands a huge planetarium sculpture that is rotating very slowly on its own. The stars on it are inlaid with luminous crystals and emit a soft glow even in the daytime.
Representatives from other wizarding families or organizations had already arrived in the square, gathering in twos and threes, seemingly relaxed and talking in hushed tones.
Kyle's gaze seemed to casually sweep across the crowd, but in reality, it was like the most sophisticated scanning array, quickly and accurately identifying some important faces and symbols.
When he saw the small group of people not far away wearing dark gray robes with a unique silver spiral tower emblem embroidered on the hem, his heart tightened, followed by a surge of intense joy, but his face remained calm, maintaining a perfect smile.
The people from the Tower of Eternity have indeed arrived!
Most of them had cold expressions and spoke very little to each other. They exuded a low-pressure atmosphere that kept strangers at bay, clearly still feeling heavy and oppressed because of the men they had lost in the previous unexpected conflict.
Kyle was overjoyed; this was exactly the ideal situation they had calculated!
The Eternal Tower's power is weakened, which makes it even more reliant on and attentive to the "sincerity" that the Arnold family is about to offer!